The ancient church well-restored

翻修後的古老教堂倒也整潔

but my gaze goes beyond, to the shattered temple,

我卻貪望窗外對座的殘破廟宇

sunlight perching like a pigeon on its eaves.

陽光像一隻鴿子棲息在瓦簷上

The breeze inside our room

室內微風消不去初秋延留的沉溽

cannot dispel autumn’s damp.

眾人發表對詩歌各種的看法

About poetry, everyone has opinions,

有些新穎、有些陳舊

some original, some clichéd.

午後的氣息懨懨

The afternoon’s weary as an old cat,

陽光像一隻老貓臥睡在瓦簷上

sunlight drowsy on the rooftiles. How slow

天花板垂下的風扇慢慢地旋轉

the ceiling fan rotates its blades.

會議結束後便是照團體像

Afterward, the usual photos.

我不安定的眼光望過攝影師肩膊

Uneasy, I look past the camera

看見黑白近黃的教會歷史照片

at yellowed shots of missionaries,

掛在新刷的白色粉牆上

the freshly whitewashed wall.

朋友堅持要到廣場一遊

A friend insisted on this plaza

只爲那是代表性的地區名勝兼古蹟

for all its history.

在只剩一面牆的古老建築面前

From its last standing wall

有無數鴿子自由的飛翔

wheel twenty pigeons.

我們隨手把詩集放在階梯上方

Amid the gaping tourists

也有遊人好奇的觀望

we set our books upon the steps.

頑皮的風吹起一張張的書頁

The wind’s mischief ruffles pages

陽光趁勢把詩集瀏覽了一遍

for the sun to browse.

有些寫得好，有些寫得不好

Some poems written well, some poorly,

我想陽光並不會介意

the light indifferent.