Retrospective Memory Poem by chen yefeng

By Chen Yefeng
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Memory is a virus
Retro-transcribed from the moment our ape ancestors crawled ashore
Carrying the muddy scent of the Devonian

Thus cats dread water yet crave fish and shrimp
We've evolved to the top of the food chain but still linger over the taste of decay
Durian, luosifen, stinky mandarin fish, surströmming…

We cannot choose what to remember, nor what to forget
Strive to erase, yet it may suddenly seize the mind at any moment

Memory is a burden, memory is a force
A story, an experience, an expression may become timeless among humans

In the dark jungle, a tribe collectively misremembers one thing

2025.04.13