The rain this morning falls

今早下雨了

on the last of the snow

落在残雪上

and will wash it away. I can smell

雪将被洗刷一空。我又重新闻到

the grass again, and the torn leaves

青草的气息，被撕破的草叶

being eased down into the mud.

柔顺地倒在淤泥里。

The few loves I’ve been allowed

我爱的，又被允许拥有的不多的人们

to keep are still sleeping

正在西海岸安静地睡眠。

on the West Coast. Here in Virginia

现在我在弗吉尼亚

I walk across the fields with only

穿过旷野

a few young cows for company.

相伴的只有几头年轻的母牛。

Big-boned and shy,

大骨架又害羞，

they are like girls I remember

它们就像我记忆中的女孩们

from junior high, who never

我初中开始认识她们，她们从不说话

spoke, who kept their heads

总是低垂着头

lowered and their arms crossed against

双臂交叉在刚长出的乳房上。

their new breasts. Those girls

这些女孩

are nearly forty now. Like me,

现在已经接近四十岁，就像我，

they must sometimes stand

她们肯定有时会在深夜

at a window late at night, looking out

站在窗边，

on a silent backyard, at one

看着静寂的后院里面

rusting lawn chair and the sheer walls

生锈的躺椅，和别人家的

of other people’s houses.

高耸的墙壁。

They must lie down some afternoons

她们肯定会在一些下午

and cry hard for whoever used

躺在床上痛哭

to make them happiest,

只为那些曾经给她们带来无上幸福的人们，

and wonder how their lives

并且迷惑于为什么人生

have carried them

一路带她们走了那么远

this far without ever once

却一次也没有

explaining anything. I don’t know

解释过任何事情。我不知道

why I’m walking out here

为什么我在这里行走

with my coat darkening

让我的外套变黑

and my boots sinking in, coming up

让我的靴子陷进泥里，

with a mild sucking sound

拔出来时伴着轻微的吸吮声

I like to hear. I don’t care

我喜欢听这种声音。我不在乎

where those girls are now.

那些女孩现在在哪儿。

Whatever they’ve made of it

她们活出什么样子，都是理所当然。

they can have. Today I want

今天我并不想

to resolve nothing.

解决任何事情。

I only want to walk

我只想行走

a little longer in the cold

再多走一段路

blessing of the rain,

在这冷雨的祝福中，

and lift my face to it.

同时抬起我的脸，面对它。