李立婷 | Lily Kostrzewa
月光裡的貝殼
前言：
母親節過後，我望著窗邊那束大女兒送的馬蹄蓮，心裡忽然泛起一陣回憶。於是，我寫下了這首詩。
她即將遠行，到台大學習中文。看著她興奮的背影，我突然想起三十六年前的自己——那個放下台灣教書工作、手提兩只僅有的行李、靠著微薄獎學金與打工，一步一步追向年少夢想的女孩。她在西方教育下長大，成績優秀、表現亮眼，但我們之間也有過無數爭執，文化的縫隙常讓彼此難以靠近。如今，她選擇回到台灣尋根，而我願意支持，讓她去看見更大的世界，去理解自己的來處，也去遇見未來的自己。
月光裡的貝殼
— 給大女兒的詩
在巴貝多的機場裡，
看見一枚貝殼飾物微微發光…
柔粉如晨曦，
安靜如沉睡的潮汐。
忽然間，
歲月在我眼前緩緩展開 —
粉色緞帶如花瓣般飄落，
珍珠如小月亮閃爍，
你的嬰兒笑聲迴盪，
彷彿時光從未前行。
時光如海潮流逝，
卻如風般在心上留下痕跡。
有些日子我抱得太緊，
有些話語像風暴般沉重。
若它們曾觸痛你的心，
請記得 —
我正在學習放手，
讓上帝，
讓生命，
溫柔地帶你前行。
如今你要飛往台灣，到台大求學，
那片充滿睿智
與寬闊天空的土地。
你會遇見默默築夢
與守護土地的耕耘者，
在無需掌聲中
依然閃耀的開拓者。
他們的光芒
與你熟悉的時尚世界不同 —
但光，本就有千萬種形狀。
請保留屬於你的那一部分，
那份勇敢前行的力量。
但也要讓新風吹入…
它會帶你飛得比倔強更遠。
我的願望很簡單，
卻如海般深遠：
願未來的歲月
成為你青春裡
最明亮的晨光。
願你成長，
願你綻放，
願你成為你自己。
也謝謝你送我的馬蹄蓮 —
純淨、優雅、
韌靜堅强。
就像你正在成為的
那個自己。
— 愛你的媽媽
<2026-05-12>
Shell of Love
Preface
After Mother’s Day, as I looked at the calla lilies my eldest daughter placed by the window, memories rose quietly within me and moved me to write this poem. She will soon leave for National Taiwan University to study Chinese. Watching her prepare for this new chapter brought me back to myself thirty‑six years ago—leaving my teaching job in Taiwan, carrying two suitcases, and relying on a small scholarship and part‑time work to pursue the dreams of my youth. She grew up in the West, excelling in every way, yet between us were many disagreements and the distance of two cultures. Now she has chosen to return to Taiwan to seek her roots. I support her fully—to learn, to broaden her world, and to understand where she comes from as she grows into who she will become.
Shell of Love
— to my daughter Isabella
I found a shell at the Barbados airport—
soft pink,
quiet as a breath,
shaped by tides I saw in my dream.
And suddenly,
I was holding you again—
tiny ribbons,
pearls on your sleeves,
light gathered in your eyes
like the first morning I met you.
Years move like waves.
Some days I held you too tightly,
some days my words were harsher
than I meant them to be.
If they ever pressed on your heart,
know this—
I have learned to open my hands
to let God,
and life,
carry you where you are meant to go.
Now you are leaving for Taiwan to study,
a place of bright minds
and wide skies.
You will meet people
who build quietly,
who protect the land,
who invent wonders
without needing applause.
They shine differently
from the fashion world you know—
but brilliance has many shapes.
Keep a piece of yourself,
the part that is stubborn enough
to keep walking.
But let newness in—
it will give you wings
you don’t yet know you have.
My wish is simple:
may these coming years
be the most radiant part
of your youth.
May you grow,
unfold,
become.
And thank you, my daughter,
for the calla lilies—
pure, elegant,
quietly strong.
Just like the woman
you are becoming.
—Mom
<2026-05-12>