Behind this stony mask I see
a man of worth resides in sin.
I think I hear a silent plea
behind this stony mask I see
and now it falls in front of me
so that forgiveness can begin.
Behind this stony mask I see
a man of worth resides in sin.
—————
This is my first time trying Triolet form – I think that this one is a little rough around the edges.
two kindly faces
tote potent anesthesia
drifting off to sleep
——————–
Yesterday I had surgey to correct an imbalance in my eye muscles; it was my first time experiencing general anesthesia.
A traditional Korean marionette show in Chilgok, South Korea.
Abbot
Owens owns a
teeny tan tame rabbit;
how pleasant to have an ally
so nigh!
——————–
Try and say the first three lines five times fast! 😉 I come out with “teeny tam tame” or “teeny tan tane” almost every time.
37 strings
2 hands
Loneliness slips through these faded floorboards.
I hope that it never comes back.
Somehow your Mother Maybelle voice seeps into the
room and then into my skin.
You sing an old tune – one that is close to your
heart and one that you tried to teach me many
times but that I never quite learned.
Perhaps I shall plant roses and lilies come springtime.
Would you like that?
An elderly woman sits in the lobby of Canon Kip Community House in San Francisco.
(2010)
첫 빗방울
툭 떨어지며 후박나무 잎사귀
깨어난다
이어서
이 잎사귀도
저 잎사귀도
-고은
when the first raindrops fall
silver magnolia leaves awaken
one at a time
this leaf
and that leaf too
-Ko Un
———————————–
This is poem 145 from Flowers of a Moment, which is a small volume of poetry by Korean author Ko Un that I am currently translating into English.
A man in Daegu, South Korea looks on at fallen leaves.
(2012)
The leaves are falling quickly now
in hues of royal gold
and as I dream beneath this bough
my naked nose turns cold.
Last night I dreamt the dangling from the
Manhattan Bridge dream – I was Bill De Blasio
What kind of dream did you dream?
sundry folly 