a weight lifter
grown old
father kneels
to pray for help
and shoulders mother’s care
Ribbons, Fall 2015
Joyce S. Greene
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
以前是舉重選手
現在年邁了
父親雙腿跪下
祈求上蒼的幫助
並肩負照顧母親的責任
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
以前是举重选手
现在年迈了
父亲双腿跪下
祈求上苍的帮助
并肩负照顾母亲的责任
Bio Sketch
Joyce
S. Greene lives with her husband in Poughkeepsie, New York. A number
of her poems have been published in various tanka journals and
anthologies, and several have been awarded honors including a first
prize win in the "Skylark's Nest" section of Skylark. During the day, she works as a Senior Accountant for an insurance company
Thematically and structurally speaking, a "weight" lifter (L1) & and shoulders [the "weight" of ] mother’s care (L5), effectively frame the tanka, and the implied contrasts between the different types of weight and a thematically significant and emotionally poignant verb choice, "shoulders," successfully lifts the poem up a notch.
ReplyDelete