And came to the place where she recognized herself without fear
mistranslation of "From Miscellaneous Poems of the Mountains" by Mu Yun (469-520)

Arriving, tired, forehead peaked, ribs bright. It was not in this
world,

but next to it, like a quiet wife, where tiredness did not hurt but
shone in like morning through the window.

She stood on top of it. She lifted the roof, startling the nesting
pigeons. The sky was flat there, inviting elaboration.

She stood inside the doorway. Her other half rippled as in water.
On the open roof, through the windowed sky: this world, her two
hearts laid across each other, deeply in love.

Copyright © 2006 Nina Lindsay All rights reserved
from Northwest Review
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission