Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Because I Will Be Silenced

by Ha Jin

Once I have the freedom to say
my tongue will lose its power.
Since my poems strive to break the walls
that cut off people’s voices,
they become drills and hammers.

But I will be silenced.
The starred tie around my neck
at any moment can tighten into a cobra.

How can I speak about coffee and flowers?

Ha Jin, "Because I Will be Silenced" from Between Silences.  Copyright © 1990 by Ha Jin. 

No comments:

Post a Comment