I Dream of the Blue River (After Li Shangyin)
Swallows rise in the air.
They swirl and go nowhere.
Then suddenly disappear,
as if they were never there.
I can feel the weight
of my fate, as if
some god were in the room,
but is now gone.
Rain falls on the trees,
and whispers in the leaves.
It’s a melancholy song,
carried by a melancholy breeze.
In my old age. I don’t
understand the song,
but feel it was meant for me.
• • •
Evenings in the Village (After Lu Yu)
A cat is crouching in the tulips.
The wind comes fast
like a sudden trumpet blast.
The cat has lost his chance.
And a starling outflanks a robin
to steal the fat prize.
The robin despairs
with nothing for his efforts.
The cat eyes them both
with melancholy eyes.
Then he’s troubled by a fly.
Night arrives in tight shoes,
It almost seems to groan.
I hear the wind moan.
This is my life.
No man should live alone.
• • •
George Freek is a poet/playwright living in Belvidere, Illinois. His poetry has recently appeared in Trade West Review, The Cape Rock, Limestone, and The Sentinel Poetry Quarterly. His plays are published by Playscripts, Inc., Lazy Bee Scripts, and Off The Wall Plays.
