Eat Cloth – Liu Xingli
August 6, 2020
translated by Xi Nan
Exhaustion
People who always break within a sentence
are usually. due to, exhaustion.
A grey bird accompanies her, flies here,
and flies away. More commas and periods
will provide more comfort. Comma is a
small tree stump, and a period is a
swimming ring.
Eat Cloth
I dreamed of being with someone. I started to
eat cloth. He looked at me in surprise. I
told him. I have eaten cloth before when I was hungry.
In the afternoon, I can’t remember any more.
What I ate could be a white vest.
Leaving a Scar
At noon when I was seeing the dentist
She asked how was the day
I said that work was not good
She said
Sweden hasn’t got any good job
Every workplace is a catastrophe
Trust me
At dinner
I talked about the conflict with my boss
My child chimed in:
Don’t leave a scar! (between the relationship)
I tried to justify
Child said disdainfully
I’m only saying that don’t leave a scar
Later
She called me to her room and see
The clouds in the sky
There’s one stretching
Jagged
Like writing brush strokes falling on paper
She said
(That piece of cloud)
So beautiful
Like a scar
Zhao Nana
Zhao Nana is sitting
On a bus
She dreamed about kissing
A singer last night
The touch of tongue
Felt meaty
After the kiss
She woke up
Looked at the alarm clock
It didn’t ring at supposed time
Then Zhao Nana remembered
Someone –
After watching the intimacy of a couple
On the opposite building
Used an alarm clock
To assist himself to masturbate
Why not
She thinks
Roadside snow hasn’t melted yet
The bus is packed with people
She vaguely feels herself
Still mating face to face
With a beloved man
His long penis is
Like a long tube
As if it’s stretching upwards
From under the
Bus seat
Rain and Umbrella
It is raining
I put an umbrella in the meeting room
Opened for air-dry, because no
Better place was found. I can’t concentrate on work, so deal with
Some things relate to my child. Singing class
I ask in the email where for the child to sing. How many people are singing at the same time. My child could only
Arrive after 16:15. To sing for how long?
And for the swimming group. How many people are in there? Do they need a special
Swimsuit? The old lady who was responsible for registration said
All swimmers use tampons. A simple and rough
Answer is not too much trouble.
At this time I found that my umbrella is thrown out of the door, like a
Giant mushroom growing there. I hate the person who threw my umbrella out.
Throw it out of space if you can. I hate that he shouldn’t have thrown it in the way.
Just as he hates that I shouldn’t have put the umbrella in the tiny meeting room.
Which had blocked his ass and legs and his already bad mood.
The office here is very silent. Occasionally there’s sound of
Someone biting an apple.
About the Author: Liu Xingli (刘兴丽), has published several short stories in magazines in China. Her hometown is Jingzhou, Hubei, China, and she currently lives in Sweden.
About the Translator: Xi Nan (Nancy) 西楠, born in China, writes and translates, author of different genres. Latest hybrid texts: Brandy (published by Alien Buddha Press). Her Twitter is: @XiNan_Nancy