Monday, July 14, 2025

Butterfly Dream: Ghost Town Haiku by Garry Eaton

English Original

its name painted out
the ghost town
water tower

tinywords, 16:2, December 20 2016

Garry Eaton

Chinese Translation (Traditional) 

鬼城的名字
被塗掉了
它的水塔

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

鬼城的名字
被涂掉了
它的水塔


Bio Sketch

Garry Eaton was a Canadian poet from British Columbia. He started writing haiku in 2006 and was published occasionally in the major haiku magazines. He volunteered as the digital librarian for The Haiku Foundation Digital Library.

1 comment:

  1. Ls 1&2 show a sign of abandonment and L3, usually positioned at the entrance of a rural town "primarily to provide water pressure for the entire community and to serve as a landmark," enhances the tone and mood of the haiku.

    The haiku below could be read as its prequel:

    ghost town
    the WELCOME sign
    off its stumps

    Blithe Spirit, 26.2, August 2016

    Helen Buckingham

    And the haiku below could be read as its sequels:

    rusty staples
    on the bulletin board
    a ghost town

    Selected Haiku, Kissing A Ghost: 2021 NZPS Poetry Contest Anthology

    Chen-ou Liu

    ghost town
    buffalo grass escapes
    the cemetery

    NeverEnding Story, July 31, 2024

    Randy Brooks

    This ghost town haiku reminds me of verse 2 of the following popular song:

    "Ghost Town" by The Specials

    [Instrumental Chorus]

    [Verse 1]
    This town (Town)
    Is coming like a ghost town
    All the clubs have been closed down
    This place (Town)
    Is coming like a ghost town
    Bands won't play no more
    Too much fighting on the dance floor

    [Vocalising Bridge]

    [Bridge]
    Do you remember the good old days
    Before the ghost town?
    We danced and sang and the music played
    In a de boomtown

    [Instrumental Chorus]

    [Verse 2]
    This town (Town)
    Is coming like a ghost town
    Why must the youth fight against themselves?
    Government leaving the youth on the shelf
    This place (Town)
    Is coming like a ghost town
    No job to be found in this country
    Can't get on no more
    The people getting angry

    ReplyDelete