July 4th
the rise and fall
of a cicada's song
Biding Time: Selected Poems 2001-2013, 2013
H. Gene Murtha
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
七月四號
蟬鳴聲
的高低起落
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
七月四号
蝉鸣声
的高低起落
Bio Sketch
H.
Gene Murtha, a naturalist and poet, sponsored and judged the first
haiku contest for the inner city children of Camden, NJ., for the
Virgilio Group, of which he was a lifetime member. He was widely published
for his work in haikai literature from the USA to Japan.
There is no human figure or activity (such as fireworks show) in this festive haiku. The unexpected and yet aurally and emotionally powerful L3 brings Nature to the forefront of one of the most sociopolitically significant days.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the most de-politicized July 4th haiku I've ever read.