Good Thing I’m Not Afraid of Flying
The subway the train station the airport
three separate zones of security
X-rays, liquids
queues, questions
and pat-downs too, of course
because of time constraints
or the qualifications of the personnel
each employs a different type of caress
The subway is hurried and casual
they barely touch you at all
just wave the wand around you and say
thanks for your cooperation
The train station is similar
it just takes longer
and there is a lane for checking your ID
But at the airport they make you take off your shoes
and your coat, empty your pockets – it's very intimate
it feels like coming home
this kind of security is securest
Of course, each of these zones of safety
comes at a different price
About the translators
Austin Woerner is a Creative Fellow in Chinese-English literary translation at the University of Leeds.
Morty Shiqi Zhang is an MA student currently enrolled in the English Literature course at the School of English, University of Leeds.