Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LIX: "Rafah's border wall" the kids stare beyond Rafah's border wall the slow descent of a butterfly kite severed from its string FYI: Al Jazeera, Feb. 20: Kites fill Rafah’s skies, a symbol of hope amid Israel’s war on Gaza In Rafah’s horrifically crowded camps, children find one bright spot of play and smiles, up in the skies above. And this symbol of hope and its significance are articulated in Refaat Alareer's farewell poem: Watch the Scottish actor Brian Cox read Refaat Alareer's poem, “If I Must Die,” posted on December 1, 2 ..read more

English Original out at sea with no wind in my sails … the hardest place to be is by your side hedgerow, 19, 2015   Sergio A. Ortiz Chinese Translation (Traditional) 在海上漂流 我的帆沒有風 … 最難以忍受 的地方 是留在你身邊 Chinese Translation (Simplified) 在海上漂流 我的帆没有风 … 最难以忍受 的地方 是留在你身边 Bio Sketch Sergio A. Ortiz is a Puerto Rican poet and the founding editor of Undertow Tanka Review. He is a two time Pushcart nominee, a four time Best of the Web nominee, and a 2016 Best of the Net nominee. He is currently working on his first full length collection of poems, Elepha ..read more

English Original late afternoon up to its belly in hyacinths a pregnant buffalo The Heron’s Nest, 7:1, 2005 Angelee Deodhar Chinese Translation (Traditional) 下午晚些時候 風信子高到它 的 肚子 一頭懷孕的水牛 Chinese Translation (Simplified) 下午晚些时候 风信子高到它的肚子 一头怀孕的水牛     Bio Sketch Angelee Deodhar of Chandigarh (India) was an eye surgeon by profession as well as a haiku poet, translator, and artist. Her haiku/haiga has been published internationally. She didn't have her own website.To promote haiku in India, she has translated six books of haiku from English to Hindi ..read more

English Original childless ... I hug a teddy bear into the void FemkuMag, 1, June 2018 Rachel Sutcliffe Chinese Translation (Traditional) 沒有孩子 我擁抱一隻泰迪熊 留在虛空之中 Chinese Translation (Simplified) 没有孩子 我拥抱一只泰迪熊 留在虚空之中 Bio Sketch Rachel Sutcliffe had suffered from a serious immune disorder for over 16 years; throughout  this time writing had been her therapy, and it kept her from going insane! She was an active member of the British Haiku Society and has been published in various journals including  Prune Juice, Failed Haiku and Hedgerow ..read more

English Original Anzac parade shoulder to shoulder headless shadows André Surridge  Chinese Translation (Traditional) 澳紐軍團遊行 肩並肩 無頭的影子們 Chinese Translation (Simplified) 澳纽军团游行 肩并肩 无头的影子们 Bio Sketch André Surridge was an award-winning playwright and poet who immigrated to New Zealand from Yorkshire, England in 1972. He was President of the Playwrights Association of New Zealand from 1998-2000. Widely published, some of his awards included: 1995 Minolta Playwriting Award,  2007 Elizabeth Searle Lamb Award, 2008 Tanka Splendor Award, and 2010 Jane Reichhold Inter ..read more

My Dear Readers: NeverEnding Story contributor, Kala Ramesh, had a free ebook out: the unseen arc, winner of The Snapshot Press Book Awards. Her collection of winning tanka is visually and emotionally arresting, and oftentimes thought-provoking. The following are the tanka selected for your reading pleasure. Selected Tanka: the night all to myself I imagine the unseen arc of the crescent moon a sudden spurt of warm feeling ...               my blood          from a womb  I knew nothing about mother laments being old an ..read more

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LV: "mass graves" hosting Passover the festival of freedom ... a neighbor's TV blasts news of the mass graves found at Gaza's hospital FYI: The First night of Passover 2024 is on April 22nd, which is the most important day during the 8-day Passover celebration.  NBC News, April 22: Dozens of bodies exhumed from mass graves at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. The hospital was raided by Israeli forces before their recent withdrawal from the area. And Haaretz, April 21: The Israel-Gaza War Will Make This Passover Seder Diffe ..read more

For Earth Day Reflections spring day mural: green paint sprayed across the wall behind leafless trees NeverEnding Story, March 21, 2024 Chen-ou Liu Commentary: The two parts of this "spring day mural/L1" haiku offers at least two contrasts, visual and symbolic (artistic/man-made: "replication of the absent leaves" of trees in L 2 vs natural/diseased or dying/dead in L3; And "spring day" in L1 vs "leafless trees" in L3) and one environmentally significant and emotionally poignant question: why these trees, a synecdoche used to refer to Nature, leafless during springtime, i.e. lifeless. Thi ..read more

English Original a migraine, a pill, a sweltering afternoon, clouds without rain, days without love  January, A Tanka Diary, 2013 M. Kei Chinese Translation (Traditional) 偏頭痛， 一粒藥， 一個悶熱的午後， 有雲無雨， 沒有愛的日子 Chinese Translation (Simplified) 偏头痛， 一粒药， 一个闷热的午后， 有云无雨， 没有爱的日子 Bio Sketch M. Kei is a tall ship sailor and award-winning poet who lives on Maryland’s Eastern shore. He is the editor of Atlas Poetica: A Journal of World Tanka. His most recent collection of poetry is January, A Tanka Diary. He is also the author of the award-winning gay Age of Sail adventure no ..read more

English Original ant hill ... all these words searching for a voice Simply Haiku, 6:3, Autumn 2008 Laryalee Fraser  Chinese Translation (Traditional) 螞蟻山丘 ... 所有這些字詞找尋 一個表達方式 Chinese Translation (Simplified) 蚂蚁山丘 ... 所有这些字词找寻 一个表达方式 Bio Sketch A resident of British Columbia, Canada, Laryalee Fraser was actively engaged in online poetry forums from the mid-1990’s until her death in 2013. Her poetry has been widely published in haiku and tanka journals, and  in 2006, she compiled an online anthology of haiku, "a procession of ripples ..read more