3月25日-3月29日，方蔚林教授赴日本大阪參加以世界友好與和平為主題的第23屆世界詩歌大會。世界詩歌大會由國際桂冠詩人協會主辦，每隔兩年舉辦一次，旨在通過詩歌促進世界友好與和平。本屆世界詩歌大會在日本大阪舉行，有世界各國各地區的300多位詩人參加。在世界詩歌大會的詩歌大賽中，方蔚林教授的My Beard Grows Wildly for Longing獲得一等獎，這一獎項是本次詩歌大賽的最高獎。
附獲獎詩歌全文：
My Beard Grows Wildly for Longing
SHU, Ye (Alias FANG, Weilin)
Standing on a city skyscraper,
I listen to the sound of the wind.
In the heart of this concrete jungle,
I await a message from afar.
Together, the earth and clouds open,
As thoughts undulate like the rise and fall of mountains.
Tonight, my body opens,
Awaiting your moonlight to come illumine my mountains.
Tonight my body opens.
One after another the rivers, the mountains and the earth opens, all awaiting the moon’s rise.
When the wind comes from afar,
The tide will ebb and flow,
And dust will swirl across the plateau.
When the wind blows from afar,
My forest will undulate and croon.
Like my bushy beard,
The trees grow wildly for longing.
They await your moonlight,
To shine upon the rivers, the mountains and the earth.