Persimmon Tree no 50, summer 2019, New York

GUILIN

In the Forbidden City
at the Peak of Lonely Beauty
the princess prays to Buddha
for a good harvest
and the prompt return of the prince
from the Concubines’ House

in return she will sacrifice
her pearl necklace
and new silk kimono

she will not sacrifice the karst
view of the city
and its sharp osmanthus smell

nor the poem on the rock
engraved in calligraphy
which certifies this.

translated by Krystyna Lenkowska and Sarah Luczaj

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