对于水来说，一个重要的时刻是当它沸腾的时候，尽管人们通常认为这仅仅是为了方便洗澡或吃饭，但偶尔会有人明白这个时刻对水的重要性——也许是圣人，也许是诗人，也许是疯子，或者只是一个暂时被打扰的人，他的思想在某种意义上“漂浮”，远离他最深切的个人关注，去更“不真实”的事情……对这个岛来说，一个重要的时刻是当它的树木开始给它遮荫时，另一个时刻是当海洋把又大又沉的东西冲到它的侧面时。人们四处走走，看看这个岛，但并没有真正地看它，也没有真正地看它上面的东西，人们会想，甚至，来到这个岛，一定很严肃。因为它躺在这里，面对着整个大海。它所有的瞬间可能都是严肃的。在这样大风的天气里，做一只帆、一扇开着的窗户、一根在街上飞舞的羽毛，是件很严肃的事……严肃，我多少次想到严肃，却很少理解它，除了这一点:严肃是迫切的，它与变化有关。你对水说，现在没必要烧开，然后把水关掉。它停止坐立不安。然后开始冷却。 You put your hand in it And say, The water isn't serious any more. It has the potential, However—that urgency to give off bubbles, to Change itself to steam. And the wind, When it becomes part of a hurricane, blowing up the beach And the sand dunes can't keep it away. Fainting is one sign of seriousness, crying is another. Shuddering all over is another one. A serious moment for the telephone is when it rings. And a person answers, it is Angelica, or is it you. A serious moment for the fly is when its wings Are moving, and a serious moment for the duck Is when it swims, when it first touches water, then spreads Its smile upon the water... A serious moment for the match is when it burst into flame... Serious for me that I met you, and serious for you That you met me, and that we do not know If we will ever be close to anyone again. Serious the recognition of the probability That we will, although time stretches terribly in between... Anonymous submission.