As If
lonely people
always recognize each other
as if they were from
the same place
sad people
always know each other
as if they kept
the same secret
silent people
always hear each other
as if they were speaking
the same language
lovers
always hate each other
as if they hated
the same enemy
Roy Gu is Professor of English in the School of English Studies at Shanghai International Studies University. He has published short stories and poems, and translated several books, including Haizi’s Poems, Love by Toni Morrison, and short stories by Abdulrazak Gurnah, Chinua Achebe, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. He is also a singer-songwriter and has released folk music albums.
