Friday, September 19, 2025

One Man's Maple Moon: River and Sea Tanka by Kirsty Karkow

English Original

I think I am
one with the river 
growing broader 
quieter as it flows 
toward the endless sea

Eucalypt, 32, 2022

Kirsty Karkow


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

我覺得自己
與河流融為一體
當流向無盡的大海
它愈發寬闊
並且愈發寧靜

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

我觉得自己
与河流融为一体
当流向无尽的大海
它愈发宽阔
并且愈发宁静


Bio Sketch

Kirsty Karkow lived in Waldoboro, Maine, where she wrote haiku, sijo, tanka, and other short forms. Lyrical, poignant, and spare, her poetry reflected a rich and deep sense of place and spirit. Her haiku have won the Mainichi and the R.H Blyth Award and placed in other contests. And she had two best-selling books in print: water poems: haiku, tanka and sijo and shorelines: haiku, haibun and tanka , published by Black Cat Press.

1 comment:

  1. Kirsty's tanka effectively builds, one by one, to a thematically significant and visually and emotionally powerful ending that reveals the theme of one's "expanded sense" (as implied from Ls 3&4) of oneness with Nature (as indicated in Ls 2&5).

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