Thursday, December 22, 2016

One Man's Maple Moon: Birthday Tanka by LeRoy Gorman

English Original

still alive
for another birthday
a man with a crooked smile
stares me down
from the mirror

A Hundred Gourds, 5:1, December 2015

LeRoy Gorman


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

仍然活著
過另一個生日
一個有歪嘴笑容的人
從鏡子裡
久久地瞪著我

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

仍然活著
过另一个生日
一个有歪嘴笑容的人
从镜子里
久久地瞪著我


Bio Sketch

LeRoy Gorman writes mostly minimalist and visual poetry.  His most recent book, fast enough to leave this world, is one of tanka collections published by Inkling Press, Edmonton.  More information on his writing can be found at the American Haiku Archives where he served as the Honorary Curator for 2012-2013

1 comment:

  1. Du Boisian double consciousness is well sketched in the central image of a man with a crooked smile staring the speaker down (not just staring at the speaker) from the mirror. The symbolically rich and psychologically significant phrase, crooked smile, adds layers of meaning to the poem.

    ReplyDelete