I walk alone on a silver paved long street
a golden edifice towers in the distance
a white robe covers all my wounds
an emerald dagger-pen hiding in my pocket
Behind my back, the setting sun pounds the daylight
heavily, heavily, into the ground
dark night, like a fierce desert storm
rushes into my face from the faraway horizon
It’s getting late! I am going to be late! —
all the magnolia trees, raising their cast iron limbs
light up their fiery red lanterns along the street
and then, the inky black night drops so abruptly
Who are you? What do you want
I am Human, I want to meet Rainbow tonight —
I take off my white robe, take off my shadow
the towering golden edifice hides in the darkness
You arrived late! You cannot come in!
I have appointment, I have to come in ---
you are late, you shouldn’t have come!
your appointment is cancelled!
Across a rainbow-hued steel door
I hear Rainbow’s voice:
Come in! — I push aside the blocking hand
and step into the elevator with blinking lights
A rainbow hued steel door, over the seventh heaven
the signal light flashes again, I hear Rainbow’s voice:
Come in! — I step forward — suddenly
under me rushes up a swirl of stunning black hole
Waiting silently in the giant shadow of the golden edifice
my departing self left me such desperate anxiety
my mute dagger-pen worries in steely silence
carving the name “Human” in the silver paved street
In the dark fog a thrill scream drops from top of the edifice
a human figure falls, spinning into a white robe—
I reach out to catch my only name
and put on the white shadow, my one and only self
Sunrise! A gigantic metallic Rubik monster
a six faced cube, 54 eyes, suspended in the sky
eyes opening, closing, peering askance
slowly spinning, clanging and rattling
Answer me!
I raise my emerald dagger-pen, I fling it into the sky
instantly, all the magnolia lanterns light up fiery red
the dark fog fades from the golden edifice, a rising sun
shines dazzling from all the mirror windows
The azure sky unfurls—
Thousands of rippling rainbows rise all around me
luminous with prismatic glory—
Come in, please!
1982 (Translated 2019)