Poem by Anna Yin Saved a Life

After Reading Ted Hughes' "Full Moon and Little Frieda" (mp3) 

I fall in love with you, Moon,
seeing you step back like a timid artist.
Listening to the night,
you come out, a pail lifted.

Moon, they are gone.
They left you watching over the river.
How many years since?
And you watch the small village
becoming a floating island in the dark.
Among rows of windows,
the night flows, and I wide awake.

How much I want to imitate Li Po,
dancing with his white sleeves,
a hum from his burning heart,
night after night inviting you for a drink!
The wine never drained,
yet he drowned in the silver river.

Moon, lift your bucket,
come out once again.
I won't make a sound.

Anna Yin
  

Hi Chris,

Terry said I should send this to you and asked you to post this on your blog. Please feel free to do that. thanks.

Poetry Saved Me! http://www.annapoetry.com/?page_id=5523

Every Sunday I listen to CBC Radio One to hear Sunday Edition. Last Sunday I heard the story “Poetry Saved Me” and thought of something that had happened to me. In my book “Wings Toward Sunlight”(Mosaic Press 2011), I shared my story in the Acknowledgements, but I never knew that one of my poems could save another person’s life.

When World Poetry founder Ariadne Sawyer invited me to read my poems in Vancouver last summer, in her email she said “I have some news for you. There is an interesting story about your gift poem. ”  I wondered what kind of story that she wanted to reveal. On July 25 the poetry reading night in New Westminster library (B.C.), Ariadne shared the story with all the audience. She said that one lady called her to ask her to tell me, that she couldn’t come that night for my reading, but she wanted to thank me because my poem “After Reading Ted Hughes’ “Full Moon and Little Frieda” saved her life. She said that a few years ago she felt depressed and wanted to commit suicide, one day she wandered in a library and saw my poem on the wall. She read it then was hooked by its beautiful words and meaning. She found hope and abandoned her idea of suicide. I was very surprised and glad to hear the story. Poetry saved me, but from time to time I have struggled to find the meaning of writing poems and publishing them. At that moment I found it and felt so happy. I remember Emily Dickinson’s poem:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
Later in China, Ms. Tang, a reporter From CCTV-4  interviewed me, I told her the story. She asked me: “How did my poem save her? What is her name?” I said: “ I don’t know.”  Indeed, I also asked myself the same question: How did the poem save her? It is a sad poem and tells two sad stories about two great poets(Ted Hughes and Li Po).

Yesterday I discussed it with my book editor and good friend Terry Barker about the Sunday Edition Program “Poetry Saved Me”. We read After Reading Ted Hughes’ “Full Moon and Little Frieda” again and again.  Then I think we found the reason. We both agree that although it is a sad poem, but in the end it lifts up. It invites the reader, the moon and these great dead poets to hang on… come back once more… this calling is very touching and authentic. Life might be short, but the beauty of living and poetry will last forever. So we think this kind of message gives hope and saved her life. Of course, each poem every reader reads differently. I am glad that my poem stopped one heart from breaking.



Thanks a lot.

--
Best wishes,

Anna Yin

 


读特德修斯的月亮 
月亮，我坠入了你的爱河。
看着你好似羞涩的艺术家
退回到夜幕里。
聆听着秋夜，你悄然
出来，手里拎着一个圆桶。
月亮，他们都已离去。
独留下你照看着
夜色里的长河。
多少年过去了？
你看着小小的村庄
成为漂浮的岛屿。
在行行的窗户之间，
黑夜流动，而我难以成寐。
我多想模仿李白，
依着他的长衫漫舞，
伴着燃烧的心轻唱。
每晚都来邀请你共饮。
美酒不会干涸，
而李白沉没在银色的河水中，
再也不见身影。
月亮，提起你的圆桶，
再一次出来吧，
我会安静得不弄出半点声响。

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