first sparrow
the mulled sake cools down
without you
the first calendar page
is torn into pieces
Cattails, May 2014
Vessislava Savova
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
第一隻麻雀
溫過的清酒已經冷卻下來
然而你缺席
第一張日曆頁
被撕裂成碎片
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
第一只麻雀
温过的清酒已经冷却下来
然而你缺席
第一张日曆页
被撕裂成碎片
Bio Sketch
VessislavaSavova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is a bilingual (English and Bulgarian) author, translator and editor. Her flash fiction, haiku, and tanka have won several awards.
Cold fish and and mulled sake are two traditional Japanese New Year dishes. The sake is mainly used to make offerings and bless things. In Vessislava's heart-wrenching tanka, the juxtaposition of the mulled sake cooling down and torn pieces of the first calendar page effectively symbolizes the breakup of an intimate relationship.
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