酷我-北美枫

[ericcoliu]

Taipei, A City of Sadness


Taipei has changed in sadness as I have
Nothing will stir up conceited hearts of residents
New buildings and old neighbourhoods turn to allegory
Memories weigh more than bricks
While histories are burned to ashes
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[[ericcoliu]]

Taipei, A City of Sadness


Taipei has changed in sadness as I have
Nothing will stir up conceited hearts of residents
New buildings and old neighbourhoods turn to allegory
Memories weigh more than bricks
While histories are burned to ashes
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[anna]

Memories weigh more than bricks
While histories are burned into ashes


I love these lines... very poetic and profound.
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com

[[星子安娜]]

Memories weigh more than bricks
While histories are burned into ashes


I love these lines... very poetic and profound.
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com

[ericcoliu]

Thanks for your comment.

Taipei has become a city without history.

"Whatever you were familiar with or remembered in the city has passed away before you do."(p. 195)

-- The Old Capital by Tzu Tianxing
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[[ericcoliu]]

Thanks for your comment.

Taipei has become a city without history.

"Whatever you were familiar with or remembered in the city has passed away before you do."(p. 195)

-- The Old Capital by Tzu Tianxing
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[ericcoliu]

It seems to me that Taipei residents and governments, no matter be it the KMT or DPP government, love to re-write its history all the time. The cityscape is like an unfinished work of art designed by a perfectionist, and all kinds of constructions have been going on for almost sixty years non-stop. We can never wipe off all the dust in our houses because more is produced each day. The Taipei cityscape has been changing constantly.

In her novella entitled The Old Capital, Tzu Tianxing, prominent Taiwanese writer and cultural critic, accuses the current urban development in Taipei of erasing its local special history in the name of modernization and economic growth, and laments,

“For one moment, you couldn’t remember what it had been here. It felt like witnessing a murdered body. Yet after calling the police you return to the scene to find that there was no body at all, no traces of blood, as if nothing had ever happened.”

In her view, Taipei has murdered its past without leaving any trace behind and become a city without history.
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[[ericcoliu]]

It seems to me that Taipei residents and governments, no matter be it the KMT or DPP government, love to re-write its history all the time. The cityscape is like an unfinished work of art designed by a perfectionist, and all kinds of constructions have been going on for almost sixty years non-stop. We can never wipe off all the dust in our houses because more is produced each day. The Taipei cityscape has been changing constantly.

In her novella entitled The Old Capital, Tzu Tianxing, prominent Taiwanese writer and cultural critic, accuses the current urban development in Taipei of erasing its local special history in the name of modernization and economic growth, and laments,

“For one moment, you couldn’t remember what it had been here. It felt like witnessing a murdered body. Yet after calling the police you return to the scene to find that there was no body at all, no traces of blood, as if nothing had ever happened.”

In her view, Taipei has murdered its past without leaving any trace behind and become a city without history.
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[非马]

I certainly can relate to your poem. The saddest part about the whole thing is that many intellectuals I know seem to have lost their voices. By the way, although it might be correct, somehow the word "into" in the last line bothers me. Wouldn't it be better to say "burned to ashes"?

[[FAFAFA]]

I certainly can relate to your poem. The saddest part about the whole thing is that many intellectuals I know seem to have lost their voices. By the way, although it might be correct, somehow the word "into" in the last line bothers me. Wouldn't it be better to say "burned to ashes"?

[ericcoliu]

Yes, many public intellectuals have lost their voices while political pundits have occupied the podium. This reminds me of Plato’s comment:

"This City is what it is because our citizens are what they are."

Thank you for your insightful suggestion.
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[[ericcoliu]]

Yes, many public intellectuals have lost their voices while political pundits have occupied the podium. This reminds me of Plato’s comment:

"This City is what it is because our citizens are what they are."

Thank you for your insightful suggestion.
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul