Each morning I eat an orange
每天早晨，我從孤兒院院長
from the bagful given us
送來的一大袋橘子裡
by the head of the orphanage,
吃掉一個，
and still the bag is full.
袋子始終那麼滿。
Afternoons on the tour bus
下午，在旅遊巴士上
you sit in my lap and sleep
你在我懷中入睡
or cling to my garnet necklace
或抓緊我的石榴石項鍊
biting it with all four teeth.
塞進你僅有的四顆小牙間。
Out the bus’s window
車窗外
the bicyclists of Guangzhou
廣州街頭往來的自行車
balance boxed refrigerators
後輪上平衡著
and crates of live hens
紙箱包裝的電冰箱
above their back spokes.
和一籠籠活雞。
Look ma, no hands
媽你看，我鬆開車把了
another new parent jokes
另一位新手父親說笑著
as he refocuses his lens
調整鏡頭對準
to catch a trio of girls
三個剛剛翻了
turning perfect cartwheels
三個完美側空翻的女孩
before they begin to squeal
尖叫著
and mug for the camera.
對相機做鬼臉。
A cluster of girls that age
那天在孤兒院
and one albino boy
一群年齡相仿的女孩
posed for their pictures
和一個白化病男孩
that day at the orphanage.
一起擺姿勢拍照。
“Welcome American families”
「歡迎美國家庭」
the chalkboard read.
黑板上寫著。
These are our best babies
這些是我們最好的孩子
your father overheard
你爸爸無意間聽到
someone say in Mandarin
有人用普通話說，
as you were carried in
你隨即被帶進來，
and I shot out of my seat
我從椅子上彈起
to take you from your “auntie”
從「阿姨」手中接過你，
and hold you close.
將你抱緊。
You were wearing layers
你穿著一層
on layers of clothes
又一層衣服
topped by bulging overalls
外面裹了一條臃腫的揹帶褲，
and pink appliquéd
繡著粉花的
white cotton shoes
白布鞋
too small for your toes
有些包不住你的腳趾
but soft and delicate.
但看起來柔軟，精巧。
Yours. And you mine.
你的。你是我的。
Under close-cropped hair
短髮之下
your big eyes took me in
你的大眼睛打量我
with a glint of recognition.
閃過一剎那的辨認。
Then, after an exchange
然後，是錢幣
of currency and gifts,
和禮物的交換，
everyone stood to watch
衆人站在一處
the new mothers change
看新進的母親們
their babies’ diapers,
給孩子換尿布，
the adolescent girls
那些青春期女孩
and one albino boy
和那個白化病男孩
just outside the door
留在門外
looking sweet enough
乖巧的表情似乎
to forgive the inexplicable,
足以原諒眼前的費解之事：
that none of us had come
我們當中沒有一個上前
to take them home.
接他們回家。
Tug, tug all you like,
拉扯吧，盡如你意，
my darling—tug till you’re back
我親愛的——直到你再次
asleep, tug in your dreams,
入睡，拉扯你的夢，
start tugging again
拉住它
the minute you wake—
醒來——
no matter how hard
不管你多麼
you tug, your birthstone
用力，你的誕生石項鍊
necklace will not break.
也不會扯斷。