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

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Selected Senryu: Gala Dinner Senryu

gala dinner
the new mayor talks
of the have-nots


Editor's Choice Senryu, Cattails, April 2017 

Senryu Editor's Comment: The poem first gives the setting, a gala dinner, presumably to celebrate the new mayor’s appointment. Against this setting the mayor talks about the have-nots even as he quaffs champagne and stuffs his mouth with caviar. The irony of the situation makes one boil with indignation and smile at the same time. The poet has phrased the poem extremely well, painting the picture and leaving it to the reader to judge or conclude as he/she will, without in any way being judgemental himself.