You ask for more rungs in the ladder I

Built against the solitary tree：

Your legs still short， your brother up already。

So in wind I fix it， and I find

As I lean smoking， back against the tree，

Seagulls driving plovers from their ground，

A picture of two figures， both still young，

Who come across this ladder sagging， rotten，

Leant against a hedge tree long forgotten，

And wonder at the nearness of each rung；

Watched by their father， trying not to long

To join them or wish against this day

Of wind and gulls and peewits fighting， crying，

Nostalgic falseness in the air， sighing sighing，

Though that was in his mind。 So， today，

He takes two cold boys home and gives them food，

Glad he shared with them a single tree

Before they walked without him to the wood。

紧贴着那棵孤独的树，我搭了个

梯子，你要求我再加上几根横杆：

你的腿还短，你哥哥已经长高了。

于是我在风中加固了梯子，正当

我倚着树抽烟、看海鸥从领地上

驱赶鸻，我脑海中出现一幅画面：

有两个人，都还很年轻，无意间

来到这个已腐烂、松垂的梯子前，

梯子倚靠的绿篱树早已被人忘记，

他们很好奇每根横杆竟如此接近；

他们的父亲看着这一切，克制着

不加入他们、不去抱怨这天的风

和在空中打斗呼号的海鸥及田凫，

还有空气里哀叹不绝的怀旧错觉，

尽管这正是他想做的。所以今天，

他把两个寒冷的男孩带回家，给

他们吃的，庆幸能在他们抛下他

走进树林前，与他们分享一棵树。