Chen-ou Liu's Translation Project: First English-Chinese Haiku and Tanka Blog

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Hostages Tanka

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXXIV: "hostages" 

the hostages stuck
between Israel's total victory
and Hamas' demands ...
protesters lock themselves
in cages on the highway



FYI: This tanka is a sequel to the following:

This Brave New World, CX

Kidnapped
pasted over Occupier
pasted over Kidnapped
above the photo of a man ...
this battle for perfect victims


And Haazetz, March 12: Why Israel's New Nationalistic Judaism Doesn't Care About the Hostages in Gaza: For Israel's rising jingoistic, messianic religious right, the war in Gaza is about recovering pride and projecting power. Desperate hostages held by Hamas don't fit their narrative

A fundamental ideology is at work here, according to which the war in Gaza is the ultimate national drama, a rare opportunity to recover national pride and a sense of invincibility. In this narrative, the hostages are a source of collective weakness.


AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXXV: "Promised Land" 

past suffering
spills into the present war
of fireballing rage
which shapes future kamikazes:
Promised Land of blood and honey


FYI: One of the best-recognized descriptions of the "land of Israel'/Promised Land is “a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Deuteronomy, 31:20)


Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXXVI: "see us, hear us"

Ramadan Message
a magic realist tanka set written in response to NPR, March 16: "Netanyahu approves plan to invade Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering"

blood-stained children
stand barefoot with their backs
to the reporters ...
do you see us, hear us now
to clicking of cameras

children with lanterns
walk into the far distance
their last words
we shall return, and overcome
linger in the smoky darkness


FYI: The fanous lantern has been a symbol of Ramadan for hundreds of years. For Muslims, it represents the light guiding the way.


AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXXVII: "death toll in dispute"

death toll in dispute
a crow's last caw fading
into the dark

Saturday, March 16, 2024

From Twitter to X

The blue bird logo is replaced with a white X on a black background, and tweets are now just posts. Today, the new owner makes the following statement:

If there's a big scandal about me, my only request is that it be called Elongate.

I turn my head from the screen to gaze out the window, and take deep breaths in and out..in and out.

passing clouds
the thought of not thinking
of myself

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Writer's Block Tanka

writer's block?
Oh, I don't have time for that ...
this moonless night
becomes darker and heavier
with rent hike and snowfall



Added: written in response to Thomas Mann's remark on writing:
A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. 

three lines
into the first tanka
of this dark night ...
I pause and listen
to the void in my life

Monday, March 11, 2024

Al-Aqsa Haiku

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXX: "Al-Aqsa" 

distant boom, boom, boom ...
the first sliver of the moon 
over Al-Aqsa



FYI: Al-Aqsa is the compound of Islamic religious buildings that sit atop the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.

This haiku could be read as a prequel to the following:

Ramadan moon
wave upon wave of prayers
in a tent city


And Haaretz, March 11Israeli Police Block Hundreds of Palestinians From Al-Aqsa on Ramadan's First Night, Hit Worshipers With Batons

Restrictions for the first prayers of Ramadan contradicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent promise to allow freedom of worship. The police issued dozens of restraining orders against Palestinian activists and journalists over the past few days, barring them from the compound.


AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXXI: "Ramadan lantern"

silent screams as prayers
in this death-dark nightmare
a Ramadan lantern


FYI: "The fanous lantern has been a symbol of Ramadan for hundreds of years. For Muslims, it represents the light guiding the way. In Egypt, during the holy month of Ramadan, streets are illuminated at night by colorful fanous lanterns."


AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXXII: "pre-dawn meal"

humming of drones ...
a family's pre-dawn meal,
finger-sized biscuits 


FYI: "Suhoor, known as the pre-dawn meal in English, is a significant element for Muslims during Ramadan. It is the last meal before the sun rises and the day of fasting begins."


AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXXIII: "bulldozers" 

the first sliver
of the Ramadan moon
rows of men
face to face with the teeth
of Israeli bulldozers


Addedreading between the lives and writing between the lines, LXXXII

Royal smiles
photoshopped for Mother's Day ....
this broken world, yet ...


FYI: Sky News, March 11: Kate, Princess of Wales, apologises 'for any confusion' after 'editing' Mother's Day photograph

Graham Smith, of the anti-monarchy group Republic, earlier said: "The manipulation of an image that the palace says was taken by William is extraordinary.

"The monarchy has always sought to manipulate and manage its image, but if they have tried to fake a photograph to silence online conspiracy theories, that is disgraceful."

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Thoughts of Home Haiku

thoughts of home
the blink of an airplane
between stars

The Cicada's Cry, Autumn 2023 

Friday, March 8, 2024

Build Back (Much) Worse

Game Show, 2024, XXXIX
written on International Women's Day

white raven on the roof ...
the same old man and his staff
patch and stitch
and slap together pieces
of past promises

Israel kills
three mothers every hour!
drowned out
by rolling chants of Four More Years!
as the storm clouds gather



FYI: The white raven is the extremely rare leucistic bird. It's not albino, evidenced by its striking sky-blue eyes, and it's believed to be a symbol of bad luck. The last time it was spotted was around Anchorage on Oct. 24 2023

And Democracy Now, March 8Palestinian Women Prisoners Share Accounts of Inhumane Treatment, Sexual Assault

U.N. experts are calling for a probe into reports of sexual assault, torture and killing of Palestinian women prisoners by Israeli forces. The Palestinian Prisoner Society says an estimated 240 Palestinian women have been detained since October 7. 


Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXIX: "period products"
written for International Women's Day

a circle of teens
making period products 
out of scraps
of their makeshift tents ...
Gaza's night sky shades of red

FYI: Dust and small particles, trapped in the atmosphere by high pressure after the aerial bombing, turn the night sky shades of red/orange-red

And Haaretz, March 7: This Women's Day, Palestinian Women in Gaza Are Making Period Products Out of Tents

The Gazan women cutting off their hair in the face of a water crisis, surviving c-sections without anesthesia and fashioning period products from scraps are showing strength and ingenuity in impossible circumstances

According to the international non-governmental organization ActionAid, Gaza is now one of the most dangerous places for women, with seven killed every two hours. 

Thursday, March 7, 2024

A Roomful of USA!s Tanka

Game Show, 2024, XXXVIII:
written in response to the Super Tuesday results

a row of flags
the same old blonde-haired man
a roomful of USA!s
flashing cell phones held high
deaths of children far away


FYI: List poems are an ancient tradition in poetry. There are examples in Homer's The Iliad and in the Bible. Fore more about "list tanka," see my "To the Lighthouse" post, List Tanka

And Democarcy Now, March 4U.S. Airdrops Food to Gaza While Arming Israel to Drop Bombs

Palestinian health officials say at least 16 children have died in recent days from starvation and dehydration as Israel’s assault continues. UNICEF warns the number of child deaths will likely “rapidly increase” unless the war ends.


Added: Game Show, 2024, XXXIX:
written in response to Joe Biden's Absurdist theatrics in the State of the Union address

the old man raising his fist
more than 1000 troops
working day and night for two months
a floating pier done
the smell of rotting corpses with flies

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Gazan Poet Tanka

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXV: "poetry"

do you still believe
that poems are stronger than fireballs
a Gazan poet asks
in daymares, I see a narcissus
entwined around my mind



FYI: This is a sequel to the following tanka:

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XVIII: "Rafah"

attacks on Rafah ...
will the sound of bombings 
echo, echoing
in the ears of the World
thousands of miles away



AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXVI: "aid airdrops"

                         aid
out of reach            air            ops
                                        dr 

and a dead child’s stare


FYI: Democarcy Now, March 4U.S. Airdrops Food to Gaza While Arming Israel to Drop Bombs

Palestinian health officials say at least 16 children have died in recent days from starvation and dehydration as Israel’s assault continues. UNICEF warns the number of child deaths will likely “rapidly increase” unless the war ends.

And BBC News, March 5: Gaza aid airdrop: Why delivering food from the air is controversial

"Airdrops are expensive, haphazard and usually lead to the wrong people getting the aid," Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council and a former UN aid chief, told the BBC after returning from a recent three-day visit to Gaza.

Airdrops are seven times more expensive compared to ground-delivered aid due to costs related to aircraft, fuel and personnel, says the WFP.

In addition to that, only relatively small quantities can be delivered with each flight, in comparison to what a convoy of lorries can bring in, and significant ground co-ordination is required within the delivery zone, says the WFP.

The Guardian, March 8: Five killed and 10 injured in Gaza aid airdrop when parachute fails to open: Package ‘fell down like a rocket’ on roof of house near al-Shati refugee camp where people were waiting, a witness says

And Haaretz, March 9: UNRWA Accuses Israel of Forcing Agency Staff to Falsely Admit Hamas Links

A report by the UN agency details allegations of severe physical beatings, waterboarding, and threats of harm to family members.
 
AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXVII: "donkey feed"

rain clouds darkening ...
Gazan children sift through feed
as a donkey does


FYI: Democracy Now, March 7Ceasefire Talks Falter as Famine Plagues Gaza, Aid Remains Blocked by Israel


The group Refugees International is warning Israel’s persistent blocking of humanitarian aid into Gaza has created “apocalyptic” conditions inside the besieged territory. At least 20 Gazans have starved to death; the youngest victim was just one day old.

a soup kitchen volunteer in Rafah, Mohammed Al-Dalu: “Our hearts are being squeezed when a child comes over and says, 'I want to have rice and chicken.' We are unable to provide rice, let alone chicken, in light of the war that we are experiencing. This is not only a war on civilians. It is a war on food, on starvation. People here in the Gaza Strip cannot find bread to eat.”

And Democracy Now, March 7: iden Quietly Approves 100+ Arms Sales to Israel While Claiming Concern for Civilians in Gaza


AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXVIII: "bombshell shards"

winter deepens
bombshell shards glinting
at the crescent moon

Saturday, March 2, 2024

On Fire Tanka

this past summer
whatever wasn't on fire
was under water ...
I recall those days of kicking
at the patches of sea foam

Friday, March 1, 2024

Red Poppy Tanka

a red poppy
on Father's frayed lapel ...
he once asked firmly
son, what do you want to be
when you grow up and why?

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Childhood Dreams Tanka

once again 
tossing-turning through the night ...
my body
lies next to hers, and yet
our childhood dreams drift apart

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Re-Homing Tanka

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXII: "punitive house demolition"

bulldozed house
now a bundle of belongings
on the bent back
of a Palestinian man ...
in his mind's eye re-homing



Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXIII: "bread"

God willing
we'll have bread like the bread
of old days ...
he states with an eye on kids
eating pita of chicken feed


FYI: Haaretz, Feb. 25Israel Blocks Work Visas From International Aid NGO Workers in West Bank and Gaza

The refusal has disrupted the operations of numerous agencies involved in providing medical assistance, food, and water to Gaza residents, who are primarily affected by acute hunger and dehydration. Some aid workers told Haaretz they fear political motivations are behind the decision.

The Guardian, Feb. 27: Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians, UN rights expert says
Exclusive: UN special rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri says denial of food is war crime and constitutes ‘a situation of genocide’

And The Associated Press, Feb. 29Palestinian deaths in Gaza pass 30,000 as witnesses say Israeli forces fire on crowd waiting for aid

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City on Thursday, witnesses said. More than 100 people were killed, bringing the death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas war to more than 30,000, according to health officials.

Hospital officials initially reported an Israeli strike on the crowd, but witnesses later said Israeli troops opened fire as people pulled flour and canned goods off of trucks.

The Israeli military declined to provide an on-the-record statement about the role of troops in the incident.


Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, XXIV: "smell"
written in response to Seamus Heaney's view of poetry in times of crises and after Praniti Gulyani 

In a war situation or where violence and injustice are prevalent, "poetry is called upon to be something more than a thing of beauty." 

the ever-changing
smell of the winter wind
Rafah's tent camp


FYI: Haaretz, Feb. 29Death Is Everywhere': In Gaza, You May Skirt Israel's Bombs, but That Doesn't Mean You're Alive

...Death and destruction were everywhere, with the horrifying smell of flowing sewage and rotting bodies with flies and other insects above them...We walked quietly; most of the people walking marched in silence without looking right or left... 

And 

backyard orchard ...
the ever-changing scent
of the breeze
 
NeverEnding Story, March 1, 2024

Praniti Gulyani 


AddedThis Brave New World, CXLIV

the mall's TV
blasting ad after ad
as shoppers flood in ...
at ninety seconds to midnight
the Doomsday Clock ticks, ticking...


FYI: The Doomsday Clock is a design that warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making.

And Haaretz, Feb. 28: Israeli Calls to 'Nuke Gaza' Are Undermining the Nuclear Ambiguity Doctrine

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who said that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza was "an option," and lawmaker Tally Gotliv, who urged the government to consider using such weapons against Hamas. 

Given the increasing risks of nuclear weapons proliferation – and, worse, use – continuing such self-censorship about Israel's nuclear arsenal is not just bizarre; it's harmful," the authors write.


AddedGame Show 2024, XXXVII

USA!USA!
a mob of ravens unfolds
into echoes 


Added:

a white raven
on the power line ...
winter deepens