dream duplex

by Emily Liu

fishing for brighter things, my digits wrinkle:

what is this life but a flowing stream?

what is my life but a beautiful dream?

eyelids closed or open are lighted.

alight on eyelids closed or open:

zhuang zi’s butterfly cares not what you dream.

zhuang zi only cares about his butterfly,

winnowing through both day and night.

windows in the day fall silent at night—

stars obscured by a razor moon.

obscured by the razor moon, stars take their rest.

we rise like stars up the blazing silver.

we rise, starry-eyed, into the blind moon

leaving for brighter things, brighter dreams.