shadowing
a Ulysses butterfly
to this mountain trail
of many twists and turns ...
at last Time leaves me alone
Honorable Mention, 2025 Fujisan Tanka Contest
Japanese Translation:
幸運の瑠璃蝶追いて山道をゆけども時間にとり残されて
FYI: For detailed comments, see Poetic Musings: Ulysses Butterfly Tanka by Chen-ou Liu
...The tanka frames pursuit as a meditative act, with the speaker “shadowing” a Ulysses butterfly whose vivid, elusive flight draws attention away from the self and into motion. ...
