歌剧之后--理查德.西弗曼

幕布最后一次分开
杀人的人
和被杀的人，
他们非常相爱
他们暴跳如雷，被生生活剥了，
沦落到冥府，
发怒，哭泣，勾心斗角--
受害者和加害人十分相似--
微笑，点头致意，优雅地鞠躬
很高兴终于结束了，
它们阔步行走离开
穿着他们繁文缛节的服装
突然间有一点荒唐可笑。
所有的观众--仍然在暗处，
像舞台脚灯照不到的那方世界的上帝--
起身
大海般的咆哮。
The curtain parts one last time
and the ones who killed
and were killed,
who loved inordinately,
who went berserk, were flayed alive,
descended to Hades,
raged, wept, schemed—
victims and victimizers alike—
smile and nod and graciously bow.
So glad it’s finally over,
they stride off
suddenly a bit ridiculous
in their overwrought costumes.
And the crowd—still dark,
like God beyond the footlights of the world—
rises to its feet
and roars like the sea.


“After the Opera” by Richard Schiffman from What the Dust Doesn’t Know. © Salmon Poetry, 2017