English Original
I'm a bird
watched by society.
My prison bars
are the blues
I sing.
Tzod Earf
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
我是一隻鳥
受到社會的監聽。
我的鐵窗
是我所唱
的藍調歌曲。
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
我是一只鸟
受到社会的监听。
我的铁窗
是我所唱
的蓝调歌曲。
Bio Sketch
Tzod Earf, from Cincinnati, Ohio U.S.A,. has appeared here and in Bright Stars I and II, Poetry Nook, and the online blog, Jar of Stars. Visit him on Twitter, @Ear2Earf to see more of his poetry.
This sociopolitically conscious poem is dialectically framed ("a bird/watched by society" ... "the blues/I sing") by the bird simile that embodies the symbol of free expression in an Orwellian society.
ReplyDeleteThe effective use of the blues adds cultural significance and historical depth to the poem.
(For more info. about the blues as social protest, see "The Routledge History of Social Protest in Popular Music," edited by Jonathan C. Friedman)