The Square

This poem is an English translation selected from the second section, "The Square" (广场), of the Chinese poetry journal Workers' Poetry Selection (《打工诗选刊》).

Left-Behind Children

Life is a heavy shackle,
Chaining wings that yearn to soar
And seedlings struggling to grow.

In this narrow village,
Tender little feet cannot cross that threshold—
The abyss too deep, tiny hearts too afraid.

Grandparents are their only refuge,
Yet they do not know these young souls
Hide immense, unspoken secrets.

So young, yet already learning to be strong,
Often saying, "I won't cry,"
But before the words leave, tears already fall.

The loneliness within grows with the wind,
Silence becomes the only reply—
Only one cry echoes: "I want Mom and Dad."

Nie Qing, male, of the Tujia ethnicity, was born in December 1973 in Sangzhi, Hunan. He now works as a migrant laborer in Guangdong and is a member of the Chinese Popular Culture Institute. His works—over 100 poems and essays—have been published in dozens of publications and platforms, including Hunan Daily, Prose Poetry, Southern Workers' News, Hunan Poet, and Zhangjiajie Daily.

《留守儿童》

生活是一把沉重的枷锁

锁着飞翔的翅膀

和一颗颗成长的幼苗

狭小的村庄

嫩嫩的小脚丫却迈不出那道坎

深不见底小小的心很害怕

爷爷奶奶是唯一的依靠

却不知幼小的心灵

埋藏着巨大的迷密

小小年龄就学会坚强

常常说不哭

话还没有出口已泪流满面

内心的孤独见风就长

沉默是最佳答案

只是一个声音在呐喊:“我要爸爸妈妈。”

聂青，男，土家族，1973年12月出生于湖南桑植，现广东务工，中国大众文化学会会员。在《湖南日报》，《散文诗》，《南方工报》，《湖南诗人》。《张家界日报》等几十家刊物和平台发表作品100多篇首。