Window of May

By the window of May
–– a rainy day
The tree trunks were blackened by the rain
Plenty of budding leaves were green and fresh
I, too, have been soaked and blackened the whole day
Yet my leaves are budding with the season
I humbled my appearance
To conceal the youthfulness of my heart
Just like a prisoner freed by his dream
Everyone is young in their dreams
Despite grey hair, wrinkles, and stumbling steps
When I was young, I thought a person ages as a whole
Now, I have known, as it has been revealed to me:
There is one thing in a person that is ageless
–– the heart, which you had when you were young.

1996

by Mu Xin