Thursday, January 5, 2017

One Man's Maple Moon: Ring Tanka

      Just what I need to jump-start my enthusiasm for the new year! NeverEnding Story has published today my "ring tanka" from my poetry book, The Bluebird's Cry, with Chen-ou Liu's Chinese translation. Reading the comment from my old-time favorite poet has lifted my spirits up.
by the fountain
with a ring encircling
my finger . . . 

all I knew then
was the word forever
See translation here.

Chen-ou Liu's comment:

Structurally and thematically speaking, the tanka is effectively framed by these emotionally significant and symbolically rich phrases, "by the fountain" and " the word forever." And the contrasts (presence vs absence, past vs present, happiest moment vs poignant remembrance, ...) between the two parts of the poem are heartwrenching.

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