Looking Up
by Chun Yu
Looking up to the moon
Once upon a time
We thought of home somewhere
On the earth, which had been flat
And returning, always.
Looking up to the moon
Now in our time
We think of the earth
Beneath us, which has become a globe
And abandoning, perhaps:
If we will die in the siege
Of our own occupying of the earth.
If we will eject ourselves, away
To warm up a cold star on heaven’s edge.
Looking up to the alien land
Where another home yet to be
We wonder –
If we will meet Chang’e, the moon goddess
On our way away
Passing by the moon palace where she resides
And discuss with her the mutation of the consequence of
Taking the “forbidden substance” –
Heaven’s elixir of immortality or our own “godly” creations:
From a temporary loss of home to its permanent elimination.
Looking up to the earth.
Author’s note: Chang’e is the Chinese goddess of the moon. In modern times, Chang'e has been the namesake of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.