English Original
dusty stairs
step by step I clean
my shadow
Frogpond, 44:2 Spring/summer 2021
Mohammad Azim Khan
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
佈滿灰塵的樓梯
一步接一步我清理
我的影子
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
布满灰尘的楼梯
一步接一步我清理
我的影子
Bio Sketch
Mohammad Azim Khan is a retired UN official who has travelled to many war-torn countries to oversee relief and disaster operations. He graduated from Peshawar University with Master's degrees in both English Literature and Economics. He has since developed a special interest in haiku and tanka. And he has published many poems in journals around the world.
The contrast between the physical image of “dusty stairs” in L1 and the intangible “shadow” in L3 creates a subtle yet effective "aha moment. " The reader is first grounded in a mundane, tactile task, only to be gently shifted into a more reflective, abstract space.
ReplyDeleteThe phrase “I clean / my shadow” deepens this shift. What begins as a literal act of sweeping becomes symbolic—suggesting inner purification, self-examination, or even an attempt to lessen the weight of one’s own presence. The shadow, often associated with the self or psyche, transforms the act of cleaning into something introspective.
The haiku succeeds through its use of juxtaposition, moving from concrete to intangible in a way that invites layered interpretation. Rather than remaining a simple observation, it opens into a quiet meditation on the relationship between outer action and inner state.