英文差關系，英文詩集，我沒有很多。印象中，就只有WILLIAM WORDSWORTH與TED HUGHES。

藏有WILLIAM WORDSWORTH全集，都因為JOHN MORTIMER。其筆下的大律師HORACE RUMPOLE經常把WILLIAM WORDSWORTH的詩句掛在口邊，多讀那寫精彩百出的法庭故事後，實在不能不開始愛上那位英國十九世紀湖區詩人。

至於TED HUGHES，則是他和SYLVIA PLATH的故事。認識這位英國現代大詩人的名字，是在報紙裏讀了《BIRTHDAY LETTERS》的介紹。那時候，香港才回歸中國大陸，還有些華文報紙會有書評。應該是《明報》罷？九八年，我還未開始讀《信報》。報紙裏寫道，《BIRTHDAY LETTERS》收錄了TED HUGHES每年在SYLVIA生辰那天送給她的詩。

早前，《兩周一聚》最後一次聚會，題目是《教我如何說再見》。我依舊寫了個故事參加。

故事寫得不好。因為沒有時間想清楚女主角跑去自殺的原因。雖然，明顯地，故事靈感乃來自TED HUGHES和SYLVIA PLATH的故事——我當然無意貶低SYLVIA PLATH的文學成就。

更正確點說，靈感乃來自最近方有機會面世的詩人的一首作品：《LAST LETTER》。刊登在英國雜誌《新政治家》（NEW STATESMAN）裏。詩很長，以下是節錄。

What happened that night? Your final night.
Double, treble exposure
Over everything. Late afternoon, Friday,
My last sight of you alive.
Burning your letter to me, in the ashtray,
With that strange smile. Had I bungled your plan?
Had it surprised me sonner than you proposed?
Had I rushed it back to you too promptly?
One hour later——you would have been gone
Where I could not have traced you.
I would have turned from your locked red door
That nobody would open
Still holding your letter,
A thunderbolt that could not earth itself.
That would have been electric shock treatment
For me.

......

Your note reached me too soon——that same day.
Friday afternoon, posted in the morning.
The prevalent devils expedited it.
That was one more straw of ill-luck.
Drawn against you by the Post-Office
And added to your load. I moved fast,
Through the snow-blue, February, London twilight.
Wept with relief when you opened the door.

......

因為是最後一次聚會，不便遲到，於是，胡亂完成。希望改天有空，多研究這首詩後，能夠好好改寫那個故事。