Friday, October 29, 2021

One Man's Maple Moon: from Rooftop to Rooftop Tanka by Brian Zimmer

English Original

crows cawing
from rooftop
to rooftop ...
no answer
but the past

Brian Zimmer


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

從一座屋頂
到另一座屋頂
烏鴉在哀鳴 ...
沒有答案
但是只有過去

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

从一座屋顶
到另一座屋顶
乌鸦在哀鸣 ...
没有答案
但是只有过去


Bio Sketch

Brian Zimmer wrote from the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri. His work had appeared in various international print and online journals. He took inspiration from a variety of sources, including the ancient Japanese poetic-diary (utanikki) and free-form, poetic "essay" (zuihitsu).

2 comments:

  1. The visually evocative and symbolically rich opening image creates an ominous mood while the succinct yet thought-provoking closing statement reminds me of the following remark:

    The past is never dead. It's not even past.

    William Faulkner, "Requiem for a Nun"

    FYI: The major theme of "Requiem for a Nun" concerns spiritual redemption for past evil deeds through suffering and the recognition of one's guilt

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    Replies
    1. My tanka below could be read as a sequel to Brian's:

      I live alone
      locked in the ghostly past ...
      the face in the mirror
      as foreign to me
      as a Mardi Gras mask

      Gusts, 27, Spring/Summer2018

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