at last
green tree frogs
croak the rain
knowing beforehand
what we only hoped for
Atlas Poetica, 38, 2019
Paul Williamson
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
到頭來
是綠色樹蛙
嘶啞地祈雨
事先知道
我們所期望的事
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
到头来
是绿色树蛙
嘶哑地祈雨
预先知道
我们所期望的事
Bio Sketch
Paul Williamson is an Australian poet who has published poems on eclectic topics in magazines including Neverending Story, Eucalypt, Tanka Music Anthology, Ragged Edges, Poems to Wear, Poetry Bridges, Atlas Poetica, Gusts, Skylark, Ribbons, Quadrant and Cordite. He writes poems to clarify feelings and impressions, and record them. He has five collections: The DNA Bookshelf, Moments from Red Hill, To the Spice Islands, Edge of Southern Bright and Ties to Red Hill in 2018.
In the time of drought (which could be implied from Ls 3-5), Paul's symbolically rich and spiritually resonant green tree frogs tanka provides a precise answer concerning our expectation: Ls 1-3, at last/green tree frogs/croak the rain. And L1, "at last," works well as a mood-setting line that resonates effectively with L5, "what we only hoped for."
ReplyDeleteFYI: "Frog Spirit Animal," by Elena Harris, accessed at https://www.spiritanimal.info/frog-spirit-animal/
The frog as spirit animal or totem reminds us of the transient nature of our lives. As symbol of transition and transformation, this spirit animal supports us in times of change. Strongly associated with the water element, it connects us with the world of emotions and feminine energies, as well as the process of cleansing, whether it’s physical, emotional, or more spiritual or energetic.