The show

Red curtains up. (Toss and turn the gongs!
Let them leave stains between the ears!)

Scene i. I shall begin
With the purple man
In the purple chair
(The gigantic bonsai
And the falling hair).
The wind blows cold
On his violet seat.
I found pills
'Neath his vulgar sheet.

(I can't do this: won't you please
Throw away the damned script?
I hold such violent grudge on him,
And for him, my dear old clock.)

Scene ii. YEAR OF THE COCK.
They sauntered the streets
Red; they saw the cities
Red; they walked life
In red.

But purple
Sat (right there in the centre)—

Even on Chinese New Year.

Scene iii. We were told,
As young children, that
The red envelopes were given
To ward off evil, to claim health.

So why won't they seal the year? Why
Won't they seal the old lady? and the empty air?
Oh, why not?—won't they pull him off
His indelicate chair?

Red curtains down. An ailing king
High to his throne, his tyranny
Most soothing to the windows awake.
He croaked ravens on the day;
Cried tears at dusk.

And through the meekest hours
I his phlegm-pot
Night by night.

Dale Chou
2005-02-12