his tragic crash
headlines for two days
then is displaced
by a campus rape
and life continues
Bent Arm for a Pillow, 2016
Naomi Beth Wakan
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
他的不幸撞車身亡
成為頭條新聞兩天
然後被校園強姦案
所取代
我們的生活仍要繼續
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
他的不幸撞车身亡
成为头条新闻两天
然後被校园强姦案
所取代
我们的生活仍要继续
Bio Sketch
Naomi Beth Wakan is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Nanaimo (2013). She has published over 50 books. Her poetry books include Sex after 70 and other poems and And After 80… (both from Bevalia Press) and Bent Arm for a Pillow (Pacific-Rim Publishers). Naomi is a member of The League of Canadian Poets, Haiku Canada and Tanka Canada and is the Inaugural Honorary Ambassador for the BC Federation of Writers. She lives on Gabriola Island with her husband, the sculptor, Elias Wakan. www.naomiwakan.com
Naomi's tanka effectively builds, poetic phrase(ku) /line by poetic phrase(ku)/line, to a thematic significant and emotionally powerful ending -- Life goes on after tragedy
ReplyDeleteWith more and more media competing for eyeballs than ever before, it's a real challenge to grab people's attention these days. What has transpired over the past two weeks or so tragically confirms the concluding statement of Naomi's poignant tanka.