Monday, January 7, 2013

One Man's Maple Moon: Death Tanka by LeRoy Gorman

English Original

not sure
the man at the door
is Death
until he pulls out
the bible

Presence, #47, December 2012

LeRoy Gorman


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

不太確定
站在門口的人
是死神
直到他拿出
一本聖經

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

不太确定
站在门口的人
是死神
直到他拿出
一本圣经


Bio Sketch

LeRoy Gorman writes mostly minimalist and visual poetry.  His most recent book, fast enough to leave this world, is one of tanka published by Inkling Press, Edmonton.  More information on his writing can be found at the American Haiku Archives where he is the Honorary Curator for 2012-2013

2 comments:

  1. Death portrayed in LeRoy's tanka reminds me of that of Bergman's Seventh Seal: he poses as a confessor at one point while the protagonist, Block, reveals his transgression and angst.

    And "the man at the door/ ... he pulls out/
    the bible" subtly evokes the popular image of a Morman missionary/Jehovah's Witness in North America.

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