Friday, January 2, 2015

One Man's Maple Moon: Scab Tanka by Margaret Chula

English Original

you sign your letters
"affectionately"
I write "loving you"
picking a scab in my cleavage
I watch it bleed

Just This, 2013

Margaret Chula


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

你以"親切"
簽署你的信
而我用"愛你"
撕開乳溝間的結痂
我看著它流血

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

你以"亲切"
签署你的信
而我用"爱你"
撕开乳沟间的结痂
我看著它流血


Bio Sketch

Margaret Chula has published two collections of tanka: Always Filling, Always Full and Just This. She has promoted tanka through her one-woman dramatization, “Three Women Who Loved Love”, which traveled to Krakow, New York, Boston, Portland, Ottawa, and Ogaki, Japan. Maggie currently serves as president of the Tanka Society of America.

1 comment:

  1. The contrasts between the intimacy of the opening statement (Ls 1-3) and the anti-sensual climax of the closing image are poignant, provoking the reader to ponder the essence of a relationship

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