Five Poems

Ziyi Wu

A Horizon Line

When I close my eyes,
I see a horizon line.

It’s black at the Coney Island beach in New York,
Gray on the plane back to China,
Blood orange in LA,
And gradient pink at Charles River, Boston.

Time—it’s time that defines the color of the horizon line.
Color—it’s color that caught the pieces of memories, the images, the scenarios.
Memories that I’m trying to catch, that I wanted it to stay a little bit longer just so
eagerly.
The person I am, they are, there, here, and everywhere in my head.
Now I am peacefully listening, reminiscing feelings, catching the colors, the
moments.

Now I am singing the horizon lines I will see in the future.
I am smiling, I am melancholy, I am sentimental
But is it not ok?
It’s ok.
No matter what you say or what I think.

It’s ok.

Let the time sit here with me a bit longer,
Let the horizon line be,
Change, rise, set, fade.

I know I’ll see another horizon line today.

It’s ok,
They existed or exist.
Therefore, I am, they are, just there, being.

I Don’t Know What I’m Writing

I feel like I’m living, but I’m not living.
Like I’m alive, but just alive.

Why so? I hang out with friends when I feel like I need to socialize a bit.
I do things myself when I need to rest, but I feel alone either way.
The world is full of colors, I love seeing different people doing their thing.
Whenever I’m randomly smiling at friends, they always ask why.
To be honest, I just think they are all very interesting being themselves, I guess
that’s the reason.

Having no goals is quite scary, just can’t find the meaning of existence sometimes.
I want to drink some white grape flavored beers soon, quietly on my own.

Have you ever felt like you can only hear yourself?
I blocked out this world’s noises.

What if nothing exists except conversations?
No humanity or any physical things, we are just transparent souls with a sound,
talking.
What would our conversations be like? I’m thinking nonsense again.

I want to be the melody in Brian Eno’s song.

What color is the planet? I think purple.
What color is the sky? I think green.
What color is Christmas? I think yellow.
Santa can be pink. I mean, why not?

I feel like I’m writing right now, but I’m not writing.
Like I’m here, but just here.
I don’t know what I’m writing,
I’m just writing, just writing.

Maybe in Three Seconds

Maybe in three seconds a cloud that amazes me will appear
Maybe in three seconds the sun will come through the cracks in the clouds and
drop only one beam on the edge of my window
Maybe in three seconds there will be some cloud-men flying
Or maybe in three seconds rain clouds will cover up the sky and pour on the people
who stop to enjoy the sight of the sky all of a sudden

I look out the window, my roommate just turned on the light
I look up and see two planes crossing through the clouds
When did my room become so dark I wonder
The piano music in the background accompanies me and we feel together.
Slowly
Quietly

This Night

It’s the cicadas chirping in this Autumn Night
It’s the sound of the flowing air
It’s the noise of cars passing by
It’s the whisper that the wind sighs

the soft kiss of bergamot
It’s the strings of fireflies on the wall
the pieces of memories…
This night
they sing a lullaby
drawing me into sleep.
Two Senses

I stare into her eyes, it’s pitch black, with no lights.
But she is pure as a white paper.

She’s crying.
Her black tears slip down on her white dress.
“Can you see me? I can’t feel you, can you touch me?” She says.

I reach out my hand, I can’t touch her even though she is centimeters away.
Face to face, we just stare.
No emotions, no noises, nothing.
Just us, and the moonlight falling from above.

Slowly, the vision of her begins to blur.
But the moonlight is still so clear.
Her dress turns black.
Then I see something, a path, right beside us.

She disappears, but I can feel her, with two senses of emotions.
I look up at the moonlight, stand up, and walk to the path.

The moonlight darkens,
In the dark,
A line of black water marks
that leads to the path slowly fades.

Ziyi Wu is a third semester student at Berklee College of Music. She is a vocalist currently studying Music Production and Engineering. She finds that writing poetry and poetic prose is a way to express her feelings and soul.