Pockets

From Their World, Three Worlds by Dai Pan (潘岱). Poem 18.

Walking quarter of the way, dream not yet awake.
The world has quietly slid into the pocket.
Our retro trends go back, to 2000, the beginning.
A giant brain, shrouded in pockets, wandering,
Our thoughts, in darkness, grow, prominently,
Like potatoes germinate in the refrigerator, until next open,
Without remorse, think, how to pinch off your personal life,
After all, impossible to change, it's a dream.
In the park, chess games will never cease,
Aged hands constantly searching in their pockets,
Always, fail to grasp anything but hands.
All sweaty, dripping,
It would never mold, if washed meticulously.
Children pick up soil from the ground,
Tear open flowers.
Small birds being caught, tight, hold,
Stuffing all the beauty before sunset, into pockets.
Looking back anxiously in all directions, them, I can see.
Disappear into the depths of small alleys, then,
flowing with people, be the crowded,
Appearing, but memories of only decades ago,
Not knowing where to categorize them,
Knowing what to do, to put back,
Hands in my pockets.

I watch calendars, as the world is printed into.
Same time, New walls are erected, in the park.
Cats and dogs are all tucked away into pockets,
Countryside and wilderness, the forests, never come back,
Let's pack them all away.
Until it transforms into yet another world.
With only half the value as justification, evaluation,
The sole essence drifts further and further from its original material,
And own pocket.

A new world, now, in yellow and green,
Our hands gave the Earth a uniform haircut.
Emptying my pocket, only a sock, found,
It is also a pocket, inside,
This way, it can dance together with the children,
with my hand.

Cite as: Dai Pan, "Pockets," Three Worlds, Their World, poem 18, 2025. https://daipan.ink/their-world/pockets

Their World 18

Pockets

Walking quarter of the way, // dream not yet awake.
The world has quietly slid // into the pocket.
Our retro trends go back, // to 2000, the beginning.
A giant brain, shrouded in pockets, // wandering,
Our thoughts, in darkness, // grow, prominently,
Like potatoes germinate in the refrigerator, // until next open,
Without remorse, think, // how to pinch off your personal life,
After all, impossible to change, // it's a dream.
In the park, chess // games will never cease,
Aged hands constantly searching in their pockets,
Always, fail to grasp anything but hands.
All sweaty, dripping,
It would never mold, // if washed meticulously.
Children pick up soil from the ground,
Tear open flowers.
Small birds being caught, // tight, hold,
Stuffing all the beauty before sunset, // into pockets.
Looking back anxiously in all directions, // them, I can see.
Disappear into the depths of small alleys, // then,
flowing with people, // be the crowded,
Appearing, but memories of only decades ago,
Not knowing where to categorize them,
Knowing what to do, to put back,
Hands in my pockets.

I watch calendars, // as the world is printed into.
Same time, New walls are erected, // in the park.
Cats and dogs are // all tucked away into pockets,
Countryside and wilderness, // the forests, never come back,
Let's pack them all away.
Until it transforms into yet another world.
With only half the value as justification, // evaluation,
The sole essence drifts further // and further from its original material,
And own pocket.

A new world, now, // in yellow and green,
Our hands gave the // Earth a uniform haircut.
Emptying my pocket, // only a sock, found,
It is also a pocket, inside,
This way, it can dance together // with the children,
with my hand.