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

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Immigrant Past Tanka

long time no see
a friend I met years ago
greets me with hugs ...
my immigrant past
now a foreign country



Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LXIV: "arsenal of democracy"

Arsenal of "Democracy"

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

how many charred corpses
must the President witness
before his policy changes?
to the clicking of cameras
the spokesman's mouth opens, closes...

police phalanx ...
a keffiyeh-draped student
sings Fida'i
with his hands at his sides
               eyes faraway

protesters
squeezed shoulder to shoulder
thunderous chants
of Cease Fire and Hostage Deal Now
throughout Tel Aviv's night


FYI: The title alludes to Joe Biden's Oct. 19 2023 primetime address, in which he described the American arms industry in Remarkably GlOWING TERMS, noting that, “just as in World War II, today patriotic American workers are building the arsenal of democracy and serving the cause of freedom.” For more, see Salon, "Commentary," Nov. 15, 2023: "Good times for the military-industrial complex": American arms makers cashing in on conflict: But is it truly the arsenal of democracy?)

And Fida'ī" (Lit.: "Fedayeen warrior") is the national anthem of Palestine:

Warrior, warrior, warrior,
Oh my land, the land of the ancestors
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
Oh my people, people of eternity ...


The following entry could be read as a sequel to the last tanka:

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, X: "Let My People Go"

lingering echoes
from a sea of protesters
in Tel Aviv:
Let My People Go
Elections Now



And Haaretz, June 1: Tens of Thousands of Israelis Protest Ruling Coalition, Demand Hostage Deal Following U.S. Gaza Proposal

Police clashed with protesters in Tel Aviv; A hostage's mother said Biden delivered speech 'because he knows Netanyahu can sabotage the deal.' Hostages families led protests at cabinet members homes across Israel to convince them to accept Biden deal


AddedAgainst the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LXV: "the objectors"

The Objectors

handcuffed
blindfolded and dragged away 
by policemen
an Arab Israeli arrested
for her anti-war posts 

the White House
in the gathering dark
a lone nurse
on her hunger strike
for Gazan children


AddedRe-Homing in the Maple Land, XXII

another sunrise
after days of rain and wind
the tent cities 
grow between highrises, under bridges
along riverbanks and in parks


Added: 

the brick shack
with boarded windows
facing a graveyard
in gathering dusk
a torn-up chapbook: I AM


Added:

surging waves
come and go, come and go ...
alone again
in this motel room
I feel your presence


AddedGame Show, 2024, L

grinning ear to ear
after Manhattanhenge's glow
Trump found guilty 


FYI: Yahoo!News, May 30Trump found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records, becoming the first U.S. president to be convicted of criminal charges


The trial lasted a month and a half and was plenty eventful. In addition to the fiery testimonies of Daniels and Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, Trump was held in contempt of court 10 times and fined $10,000 for violating a gag order against attacking people involved with the trial. 


AddedGame Show, 2024, LI

guilty or not guilty,
does it matter?
same old man's crocodile smile


FYI: American crocodiles live in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean and occur at the northern end of their range in south Florida and the Keys.

And USA Today, May 31: Trump campaign doubles previous one-day record fundraising haul after guilty verdict

Former President Donald Trump's campaign says it raised a whopping $34.8 million in small dollar donations after he was convicted Thursday on 34 felony counts in Manhattan.


AddedGame Show, 2024, LII

day after day
unrolling news after news
of the hush money trial ...
can Trump's guilty verdict 
patch up this broken world?


AddedGame Show, 2024, LIII

Lost & Found
a Mexican parrot screams
guilty, guilty ...