Green water reflects scales of bright red;
Weeds and algae appear as clear as in a mirror.
When the fisherman rapped on his boat,
I thought it was petals falling.
translated by Yin-nan Chang
Month: February 2017
Ancient Sentiments by Wu Wei-yeh
My love is like the silk on the loom,
To be woven into a Tree of Longing.
I’m like the blossoms on your cloth coat
Which no spring wind can deflower.
translated by Irving Lo
these ancient poets
these ancient poets
and their longing
for homes
beyond reach
family friends
only recalled
in memory
carrying a melancholy
at times too deep
to bear
yet able still
to be stunned
by the beauty
of the natural world
around them
these ancient poets
speak to for me
from Chen-chou Quatrains by Wang Shih-chen: No. 1
At dawn I climb a river tower to its very highest storey,
The gentle and delicate look of departing sail is hard to bear.
The tide stretches a thousand yards below White Sands Pavilion;
Sending a homesick heart all the way back to Mo-ling.
translated by David Bryant
All That We Share (Watch!)
from Ivon Prefontaine’s blog: Teacher as Transformer
Video post by @davidkanigan. This is a great post from David and worth the few minutes it takes to watch it.
Source: All That We Share (Watch!)
As I watched this video, it reminded me of an undergraduate class I took. It was the only class non-special needs undergraduate students could take.
I recall how our text and professor focused on the idea that we have far more in common than what makes us difference. At the core, we are each humans and, when we see each other in that light, it makes all the difference.
When we take time and are mindful to each person present to us, we can grow and understand their presence is a gift to each of us. The differences make us each a unique star in the universe, but there is more to each of us that makes us the same.
Chatting about the Past with the Elder (Ching-jen) by Hung Liang-chi
All ambitions of youth yield place to calamities;
Parted as in a dream–reunited, we can’t trust our eyes.
Shall we match our strength in climbing one more mountain?
Winning fame in literature, there’s you alone.
In a sea of dust, we still can tarry for a little while;
Or sit in a granary of books, all day, without food.
This morning I took myself to Yen Pavilion for a look,
Trying to find the leanest horse to ride down the capital street.
translated by Irving Lo
a memory long ago
a step
into morning light
a memory
long ago
never locked
no key needed
the door
never locked
on my heart
Spring Snow by Dong Fang Qiu春雪。東方虬(translation)
Another translation from the Chinese by Mary Tang.
Anna sheds
Anna sheds
her present
like an old
party dress
a size too small
and laces up
her hopes
for the future
Leonard Durso 