尋找平衡點

Chris Abani是一位奈及利亞作家，曾因為他的作品內容入獄三次。他訴說人的故事：那些挺身對抗士兵；那些具有憐憫、同情、富有人道的故事。這段演講他提到伊博語"Ubuntu"，指的就是沒有別人的存在我們無法展現humanity（人道、仁慈)。

演講沒有什麼特定主軸，就是講一些發生在他身邊的真實故事。包括他媽、他的獄友......相當感性，頗能觸動人心。

我印象最深的是他強悍的母親在面對士兵時都無所畏懼，卻在陌生人展現關懷、伸出援手時被融化，留下了眼淚。透過這許多真實故事，Chris Abani或許想告訴我們，就是在這些人與人的交流中，人性的光輝面展現了出來。

我找出他最後唸的這首詩。乍聽之下，我沒感覺到什麼特別的。細讀之後，我感受到的是一種憐憫之心，對想像中的人、對這個大地。或許，正是這種對全體人類的憐憫，才讓人性顯得如此可貴。

Libation(奠酒)    by Lucille Clifton

I offer to this ground, this gin.

I imagine an old man crying here.

out of the sight of the overseer.

He pushes his tongue through a hole

Where his tooth would be, if he were whole

It aches in that space where his tooth would be

Where his land would be

His house,his wife, his son, his beautiful daughter.

He wipes sorrow from his face

And put his thirsty finger to his thirsty tongue

And tastes the salt

I call a name that could be his

This is for you ,old man.

This gin, this salty earth.