The Ocean at the End of the Lane

風暴來前我開始讀尼爾的新書，那時正是橘色的天空。風暴來到時我仍然讀著小說；風暴離開後，我讀完了小說。

我翻過日曆，狂風暴雨襲擊小島、男孩逃離怪物的那天晚上不可能是滿月。但或許那天我要是抬頭，我會看到滿月，要是我在烏黑暴雨的天空找得到它的話。

這是關於孩童時期和回憶的故事。在風暴來的那個晚上我夢到了阿嬤，好像還夢到了我的童年的一些事情，又或許根本沒有。

讀的時候我想到尼爾寫在多莉露珠客棧巡迴演唱手冊裡的短篇故事。我不知道為什麼我會聯想到這篇故事，但是我老惦記著故事結尾的那一點光，我希望Lettie Hempstock沒事。

我真的很喜歡Lettie，而且我好希望Lettie從海洋回來，聽男孩道歉道謝，即使她早已知道、早已感受得到。

那些牆、排水管和磚瓦都可以被拆毀，但附著在那些牆、排水管和磚瓦上的記憶是不會被拆毀的。它們沈睡；它們醒來。就像來自海洋深處的召喚，當它需要它們回來的時候，它們就會回來。

「下次Lettie寫信回來的時候，請告訴她我跟她問好。」



I started to read Neil's new book before the storm came, under the orange sky. I read it when the storm arrived, and I finished it after the storm left.

I checked the calendar. There's no way it was a full moon on the day when the wind was whistling, the rain was pouring and the boy was running away from the flea. But I might see a full moon hanging if I would have looked up in the night sky, and if I could have found it in the dark.

It's a story of childhood and memory, and I dreamed of my granny on the stormy night and something about my childhood, perhaps, or not.

I thought of the short story Neil wrote for Tori's Dew Drop Inn tourbook. I don't know why but I thought of the twinkle at the end, and I hope Lettie Hempstock would be fine.

I really like Lettie. And I really want Lettie to come back from the ocean to hear the boy saying his sorry and thanks to her, even she knows it and feels it already.

Those walls and drainpipes and bricks can be demolished, but those memory that bound up to them can never be demolished. It sleeps and it wakes up.Just like a calling from deep inside of the ocean, it calls you back when it needs it back.

"Next time Lettie writes from Australia," I said, "please tell her I said hello."

枯榮

枯榮
作詞:喬星


一呼一吸　一眨眼睛
年華如同流雲　化作泡影
出生一刻心跳聲
床前彌留時辰去細聽
驟爾來　在哭聲
驟爾回　沒笑聲

滴答滴答光陰過隙
童年俄而成年　秒秒壓逼
一絲一點想記憶
回頭原來搖籃　悄悄褪色
驟爾來　沒珍惜
驟爾回　未歇息

月有虧盈陰晴　輪遞不停
換到功名虛榮　轉眼如幻影
花事哪可敵過一枯一榮
明艷過　磨蝕了　過程

一呼一吸　一眨眼睛
年華如同流雲　化作泡影
出生一刻心跳聲
床前彌留時辰去細聽
驟爾來　在哭聲
驟爾回　沒笑聲

春光秋色　不堪滿足
回頭沿途繁華　哪裡駐足
一章一章演奏曲
如何迷人仍然要結束
驟爾來　但一生
驟爾回　像借宿

月有虧盈陰晴　輪遞不停
換到功名虛榮　轉眼如幻影
花事哪可敵過一枯一榮
明艷過　磨蝕了　過程