Dreams in the Dust

长大想做什么，教室吵成风

Doctors, cops, a judge—small dreams on the wall.

我偏看那身迷彩，站在光里不动 I kept one hero in my heart.

(la la la) 黑猫、奥特曼，追着晚风跑

Friendship grew where laughter fell.

我也曾坏，扯前桌发梢

Once, twice—till her tears fell.

田字格空白，外婆眉头低 The cane stayed high,

then fell asleep.

第二天豆沙饼，甜得我不敢咬

Guilt hid in the red bean paste.

六一迷彩舞，樱桃摆在校门 Aunt Yang gave a handful—sweet and free?

我骄傲分给同学，后来才懂

Those cherries were her living,

not a gift.

电话那头父亲“嗯嗯哦哦” I danced, crushed a spider,

and hung up.

少东家门外等，香蕉叶漏光

A wall hole, a clay god,

a tree with sons.

河水清，哥哥们被浪卷走

I only watched, then fever came.

哥哥背我过灰路，针尖凉

In his essay,

I became a name.

老镇石柱撑天，塔影压街 Cold lamb salad—the last taste of that town.

石桥、匾额、人挤人的沟

Different accents, same old dust.

我们走过一次，就再没回头

Some places leave before you go.

五月十二，大地闷吼吞掉楼板

The ground awoke, all light broke.

奔逃向操场，墙垣悄然倾塌

Stones fell around, our breath still held.

(mmmmm) 暮色漫上来，车影漫过荒墟

I feared my home had melted in dust.

帐篷钉进泥，草铺成床

A soldier opened water—“Don’t be afraid.” 三轮车上，我把路人喊成父亲

The earth cracked open,

then closed its mouth.

外婆爬不动，外公喊她走

Congee and colored tents along the road.

病房灯冷，余震又来 Father took two children,

one in each arm.

面包车吱呀，重庆太阳辣

A small popsicle with raisins—so sweet.

那一刻父亲眼里有光

Confident, strong, a little sly.

对面病房男孩，我们换着厕所 A yellow ribbon from strangers—I wore it thin.

我唱《小兔子》，笨拙地鞠躬

A nurse promised a whiteboard; I thought it was talk.

魔方转出一面，又转出一面

Some promises are kept in quiet hands.

归途我吐了一路，把恐龙送小弟弟

A tent in the field,

a dog named Huanhuan.

堰塞湖淹了小卖部，瓜子还在记忆里 I skipped class,

but came for stationery.

板房亮起灯，小春在门口 A soldier’s sausage,

a uniform dream.

石柱不在，新坟站在风里

Trucks brought clothes, books,

the same warm heart.

废墟上的人接力，一块又一块

Tents lit the night;

lives were pulled back.

哥哥横在马路，逼停一辆车 Resettlement lights—thirty thousand a door.

旧年的风，吹过孩子的梦 Those old‑year winds still sing.

劫后余下的珍重，藏在岁月中

What survived the dust,

we carry along. (sing

softly) 轻轻唱完，别急着忘

The rest lives in the song.