Editor's note: Four articles by Nantong recently won awards at The Future in Our Roots writing competition hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the OBOR Italian Institute, and Italian website Discoverplaces.travel. One of the winning articles, Dreaming of Siena, is by Wang Sheng, a doctor at the Nantong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, who studied at Siena University Hospital in Italy from January to March 2020.

[Photo by Wang Sheng]

I had a dream after noon

In which I wrote a poem

Short the poem was

Told nothing but you

You disappeared at dusk

Left no trace in the old alleys

Remained only the sunset

Reflected in the mottled walls

I had a dream in the evening

In which I sang a song

Forever the song was

Told nothing but you

You disappeared late night

Left no trace in the crowded square

Remained only the dark sky

Dotted the full moon

Dream faded away in the morning

When tears dried

Familiar warmth crossed the palm

Finally, I found you

Again, I saw the blue sky

Again, I heard the church chant

I realized in your warm embrace

We had never been apart since we met