"Coldly the remote mountains are clean.
Dusk comes. The long river races by.
You undo the rope, are already gone.
I stand for a long time, looking."
      – Wang Wei, from "Seeing Zu Off at Qizhou








From this very spot on lake terrace
we had years ago looked over the same open water.
We had seen the water-skiers in a line of three
pull back onto their ropes in unison
calling out their commands in practice
for the summer's coming shows
over the gurgling roar of the boat.
The rooftop was precisely the same.
White modern lights and walking tiles.
A sky that resembled the clean color of the lake.
Today I feel older by twenty years
but it has only been five.
Time somedays has wings.
I stand here looking out and say a goodbye.
It flies off. I will barely remember.