夏夜

Summer Night in a Village

Ding dong, the blacksmith cast

his last strike on the hoe

Red hot iron put in water

zeeee...

He gave a long sigh of relief

wiped his sweat and closed his shop.

The woman next door had already fed

her kids and animals.

Her mother-in-law had usurped the throne

of the little emperor,

the baby boy of the house.

She commanded the household

while cuddling the baby.

The blacksmith saw the woman

with a giant rice steamer

in one hand

a bamboo tray full of dirty clothes

in another

heading towards the pond.

He faked a cough

that sent her hips

swinging in shorts

rarely seen in

broad day light.

She kept on going

until a white figure

splashing out of the water

called out,

"Stop, haven't you seen

a naked man before?"

She could tell from his voice

that he was too green

for her match.

She stepped on to the long wide

washing stone that was

smooth and cold.

The voice kept saying

"Hey, hey, go away."

Dong dong dong, she started

hitting her laundry rhythmically

with a wooden bat.

"Oh yeah, you dare not go

where the big men wash

'cause your thing

can't stick out."

Dong dong dong,

dirty water was squeezed out.

"Don't you have enough

of your old man?

You want mine?"

She tossed her laundry out

like fisherman's net

let it float and sink

and pulled it out

on to the stone flat.

Dong dong dong,

it took another beating.

One ripple after another,

she churned the moon and stars

into liquid silver.

"I've eaten more salt

than your rice.

I can smell your stink

from your old lady's milk.

Don't hide it,

I can tell if it's pointing to

the east or west."

The white figure jumped out of the pond,

grabbed his clothes

and ran for his dear life.

"Ha ha ha, you drowned ghost

have your old lady

suckle you some more!"

He knew the next day

she would make him

the laughing stock

in the fields.

When the blacksmith heard her coming

he shot out with a long laundry pole,

His bare chest shining

under the moon light.

"This is new from the bamboo grove.

I've smoothed it out for you.

You may need it tonight."

Before she could say anything

her mother-in-law shouted

from the house,

"What took you so long?

The baby is hungry."

"Waaa, waaa..."

Granny pinched the baby's butt.

For a few seconds she stood there

motionless.

The blacksmith had his mouth

wide open when he saw

milk dripping from her blouse.

She rushed in leaving him

stuck with his bamboo.