Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Butterfly Dream: Cancer and Shadow Haiku by Karen O’Leary

English Original

surviving cancer                                                         
I am two feet taller
than my shadow

Scarlet Dragonfly Journal, 13, April 2023

Karen O’Leary


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

存活度過癌症
我比我的影子
高了兩英尺

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

存活度过癌症
我比我的影子
高了两英尺


Bio Sketch

Karen O’Leary is a freelance writer from West Fargo, ND. She has published poetry, short stories, and articles in a variety of venues including, Hedgerow, Haikuniverse, Frogpond, Setu, Fine Lines, Shot Glass Journal and Quill & Parchment. Karen edited an international online journal called Whispers for 5 ½ years. She enjoys sharing the gift of words.

2 comments:

  1. L1 sets the tone and mood while unexpected yet visually and emotionally evocative and symbolically rich L3 makes this illness haiku effective, offering readers a "fresh/different way of seeing."

    And it could be read as a sequel to my haiku below:

    cancer diagnosis ...
    the glimpse of a rainbow
    over the cliff's edge

    NeverEnding Story, August 30, 2022

    FYI: "A shadow appears longer than a man's height when the angle of the sun or the light source is low in the sky. This typically occurs during the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is closer to the horizon."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Chen-ou,

      Thank you for publishing my poem with translations. I really appreciate being part of the haiku journey. Wishing you continued success.

      Sincerely,
      Karen O'Leary

      Delete