kui li - original

soil

the flowers are well grown from the soil of Llangunllo

they are healthy and strong

especially in the kind of spring in the beginning of April

in the kind of spring when lambs were born not long ago

these flowers, it is difficult to tell their names

but the liveliness they bring to the valley is hard to imagine without seeing

so, I think

soil is admirable

it is not just fruits and vegetables that grow from the soil

it is the entire world, even we human beings ourselves

when we die, we become soil

from today

be a person who loves soil

be a person who loves life

4.4.2025

starry sky

the starry sky of Llangunllo

the entire valley is covered by the starry sky

however, what I had never expected is

the complexity of the starry sky

is far beyond my imagination

above the starry sky, there are more starry skies

facing the vast starry sky

i don’t know what to do

its complexity

is far beyond a person’s life

28.3.2025 - 4.4.2025

a closer look at sheep

I had a close look at sheep

in fact, their life is very simple

sometimes they eat grass

sometimes they drink some water from the river

sometimes they sit down and have a rest

but what they do in the evening

I am not so sure

but I believe, it will not involve anything complicated

I think, I must be loving sheep

28.3.2025 - 4.4.2025

rain

the rain in the valley of Llangunllo

is sheep’s rain

when I walk in the valley

it is also my rain

I think, I must be loving the rain here

however, the valley

I mean the entire valley

is sheep’s valley

the sun here is also sheep’s sun

they have settled here for generations

they are born and grow up here

they look for their love here

they get old, sick and die here

the rain in the valley of Llangunllo

is sheep’s rain

when I walk in the valley

it is also my rain

28.3.2025 – 30.3.2025

The Autumn on the Coe Fen

I was not sure when precisely autumn arrived

Thankfully, the cows are still here

All happened in a sudden

I was not prepared

The depth of the [?]*

A special colour arises

That is a deep colour

One that is not possible without a long and careful preparation

One which I have never seen before

It swallowed me

On a rainy day like this

The air is fresh

And freshly cold

I find no way to escape, there is no way

On a rainy day like this

You are only allowed to thrill and appease

Autumn is for all to fall in love

I submerge in autumn

Please if you can

Sometime in the future, bury me

Only in an autumn

For now

I am invaded by autumn

I am autumn

23.10.2022

*seems like some words are lost here in my original file.

no name

the yellow of the flowers is pretty

in the blue of the sky

the blue of your shirt is pretty

in the green of the grass

the green of the grass is pretty

in the blue of the sky

your poorness is pretty

in this moment

original draft 2017-2019, translated 25 April 2022, amended 26 May 2024, amended again 16 September 2024.

copper beech tree

- a tribute to the copper beech tree in darwin college [1]

o my big copper beech tree

your moving shadow in a foggy morning

it is the sun that is rising

before the squirrels realise

the swans have reached old granary

o my big copper beech tree

it is under you that

river cam flows

grasses grow

flowers float

the porters, the punters and the youngsters flourish

o my big copper beech tree

of course you are firm and strong

you are stronger than eunice

for which the felling of you was postponed

eunice did not survive you!

well, the darwinian bees may have something to say

what a bizarre creature this is!

i would thoroughly disagree!

they shall sort out their queen first! [2]

i envy those who live in the rayne

on the land of

o my dear, copper beech tree

i wonder what sort of thing caused the rot?

may one of our doctoral students tell us more?

whatever thing that is

what a horrendous mistake this is!

o my poor copper beech tree

o my big copper beech tree

when the cows arrive on the coe fen, next spring

on the first island, i shall sit down on the grass (hay fever permitting)

feel the warmth of the air and the brightness of the flowers

as if you are still around

original draft February-April 2022, amended 26 April 2022, amended again 9 May 2022, amended again 31 July 2022, amended again 26 May 2024, amended again 16 September 2024

[1] The copper beech tree in Darwin College was felled in April 2022 as a result of rot in its main trunk. It is an old tree and has been around since the Darwin family’s time.

[2] By the time the felling took place, the queen bees of the two beehives on the Second Island were missing. Members of the Darwin beekeeping society were kept busy. New queens were eventually organised - ordered from continental Europe.