A life with poetry

     I enjoy reading Lin Bosong's poetry collection *Sleepless Nights*, but I prefer his afterword, "Gone with the Wind." I believe that the afterword is a key to understanding the author's creative intentions and entering his heart.

    In the afterword of "Gone with the Wind," I vaguely sense Lin Bosong's calm, mountain stream-like demeanor, gently flowing with a direct confrontation with cruel fate. Between the lines, a profound examination of life leaps forth. To organize the manuscript of *Sleepless Nights*, he gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain of festering sores in his feet. His stiff legs struggled against his body, like a spark ignited by painful trials, sparking insights into life through mutual collision. *Sleepless Nights*, a condensation of pain, anxiety, and true love, was born amidst groans, and the afterword, "Gone with the Wind," is the best commentary on this suffering child—*Sleepless Nights*. "I know my wings are already weakened, but the belief in flying remains. I will paint wonder upon the sky! As long as I live, I will strive day and night; this process itself is glorious, it is immortal." I am deeply moved by Bai Song's calm acceptance of life and his indomitable spirit. In the Garden of Eden of poetry, Bai Song desperately gathers the flowers and fruits of life, transforming his monotonous space into a vibrant tapestry filled with the sunshine of life. He endures the torment of pain and hardship, seeking a way to communicate with his soul. In an atmosphere devoid of worldly and utilitarian thoughts, he suppresses the ever-present pain while weaving a net of poetry with every minute, retrieving every ray of bright spring light. In the magical yet desolate land bestowed upon him by suffering, he silently cultivates and plants the tree of poetry, nourishing it with his own pain—a tree laden with the bittersweet fruits of poetry. As we wander through the poetic forest of "Sleepless Nights," we savor the bittersweet fruits of poetry, experiencing the seeds of suffering.

    Immersed in "Gone with the Wind," repeatedly chewing on Bai Song's heartfelt words from the depths of his soul, my intuition tells me that this is less an afterword and more a beautifully crafted and profound essay. In this philosophical and poetic afterword of over ten thousand words, Bai Song directly questions his life experiences, reflects on the passage of time, hates falsehood, evil, and ugliness, faces suffering with composure, analyzes the scars of life, and offers insightful and unique perspectives on poetry, along with a deep and unwavering love for it… That sense of returning to simplicity and the power of his personality resonate deeply with the reader, allowing them to further appreciate its artistic charm.

    "Gone with the Wind" is like a ray of sunlight breaking through the haze, piercing the fence of the soul, bringing warmth and enlightenment. His frank and sharp language is like the cascading and unrestrained flow of accumulated water, a sincere outpouring of emotion and feeling, unpretentious and genuine. Between the drops and streams of emotion, the author's transcendence and sublimation are revealed, showcasing the vitality of Bai Song. His measured tone and rhythmic phrasing are like ice floes breaking through a river, roaring, crashing, and surging, combining to create a breathtaking and awe-inspiring momentum, so open and so deeply moving.

    Bai Song breaks with conventional thinking, using strikingly different imagery to capture fleeting thoughts that flash through his mind. With calm and solemn words, he reveals the mysteries of life: "Whether amidst the lights of countless homes or sitting alone at dusk, it's all like flowing water, coming from where it came and going to where it goes. Loneliness and noise, including pain and hardship, have no principles or rules… The more brilliant one has been, the more so is the corresponding darkness and solitude…" Bai Song's words reveal the true meaning of life, a profound state of enlightenment where one achieves harmony with nature. This reflects Bai Song's detachment from the gains and losses, honors and disgraces, joys and sorrows of life… showcasing his open-mindedness, wisdom, and profound life experience. Every sentence in "Gone with the Wind" is imbued with Bai Song's heart and soul, reflecting a philosophical and insightful literary style akin to a wise saying. Bai Song transforms the happiness of his past life, or the pain of his present, into crimson blood, channeling it into the veins of his poetry, pouring his sincerity, his passion, and his dreams onto the page.

    "Unperturbed by honor or disgrace, I leisurely watch the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard; indifferent to coming or going, I idly watch the clouds drift and gather in the sky." This ancient poem perfectly encapsulates the essence of "Gone with the Wind." Under the lash of suffering, Bai Song, with a mindset uncommon to ordinary people, reached out to explore the depths and breadth of life, and repeatedly penned lines like: "Two paths diverged in the woods / And I / Took the one less traveled by / And there I found a completely different view." I think the path Bai Song chose, perhaps only he could traverse—a thorny and rugged road, adorned with his blood-stained buds blooming in profusion… A line inscribed by the famous poet and writer Zou Jingzhi for Bai Song, I think, serves as the perfect conclusion to this article: "Those who write poetry live forever!"