Just A Sign

From Still Life, Three Worlds by Dai Pan (潘岱). Poem 07.

They say,
I'm nothing special.
Just a warning on display.
A silent metal witness to the traffic every day

My shadow falls beside me, perfectly outlined.
But no one sees the fire,
That used to burn at my core.
How do you speak to something —
That was never meant to last?
What crosses through your mind,
When our eyes meet as you drive past?
How should you talk to me?
What should you think?
You say, I'm nothing special,
Just enforcing,
All the rules you have to play.
Standing alone in silence,
While everyone just speeds away.

Fading in the sunlight,
Washed away in the rain.
So easily broken, replaced without pain.
I’m made in the factory line,
That's all the story of mine,
Just a sign.

Cite as: Dai Pan, "Just A Sign," Three Worlds, Still Life, poem 07, 2025. https://daipan.ink/still-life/just-a-sign

Still Life 07

Just A Sign

They say,
I'm nothing special.
Just a warning on display.
A silent metal witness // to the traffic every day

My shadow falls beside me, // perfectly outlined.
But no one sees the fire,
That used to burn at my core.
How do you speak to something —
That was never meant to last?
What crosses through your mind,
When our eyes meet // as you drive past?
How should you talk to me?
What should you think?
You say, I'm nothing special,
Just enforcing,
All the rules you have to play.
Standing alone in silence,
While everyone just speeds away.

Fading in the sunlight,
Washed away in the rain.
So easily broken, replaced without pain.
I’m made in the factory line,
That's all the story of mine,
Just a sign.