Sunday, June 16, 2013

Butterfly Dream: Cherry Tree Haiku by Marion Clarke

English Original

canal bank …
each cherry tree touching
its neighbour

Sakura Award Winner,  2012 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Haiku Competition

Marion Clarke


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

運河岸邊 ...
每棵櫻花樹碰觸
它的鄰居

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

运河岸边 ...
每棵樱花树碰触
它的邻居


Bio Sketch

A member of the Irish Haiku Society, Marion Clarke is a writer and artist from Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland. Her work was highly commended in the IHS 2011 International Haiku Competition and, in summer 2012, she received a Sakura award in the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival contest. A selection of her haiku featured in the first national collection of haiku from Ireland, Bamboo Dreams, edited by Anatoly Kudryavitsky. Marion’s poetry and artwork can be found at http://seaviewwarrenpoint.wordpress.com/

4 comments:

  1. A lovely moment keenly captured.

    Little is said, but much is implied in Ls 2&3. This haiku leaves dreaming room for the reader's imagination and emotion (Just imagine yourself walking along the canal bank lined with cherry trees on a breezy spring day)

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  2. Thank you, Chen-ou. This haiku was inspired by the beautiful row of cherry trees along the banks of Newry canal, near my hometown of Warrenpoint.

    Here in Northern Ireland, as you know, we have had our fair share of violence. In this haiku I was comparing the cherry trees touching their neighbours with the (hopefully) continuing peace process - a touch that reaches beyond the trees, into the local community and stretches across political and religious borders.

    However, I am devastated to learn in the last few days that these cherry trees are due to be removed because some of them are diseased. The local community is rallying together to try and stop this happening. I'm no expert in horticulture, but I would have thought that the affected trees could be removed and replaced? It will be a sad day when these stunning trees that line Newry Canal disappear.

    canal bank ...
    the last cherry blossom drops
    into its reflection

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  3. Marion:

    Many thanks for sharing the back story that has touched my heart, and for your poignant haiku.

    I like the concluding word very much, which is layered with multiple meanings.

    Chen-ou

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  4. Thank you, Chen-ou. Here is the link https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Newry-Council-Removing-The-Cherry-Blossoms-Along-The-Canal/191915784293412?fref=ts

    marion

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