English Original
ring marks
in the swollen knuckle ...
a little more
middle age
this morning
Lyrical Passion Poetry E-Zine, 2012-13
M. Kei
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
腫脹手指關節
的戒指環狀痕跡 ...
今天早晨
看起來更像是
中年男人
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
肿胀手指关节
的戒指环状痕迹 ...
今天早晨
看起来更像是
中年男人
Bio Sketch
M. Kei is a tall ship sailor and award-winning poet who lives on Maryland’s Eastern shore. He is the editor of Atlas Poetica: A Journal of World Tanka. His most recent collection of poetry is January, A Tanka Diary. He is also the author of the award-winning gay Age of Sail adventure novels, Pirates of the Narrow Seas. He can be followed on Twitter @kujakupoet, or visit AtlasPoetica.org.
A swollen knuckle with ring marks in Ls 1&2 might indicate arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, which can cause bone spurs around the knuckles, making them enlarged and potentially trapping a ring.
ReplyDeleteThis illness is common in older people as implied from Ls 3-5.
In terms of theme and tone/mood, this is a fine example of Shiki-esque shasei (sketch from life) tanka about illness (especially when evaluated in relation to Shiki’s 10-tanka sequence writing about the wisteria while he was sick)
For more about Shiki's sequence, see "Poetic Musings: Best Known and Most Controversial Tanka by Masaoka Shiki," accessed at https://neverendingstoryhaikutanka.blogspot.com/2014/05/poetic-musings-best-known-and-most.html
And the following tanka could be read as its sequel:
once again
the long silence
of illness,
and then, the silence
of nothing at all
Lyrical Passion Poetry E-Zine, 2012-13
M. Kei