[千鈞一髮]
--Sylvia Plath

請為雕像唱禱告曲：
這些碇住的姿勢
與牢靠的石頭眼睛的視線
穿過生青苔的眼瞼與暫歇的鳥爪
凝視著某種歷久不移的標誌
超越了反反覆覆的草綠
奔騰與飄忽的光影
在這個氣象萬千的公園中

園中興高采烈的孩子們轉著圈圈
如彩色的小陀螺轉了很久
也不會停下來去了解
他們的遊戲全都如此千鈞一髮：
但是，衝呀！他們吶喊著，鞦韆的
弧度蕩到了高高的樹梢；
衝啊！還有旋轉木馬
拽著他們迴旋。

而我，像那群孩子們，陷入了
終將一死的及物動詞，
讓我暫留人間的眼睛掉一滴淚
為每一場快速、閃爍的遊戲
有孩子、樹葉與雲朵，
此際在同一首賦格曲裡，紋風不動，
那些其堅逾石的眼睛注視著，
安全地眼窩在石中注視著。

[Touch-and-Go]

Sing praise for statuary:
For those anchored attitudes
And staunch stone eyes that stare
Through lichen-lid and passing bird-foot
At some steadfast mark
Beyond the inconstant green
Gallop and flick of light
In this precarious park

Where vivid children twirl
Like colored tops through time
Nor stop to understand
How all their play is touch-and-go:
But, Go! they cry, and the swing
Arcs up to the tall tree tip;
Go! and the merry-go-round
Hauls them round with it.

And I, like the children, caught
In the mortal active verb,
Let my transient eye break a tear
For each quick, flaring game
Of child, leaf and cloud,
While on this same fugue, unmoved,
Those stonier eyes look,
Safe-socketed in rock.