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

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

River Trail Tanka

Starlight on the Gutter of  Blossoms, IV

silver moonlight 
drips through weeping willow leaves
the river trail  reeks 
where a stray rips the throat
from a bag of rotting guts



Added: Starlight on the Gutter of  Blossoms, V

the milky way 
floats in the midlight river --
one yellow stream
arcs higher than the other
while two drunks shout and laugh


Added: Starlight on the Gutter of  Blossoms, VI

the warbler’s wail
ripples through the morning mist --
the screech of brakes
as a truck grinds to a stop
inches from the toddler


Added: Starlight on the Gutter of  Blossoms, VII

the moonlit creek
chatters over mossy rocks
the drainage pipe 
spewing vomit after vomit
of neon-blue factory sludge


Added: Starlight on the Gutter of  Blossoms, VIII

fields of wheat
rippling in morning sunshine
roadside billboards
hawk cheap loans and debt swaps
to the hollow-eyed and aged


Added: Starlight on the Gutter of  Blossoms, IX

morning mist
veiling the river’s curve ...
the bridge traffic stops
as a rusted semi-truck 
grinds a stray into pulp