文｜红岭牧翁

八月里的一个周末，我们在曼哈顿过：我，我的另一半——妻子，儿子以及儿子八个月大的女儿——我们的孙女。儿媳因事恰巧出城了；女儿因事也只能和我们呆半天。

我是很少出门的；出门在外不自由、累，住旅店更是不习惯。这次是去看孙女，这些“问题”好像全给忘了。我的另一半更是一大早就起了床；为了早一刻见到他们，她准备了我们倆在车上吃的花生酱涂面包。一反常态地：我们在预计出发时间之前出了门！

天气很好。今年的夏天虽热，但秋天确来得比晚年早。一下子，天变得更高、更蓝，云变得更白、更艳，风吹得更轻、更舒服，阳光也变得格外温柔……这一切变化使人产生一种感觉——人生多么美好。

儿子把我们到达后的一切都已安排妥当：到达的那个下午，女儿也来儿子家，大家一起聊天、喝咖啡，晚上一起吃晚饭；星期天，女儿出城，我们四人则去中央公园野餐。

也不知从什么时候开始，我的性情变顺从了：对儿子和女儿所做的事情或所安排的事情都是放心有加，甚至可以说是言听计从的。我现在就像我晚年的父亲听我的话一样，顺从着儿女的安排。

孙女刚刚八个月。两个月不见，她的变化真大。她从她姑姑那里新学来了摆头舞；我们让她表演，她就有模有样地摇晃了起来。与同龄孩子相比，她表情丰富，总是咯咯地笑；有时还会有意地扮着脸儿“逗”大人笑。

晚餐是饺子、女儿和儿子的最爱，也是我妻子的“拿手菜”。妻子擀饺子皮，女儿帮着包。用餐前，儿子先给孙女喂饭。孙女顽皮，把吃在嘴里的东西再吐出来、抓在手里玩一会儿，然后或是撒在地上、或是再放进嘴里吃。我见后，立马就想去清理掉在地板上的东西。儿子却淡淡地说：“爸，不急，等她吃完后再打扫。”“只要她吃得开心，把一些东西撒在地上没有关系，吃完后打扫一下就可以了。”儿子继续说。

听儿子说完，我才猛地清醒过来：自己的那些育儿“经验”以及照看婴儿的处理方式和心态，还停留在30年前。时过境迁呀！

儿媳和儿子规定：孙女必须在晚上八点半左右睡觉。儿子知道他自己的作息时间不好——他是“夜猫子”。所以，他不想把自己的“不好”传给下一代。八点钟的时候，儿子给孙女换上了睡衣，让她睡在自己独立的房间。房间里有电子监控摄像系统，父母能够全程从各个角度监控到孩子睡觉时的情况。看到孙女睡觉时不盖任何毯子类的东西，我的另一半有点担心并试探性地的问：“她晚上不再盖点东西行吗？不冷吗？”儿子回答说：“像她这么大的小孩，睡觉是不怕冷的，只怕温度高。温度太高或睡觉盖东西，对几个月大的小孩都是危险的。”儿子这样说着，我只有在旁边老实地听着，因为他说的这些于我而言都是新知识。当年我自己在育儿时，尽管日本也有给年轻父母开办育儿教育课程，但忙于生计、我没有好好地学习；后来就没有了机会、再就是也不需要了。

星期天，我们按计划去中央公园野餐。出门前，儿子首先教我如何给孙女换上纸尿布。记得在三十几年前，日本的育儿专家们是不建议给新生儿使用买来的一次性用的纸尿布的。这种当时只有先进国家才有的一次性用纸尿布，那时还被认为不如棉布尿布透气。所以我们用在儿女身上的还是反复用的棉制尿布、不是纸尿布。换句话，那时使用棉质尿布被认为比使用纸质尿布更为“先进”。换好尿布后，儿子又教我如何为孙女系上婴儿车上的安全带。

待一切就绪，我们就向目的地出发。儿子推着孙女走在前面带路，我妻子跟着儿子走在中间；我看见的则是这样一幅画面：前面是父女——父亲推着女儿走；后面是母子——母亲跟着儿子走。我心里不由得笑了起来。

在绿茵的草地上，我们铺上野外用坐毯，望着蓝蓝的天空，享受着曼哈顿的pizza 。好美啊！我在感叹着。这时，戴着墨镜的孙女更是得意：她顽皮地‘歪’在椅子上，一会儿取下她父亲的眼镜，一会儿夺下她父亲的棒球帽，嘴里咿咿呀呀地、手在舞着脚在蹈着。她的眼睛非常漂亮。她有弯弯的眉毛，棕色的头发，高而挺的鼻子下面是一张爱笑的小嘴巴。她一张嘴，下牙床那两颗又尖又白的小牙便露了出来。当她笑起来时，脸上还会出现两个浅浅的小酒窝。她还有一双十分可爱的小手，手指长长的、白白的；她的皮肤又细又嫩，就像刚出锅的小馒头。她就是一位天使啊！情景之下，我写了一首——《你就是这样》：

欢乐如小鸟，
可爱如熊猫——
人们喜欢的小女孩，
应该是这样。

聪明如精灵，
美丽如孔雀——
人们喜欢的小女孩
应该是这样。

天真如钻石，
灿烂如朝霞——
见到的人心开花，
你就是这样。

活泼如蝴蝶，
玲珑如珍珠——
路过的人都留步，
你就是这样。

四处奔跑，四处寻找，
心目中的美丽。
因为这样的女孩
世界更可爱。

就这样，我和我的另一半按照儿子的安排度过了一个愉快的周末；儿子则顺着孙女的节奏度过了一个愉快的周末；三代人加起来，就把这幸福的日子延续了下去。

这是一个难忘的周末。

2025年秋
//**************************************//
“在世间所有虚幻的追求都过去以后，文学依旧是一片灵魂的净土。”
//**************************************//

A Weekend
Ruiping Li
September 2025

We spent an August weekend in Manhattan: me, my wife, our son and his eight-month-old daughter - our granddaughter. My daughter-in-law happened to be out of town that weekend, and my daughter was only able to stay with us for half the day.

I rarely travel; it's restrictive and tiring, and I am especially unaccustomed to staying in a hotel. But this time, we were visiting our granddaughter, and all those "issues" seemed to have slipped out of my mind. My wife was up early, too; to see them sooner, she made peanut butter bread for us to eat in the car. Unbelievably, we left home before the scheduled departure time!

The weather was beautiful. Although this summer had been hot, autumn arrived earlier than in normal years. Suddenly, the sky had turned higher and bluer, the clouds became whiter and brighter, the wind blew softer and gentler, and the sunlight became exceptionally comfortable ... All these changes gave rise to a feeling—how wonderful life is.

My son had arranged everything for our visit: our daughter came over that afternoon, and we chatted and drank coffee together, then had dinner together. On Monday, my daughter was out of town, so the four of us went on a picnic in Central Park.

I don't know when it started, but my attitude has become submissive: I'm completely confident in everything my son and daughter do or plan, even obedient to them. Now, I defer to my children just as my father listened to me in his later years.

My granddaughter is just eight months old. She has grown a lot in the past two months. She's learned a new head-shaking dance from her aunt; when we asked her to perform, she did it with flying colors. Compared to other children her age, she's more expressive and giggles constantly, sometimes even deliberately making faces to make us laugh.

Dinner was dumplings—a favorite of my daughter and son, and my wife's specialty. My wife rolled the dumpling wrappers, and my daughter helped wrap them. Before dinner, my son fed my granddaughter. My granddaughter was playful, spitting out food, playing with it for a while, then either spilling it on the floor or putting it back in her mouth. Seeing this, I immediately wanted to clean up the mess. My son said calmly, "Dad, don't rush. Wait until she finishes eating before cleaning up." "As long as she's enjoying her meal, spilling some on the floor is fine. Just clean it up afterward," he continued.

After hearing my son's words, I suddenly realized: My parenting "experiences” and my strategies for infant care were still stuck from 30 years ago. How times have changed!

My daughter-in-law and son have a rule: our granddaughter must go to bed around 8:30 p.m. My son knows he has a bad sleep schedule—he is a night owl. So, he doesn't want to pass on his bad habits to the next generation. At 8 o'clock, he changed our granddaughter into pajamas and put her to sleep in her own private room. The room was equipped with a baby monitor, allowing the parents to monitor their child's sleep from every angle. Seeing my granddaughter sleep without a blanket or anything, my wife became concerned and tentatively asked, "Is it okay for her to not cover herself at night? Won't she be cold?" My son replied, "Children her age aren't afraid of cold when sleeping, only of high temperatures. High temperatures or covering yourself with something when sleeping can be dangerous for a child just a few months old." As he spoke, I listened attentively, because everything he said was new to me. When I was raising my own children, although Japan offered parenting courses for young parents, I was so busy I didn't take the time to learn. Eventually, I lost the opportunity and the need for them.

On Sunday, we planned a picnic in Central Park. Before we left, my son first taught me how to change a diaper. I remembered that over thirty years ago, Japanese childcare experts didn't recommend using commercially available disposable diapers for newborns. These disposable diapers, available only in developed countries at the time, were considered less breathable than cotton diapers. So, we used reusable cotton diapers for our children, not disposable ones. In other words, using cotton diapers was considered more "scientific" than using disposable diapers back then. After changing her diaper, my son taught me how to fasten the safety straps on my granddaughter's stroller.

Once everything was ready, we set off for our destination. My son led the way, pushing my granddaughter, while my wife walked in the middle, following my son. I saw this scene: daughter and father in front—the father pushing his daughter, and son and mother behind—the mother following her son. I couldn't help but smile.

On the green lawn, we spread the blankets, gazed at the blue sky, and enjoyed Manhattan pizza. "What a beautiful place!" I exclaimed. Meanwhile, my granddaughter, wearing sunglasses, was even more proud: she playfully leaned back in her chair, alternately taking off her father's glasses and then snatching up his baseball cap, babbling and dancing with her hands and feet. She has beautiful eyes. She has curved eyebrows, brown hair, and a small, smiling mouth beneath a high, straight nose. When she opened her mouth, two small, pointed, white teeth appeared on her lower jaw. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on her face. She also had a pair of adorable little hands, with long, white fingers; her skin was as delicate and tender as a steamed bun fresh from the oven. She was an angel! In my excitement, I wrote a poem—"You Are So":

Cheerful as a bird,
Cute as a panda—
The little girl people love,
That's how it should be.

Smart as an elf,
Beautiful as a peacock—
The little girl people love,
That's how it should be.

Perfect as a diamond,
Brilliant as the morning light—
The faces of those who see you smile,
That's how you are.

Lively as a butterfly,
Elegant as a pearl—
Everyone who sees you stops,
That's how you are.

Running around, searching around,
The beauty in my heart.
Because of girls like this, the world is so great.

As so, we spent a delightful weekend, following our children’s plans. Our son, in turn, enjoyed a joyful weekend, following his daughter’s plans; and together, these three generations continue the beauty of life.

It was an unforgettable weekend.

//==========================//
“After all the illusory pursuits of the world have passed, literature remains a harbor for the soul.”
//==========================//

— 爱，总是在回忆中最为强烈。

文｜道南来人 2025 初夏

南瓜，公猫，英文名叫Pumpkin。养于 2007年秋天（出生日期据推测是2006 年），卒于2025年5月24日星期六下午5点到8点之间。享年19岁。

据说，猫不愿意死在爱他的人、或者同伴面前；只要还有一丝力气，他们都会避开主人，找一个安静的地方，独自离去。

我家的南瓜就是这样的。他和我们一起生活了十八年，却在我们离开家的几个小时里、在未曾表现出丝毫身体不适的情况下，突然永远地离开了我们。自两年前动过腿部肿瘤切除手术后，我更是坚信，他是一定会活过20岁的。我无法想象，在临死前他是如何用尽生命最后的力气、爬上他那专属的高达18英寸的椅子上去的。他离去时就像平时他睡觉时一样：用手捂住他的脸，安详地睡在他生前喜欢的椅子上。没有给我们任何话别的机会；没有给我们任何帮助他的机会。他选择在自己最喜欢的地方、选择了我们离开家里那个狭窄的时间窗口、以不让我们难过的方式走完了他生命最后的路程。我们感谢他、感谢他在生命的最后一刻还是那么的善解人意。

近年来，他的确是老了。他的毛发失去了往日的光泽，变得越来越松弛，一梳理就会梳出许多来。住在外州的儿子和儿媳一家人在五月初回到家里来时，看到他的第一眼就说南瓜老了许多。但他还是健康的。除了睡觉的时间比以前更多、不愿上高处、不愿随我在室内转圈两次以外，没有其他异常的表现。他的突然不辞而别是完全出乎我们意料之外的，令我们难以释怀。十八年来，他给了我们太多美好的时光和回忆。

我还清楚地记得那天——大概是2007年的秋天的一个周末，我、太太和女儿去宠物店PetSmart。女儿看到他的第一眼就喜欢上了。然而，当时“挡在”我们前面的还有一位女士。她在仔细观察这只猫、还在犹豫不决之中。我们一家人心里都在怦怦直跳、担心这只猫会被她领养去，祷求她快点离开那里。这样我们就能“抢占到”靠近这只猫的有利位置。结果一切都如愿以偿：她挪动一下位置，站到旁边的猫那里去了。我们马上抢到了那个位置，稍稍观看了一下，大家就决定把他领养回来。到家后，大家都为刚才“抢”位置的行为感到太失态。

他有橘黄色毛发，店员叫他“Pumpkin”。后来我们就一直沿用这个名来叫他。人，可以改变命运，但无法改变历史和出生。我想动物也是一样的。他是从外地转送来我们这里流浪猫的崽猫，出生年月不详，推算是在2006年。他较瘦小，背上潜入了一小芯片便于跟踪。医生说他心脏有点点先天的问题，但不大。这一些所谓的问题，那时对我们来说都不在意了。因为，他看上去是那么的可爱。爱，是可以淡化或掩盖其他问题的。

南瓜一来到我们家，就成了女儿的宝贝、家里的明星，更是成为了我每天相处时间最长的家庭成员。女儿和儿子每天放学回家，就围着他转。太太帮他清洗饮水机、还和我每天帮他清理沙子。而他，白天陪我一起工作，晚上陪我一起看球赛。我们真的是朝夕相处。

和其他猫相比，南瓜不那么粘人。但他非常亲近人。总是保留了自己能独立支配的空间。他爱呆在我身边，但不想让我抱住他、控制住他；爱趴在桌子上，一整天地看我干活；爱坐在我的身后，和我一起看着门外的景色；爱躺在我身边，和我一起看球赛。那距离、那分寸都体现了他的聪明和智慧。南瓜，你睡觉时发出那满足的咕噜声，更是让我嗅到了生命的芬芳、让我修得了获得幸福的能力。南瓜，你是我的挚友和生活导师，谢谢你！

南瓜，你是那么的随和和宽容。你能和任何一位客人相处。即使我们一时忘掉了你，你也不会计较、不会咄咄逼人；即使我们有时做错了什么，你也是一会儿就忘。你那不记前仇、我行我素、豁达自信的性格是大家爱你的原因之一。

你有自由的灵魂，生于这片大地，长眠于你最熟悉、感觉最舒服的地方。这一切应该是你想要的。安息吧，南瓜！千言万语只有一句，感谢你18 年来的陪伴和对这个家无私的爱、依赖和贡献！你总是那么懂事，不让我们操更多的心；就连离开也不想让我们看到你痛苦、不想让我们难过。愿你在那边过得更幸福！愿猫星更加美好！你会永远活在我们心中。

Goodbye Pumpkin

(May 27, 2025)

Pumpkin, a male cat, adopted in the fall of 2007 (birth date is estimated to be 2006), died on Saturday, May 24, 2025. He was 19 years old.

It is said that cats do not want to die in front of those who love them or their companions; as long as they have a little strength, they will avoid their owners, find a quiet place, and leave alone.

This is the case with my Pumpkin. He lived with us for 18 years, but suddenly left us forever a few hours after we left home, without any sign of physical discomfort. After he had a leg tumor removal surgery two years ago, I became even more convinced that he would live past the age of 20. I still can't imagine how he used up his last strength to climb onto his very own 18-inch chair before he died. When he passed away, he was just like sleeping: covering his face with his hands, sleeping peacefully forever in the chair he loved when he was alive. He didn't give us any chance to say goodbye; he didn't give us any chance to help him. Pumpkin chose to spend the last moment of his life in his favorite place and in a way that would not make us sad. We thank him and thank him for his thoughtfulness in the last moments of his life.

In recent years, he has indeed aged. His hair has lost its former luster and has become increasingly loose, and a lot of hair will come out when he was combed. When my son and his wife who live in another state came back home at the beginning of this month they said that Pumpkin had aged a lot when they saw him. But he still looked healthy, except that he slept more than before, was unwilling to go to high places, and was unwilling to circle around the house with me twice, nothing else was abnormal. His sudden departure without saying goodbye was completely unexpected to us, and it is hard for us to let it go. For 18 years, he has given us so many good times and memories.

I still remember that day clearly - it was probably a weekend in the fall of 2007, when my wife, my daughter and I went to the PetSmart. My daughter liked him at first sight. However, there was a lady "blocking" us by standing ahead of us at that time. She was observing the cat carefully and was still hesitating. Our family was all pounding with fear that the cat would be adopted by her, and we prayed that she would leave quickly. That way we could "occupy“ a favorable position close to the cat. In the end, everything went as we wished: she moved to the neighboring cat. We immediately occupied that position, watched for a while, and decided to adopt him. When we got home, everyone felt a little embarrassed about “occupied “ the position to get Pumpkin.

He has orange hair, and the clerk called him "Pumpkin". Later we kept calling him by this name. People can change their fate, but they cannot change their history and birth. I think animals are the same. He was a stray cat transferred here from another state. His date of birth is unknown, but is estimated to be in 2006. He is thin and has a small chip embedded in his back for tracking. The doctor said that he had some congenital problems with his heart, but not critical. These so-called problems were not a concern for us at that time. Because he looked so cute. Love can dilute or cover up other problems.

As soon as Pumpkin came to our family, he became my daughter's cutie, the star of the family, and the family member I spend the most time with every day. As soon as my daughter and son came home from school, they would revolve around and play with him. My wife helped with clean the water fountain and I helped with clean the litter every day. He accompanied me while I worked during the day and watched the sports game with me at night. We really spent every day together.

Compared with other cats, Pumpkin is not so clingy. But he is very nice to people. He always control his own space independently. He loves to stay by my side, but doesn't want me to hold him or control him; he loves to lie on the table and watch me work all day; he loves to sit behind me and watch the scenery outside with me; he loves to lie by my side and watch the sport games on tv with me. That distance and that measure reflect his cleverness and wisdom. The satisfied purring he makes when he sleep makes me smell the fragrance of life and learned the ability to obtain happiness. Pumpkin, you are my best friend and life mentor, thank you!

Pumpkin, you are so easy-going and tolerant. You can get along with any guest. Even if we forget about you for a moment, you will not be angry; even if we do something wrong sometimes, you will forget it in a short time. When we were too busy to feed you, you just patiently waited for. Your character of being open-minded and confident is one of the reasons why everyone loves and why you lived a long time.

You have a free soul, born on this land, and slept in the place you were most familiar and comfortable with. This should be what you want. Rest in peace, Pumpkin! I have only one thing to say: thank you for your companionship and selfless love, dependence and contribution to this family for 18 years! You were always so thoughtful and didn’t let us worry too much; even when you left, you didn't want us to see you in pain or feel sad. May you live happier over there! May Cat Planet be better! You will live in our hearts forever.

文｜红岭牧翁

不将颜色附春容，喜换新衣示骨风。
七夕繁开当夏景，一枝独放晚秋红。
青青嫩叶颦相舞，茁茁芳苞逐碧空。
日作黄昏谁是伴，紫薇花对紫薇翁。

【注】：“号做乐天真不错，忧愁时少乐时多。”白乐天曾有“独坐黄昏谁是伴，紫薇花对紫薇郎”的诗句。本人今日工作之商业部专利局，虽然不能与他当年上班的“紫薇省”和他当级的“紫薇令”相提并论，但也是个政府衙门。更有意思的是，专利局里也有一个官名和一个无品之官级，译成中文称之为——专利审查官（参照日本产业省的官衔名）。审查（官）员需要当班作业，审查核批来自全世界的发明创新，以保护发明人的知识产权；他们工作繁忙且责任重大，需要掌握和理解美国的专利法，需要阅读大量的文献、知晓该当领域的最新知识和研究成果；他们工作的独立性强并且有些枯燥乏味，常常是独对银屏和窗外。

紫薇树每年脱皮一次，喜热又不惧寒。紫薇的树干挺拔、光亮俊秀；其花花色多，有紫色、白色、粉红和胭脂红；就是同一颗树，每枝的开花时间也是相错有序的。因此，紫薇的花季极长，能从夏季开到秋季；甚至在农历十月底的小雪时分，还能看到它的萧瑟一红。紫薇不愧为热情奔放的天使！家门前的紫薇花是紫色的，树是二十年前种下的。

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“在世间所有虚妄的追求都过去以后，诗歌依旧是一片灵魂的净土。”
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《城东园，我人生的摇篮》

文｜红岭牧翁

2024 夏

城东园，我人生的摇篮。

清源山下、洛阳桥边，

就是城东园，

也是我人生的摇篮。

在校园歌曲流行那年，

我来到了城东园。

我是园丁，

更是要园丁培育的青年。

城东园，我人生的摇篮。

你的名字曾是那么响亮，

你的名字是当时每一个中国人的梦想。

你的名字就是

我现在回到园子里听到的一种称呼；

你让我梦想成真，

你让我如愿以偿。

在园子里，第一次

我碰到了买饭票需要帮助的尴尬。

在园子里，第一次

有人提醒我要去理发。

在园子里，第一次

有人教我如何去找对象。

在园子里，第一次

我和同事徘徊在大年三十晚上。

城东园，你是如此豁达！

我们三十几个青年来自四面八方：

有来自美丽的海滨城市，

有来自西域的秦汉古都，

有来自三坊七巷的邻居，

有来自唯一能叫城市的城市，

也有来自传说中的蛮荒之地。

他们一个个瘦弱不堪但心怀鬼胎；

他们一个个在追逐自己的梦。

你，把他们统统收下、养育他们。

城东园，你是多么豁达!

城东园，你是如此美丽!

三月雨是你的柔情；

水仙花是你的品格；

地瓜是你的名，石头是你的姓。

树上的龙眼是你给大家的爱；

园中的蝴蝶是你给大家的梦。

城东园，你是如此善良!

无聊时，去对街电影院，

那放映员还是位回乡青年；

无助时，上东西塔，

那里能闻到弘一法师的心法；

失落时，登清源山悟老君岩。

在园子里，我无数次数计过雨的忧愁；

无数次触摸过铺在路上石块的厚度。

我恋爱了。我的朋友们也恋爱了。

我们是多么幸福啊！虽然

没有婚典，没有婚礼，

没有婚房，没有证婚人；

但是有你的祝福，

还有城东公社的证婚书。

这些就足够了！！！

城东园，你是如此伟大!

你不仅培育了成千上万学子，

还成长了园丁。

我们中有教授和专家，

有地产家和银行家，

有音乐家和艺术家。

你知道，我们都是从你那里走出的。

你是一个既现代又古老的城市；

你是一个既先进又落后的城市；

你更是一个码头，一个通向世界的窗口，

过去是，现在还是。

这是你的角色，

也是你喜欢的角色。

我坐在园门处紫藤树下，

望着夏日碧空中那最后一烟芬芳，

在藤蔓思维中，被一辆

窗子没有玻璃的巴士喇叭声惊醒。

我思索着巴士方向，

咀嚼着东来的风，

走出了园子。

一场骤雨随之而来。

一条小路伸向前方：

干净而曲长。

城东园坐在彩虹下，

渐渐远去……

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“在世间所有虚妄的追求都过去以后，诗歌依旧是一片灵魂的净土。” 该文收录在《道南来人》：https://chanworld.org/wj/dao/。

***************

（从李得胜，上下异韵。2021.2）

我锁柴门里，

君走相思地。

隔日思君又厌君，

更受新冠累。

此疫何时了，

此境谁能料。

一夜东风转西风，

果否人情老？