there I was
thinking the worst
that could happen happened
and then that other shoe
did you know what
right on you know where
Uncategorized
from an untitled poem by Li Shang-yin
Never let your heart open with the spring flowers:
One inch of love is an inch of ashes.
translated by A.C. Graham
from Reading the Poetry of Meng Chiao by Su Tung-p’o
Man’s life is like morning dew,
a flame eating up the oil night by night.
Why should I strain my ears
listening to the squeaks of this autumn insect?
Better lay aside the book
and drink my cup of jade-white wine.
translated by Burton Watson
tell me about it
okay I know
what he said
or didn’t say
what she did
or didn’t do
what goes on
behind that closed door
this is not exactly foreign territory
here
or there
that you are speaking of
and though I sympathize
it’s not something new
for you,
or me
for anyone
but go ahead anyway
tell me about it
then afterwards
I’ll tell you
untitled tanka on sadness from Saigyo
in a mountain village
at autumn’s end–
that’s when you learn
what sadness means
in the blast of the wintry wind
translated by Hiroaki Sato & Burton Watson
The Sky by Sowol Kim
The sky spreads higher and more blue
every day I gaze on it,
the blue turning always
to a sigh.
translated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch
a message from Maxims by François duc de La Rochefoucauld: 2
“The glory of great men must be measured against the means they have used to acquire it.”
translated by Leonard Tancock
Thank You
Well I hope I’m doing this right because I’ve always had trouble following prescribed rules. However, here goes:
First, I want to thank Ar Vhee at metarvheenoia.wordpress.com for nominating me for the two blog awards posted here. This was very kind of her. Unfortunately, since she’s nominated me and one of the rules of accepting these awards is that I’m to nominate 15 other bloggers, I cannot now nominate her which under normal circumstances I would since she would head my list. However I would like to nominate these 15 bloggers for these very same awards since I always enjoy their posts and admire their output:
rukiaucar.wordpress.com
rukiyeucar.wordpress.com
richardjnewman.com
franticscribbles.wordpress.com
seshatwuji.wordpress.com
itwasinretrospect.wordpress.com
idesoflife.wordpress.com
reowr.wordpress.com
shawnbird.com
courtingmadness.wordpress.com
wired4more.wordpress.com
dwbb.wordpress.com
bearspawprint.wordpress.com
poesypluspolemics.com
cindyknoke.com
Now I’m supposed to list 7 interesting things about me. Hmmmm. Okay, here goes:
1. I sweeten my coffee in the mornings on weekends with either Bailey’s Irish Cream or Disaronno, whichever Rind, my local wine shop here in Istanbul, has in stock.
2. I have grown 4 beards in this lifetime, the latest having just been removed by my barber at the end of my fasting period.
3. I love fresh figs.
4. I eat fruit for breakfast in Turkey but usually preferred hotdogs in New York.
5. I watch the movie Shane on or near my birthday every year.
6. I am partial to Italian red wines.
7. I have been known to dance on tables
And now, if I understand the rules correctly, I must post a comment to each one of my nominees, but not before I once again thank Ar Vhee for honoring me so. You are truly a woman full of grace and style.
Thank you.
Leonard Durso 