漫步自然--吉利安.魏格纳

蕨叶闪着清新的绿光，
我掀起一片，指出那些芽孢，卷曲着
像睡在背面，排得很直，
很均匀，以至于此刻我深信上苍。
我女儿七岁了。
她看着这些芽孢，这种叶子，这种植物，
这种智慧，我们进入的广阔的森林
对着我指出的另一种自然事实叹息。
但您瞧，我说，每一个都是准备
长大的婴儿。每一个都能变成为其自己的蕨类。
可是她已经沿路走下去了
向那座桥走去，多远都无所谓。
The fern fronds glow with a clean, green light,
and I lift one and point out the spores, curled
like sleep on the back, the rows so straight,
so even, that I might be convinced of Providence
at this moment. My daughter is seven.
She looks at the spores, at the leaf, at the plant,
at this wise, wide forest we are in, and sighs
at my pointing out yet another Nature Fact.
But look, I say, each one is a baby ready
to grow. Each one can become its own fern.
But she is already moving down the path
toward the bridge and whatever’s beyond.
“Nature Walk” by Gillian Wegener from This Sweet Haphazard. © Sixteen Rivers Press, 2017