昨日  默温

昨日

我朋友说，你知道，我没能做个

好儿子

我说是啊我理解

他说你知道

我没能常常看望父母

我说是，我知道

就算在我们住一个城市的时候，他说

我一个月

或许总该去一回，哪怕更少点

我说，噢，是啊

他说上回我去看我父亲、

我是说最后一次见我父亲

他说，上回我去看我父亲

他问起我的生活

问我混得如何，接着

他走到隔壁

拿点什么送给我

噢，我说

我最后一次感受父亲

手掌的冰凉，他说

父亲走到玄关，回头见我

正看着手表，他说

你知道，我总想你多待一会

陪我说点话

恩，是，我说

但如果你忙，他说

我不想让你觉得你

非得留下

就因为我

我沉默

他说，我爸说

也许

你还有重要的工作要做

又或者你要见什么人

我不愿强留你

我转而看向窗外

我朋友比我年纪大

他说，于是我告诉父亲，确实如此

然后我起身，离开了他

你知道

可其实我没有地方要去

没有事情要做

Yesterday

My friend says I was not a good son

you understand

I say yes I understand

he says I did not go

to see my parents very often you know

and I say yes I know

even when I was living in the same city he says

maybe I would go there once

a month or maybe even less

I say oh yes

he says the last time I went to see my father

I say the last time I saw my father

he says the last time I saw my father

he was asking me about my life

how I was making out and he

went into the next room

to get something to give me

oh I say

feeling again the cold

of my father’s hand the last time

he says and my father turned

in the doorway and saw me

look at my wristwatch and he

said you know I would like you to stay

and talk with me

oh yes I say

but if you are busy he said

I don’t want you to feel that you

have to

just because I’m here

I say nothing

he says my father

said maybe

you have important work you are doing

or maybe you should be seeing

somebody I don’t want to keep you

I look out the window

my friend is older than I am

he says and I told my father it was so

and I got up and left him then

you know

though there was nowhere I had to go

and nothing I had to do