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

Monday, October 27, 2014

Rising Tone Senryu

oh, you're a poet ...
her rising tone
in the last syllable

Editor's Choice Senryu, Cattails, 3, 2014

Comment by Senryu Editor, Mike Rehling

Every poet has been there, it happens a lot. If you say you are an accountant, or a gas station attendant there is immediate understanding of your role in our complex society. It just happens, but if you toss out the poet card you can never quite tell how it will be received. The other folks don’t have an easy way to relate to us poets. This one nailed it with the tone of the woman being unmistakable in her confusion as to how to react.