Biting NOT Barking: Advent Calendar Haiku by Helen Buckingham

English Original

Advent Calendar

the final window

a refugee mother

Noon: Journal of the Short Poem, 23, March 2023

Helen Buckingham 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

降臨節日曆

最後一個視窗是

一位難民母親

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

降临节日历

最后的一个视窗是

一位难民母亲

Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham lives in Wells, England. Her work has been placed in awards, journals and anthologies throughout the world, among the latter: 'Haiku in English: the first hundred years' (Norton, 2013). Her collections include water on the moon (Original Plus, 2010) and Sanguinella (Red Moon Press, 2017), both shortlisted for the Touchstone Award.

Poetic Musings: Half Way through the Day Tanka

waking half way

through the day
half the sunshine
half the pain
-- still time for a poem

Little Purple Universes, 2011

Helen Buckingham

Commentary: In the upper verse, Helen skillfully uses syntactic parallelism to convey conflicting feelings (sunshine vs pain) while in the lower verse, the thematic and tonal shift adds depth, psychological and spiritual, to the poem. 

Butterfly Dream: Pyracantha Haiku by Helen Buckingham

English Original

Father's Day
the pyracantha
cuts me back

Acorn, 33, Fall 2014

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

父親節
火棘灌木叢
讓我退縮

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

父亲节
火棘灌木丛
让我退缩


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham lives in Wells, England. Her work has been placed in awards, journals and anthologies throughout the world, among the latter: 'Haiku in English: the first hundred years' (Norton, 2013). Her collections include water on the moon (Original Plus, 2010) and Sanguinella (Red Moon Press, 2017), both shortlisted for the Touchstone Award.

Butterfly Dream: Festive Cystitis Haiku by Helen Buckingham

English Original

festive cystitis
 pine needles
      drip

Moongarlic, 5, November 2015

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

節慶型的膀胱炎
         松針
       在滴水

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

节庆型的膀胱炎
       松针
     在滴水


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham lives in Wells, England. Her work has been placed in awards, journals and anthologies throughout the world, among the latter: 'Haiku in English: the first hundred years' (Norton, 2013). Her collections include water on the moon (Original Plus, 2010) and Sanguinella (Red Moon Press, 2017), both shortlisted for the Touchstone Award.

One Man's Maple Moon: Smallest Hours Tanka by Helen Buckingham

English Original

emailing away
the smallest hours
from England to Canada
everything from poetry
to Coronation Street

Little Purple Universes, 2011

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

凌晨時刻
發送電子郵件
從英國到加拿大
我們無所不談從詩歌
到電視節目加冕街

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

凌晨时刻
发送电子邮件
从英国到加拿大
我们无所不谈从诗歌
到电视节目加冕街


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham lives in Wells, UK.  In 2009 she came third in the Saigyo Awards. In 2011, she and Angela Leuck produced a joint collection titled Little Purple Universes. Her solo collection from the same year,  Armadillo Basket (Waterloo Press), contains tanka, haiku and haibun alongside a variety of western styles.

Butterfly Dream: Killing Fields Haiku by Helen Buckingham

English Original

killing fields the god whisperer

Bones,6, March 2015

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

殺戮戰場神靈耳語者

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

杀戮战场神灵耳语者


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham lives in Wells, England. Her work has been placed in awards, journals and anthologies throughout the world, among the latter: Haiku in English: the first hundred years (Norton, 2013). Her collections include water on the moon (Original Plus, 2010) and Armadillo Basket (Waterloo Press, 2011).

Butterfly Dream: War Haiku by Helen Buckingham

English Original

news the war to end all wars rolling

Bones, 5, November 2014

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

新聞快報啟動結束所有戰爭的戰爭
   
Chinese Translation (Simplified)

新闻快报启动结束所有战争的战争


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham lives in Wells, England. Her work has been placed in awards, journals and anthologies throughout the world, among the latter: Haiku in English: the first hundred years (Norton, 2013). Her collections include water on the moon (Original Plus, 2010) and Armadillo Basket (Waterloo Press, 2011).

Butterfly Dream: Linden Shadows Haiku by Helen Buckingham

English Original

linden shadows
watching people watching
the blind man

2007 Suruga-Baika Literary Festival Award

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

椴樹的影子
觀看人群觀看
一位盲人

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

椴树的影子
观看人群观看
一位盲人


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham was born in London, 1960 and has recently moved to Wells, Somerset. She has been writing haiku for the past two decades and her work has been placed in many awards, journals, and anthologies including: Haiku in English: the First Hundred Years (W.W. Norton, 2013).

Butterfly Dream: Greyhound Haiku by Helen Buckingham

English Original

another race lost in the eyes of a greyhound

Acorn, 31, Autumn 2013

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

在灰獵犬的眼中再輸一場比賽

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

在灰猎犬的眼中再输一场比赛


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham was born in London, 1960 and has recently moved to Wells, Somerset. She has been writing haiku for the past two decades and her work has been placed in many awards, journals, and anthologies including: Haiku in English: the First Hundred Years (W.W. Norton, 2013).

One Man's Maple Moon: Spider Plants Tanka by Helen Buckingham

English Original

with a nod
to their name
whilst I was away
the spider plants were joined
by a cobweb

Skylark, 1:1, Summer 2013

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

當我離開時
對他們的名字
點頭示意
蜘蛛網  
連接這些吊蘭

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

当我离开时
对他们的名字
点头示意
蜘蛛网  
连接这些吊兰


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham has been writing tanka for the past decade or so and in 2011 had a collection published with (and by) Angela Leuck, titled Little Purple Universes. In the same year she brought out a solo collection: Armadillo Basket (Waterloo Press) encompassing a number of styles, western and Japanese, including tanka.

One Man's Maple Moon: Sunshine & Pain Tanka by Helen Buckingham

English Original

waking half way
through the day
half the sunshine
half the pain
-- still time for a poem

Little Purple Universes, 2011

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

醒來   
日子過了一半
一半陽光
一半疼痛
-- 仍然有時間寫一首詩

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

醒来   
日子过了一半
一半阳光
一半疼痛
-- 仍然有时间写一首诗


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham has been writing tanka for the past decade or so and in 2011 had a collection published with (and by) Angela Leuck, titled Little Purple Universes. In the same year she brought out a solo collection: Armadillo Basket (Waterloo Press) encompassing a number of styles, western and Japanese, including tanka.

One Man's Maple Moon: A Tanka about Sounds by Helen Buckingham

English Original

every room a different sound
soccer, hip hop
non-stop washing machine...
the guy downstairs
playing Chopin

Little Purple Universes

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

每間房不同的聲音
足球，街舞
不停運轉的洗衣機...
樓下的那傢伙
在演奏蕭邦

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

每间房不同的声音
足球，街舞
不停运转的洗衣机...
楼下的那傢伙
在演奏萧邦


Bio Sketch
 

Helen Buckingham lives in Bristol, England. She has been writing tanka for about the last decade or so, and in 2009 took third place in the annual Saigyo Awards. In 2011 she had a tanka collection published alongside (and produced by) Canada's Angela Leuck, titled Little Purple Universes. Buckingham's most recent work is a solo collection comprising a mix of western and Japanese forms (including tanka) titled Armadillo Basket  (Waterloo Press, UK, 2012).

One Man’s maple Moon: Pink Sky Tanka by Helen Buckingham

English Original

Mum calls
just to tell me
the sky is pink...
I peel back the curtains                     
with gratitude

Little Purple Universes

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

媽媽打電話
只是告訴我
天空是粉紅色...
懷著感恩的心
我打開窗簾

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

妈妈打电话
只是告诉我
天空是粉红色...
怀著感恩的心
我打开窗簾


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham lives in Bristol, England. She has been writing tanka for about the last decade or so, and in 2009 took third place in the annual Saigyo Awards. In 2011 she had a tanka collection published alongside (and produced by) Canada's Angela Leuck, titled Little Purple Universes. Buckingham's most recent work is a solo collection comprising a mix of western and Japanese forms (including tanka) titled Armadillo Basket (Waterloo Press, UK, 2012).

One Man’s Maple Moon: Phone-In Tanka by Helen Buckingham

English Original

3 am
whispers
in my ear...
another phone-in
on loneliness

Modern English Tanka, 10, Winter 2008

Helen Buckingham


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

凌晨三點
在我的耳朵
低語
另一通聽眾電話
談論寂寞

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

凌晨叁点
在我的耳朵
低语
另一通听众电话
谈论寂寞


Bio Sketch

Helen Buckingham lives in Bristol, England. She has been writing tanka for about the last decade or so, and in 2009 took third place in the annual Saigyo Awards. In 2011 she had a tanka collection published alongside (and produced by) Canada's Angela Leuck, titled Little Purple Universes. Buckingham's most recent work is a solo collection comprising a mix of western and Japanese forms (including tanka) titled Armadillo Basket (Waterloo Press, UK, 2012).