Through this driving, bitter, rain,
Off to Grandma’s once again.
Sadly muted Christmas songs-
No one wants to sing along.
Only mournful background sound,
Dragging all our spirits down,
Drowned without a hesitation
By adolescent recitation
Of somber death, poetry
From the nineteenth century.
Perfect mirror for my mood-
Spending hours with this brood!
I must ask you, my old friend,
Will this winter ever end?
Through this driving rain,
Off to Grandma’s once again.
Muted Christmas songs.
No one wants to sing along.
A mournful background sound,
Drowned without hesitation
By adolescent recitation
Of somber death, poetry
From the nineteenth century.
Let this tree stand tall
An icon for all cultures
Monument to peace
~
Пусть это дерево стоять в полный рост
Значок для всех культур
Памятник мира
~
دع هذه الشجرة تقف شامخة
رمز لجميع الثقافات
النصب التذكاري للسلام
~
בואו העץ הזה לעמוד זקוף
סמל לכל התרבויות
אנדרטה לשלום
~
इस पेड़ लंबा खड़े हो जाओ
सभी संस्कृतियों के लिए एक आइकन
शांति के लिए स्मारक
~
讓這棵樹站高
所有文化的圖標
和平的紀念碑
~
この木を高くしてみましょう
すべての文化のアイコン
平和への記念碑
~~~~~~
Image and poem ©2016
by Andy Garrabrant
Please feel free to correct my offered translations. I am no linguist and I know that “Google Translate” often falls short in translation. I welcome both literal and figurative translation. Thank you.
Nary a cloud of godly making
Grace this frigid evening sky
Only streaks of earthly making
Left by humans rushing by.
If you don’t believe
“Let’s talk about your future”
Is an open threat
Then you just don’t understand
Abuse, power, or control.
Name me not Traitor
Because I hold different views
On our country’s course
From those beliefs held by you.
One of us must be
Horribly mistaken but
Question not my Allegiance!
Look upon the moon.
Though you’re very far away,
If I’m looking too,
Regardless of the miles,
We can still share the moment.
Will we find safety
Locked away inside this safe
That once was home of the free?
~~~~
In response to Haiku Horizons prompt: Safe
Haiku Horizons prompt “safe” | Haiku Horizons
https://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com/2016/12/04/haiku-horizons-prompt-safe-2/
I saw three young men clad all in black
Except for bright white tennis shoes.
I’m rather pleased that my first thought
Was “They could use a fashion muse!”
No sense of dread came rising up
From deep within some hidden core
Of long forgotten biased fears.
No deeply planted racial lore.
Just three young men clad all in black
All wearing bright white sneakers
Out for a stroll this Saturday
Not some heartless violence seekers.
Perhaps they want more festive dress.
I pray they avoid unpleasantness.
In these wee hours
Torn harsh from recent slumber
The bitch whisperer rises
What good soul does not
HATE, …yet heed, that siren’s song
Even in these wee hours?
Shame not the body
That falters, fumbles, or fails
If the soul still progresses;
But shame on those souls
That stumble down life’s highway
While the body rides along.
Aroil in Pain 