When the Train Passed the Yellow River

When the train passed the Yellow River
I was pissing in the bathroom
I knew I shouldn't
I should be sitting at the window
or standing at the door
my left hand akimbo
my right hand shading my brows
looking far into the distance
like a great man
at least like a poet
pondering the river
or some moment in history
everyone else was doing it
I alone stayed in the bathroom
for ages
right now time belonged to me
I had waited a day and night
a stream of piss
and the Yellow River flowed on

Translated by Wang Ping and Richard Sieburth