Truth Like Poetry

Like Poetry, Truth: 9

106. You're mistaken!

This fragrance in my clothes
is not attar,
this is the incense
from my tombstone!

107. In this life
before you came
I was alone,
no one beside me.

In this life
after you came
I am no longer alone,
loneliness is beside me.

108. Small-mindedness
in high places,
grand pretensions
in lowly spots—
is this the way of small people!?

109. When friendship sours
with someone,
you spread their secrets
to everyone.
But when you spread them
even before the friendship breaks,
how can you still hope
they'll stay friends with you?

110. Will anyone buy my words?

It won't cost much;
I'll sell for less
than it took to make them!

Buy them,
you'll profit.
What it cost me to make,
you can sell
for much more!

111. Some wear masks
to deceive people,
others wear masks
to know people.

112. War means
cooking in empty pots,
war means
orphaned children's tears.

113. Come late!
When even the afterglow
of waiting fades,
what else remains, tell me!

114. Strong smoke,
strong kiss,
strong life.

115. All your
old embraces
gathered together
into a noose—
today
I died and lived.

116. There, not rain—
I gave you a rainbow!
Happy now?

What you see as rainbow
in your eyes
is the tears from mine.

117. When all the leaves
are about to fall,
just before dropping
that final leaf,
doesn't the tree
feel like crying?

118. Going up
the stairs
I return to
that childhood.

Coming down
the stairs
I return to
this adulthood.

119. One who has no chance to be dishonest—
their claims of honesty
cannot be blindly trusted,
for it remains untested.

120. When walls appear
on the path ahead, I know
I'm on the right track!

121. Some people
go to university.

Others
become
universities themselves.

What can be seen
gets certificates.
What cannot be seen—
what certificate for that?

122. Today
you're firing bullets,
fire away!

The wind will change one day.
That day,
to take back
these bullets,
bare your chest!

123. Oh, what have I done!

Today
the story that
will need erasing
I wrote in ink,
and
the story that
won't need erasing
I wrote
in pencil!

124. For a thousand years
I've been breaking like clouds.

Keep your umbrella,
I won't need it.

125. These days when I see you laugh, my heart trembles!

126. Wash your hands
before you touch me.

Those hands
still carry
the scent
of murder.

127. If you can die
for your own reasons alone,
you are truly blessed!

128. Those who harass people for no reason—
rather than mix with them,
befriend a street dog instead—
you'll learn much more.

129. Those who can't tolerate people
in higher positions than themselves—
the more you mix with them,
the more you'll lose
the ability to rise higher.

130. You'll fight with a pig
yet not get dirty—
how is that possible!?

When you see a pig,
don't argue—
just put it in the pen!

131. The first qualification
for arguing with a goat
is learning to eat
jackfruit leaves!

132. In just two fairy tales
my whole life ends:
you,
me!

133. Turn off the light,
I'll thread the needle.

Sleep sleeps,
darkness wakes.

134. Because raising children is hard,
people
pamper others' children
and discipline their own.

And those who raise
others' children too—
these great souls are called teachers.

135. Those who can, do and show.
Those who can't, talk and tell.

136. My future sold
for a high price!
You can buy
my past
free of charge!

And the present?
What doesn't exist
must first be brought
before it can be bought!
Who'll take such responsibility!

137. Life's mistakes
stored in forgetfulness
accrue
interest!

138. Men never forget the woman
they wanted to sleep with but couldn't.
Women never forget the man
they first slept with.

139. Exiled
in the middle of the ocean,
I survive
on memory's breath
alone.

Your home,
my exile.

In your sin's pleasure,
my virtue's punishment.

140. Don't look at me,
look at my laughter—
there your desire's scent is clear.

Don't look at my laughter,
look at me—
there my desire's scent is clear.
Share this article

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *