Huangmaling

WORLDLIT.ORG 35 POETRY Huangmaling by Zheng Xiaoqiong I settle my body and soul down in this small town Its lychee orchards, its streets A little deck in the assembly line The rain wets my head, again and again I rest my ideals, love, dreams, and youth down on it My lover, sounds, smell, life In a foreign place, under its dim streetlights I rush about, covered with rain and sweat, panting —I put my life into plastic products, screws, and nails On a small worker’s ID card . . . My whole life Ah, I give myself to it, a small village Wind blows away everything that I have Hoary and old, I return home Translation from the Chinese By Tammy Lai-Ming Ho Zheng Xiaoqiong has been a migrant worker in Guangdong Province since 2001. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Shikan, Shanhua, and Renmin Wenxue, among many others. She has won multiple literary awards and attended poetry festivals all over the world. Her poems have been translated into a dozen other languages. To read a bio of Tammy Lai-Ming Ho, turn to page 37. WORLDLIT.ORG 35

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