An ekphrastic poem, inspired by Yang Xiaobin’s photograph, Deng-ism.

You’d be hard pressed
to recall
if it ever existed

The wall bears scabs
and the occasional bit of crusted adhesive
where the fly-poster used to be

You might see faces
amidst the rust that has eaten through
if you look long enough

But the names
the places
the intentions…

(28 September 2016)