So much like sequins

如此像亮片

the sunlight on this river.

河水上闪烁的阳光

Something like that kiss—

这一切就像那个吻——

remember?

记得吗？

Fourth of July, with the moon

七月四日，月亮很早落下

down early the air moved

 空气流动

as if it were thinking,

就好像它在思考

as if it had begun

就像它开始

to understand

理解

how hard it is

在这个世界上

to feel at home

感到轻松自在

in the world,

是多么困难，

but that night

但是在那个夜晚

she found a place

她找到了那个地方

just above your shoulder

就在他的肩膀上

and pressed her lips

并且把她的嘴唇

there. Soft rain

压在上面。轻柔的雨

had called off the fireworks:

已经叫停了烟花：

the sky was quiet, but

天空宁静，但是

back on Earth

在地球上

two boys cruised by on bikes

两个男孩骑着自行车

trying out bad words. You turned

喊出刚学的脏话。你转过头

to reach her mouth,

凑近她的嘴，

at last, with yours after weeks

最终，嘴唇相碰 经过

of long walks, talking

几周的漫步，谈论

about former loves

之前的爱情

gone awry—

如何走向终结——

how the soul finally

灵魂如何

falls down

跌落

and gets up alone

然后再一次重新

once more

独自站起

finding the city strange,

发现城市陌生

the streets unmarked.

街道无名。

Every time you meet someone

每次你遇到什么人

it’s hard not to wonder

很难不去琢磨

who they’ve been—one story

他们曾经是什么人——一个故事

breaking so much

破碎得如此彻底

into the next: memory

然后又一个故事：记忆镌刻下

engraves its hesitations—

它的犹豫——

but that night

但在那一夜

you found yourself

你发现自己

unafraid. Do you remember

毫无畏惧。你记得吗

what the wind told the trees

风儿告诉树木

about her brown hair?—

关于她棕色的头发？——

how the cool dark turned around:

凉爽的黑暗如何转身：

that first kiss,

那第一个吻，

long as a river.

绵长如河流。

Didn’t it seem like you already loved her?

难道这不是在说你已经爱着她吗？

Off the sidewalk: a small pond,

在人行道外：一个小池塘，

the tall cattails, all those sleepy koi

高高的芦苇，还有那些昏昏欲睡的锦鲤

coloring the water.

把水面染上颜色。