The Empty House
Max Williams (马克斯.威廉斯)
The old house felt unfriendly
offering no apologies for the undressed rooms
and the stained wallpaper
or for sharing this familiarity
with others who might come anytime.
This had never been my home.
"They moved," the neighbour said. "A month ago."
And I repeated it to an overcoat
hanging behind the door.
That night I sheltered in the empty house
tucked into myself like an abandoned dog
not caring for the advances people made
wrapped in an overcoat smelling of tobacco and grown ups.
This was my fathers smell, blanket warm and coarse.
Next day I watched an old lady crying
and demolition workers putting back the sky.
空屋
译者 / 马霞
那旧屋看上去很不友好
房间没有装饰
墙纸肮脏不堪
别人可以随便进出
而它却并不为此抱歉。
这从不曾是我的家。
“他们搬了”,邻居说。“在一个月前。”
我对挂在门后的大衣
又把这话重复一遍。
那一夜我就住在空屋里
有人进来也不在乎
我蜷缩着像条无家可归的狗
裹着散发烟草味和大人气的大衣
那是前辈的气味,毛呢粗糙又暖和。
第二天看到房东大娘在哭泣,
拆房工人送还一方蓝天。