The Pink Ribbon
Autumn’s on its last gasp, leaves already half-buried in the wet ground. They cling to my shoes in clumps, slowing each early morning step.
quiet path I trip over my shadow
The mist refuses to lift, so, when I reach the lake there is only the sound of lapping waves and close up, the unfurling lotuses at its edges. I sit on an empty bench and listen to submerged birdsong.
transience
the wet pebbles
under my feet
Dawn is breaking. I close my eyes and let my body float; the sunrays touch my breast; its warmth lifts me above the clouds. In such moments, before I fall, sometimes I glimpse the divine.
calm wind my steady heartbeat
I am calm as I walk back. It seems all my worries disappear : the diagnosis, the surgery, all of it.
And there is only the light.
half-opened window
composing a new song
the robin and I
ring of fire
I stand my ground
without you
the icy breeze
between us
perseids
all those narratives
I hold back
counting
the days till
far apart
cul-de-sac
my breaking point
rising fever
all photos turned
into ashes
Hifsa Ashraf & Sherry Grant
背叛
作者：伊芙莎·阿許拉芙（巴基斯坦）+ 火の鳥（紐西蘭 ）
中文翻譯：火の鳥
猛烈的火圈
我堅持我的立場
毋需靠你
我倆之間的
冰凍三尺
流星雨
我對我的故事
三緘其口
倒數計時
直到我們相互
遠離的那一天
無路可逃
我忍受不了
熱度上升
所有照片都
燒成灰燼
Failed Haiku, Issue 71, November 2021
-------------------------------
Failed Haiku, Issue 70
crossing boundary
the lingering smell
of desi roti
earthen pot
welling up stars in her eyes
nightingale songs
pull me towards
the old haveli
again clambering
over quiet walls
a forgotten prayer
concrete courtyard
imprints of small feet
passing breeze
flecks of blossoms
on my shawl
Hifsa Ashraf & Richa Sharma
---------
Heal Thyself
coming home
the family gate still creaks
goodbye
moths flicker
around my silver hair
genealogy
tracing a path into
inner space
moondust
chiselling out
my narrative of being
lost on the beaten track
out of my old self
mindfulness
finding my place
deep within
John Hawkhead & Hifsa Ashraf
Eid Stories
Eid moon sighting
all we become
the howling wolves
Eid moon—
aligning my smile
with its light
Eid prayer—
in rows and columns
bowing heads
pandemic year’s Eid
greeting each other
with masked faces
Eid festivity...
a traditional Pakistani meal
with new flavours
Eid gown
in every fold
the galaxy of stars
palm henna tattoo
colouring
my life line
Eid day rain
in a teen girl’s hands
the jingling bangles
mom’s Eid party
the lingering aroma
of kebabs and tikka
Eid dinner...
all we discussed
the next Eid plans
failed haiku A Journal of English Senryu Volume 6, Issue 68
|
quiet day |
|
|
|
one after
another |
|
daffodil’s petals |
|
|
|
under his
feet |
|
her innocence |
|
|
|
crumpled |
----------------
|
acid rain |
|
|
|
uprooting
|
|
her feelings |
|
|
|
the
jasmine buds |
|
without fragrance |
|
|
|
forced
marriage |
-----------------
|
torrential rain |
|
|
|
washes away |
|
her story |
|
|
|
that is written |
|
on the wall |
|
|
|
with charcoal |
---------------
|
|
|
|
|
she makes |
|
soap bubbles |
|
|
|
with her
small hands |
|
to catch a
glimpse |
|
|
|
of her
fragile aura |
------------------
|
her
voice |
|
|
|
deepens |
|
the
folk songs |
|
|
|
she sings |
|
all
alone |
|
|
|
for her
doll bride |
----------------
|
her cupped hands |
|
|
|
on
the wedding day |
|
after a long
silence |
|
|
|
she
mumbles |
|
her deepest wish |
|
|
|
to
fly like a sparrow |
failed haiku A Journal of English Senryu Volume 6, Issue 67
----------------
Failed Haiku Issue 66 'Back from the Dead'
mammogram—
I encounter
more shadows
before and after
my self-isolation
flickering fireflies
office email…
the Eid greeting card
in black and white
midsummer rain
striking the front gate
mom's memory
perceived to be a Muslim
he avoids itching his beard
on the night train
self-isolation
the rain and I
falling more
No comments:
Post a Comment