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

Friday, March 4, 2011

Human: A Kyoka Sequence

long, narrow
aisle to the altar
the guests
stand on both sides thinking
they married the wrong people

the morning
greeting has long gone
he ponders
buying that magic blue pill
maybe ten minutes longer

first time
in the Bra Lounge
she wonders
if these fancy bras are those
his interns wear

back from
the housewarming party
they argue
about whose house is bigger
whose children look smart

children's rooms
filled with autumn moonlight
the old couple
sit silently
staring at the TV screen

slow walk
to the church cemetery
the mourners
wear long faces
speaking ill of the deceased


Haiku Canada Review, Vol. 5 No. 1
Take Five : Best Contemporary Tanka, 4, 2012