Mother asked me to pay respects at the Huang family shrine.
My great-uncle, almost ninety, was happy
and told me to bring my college-age daughter.
The shrine was like an old warehouse
with a screen wall patched from recycled boards.
On it hung a portrait, below which sat
an incense burner, LED candles, a big head,
fruits, and a newly updated genealogy.
When more than a dozen of us, old and young, stood before our ancestors,
Fifth Uncle lit the incense and belted out:
“Ancestors above, we descendants kneel before you!”
Just as he reached into his pocket from the eulogy,
my daughter, to everyone’s surprise, burst into tears
and began to pray:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done …”
What’s going on? I tried to stop her with a stern look.
But she finished her prayer
as if no one was there, walked toward the portrait,
and shouted at me:
“Isn’t this a portrait of Jesus Christ?”
Only then did I realize
that this so-called ancestor
looked a bit like Emperor Kangxi
without his crown and dragon robe—
but also somewhat resembled Jesus.
Looking closer, I could make out the faded outlines
of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao.
I asked Fifth Uncle where he got these old boards from.
He said: “It was a donation from your mother.”

祭祖

母亲让我到黄氏祠堂祭拜
年近九十的叔公很开心
交代我要带上读大学的女儿
旧仓库似的祠堂
旧板材拼凑的照壁上，挂着画像
像下供着香炉、电子蜡烛、猪头
水果与刚修的族谱
当老少十多人，在祖宗像前站好
五叔点上香，然后一声吼叫：
“列祖列宗在上，吾等子孙跪下!”
五叔正从口袋里摸出祭文
女儿竟声泪俱下，做起祷告：
“我们在天上的父
愿人都尊你的名为圣，愿你的
国降临，愿你的……”
怎么回事，我以严厉的目光阻止
女儿却旁若无人
祷告完毕，站了起来
走到祖宗像前，忽然
大声地朝我嚷道：
“这不是耶稣基督的像吗?”
我这才发现，眼前这幅所谓的祖宗
画像，既有些像摘了皇冠
脱下龙袍的康熙皇帝
又确有几分耶稣基督的模样
仔细一看，照壁上
马恩列斯毛画像的
痕迹，依稀可辨
我问五叔，这些旧板材从哪里弄来
五叔告诉我，是母亲捐的