Wednesday, March 19, 2014

One Man's Maple Moon: Baby Brother Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

Weeks isolated
      from those without the virus
My baby brother
      learning to take steps
My body learning not to walk 

Wind Five Folded: An Anthology of English-Language Tanka

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

幾個星期
      與那些沒有病毒的人隔離
我的小弟弟
      開始學習走路
然而我的身體學習不走路

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

几个星期
      与那些没有病毒的人隔离
我的小弟弟
      开始学习走路
然而我的身体学习不走路


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington is at home in the hills of western Massachusetts. She writes about seasonal and emotional rhythms, exploring connections between the worlds inside us and the worlds our bodies interpret. Her works have appeared in English-language haiku/tanka publications, both print and online, and they have won recognition in international contests. She has published three books of tanka: The Trees Bleed Sweetness, A Pattern for This Place, and Gathering Peace.

1 comment:

  1. The unexpected yet powerful L5 reveals the illness takes a huge toll, physical and psychological, on both the patient and his family member, the speaker -- to walk or not to walk becomes the question that needs to be dealt with, physically and psychologically.

    L5 carries the most weight for Carol's heartfelt tanka.

    ReplyDelete