Japan Society of Fairfield County
Tanka(13)
by Dr. Ikuko Anjo Jassey
温もりを求めて母の留袖に腕を通せば淡雪のふる
nu ku mo ri o mo to me te ha ha no to me so de
ni u de o to o se ba a wa yu ki no hu ru
Mom’s formal kimono
putting my arm
into a sleeve
looking for warmth
Soft snow falling
花柄の傘を斜めにかたむけて濡れてよかとよ春雨じゃけん
ha na ga ra no ka sa o na na me ni ka ta mu ke
te nu re te yo ka to yo ha ru sa me ja ke n
A flower-patterned umbrella
tilted slantingly
a woman standing
getting wet in spring rain
all right
「そやかてな、政府は国籍くれへんねん」洋子は洋子 洋子は洋子
so ya ka te na se i hu wa ko ku se ki ku re he
n ne n yo o ko wa yuh ja yuh ja wa yo o ko
“You say so, but…
unattainable is citizenship”
for a Korean like her
Yoko is Yuh ja
Yuh ja is Yoko
葉桜の陰でたゆたう白蝶の思わせぶりな千束界隈
ha za ku ra no ka ge de ta yu to o shi ro cho o
no o mo wa se bu ri na se n zo ku a ta ri
Yesterday’s red-light Senzoku
White butterflies
behind leafy cherry trees
flying seductively
まどろみて梁より落つる青大将きまり悪そな八月の午後
ma do ro mi te ha ri yo ri o tsu ru a o da i
sho o ki ma ri wa ru so na ha chi ga tsu no go
go
An August afternoon
on a naked ceiling
out of a beam
a blue-green big snake
dozed off
dropped off
looked embarrassed
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