horses graze around the chorten, in silence
Silent Hilltop [Haiku]
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Tag Archives: animals
Red Panda [Haiku]
a Red Panda awakens from its nap, walks, and naps some more
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DAILY PHOTO: What Do You Get When You Cross a Yak & a Cow?: A Dzo
The Sleeping Cat [Tanka]
the sleeping cat yanks its head up to see what fell & why, and then goes back to sleep -- master slumberer at work
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Black Mamba [Kyōka]
one Black Mamba slithers up beside its mate. scheming whisper? i fear as much, but then i remember snakes have no ears
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Pied Kingfisher [Haiku]
a pied kingfisher perches in stillness... one dive / one fish
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DAILY PHOTO: Crocodile Pile!
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BOOK REVIEW: Animals in Our Days by Mohamed Makhzangi
Animals in Our Days by Mohamed MakhzangiMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazon.in Page
Out: June 14, 2022
Besides being animal-themed or animal-centric to varying degrees, there are a couple of other features common to the stories in this translated collection from Egyptian author, Mohamed Makhzangi. First, it’s truly international in terms of settings. In addition to stories that take place closer to the author’s (i.e. in the Middle East,) there are tales set in Bangkok, Jaipur, Windhoek, and undefined but evocative locales that all feel based on the author’s travels. Second, the stories tend to have a dreamy, surreal quality and / or speculative elements – i.e. they aren’t strictly realist, but more magical realist. At times, stories read like Kafka (e.g. “Brass Grasshoppers”) and at other times like a fairy tale (e.g. “White Bears / Black Bears.”) Where the stories vary is with respect to theme, from war to alienation to the interconnectedness of nature.
The translation by Chip Rossetti is highly readable, and the stories are well-crafted, engaging, and often thought-provoking. I’d recommend this for all readers of short fiction.
View all my reviews
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Magpie [Haiku]
mountain magpie
flits from post to post,
skirting our camp
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Wild Yak [Haiku]
the cattle afar
turn sharp eyes upon me,
and i know they’re wild
Tiger Riding for Beginners 