Seeing the Ocean from a Night Flight
by Wang Xiaoni

Read the automated transcript.

Everything becomes small
only the ocean makes the night’s leather clothes
open up the further out it spreads.

Flying north
to the right is Tianjin
to the left is Beijing
two clusters of moths flinging themselves at fire.

Then the East China Sea suddenly moves
the wind brings silver bits that can’t be more shattered
and many thick wrinkles whip up

I see the face of the ocean
I see the aged seashore
trembling and hugging the world too tightly.

I have seen death
but never seen death come back to life like that.

Translated by Eleanor Goodman.

"Seeing the Ocean from a Night Flight," by Wang Xiaoni, from SOMETHING CROSSES MY MIND by Wang Xiaoni, copyright © 2014 The Chinese University Press. Used by permission of Eleanor Goodman.