I recall, in front of the grocery,

我喜歡把手藏在米裏的感覺

sinking my hand in dry rice,

散發一種禾稻的氣味

the sack’s faint whiff of paddy,

在雜貨店門前，記憶的邊緣

some grains partly husked,

還有未完全磨去的穀粒

fine sand against the fingers,

偶然的沙石，有榖牛在攀爬

the wriggling speck of a grain weevil.

一座隨時而變的小丘

I’d shift the mound,

有顆粒自指縫流瀉

rice slipping from my palm

如時間的沙漏

like sand through an hourglass.

如今觸手是塑料的微涼

Now I touch cool plastic,

空間都除去了，珍珠似的顆粒

vacuum slabbed,

並排，如一首誰的詩

grit sieved, pearly grains

將沙石統統剔除

packed as characters in a poem.

放在架上，讓人認取品牌

From a shelf,

買一種安全的品味

buyers choose safe brands.

淘洗大可隨意了

Rinsed if you like,

按時圍讀一種飯香

we still gather round the warmth,

筷子抑揚間

and as the chopsticks rise and fall

便說有了溫暖的感覺

breathe the old fragrance.