English Original
it was a love
I thought would last
looking back I see
the evening color
of the morning glory
Fire Pearls, Vol. 2, 2013
I thought would last
looking back I see
the evening color
of the morning glory
Fire Pearls, Vol. 2, 2013
Gregory Longenecker
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
我以為這是一種愛
會永久持續
回頭瞅見
一朵喇叭花在暮色中
的顏色
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
我以为这是一种爱
会永久持续
回头瞅见
一朵喇叭花在暮色中
的颜色
Bio Sketch
Gregory Longenecker primarily writes short-form poetry and recently released his book, somewhere inside yesterday (Red Moon Press), whose title was taken from a haiku shortlisted for a 2018 Touchstone Award.
An implicit simile is subtly and effectively established between a "short-lived love" (Ls 1&2) and the color of the "withered morning glory" (Ls 4&5).
ReplyDeleteGregory's reflective tanka reminds me of the following remarks on "looking back" (L3):
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
-- Soren Kierkegaard
To look back, to go back, is not to be weak. It is not to reopen wounds. It takes strength, it takes courage. It takes a person who is more in control of who they are to cast a discerning, non-judgmental eye over who they once were.
Cecelia Ahern
FYI: Morning Glory: "a climbing plant often cultivated for its showy trumpet-shaped flowers, which typically open in the early morning and wither by midday."