English Original
tense gymnastics
of the moth
under the bollard light
your father grills me
about my career plans
Christopher Costabile
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
一隻飛蛾
在柱燈下
緊張地上下飛行
你的父親烤問
我的生涯規劃
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
一只飞蛾
在柱灯下
紧张地上下飞行
你的父亲烤问
我的生涯规划
Bio Sketch
Christopher Costabile is a writer and musician who lives in Valrico, Florida. His poems have appeared in Nimrod, bottle rockets, Skylark, Ribbons and other journals. He studies film at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
The comparison between the two parts (positive phototaxis vs parental love) of the tanka is fresh and thought-provoking, and L1, "tense gymnastics" and the action verb, "grills" in L4 effectively not only enhance the visual and emotional aspects of this relationship tanka, but also add psychological depth to the tanka.
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