Workers' Poem (6): When Grown

January 2024:

成年方晓

三和“大神”

成年方晓世事难

一日三餐为油盐

尝遍坎坷人生路

诗词不能换酒钱

Translation

When Grown

Only when grown do I learn how harsh the world can be;

Three meals a day — oil and salt — the ledger of my need.

I’ve tasted every stumble on this twisting, uncaring road;

Poems don’t buy a cup of wine — verse won’t buy my bread.