The dreams of Jinan and Taiyuan
In a dream of Jinan,
there is a great brothel
with ten thousand escorts,
each in their own chamber,
hoping to find a match.
One of them is speaking:
“In this lonely chamber,
I have waited an age.
Many thousands have passed,
but they all turned me down.
Am I too strange a taste?
Can no one desire me?
I know my face is dull,
but my hands are skilful
and my insides pristine.
It takes time to find out,
but the time is well spent.
I will make it worthwhile.”
In a dream of Taiyuan,
there is a great brothel
with ten thousand patrons,
each walking the hallways,
hoping to find a match.
One of them is speaking:
“In these busy hallways,
I have wandered an age.
Many thousands have shown,
but they all let me down.
Have I too strange a taste?
Can no one pleasure me?
I know my mind is botched,
but my body is fine
and my manner gentle.
It takes work to break through,
but the work is well paid.
I will make it worthwhile.”
The dreams of Chengdu and Chongqing
In a dream of Chengdu,
there is a great dungeon;
therein is an escort
of famed brutality
and dominant instinct.
To their patron, they say:
“In this obscene chamber,
face pressed against cold stone,
sharp steel piercing soft flesh,
you are the most obscene.
I fill your mouth with ash,
and yet you cry for more.
You may act well behaved,
but your mind is perverse;
a mind engorged with shit.
What a pleasure for you
that for now you may be
a plaything for my will.”
In a dream of Chongqing,
there is a great dungeon;
therein is a patron
of famed depravity
and submissive instinct.
To their escort, they say:
“In this dreamlike chamber,
dark stains on the high wall,
liquid dripping down skin,
you are the most dreamlike.
I spray the ground with me,
and yet you touch me more.
You may act cruelly,
but your heart is gracious;
a heart brimming with care.
What a torment for you
that for now you must be
a witness to my filth.”
The dreams of Ningbo and Wenzhou
In a dream of Ningbo,
an escort is speaking:
“The working night is long.
Now the day shift begins.
All I sell is myself;
I am not yet worn out.
So many patrons come.
Most are pleased, some are not;
half make talk, half do not;
few return, but some do.
They are all petty folk.
We all live petty lives.
I wish someone would come
who would change things for me,
who would shine a new light
and make the world look new,
but my hopes are not high.
Until then, I will work.”
In a dream of Wenzhou,
an escort is speaking:
“The working day is long.
Now the night shift begins.
All I sell is my time;
I have not yet run out.
So many patrons come.
Most are kind, some are cruel;
half are rich, half are poor;
all pay cash, none have names.
They are all helpless folk.
We all live helpless lives.
I fear something will come
that will change things for us,
that will loose a great force
and make the world upturned,
but my fears have no point.
So for now, I will work.”
— Liam Blackford is a lawyer, writer and poet based in Hong Kong. His first collection of poetry A Gateway Has Opened was published in 2021 by Proverse Hong Kong. He is working on a novel. You can find him on Instagram at @ravemondfracas.