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

Friday, February 6, 2026

Groundhog Day loop Gembun

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CCLXXVII: "Groundhog Day loop"

Phase two of the Gaza ceasefire plan rolls on the news ticker. 

fireball by fireball
day and night, night and day:
Groundhog Day loop



FYI: "Groundhog Day Loop:" a plot in which the character is caught in a time loop, doomed to repeat a period of time (often exactly one day) over and over..." Watch the time loop scene from 1993 Groundhog Day.


Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CCLXXVIII: "cart of bodies"

Drones buzzing against Gaza's sky tinged orange-red.

a fork in the road
lined with smoky rubble ...
a cart of bodies


Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CCLXXIX: "outstretched hands"

A crowd of kids with outstretched hands, metal bowls gleaming in the dust.

a girl's empty stare 
grains scraped from the cracked pot
tumble past the bowl