Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Butterfly Dream: Morning Chill Haiku by H. Gene Murtha

English Original

morning chill
a child's shadow
moves thru mine


H. Gene Murtha 


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

清晨的寒意
一個小孩的影子
穿過我的影子

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

清晨的寒意
一个小孩的影子
穿过我的影子


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. 

1 comment:

  1. L1 sets the tone and mood while the contrast (child vs adult/the speaker) and conflict (the colliding of two human shadows) between Ls &3 make this "mood haiku" emotionally effective.

    And it might be interesting to do a comparative reading of the sociopolitically conscious concluding haiku of my haibun below:

    "The Skin He’s In"

    Five days after the New Year’s Eve ball drop and publication of a 300-plus-page report, the senior justice addresses reporters in a firm voice. “Random street checks should end as there is little evidence to show this policing practice is useful in reducing crime, while it disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous and racialized groups.”

    My friend, a long-time Somali community activist, shrugs. “It’ll end up gathering dust on a bookshelf, like all the others.”

    twilight chill
    a cop's shadow cuts through
    a black teen

    Contemporary Haibun Online, 17:1, April 2021

    ReplyDelete