Sunday, May 8, 2016

One Man's Maple Moon: Mother's Day Tanka by Ignatius Fay

English Original

Mother’s Day
at the seniors’ home
the old ladies
dressed up, waiting
for kids who aren’t coming

Ignatius Fay


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

母親節
安養院的老太太們
盛裝打扮
等待
不會來探訪的孩子
   
Chinese Translation (Simplified)

母亲节
安养院的老太太们
盛装打扮
等待
不会来探访的孩子


Bio Sketch

Ignatius Fay is a retired invertebrate paleontologist. His poems have appeared in many of the most respected online and print journals, including The Heron’s Nest, Modern Haiku, Ars Poetica, Gusts, Chrysanthemum and Eucalypt. Books: Breccia (2012), a collaboration with fellow haiku poet, Irene Golas; Points In Between (2011), an anecdotal history of his first 23 years. He is the new editor of the Haiku Society of America Bulletin. Ignatius resides in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
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2 comments:

  1. Chen-ou Liu, 劉鎮歐May 8, 2016 at 5:43 PM

    The thematic and emotional turn at the end of the poem sparks the reader's emotions and reflection on mother/parent-child relationships in a hectic, consumer-oriented, impersonal society.

    This is a sad but unfortunately not uncommon situation depicted in the tanka.

    ReplyDelete
  2. सुनीता अग्रवाल "नेह"May 10, 2016 at 9:44 AM

    oh

    ReplyDelete