Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

David Brooks

Su Shi

Su Shi

Su Shi

Leaving the town in the mountains
after seven years’ exile from his native province
the old poet meets a woman one third his age,
the most beautiful he has ever seen in this place.
“Will you not write a poem about me”, she asks him,
“since you have written so many others?”
He looks at her a long time
then nods his head regretfully.
To write, he thinks to himself, or be haunted:
some questions do not have answers.
Close

Su Shi

Leaving the town in the mountains
after seven years’ exile from his native province
the old poet meets a woman one third his age,
the most beautiful he has ever seen in this place.
“Will you not write a poem about me”, she asks him,
“since you have written so many others?”
He looks at her a long time
then nods his head regretfully.
To write, he thinks to himself, or be haunted:
some questions do not have answers.

Su Shi

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
V Fonds
Fonds21
VSB fonds
Maatschappij tot Nut van ’t Algemeen
Volkskracht
Literatuur Vlaanderen
DigitAll
Ambassade van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in Suriname
Erasmusstichting
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
College Fine and applied arts - University Illinois
Rotterdam festivals