0107 Long Brushes into Water
They are polishing up the new
sidewalks at the corner of Wangfujin.
They crouch above their machines,
pressing them hard to the stone.
The granite dust muffles them.
Their faces are swathed in towels.
They have been told the sidewalks
will last as long as the Wall.
They are writing old poems on
the sidewalks at the Temple of Heaven.
They dip long brushes into water.
Gracefully, silently, they spell out
their characters, large and flowing
onto these concrete scrolls. They pause
to consider whose calligraphy appears
most praiseworthy, most enduring,
and as they deliberate, the sun rises,
erasing their poems, stroke by stroke. #ceas #china #schultz #tsutsui