Butterfly Dream: Moonglow Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

moonglow

a thousand jellyfish

in an ocean of sky

A Year Unfolding, 2017 

Debbie Strange

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

月光

千隻水母在倒映天空

的汪洋大海

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

月光

千只水母在倒映天空

的汪洋大海

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is a chronically ill Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Snapshot Press released her first full-length haiku collection, Random Blue Sparks, in 2024. It received 3rd Place honours in the 2025 Haiku Society of America’s Merit Book Awards. An archive of awards and publications can be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.ca/ and you are welcome to follow her @Debbie_Strange on X and @debbiemstrange on Instagram.

Biting NOT Barking: Zombie Fires Tanka by Debbie Strange

English Original

zombie fires

come back from the dead ...

this wilderness

haunted by skeletons

and memories of trees

 

Blithe Spirit, 35:4, 2025

Debbie Strange

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

殭屍之火

死而復生

這片荒野

被骷髏和樹木的記憶

纏繞不止

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

僵尸之火

死而复生

这片荒野

被骷髅和树木的记忆

缠绕不止

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is a chronically ill Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Snapshot Press released her first full-length haiku collection, Random Blue Sparks, in 2024. It received 3rd Place honours in the 2025 Haiku Society of America’s Merit Book Awards. An archive of awards and publications can be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.ca/ and you are welcome to follow her @Debbie_Strange on X and @debbiemstrange on Instagram.

Biting NOT Barking: Refugee Train Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

refugee train

small hands starfished

against the glass

 

First Place, 2024 Triveni Awards

Debbie Strange

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

難民列車

小手像海星一樣張開

緊貼著玻璃

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

难民列车

小手像海星一样张开

紧贴着玻璃

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is a chronically ill Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Snapshot Press released her first full-length haiku collection, Random Blue Sparks, in 2024. It received 3rd Place honours in the 2025 Haiku Society of America’s Merit Book Awards. An archive of awards and publications can be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.ca/ and you are welcome to follow her @Debbie_Strange on X and @debbiemstrange on Instagram.

Biting NOT Barking: Cyberbullying Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

cyberbullying

the buzz of a high voltage arc

Mouth Full of Stones, 2020

Debbie Strange

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

網路霸凌

高壓電弧的嗡嗡聲

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

网路霸凌

高压电弧的嗡嗡声

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspotcom/

Butterfly Dream: Permafrost Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

permafrost

a polar bear’s paws

sink deeper

Mouth Full of Stones, 2020

Debbie Strange

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

永凍土

一隻北極熊的爪子

陷得更深

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

永冻土

一只北极熊的爪子

陷得更深

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspotcom/

Butterfly Dream: Gossip Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

angry words

the gossip of gulls

d r i f t i n g

Mouth Full of Stones, 2020

Debbie Strange

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

憤怒的話

一群海鷗的流言蜚語

飄 散 在 空 氣 中

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

愤怒的话

一群海鸥的流言蜚语

飘 散 在 空 气 中

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspotcom/

Butterfly Dream: Alpenglow Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

alpenglow

a pika gathers stems

of light

 

Commended,  2019 Iris Little Haiku Contest

Debbie Strange

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

高山日落的玫瑰色陽光

一隻鼠兔

蒐集莖狀的光

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

高山日落的玫瑰色阳光

一只鼠兔

搜集茎状的光

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspotcom/

One Man's Maple Moon: Prairie Voles Tanka by Debbie Strange

English Original

the pair bonds

of prairie voles ...

she asks

if he used to be

her husband

 

Third Place, 2017 UHTS Fleeting Words Tanka Contest

Debbie Strange

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

草原田鼠

的終生配對關係 ...

她詢問

是否他曾經是

她的丈夫

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

草原田鼠

的终生配对关系 ...

她询问

是否他曾经是

她的丈夫

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspotcom/

Cool Announcement: A Freebie, Mouth Full of Stones by Debbie Strange

My Dear Readers:

NeverEnding Story contributor, Debbie Strange, published a collection of sociopolitically conscious  haiku, Mouth Full of Stones (Title IX Press, 2020), and she shared her fine work as a free download available at Title IX Press website.

Selected Haiku:

dry lightning

her mattress scarred

with cigarette burns

day moon

(dis)appearing

sister’s thin face

hot (fl)ashes the combustibility of womxn’s rights

cows and calves

bawling at weaning time

my breasts ache

angry words

the gossip of gulls

d r i f t i n g

street kids

shadows fold

into the night

neon lights

a cardboard roof

sags with snow

cyberbullying

the buzz of a high voltage arc

permafrost

a polar bear’s paws

sink deeper

Happy Reading

Chen-ou

One Man's Maple Moon: Blue Lace Agate Tanka by Debbie Strange

English Original

I carry

an ocean within

my pocket . . .

this blue lace agate

etched with ancient tides

 

Honorable Mention, 2018 Fleeting Words Tanka Competition

Debbie Strange

 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

在口袋裡

我攜帶

一片滄海 ...

這顆藍色蕾絲瑪瑙

是用古老的潮汐蝕刻

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

在口袋里

我携带

一片沧海 ...

这颗蓝色蕾丝玛瑙

是用古老的潮汐蚀刻

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/

One Man's Maple Moon: Henhouse Tanka by Debbie Strange

English Original

snow whirls

outside the henhouse ...
father cups
my hands around
a warm brown egg
 
Third Place, 2018 Fleeting Words Tanka Competition

Debbie Strange

 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

雞窩外面

雪花旋轉飄落 ...

父親托住

我的雙手環繞一個

溫暖的棕色雞蛋

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

鸡窝外面

雪花旋转飘落 ...

父亲托住

我的双手环绕一个

温暖的棕色鸡蛋

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/

Butterfly Dream: Rosy Dawn Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

rosy dawn
our paddles stippled
with petals
 
Highly Commended, 2019 New Zealand Poetry Society International Competition

Debbie Strange 

 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

透紅的曙光

我們的划槳蘸滿

花瓣

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

透红的曙光

我们的划桨蘸满

花瓣

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/

One Man's Maple Moon: Smudge Tanka by Debbie Strange

English Original

a smudge
of blackbirds swirling
into evening ...
how fluid the shape
of this sorrow
 
Second Place, 2018 Fleeting Words Tanka Competition

Debbie Strange 

 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

天空中一串

的黑鳥在飛旋

直到夜晚 ...

這悲傷的形態 

如何地易變 

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

天空中一串

的黑鸟在飞旋

直到夜晚 ...

这悲伤的形态

如何地易变 

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/

Cool Announcement: A Freebie, Prairie Interludes by Debbie Strange

My Dear Friends:

The award-winning e-book of haiku, Prairie Interludes, written by NeverEnding Story contributor, Debbie Strange, is now available to read free online.

 

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding, in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at her blog.

 

Selected Haiku: 

 

a wet spring
dark furrows seeded
with stars

 

boundary lines
every fence post topped
with a baseball cap

rusted rails
a meadowlark with the sun
in its throat

cloudless sky
a pelican’s pouch
full of light

 

harvesting night
an arc of moondust
from the auger

 

prize pumpkins
our hayrack buckles
with light

fog weaving
between fence posts
a coyote’s song

antelope
the humming of wind
in barbed wire

 

Happy Reading

 

Stay safe and well

 

Chen-ou

One Man's Maple Moon: Peace Offerings Tanka by Debbie Strange

English Original

the ocean
was in a rage last night
but today,
these peace offerings
of blue mussels and kelp
 
First Place, 2018 Sanford Goldstein International Tanka Contest

Debbie Strange

 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

海洋
昨晚浪潮洶湧
但是今天，
這些藍蚌和海帶
作為和平的奉獻

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

海洋
昨晚浪潮汹涌
但是今天，
这些蓝蚌和海带
作为和平的奉献

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/

One Man's Maple Moon: Wheat Fields Tanka by Debbie Strange

English Original

wheat fields
tousled by fingers
of wind
I tuck a strand of hair
behind your ear

Honorable Mention, 2018 Sanford Goldstein International Tanka Contest

Debbie Strange


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

微風
輕輕地吹拂
麥田
我將你的一根頭髮
撥到耳朵後面

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

微风
轻轻地吹拂
麦田
我将你的一根头发
拨到耳朵后面


Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/

Special Feature: Mother's Day Haiga by Debbie Strange

My Dear Readers:

In celebration of Mother's Day, I am pleased to showcase the haiga by NeverEnding Story contributor, Debbie Strange.

 

Gusts, 23, 2016

 

Modern Haiku, 48:1, 2017

Selected Haiku, 2018 Yamadera Basho Contest

 

Third Place, 2018 San Francisco Int'l Haiku, Senryu and Tanka 

And to conclude today's Mother's Day Special Feature section, share with you my Mother's Day tanka, Fifty-Third Entry, Coronavirus Poetry Diary

snowflakes swirl

in the mid-May air

a bear hug 

from my eighty-year-old mom 

an ocean away

Happy Mother's Day and Happy Reading

Chen-ou

One Man's Maple Moon: Reindeer Moss Tanka by Debbie Strange

English Original

dried curls
of gray reindeer moss
crunch softly
underneath our boots ...
no other sound, but breath

First Place (tie), 2016 San Francisco International Competition

Debbie Strange


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

在我們的靴子底下
灰色馴鹿苔蘚
變乾的捲鬚
輕輕地被壓碎 ...
沒有其他的聲音，只有呼吸聲

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

在我们的靴子底下
灰色驯鹿苔藓
变干的卷须
轻轻地被压碎 ...
没有其他的声音，只有呼吸声


Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspotcom/ 

(Editor's Note: This is the last tanka accepted for consideration for inclusion in One Man's Maple Moon Anthology, V)

Butterfly Dream: Circles of Lichen Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

circles of lichen
I thought we would have
more time

Third Place, 2018 Kaji Aso Annual Haiku Contest

Debbie Strange


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

多個環形青苔
我以為我們會有
更多的時間在一起

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

多个环形青苔
我以为我们会有
更多的时间在一起

Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspotcom/

Butterfly Dream: Frozen Trough Haiku by Debbie Strange

English Original

frozen trough
I cup the warm breath
of my horse

First Place, 2018 Sharpening the Green Pencil Haiku Contest

Debbie Strange


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

凍結的食物槽
我用雙手承接來自我的馬
溫暖的氣息   

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

冻结的食物槽
我用双手承接来自我的马
温暖的气息


Bio Sketch

Debbie Strange is an award-winning Canadian short form poet, haiga artist, and photographer. Keibooks released her second full-length poetry collection, Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses in 2018, and Folded Word published her haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding in 2017. An archive of publications may be accessed at http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/