waves hit rocky shore
and spout a geyser that rains
like a mini squall.
Stormy Shore [Haiku]
2
Tag Archives: poem
Fierce Creatures [Haiku]
city, nightfall:
the temple’s fierce creatures
turn nightmare shapes.
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Distant Stare [Senryū]
eyeing the mountain
like it’s defeated you once,
and may again.
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Yielding [Senryū]
the grass sways,
while skyscrapers stand stiffly:
so impressive, the grass!
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Gray Day River [Haiku]
Skirmish Line [Haiku]
rainclouds crawl nearer,
like a battle cruiser
inching towards war.
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In the Shadows [Haiku]
Morning Glories sit,
coolly, in the shadow of
Mexican Sunflowers.
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“Grass of the Ancient Plains” by Bai Juyi [w/ Audio]
Lush grass covers the plains.
One year it withers; the next, it thrives.
Wildfires burn, but not to eradication.
With Spring winds, it's rejuvenated.
Its aroma floats in to subdue derelict paths.
Vivid green overtakes the ghost town.
I say farewell to departing friends
as intense feeling swells within.
In Chinese [Simplified]:
离离原上草 一岁一枯荣
野火烧不尽 春风吹又生
远芳侵古道 晴翠接荒城
又送王孙去 萋萋满别情
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Sunken Forest [Haiku]
white pillars, once trees,
stand above the water:
record of what was.
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BOOKS: “36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem” by Nam Le
36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem by Nam LeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Amazon.in Page
Release Date: March 5, 2024
This is a clever collection of poems, lighthearted in places but raw and incensed in others. (A pacing that I appreciate in poetry collections.) The collection draws heavily on the author’s experience being of Vietnamese ethnicity while growing up in the West. It touches upon the tragedies lived by his elders, but, more so, how his life (and perception of him) has been shaped by war and the diaspora it caused. The collection playfully engages with language and cultural concepts in a way that is interesting and – at times – scintillating.
My main gripe with this collection would be its occasional swerves into the domain of huge, rare, and super-specialized terminology. I enjoy being sent to the dictionary as much as the next person, but in a poetry collection – where evoking emotion is the name of the game – I find it takes me out of the experience.
I enjoyed reading this collection and would recommend it for poetry readers.
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Tiger Riding for Beginners 