the old man
his winter very close
needs time
to rearrange his story -
suitable for grandchildren
Ribbons, 8:2, Fall 2012
Merle Connolly
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
這位老人
人生冬天已近
需要時間
重新安排他的故事
以便適合他的孫子們
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
这位老人
人生冬天已近
需要时间
重新安排他的故事
以便适合他的孙子们
Bio sketch
An older contributor, Merle Connolly enjoys writing tanka and finds it a very rewarding way of expressing thoughts in a few lines. There is much to learn about the genre and its origin in Japan many years ago. Merle Connolly has had tanka published in Eucalypt, Grevillea & Wonga Vine, Take Five Vol. 4, Ribbons, Kokako, Moonbathing, Red Lights and Gusts.
Read in the thematic context of the poem, "time" has at least three levels of meaning: temporal, metaphoric, and emotional (implied in Ls 3-5). The old man's tender care for his grandchildren is shown in rearranging "his story/suitable for grandchildren."
ReplyDeleteVery good! I love the layers in this.
ReplyDelete