English Original
dry leaves skip
along the dirt road --
old age home
the Asahi Shimbun, September 19, 2025
John Richard Stephens
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
枯葉沿著泥路
隨風跳動 --
養老院
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
枯叶沿着泥路
随风跳动 --
养老院
Bio Sketch
John Richard Stephens has been an author for most of his life, and when he takes a break from writing, he enjoys the challenge of composing haiku. His 25 published books are on various topics—mostly history and fiction anthologies—but so far none are on poetry. For more of his work, visit www.JohnRichardStephens.com
L2, “along the dirt road,” grounds the late autumn scene of L1, "dry leaves skip," in a rural, quite, possibly neglected environment.
ReplyDeleteAnd L3, "old age home," arrives like a revelation, making a shift, thematic and visual, from a natural, wind-driven image to a human, social space.
The juxtaposition effectively invites metaphor: the dry leaves may echo the elderly residents—fragile, weathered, moved by forces beyond their control.
Yes. And to me, the leaves embody the wishes and desires of the residents to skip along the road, as though their spirit is in the leaves. It's almost as if they're dancing for joy. Perhaps even the release and freedom from their lives as they move on down the road towards whatever comes next.
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