Saturday, January 24, 2015

One Man's Maple Moon: Dream Tanka by Sonam Chhoki

English Original

father and I
sit under his avocado tree ...
he turns to speak
and I wake up wishing
it wasn’t a dream

red lights, 10:1, January 2014

Sonam Chhoki


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

父親和我
坐在他的鱷梨樹下...
他轉身對我說話
我醒來希望
這一切都不是夢

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

父亲和我
坐在他的鳄梨树下...
他转身对我说话
我醒来希望
这一切都不是梦


Bio Sketch

Born and raised in the eastern Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, Sonam Chhoki has been writing Japanese short forms of haiku, tanka and haibun for about 7 years. These forms resonate with her Tibetan Buddhist upbringing and provide the perfect medium for the exploration of  her country's rich ritual, social and cultural heritage. She is inspired by her father, Sonam Gyamtsho, the architect of Bhutan's non-monastic modern education. Her haiku, tanka and haibun have been published in poetry journals and anthologies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, UK and US.

1 comment:

  1. The loss of communication (as indicated in "he turns to speak/and I wake up") and back to waking reality (as depicted in "and I wake up wishing/it wasn’t a dream") stir the reader's emotions and reflection on the relationship with his/her father.

    And the symbolically rich phrase, avocado tree, adds emotional weight and historical depth to the poem.

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