A.
In the world of the living,
The dead can be freely controlled.
Producing the dead is crucial;
One must choose refined ingredients.
Select someone you dislike,
Define them as a failure,
And then use death to prove—
They’re even more of a failure.
Then pile up the dead,
As prepared materials.
When the emotions of the living need release,
Place them in the position of gods.
When the living need to prove their own greatness,
Put them into books or carve them into stone…
Use them whenever needed;
The more they’re used,
The more solid the claim becomes—
That they were failures without doubt:
The living control the dead,
Yet the dead haven’t controlled the living.
B.
After natural disasters that attack without distinction,
Or attacks created by the living,
Those lying on the ground,
Are called “the dead”.
The dead are collectively called the innocent,
Or the weak.
Yet during the years they lived,
Some among them had controlled other dead.
It’s only that this time they weren’t fortunate enough;
They became the dead,
And were likewise labeled with the mark of “failure”—
Innocence and kindness.
To fear being marked as “a failure”,
And to be unable to speak in one’s own defense—
To say that one was actually strong…
This is the true root of the fear of death.
C.
Human beings mixed together,
Become a kind of sauce.
When tasted, it seems to come from only one thing,
Yet it’s actually a heap of things that have been crushed.
Each peanut kernel has the taste of peanut,
So once crushed, the flavors can mix.
Since humans can also be treated this way,
It seems that the taste of humans is no different…
This is the reasoning and conclusion of the living…
This plate of salad has already been mixed,
Waiting for the dead to taste it and give their commentary.
James Tian
