One Man's Maple Moon: Arm in Arm Tanka by Ken Slaughter

English Original

a butterfly
with one broken wing…
my parents
limping arm in arm
toward the clinic door

Red Lights, 8:2, June 2012

Ken Slaughter


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

一隻蝴蝶
有一片殘破的翅膀 ...
我的父母
手牽手一跛一跛地
走向診所大門口

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

一只蝴蝶
有一片残破的翅膀 ...
我的父母
手牵手一跛一跛地
走向诊所大门口


Bio Sketch

Ken Slaughter began writing tanka in 2012.  His tanka are published in a variety of online and print journals.  His tanka won second prize and  honorable mention in the 2012 Tanka Society of America International contest. He won an honorable mention in the 2014 contest.  Ken lives in Massachusetts, USA, with his wife and two cats.

One Man's Maple Moon: Mockingbird Tanka by Ken Slaughter

English Original

walking fast
with my head down --
a mockingbird
repeats
the same song

Ken Slaughter


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

低著頭
我快速地走過 --
一隻知更鳥
重複唱著
同一首歌

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

低著头
我快速地走过 --
一只知更鸟
重複唱著
同一首歌


Bio Sketch

Ken Slaughter began writing tanka in 2012.  His tanka are published in a variety of online and print journals.  His tanka won second prize and  honorable mention in the 2012 Tanka Society of America International contest. He won an honorable mention in the 2014 contest.  Ken lives in Massachusetts, USA, with his wife and two cats.

One Man's Maple Moon: Red Truck Tanka by Ken Slaughter

English Original

on a shelf
in her dining room...
the red truck
her father bought
hoping for a boy

A Hundred Gourds, 2:1, December 2012

Ken Slaughter


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

在飯廳  
的展示櫃架子上 ...
她父親所買
的一輛紅色卡車
並希望有個男孩

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

在饭厅  
的展示柜架子上 ...
她父亲所买
的一辆红色卡车
并希望有个男孩


Bio Sketch

Ken Slaughter began writing tanka in 2012.  His tanka are published in a variety of online and print journals.  His tanka won second prize and  honorable mention in the 2012 Tanka Society of America International contest. He won an honorable mention in the 2014 contest.  Ken lives in Massachusetts, USA, with his wife and two cats.

One Man's Maple Moon: Spent Blossoms Tanka by Ken Slaughter

English Original

wondering
where her son is now
she picks
the spent blossoms
from a purple primrose

Ken Slaughter


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

從紫色報春花中
她挑揀
盛開過的花朵
卻一邊心想
她兒子的下落

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

从紫色报春花中
她挑拣
盛开过的花朵
却一边心想
她儿子的下落


Bio Sketch

Ken Slaughter began writing tanka in 2012.  His tanka are published in a variety of online and print journals.  His tanka won second prize and  honorable mention in the 2012 Tanka Society of America International contest. He won an honorable mention in the 2014 contest.  Ken lives in Massachusetts, USA, with his wife and two cats.