all the ways our lines intersect
in this world; there’s a saying,
did you know? to have the yuán to meet
is a fated occurrence. tiān dìng.
a thousand choices, a myriad
of branching paths. any direction we tread,
in this life, unfolded: i’d still fall to you.
yuán is chance, certain but formless
the likelihood of
eyes meeting, a step taken,
the likelihood of
a side glance, perchance hesitation.
not red strings. far from it,
yuán is all you will meet, in this life
the pavements you walk, the lines you wait.
the doors you hold, the soles you wear out.
every fleeting moment, an exchange;
a touch: the lines cross.
(if i’d asked you to stay
would that have foretold the end?)
all the ways our lines intersect
in this world. there’s a saying,
did you know? to have the fèn to stay
is an accumulation of volition. rén wéi.
fractures in shatter-proof glass,
hairline cracks. a thousand
epidermal slants. in this life:
to share even a soap bubble in time,
chances hard to come by.
not a declaration. more than
intention, fèn is a channel
relentlessly forged.
persistence: a needle borne
of steel, an endless
ocean of stone.
(how could i ever ask?)
all the ways our lives intersect
in this world. there’s a saying,
did you know? the yuán to meet,
the fèn to stay. petals of the opposite shore
bloom blood red at every step;
every cycle an endless struggle,
skies decreed. a touch:
the lines diverge.
even in hopeless waters,
a glancing chance:
one bridge, countless feathers.
come every life,
i still choose you.
______________________
1 yuán 缘
2 tiān dìng 天定 (semantic translation; lit. decided by heaven)
3 fèn 分
4 rén wéi 人为 (semantic translation; lit. by human effort)
