A Mortal Life, Born of One Thought · Above and Below, All Connected · 86 / 102
Hou Ting Hua · Passing By
Sinking deep into sleep, dream within dream, never gathering up what it all came to. In the back court's deep chambers, plucking a red apricot bloom; the ancient water copies out a shadow.
In the dream, barely through barrier after barrier—a full hundred years and more. Not the heart but the seven-inch spot bears the wordless weight; the indignation quiets a little.
Glosses—
Pluck [xie]: to pick off;
Not [fei]: an adverb, meaning 'not'.
*This is an original work. If you reprint it, please credit the original author Guang Zhi Shiyi; any infringement, once discovered, will be pursued for legal liability. In addition, the accompanying image comes from the internet and belongs to the original illustrator Gugeli.