清朝初年，湘南西边，有一个靠山的小村落，整个村子两百多户人家，七百多人都是僵尸。这些僵尸，喜吃活人血肉，其身湿润腐烂，全身皆发出霉味般的恶臭……。
　　本来这是一个很普通的村子，大部分人以打猎为生，一部份人种点野菜地瓜之类生活。村中有个叫成三的年轻人，平日游手好闲，不事生产，又喜欢调戏别人老婆，常被村人追打羞辱，因此，就躲在山中苟活，利用晚上回村偷些食物过活。全村人都对他恨之入骨。
　　有一天，成三在山上肚子饿了，想挖一些野笋，地瓜之类来果腹，就到处挖啊挖啊，竟挖到一具尸体，样子极为恐怖，似乎死了几百年，脸和身子都烂得不成形，他虽然肚子空空的，也不禁呕了几口酸水出来。 成三本想拔腿就跑，但是仔细一想，或许尸体上有一些值钱之物，就蹲了下来仔细检查……
　　虽然整具尸体都已烂成糊状，但似乎头上有一张黄纸，上面的字已看不清楚了。成三找了半天，结果什么也没有，加上闻到死尸身上所发出的怪异腐味，更觉得全身不对劲。于是赶紧把死尸埋了，到别处找食物。
　　自从成三看过那具死尸后，整个人就觉得难过，一天天消瘦，牙齿也渐渐变黑，全身无力，昏昏沉沉，好像中了尸毒。
　　过了一个月，大家发现成三好久没上村来偷，心想可能死在山上，正高兴的时候，却看见成三踉踉跄跄地走来，要求村人到城里帮他找医生。这些村人哪一个没吃过他的亏，哪里会帮他？
　　啊！算了，过去的事就不要提了，再怎么说成三也是一个人，我们也不能就这样看他死啊!一位老者这样说着。
　　于是又带他回去洗澡，又煮一些东西给他吃，想不到成三稍微好些了，又想调戏老者的女儿，被村人发现后，大家将他打个半死，丢在后山草丛中让他自生自灭。
　　过了几天，又见成三一身病地求人救他，这次，村人不但没给他吃 反而狠狠打他一顿，然后将他绑在树上。
　　村中有人看不过去，说这样太过缺德，会遭受报应。但几个壮丁一个字也听不进去，硬是把他绑在树上。
　　成三在树上没几天就断气了，尸体发黑带青，眼睛也变为灰泥状，发出的尸臭非常难闻，村中许多妇人和小孩闻了就不舒服。
　　村中几个壮丁看到这个情况，就商量把成三尸体放下来，好好埋了，才不会让大家感染尸毒。大伙儿都同意了，不过白天大家都要干活，就决定晚上去埋成三的尸体。
　　到了晚上，大伙儿吃过晚饭，拿着火把要找成三的尸体时，想不到竟然不翼而飞。根据树上被撕裂的绳子来看，好像是成三自己挣脱的。成三恐怕是尸变了!
　　大伙一提到尸变就吓的到处大叫，全村顿时吵翻了天，家家户户钉紧门窗，妇人小孩都躲入房子中，壮丁们拿着刀，锄头，个个神态紧张……。
　　根据老一辈的人说，八十年前，这个村子也发生过尸变。
　　那时，一个恶霸被人杀死，邪气未除，成为僵尸到处害人，后来被一个跛脚道士所伤，于是就逃走了。成三应该是受到这个尸体感染，才会变成僵尸的。说到这里，大家都后悔当初没救成三一命，不然就把他烧了，已防尸变。当天晚上，大伙找到三更天，都没发现成三影子。　　
或许不是尸变，我们太紧张了吧？有人怀疑的说道。
　　大家一时也想不出主意，就同意停止搜寻。当大家正想回家休息时，突然听见张老头家有惨叫声，急忙跑去看个究竟。
　　一进门口，就看见张老头的尸体被吊在樑上，地上的鲜血像几十朵梅花般散着。张老头的媳妇儿也被咬了几口，满身是血的躺在床上，身旁的三岁小孩被咬的骨头都露了出来……。
　　大伙儿一见到这个惨状，都吓的浑身发抖，手脚发软的怔在原地。只听得门外一家接一家地传出惊悚的哀嚎声，大伙儿只得又朝着惨叫声方向跑去，最后，壮丁们终于正面遇上成三，还未交手就被其相貌震摄。它的眼睛像沾满血浆的玻璃球，黑暗中发出红光，牙齿又尖又利，连着少许血肉及毛发。几个壮丁见到这个形象，早丢下武器落荒而逃，而其他有家有室的不得不鼓起勇气跟它一拼。
　　岂知成三力气大的异乎寻常，身上也不知被砍了几刀，不但没事。一个转身，又一个壮丁被插中倒下……这样一来，大伙已失战意，躲的躲，逃的逃，全村死了一大半，而一些躲了起来的生还者闻到其他遇害村人的尸臭，也渐渐不对劲了，一个个昏死过去。
　　这时，可说全村都是死人了。
　　几天之后，村中尸体忽地一个个爬了起来，样子就像成三差不多，全村就这样成了僵尸……几位逃出的村人，利用白天回来看自己亲人的， 皆尽死在他们的嘴里，或中尸毒而亡。
　　邻近村人亦心惊胆颤，纷纷迁出，深怕僵尸饿久了会出来害人，于是尸鬼村之名就这样传出来了……

Life is Fine

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

A Blessing

Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl's wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.


Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

At Least

I want to get up early one more morning,
before sunrise. Before the birds, even.
I want to throw cold water on my face
and be at my work table
when the sky lightens and smoke
begins to rise from the chimneys
of the other houses.
I want to see the waves break
on this rocky beach, not just hear them
break as I did all night in my sleep.
I want to see again the ships
that pass through the Strait from every
seafaring country in the world-
old, dirty freighters just barely moving along,
and the swift new cargo vessels
painted every color under the sun
that cut the water as they pass.
I want to keep an eye out for them.
And for the little boat that plies
the water between the ships
and the pilot station near the lighthouse.
I want to see them take a man off the ship
and put another up on board.
I want to spend the day watching this happen
and reach my own conclusions.
I hate to seem greedy-I have so much
to be thankful for already.
But I want to get up early one more morning, at least.
And go to my place with some coffee and wait.
Just wait, to see what's going to happen.

Welcome Morning

There is joy
in all:
in the hair I brush each morning,
in the Cannon towel, newly washed,
that I rub my body with each morning,
in the chapel of eggs I cook
each morning,
in the outcry from the kettle
that heats my coffee
each morning,
in the spoon and the chair
that cry "hello there, Anne"
each morning,
in the godhead of the table
that I set my silver, plate, cup upon
each morning.
All this is God,
right here in my pea-green house
each morning
and I mean,
though often forget,
to give thanks,
to faint down by the kitchen table
in a prayer of rejoicing
as the holy birds at the kitchen window
peck into their marriage of seeds.
So while I think of it,
let me paint a thank-you on my palm
for this God, this laughter of the morning,
lest it go unspoken.
The Joy that isn't shared, I've heard,
dies young.

一颗眼泪

有人说,高山上的湖水,是淌在地球表面的一颗眼泪。
　　那么说,我枕畔的眼泪,就是挂在你心尖的一面湖水……
　　我是在火车上与他相识的。我称他为云。因为他曾说过,他是一片流云,只是偶尔投影在我的心波。
　　那一天,正是我24岁的生日。我穿着一身艳红的长裙,靠在火车的车窗旁,默默忍受腹部痉挛的巨痛,泪水悄然浸湿了我的衣襟。我恨自己的软弱,但我无法抑制住泉涌的泪水,突来的病痛几乎使我昏厥过去。这是一列开往西部的列车,车箱里的座位几乎有一半都空着。结伴的人聚在一处兀自热闹,而我和一般的孤旅则大多各踞一条长椅,或躺或靠,昏昏然打发着路途的困乏。这份冷清与漠然的氛围,正是我当初不顾一切跑出来刻意寻求的,但此时此刻,却令我倍感凄凉与无助,病痛和无所依赖的孤独,足以把一个坚强的女人打倒,何况,我并不算坚强。
　　就在我的理智与忍耐几乎就要崩溃的时刻,一杯冒着热气的开水轻轻搁在了我的面前,一声浑厚的男低音温柔地在我耳边响起：
　　“哪儿不舒服吗？要不要吃点药？”　　而我几乎还没来得及看清他的面容,就感到这个声音仿佛是我已等待了一生一世一般,心里有根弦突地一松,便失去了知觉。
　　苏醒时分竟已是半夜了,我发现自己躺在卧铺车箱里,身上软软的,腹部却已经止住了疼痛。后来我才知道,正是云——那个男低音救了我。他迅速从容地为我灌下了止痛药,随即跑到广播室呼叫大夫,在忙乱了一番救治之后,得知我仅仅是因为肠胃的痉挛导致的暂时休克,并无大碍,他才放了心。将我搀到卧铺来,补办了卧铺票,他甚至细心地将我的行囊辨认清楚,为我安置妥贴。然后,象一纸剪影般地贴在了过道座位旁的车窗上,看护着我,一夜无眠。