Meng Lang

何止孟浪

People leave, taking much with them and leaving much behind. The poet Meng Lang passed away from illness in December 2018. He was forced into exile by political oppression in Shanghai, fled to the United States, then arrived in Hong Kong, and finally chose to settle in Taiwan. Throughout his life, Meng Lang pursued freedom with the will of a poet and lived passionately. He opposed tyranny through his actions and celebrated the power of literature through his poetry. His life was a journey of wandering and migration, and along the way, those he met and came to like were mostly poets. His wife, friends, and comrades discussed poetry and politics with him, and all felt the warmth and kindness he brought to his interactions. In a noisy era, everyone is hurried along by fate. At some moment, with deep reluctance, everyone bid farewell to Meng Lang and set out again on their journeys.