English Original
alone
on the long way home
I remember
policemen with rifles
smiling at me
Pratima Annapurna
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
單獨一人
在漫長的回家路途中
我記得
一排警察手持步槍
對我微笑
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
单独一人
在漫长的回家路途中
我记得
一排警察手持步枪
对我微笑
Bio Sketch
Pratima Annapurna is a daughter, wife and mother and friend who tries to make time for writing and visual art. She wants to quote her friend SriVidya here, because friendships are part of her identity: I am a housewife and many other little things.
Pratima's sociopolitically conscious middle-of-the-story tanka effectively builds, line by line, to an unexpected yet visually arresting and psychologically poignant ending that reveals the theme of dealing with/stopping/suppressing the social unrest.
ReplyDeleteAnd there is no doubt that this eerily overpowering image of smiling policemen with rifles is imprinted on the speaker's mind.