Thursday, April 25, 2024

Butterfly Dream: Anzac Parade Haiku by André Surridge

English Original

Anzac parade
shoulder to shoulder
headless shadows

André Surridge 


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

澳紐軍團遊行
肩並肩
無頭的影子們

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

澳纽军团游行
肩并肩
无头的影子们


Bio Sketch

André Surridge was an award-winning playwright and poet who immigrated to New Zealand from Yorkshire, England in 1972. He was President of the Playwrights Association of New Zealand from 1998-2000. Widely published, some of his awards included: 1995 Minolta Playwriting Award,  2007 Elizabeth Searle Lamb Award, 2008 Tanka Splendor Award, and 2010 Jane Reichhold International prize. And his first collection of haiku ans senryu, one hundred petals, was critically acclaimed in 2019.

2 comments:

  1. L1 sets the theme and mood while unexpected yet visually and emotionally powerful L3 not only shows consistently disciplined/ almost-perfect marching movements, but also carries symbolic and emotional significace, reminding the parade crowd of the sacrifices the deceased solidiers and war veterans made.

    And it might be interesting to do a thematic comparison reading of the following haiku:

    memorial day
    the parade lengthens
    by a new war

    Prune Juice, July 2017

    Gail Oare


    FYI: Anzac Parade was officially opened on 25 April 1965 to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Anzac landing in Gallipoli. Anzac is the name given to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Below is another Anzac Day haiku:

      half light --
      the whispers of soldiers
      on Anzac Day

      Anne Curran

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