My Mother's Dumpling
The white powder on her forehead, her nose, and gray hair
She conducts an orchestra of revolving motions with her two hands
The perfect circle of dough each time
A musician, an artisan, a magician
I lean over the table top, entranced at the dices and chops
the mixes and blends
from two lumps to ten to hundred
a physicist, a chemist, an enchantress
Fragrances of herbs and dashes
As I reach over to grab one little of the white masses
She giggles and laughs, and shoos me away
"Soon my little lovely dumpling"
白色的麵粉有如粧敷在母親的前額、鼻頭、微灰的鬢角。雙手在餐桌上交替著,猶如交響樂的指揮,將麵糊畫出完美的圓,是音樂家,是藝術家,是魔術師。
我湊過身子,著迷地看著母親一刀一剁,皮餡混合,轉眼間,從兩團,變十個,變百個,是物理家,是化學家,是魔法師。
糰糊餡料散著迷人的香氣,引誘我挨向母親,試圖攫取那一點純白。母親慈愛地看著我,輕輕挪開我的手說:「就快好了,我可愛的小水餃。」
婁世鐘回台與出席小會的會員。