Two Poems by Dr. Tzemin Ition

The Night Lamp Remains

 

As night falls, silence descends, and the lamp stands alone.

In the darkness it seeks the embrace of solitude,

The copper glow of the lamp on the mountainside reflects the past, lingering like smoke,

The dim light of the lamp gently caresses the passage of time,

Each flicker, a stirring of the soul.

 

Through the shattered window it draws the moonlight in a myriad of colors,

Where the heart leads, let the years cut and reassemble,

The night traveler asks, where is the way home?

 

Steps are lost, the night echoes the search in vain,

The lamp remains silent, silently symbolizing the philosophy of life,

In the emptiness, the lamp is soft, humming,

In the silence we explore the beginning and the end of life,

 

History is being written, ink is flowing like a river,

Each ray of light, wavering,

Reflecting on itself over and over, wandering in the labyrinth of the night,

The night has seeped into the bones, the heart's journey has returned to the sky,

The lamp perseveres, the weak light maintains the remaining power of the residual oil.

Contemplation with only a remnant of the night,

At dawn, guiding until the morning light washes away.

□

 

The Tiger

 

In the silence of the night, the roar of a tiger echoes,

Beyond the Orchid Pavilion a thousand miles away.

Sad and desolate, a deep growl,

Deep and emotional, a haunting melody.

Under the guise of the rock garden, the breeze blows, 

The lush and tender touch of a lover's kiss.

In the depths of the night, the king of the forest,

Discloses a thousand tender emotions.

 

Moonlight and crystal-clear dew fill his heart,

He is walking silently through the land of no one.

In the deep forest, a man stands,

Embracing heaven and earth.

A roar opens up the mountains and the rivers,

Whispers of the loneliness of the night.

With a knife hidden in his eyebrows, his body is like a tiger.

He walks without fear of hardship and sits without question of the world.

 

His fighting spirit is a flicker in the night,

Stars in heaven fade in comparison.

He mourns his own fate, 

But also feels proud and wild.

□

 

© Dr. Tzemin Ition

Taiwan