Tuesday, December 24, 2013

One Man's Maple Moon: Chinese Dragon Tanka by Jenny Ward Angyal

English Original

he shows me
a Chinese dragon
hidden
in the wintry sunset
this gift from my autistic son

Skylark, 1:1, summer 2013

Jenny Ward Angyal


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

他指給我看
一條中國龍
隱藏在冬日夕陽中
來自我自閉症兒子
的一份禮物

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

他指给我看
一条中国龙
隐藏在冬日夕阳中
来自我自闭症儿子
的一份礼物


Bio Sketch

Jenny Ward Angyal lives with her husband and one Abyssinian cat on a small organic farm in Gibsonville, NC, USA.  She composed her first poem at the age of five. Her tanka and other poems have appeared in various print and online journals and may also be found on her blog, The Grass Minstrel 

1 comment:

  1. The concluding line is not only expository, but also visionary, and the use of 'gift' indicates that like her autistic son, the speaker sees differently and thinks differently.

    Read in the context of Chinese symbolism, the dragon image in the upper verse adds psychological depth to the poem.

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