The Color of Water
Eyes the color of water. The tree I cut down
returns: fallen leaves, smoke, the missing
shade, memory come to reflect
emotion. Once the blue grosbeak
hid in its branches, calling but refusing
to appear, the voice our only consolation.
Now rain streaks the empty space.
Those things we touch often bruise,
but to leave them untouched may harm us
even more. Two days ago the sky cleared.
Changes, how often we see them for what
they are not. An essential falsity. Those eyes.
Words, ever-changing. Shadows of lovers
whose bodies merge but never touch.
Nice!! 🙂
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Thank you, Robin.
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“Now rain streaks the empty space.
Those things we touch often bruise…”
lovely
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I’m very pleased you like this. Thank you.
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very cool imagery.
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Thanks, Andrew.
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It’s beautiful! 🙂
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Thank you.
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There is a really lovely sense of negative space in this poem. Not in form, per say, but in the imagery. The shade, the grossbeak’s voice, the shadows of lovers. Wonderful— and this turn- “Those things we touch often bruise,but to leave them untouched may harm us even more” Much enjoyed.
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Absence often strikes harder than presence, and can be more memorable. I’m glad you enjoyed this.
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Very very nice. The last sentence is incredible! ‘Shadows of lovers whose bodies merge but never touch’. Christ, i wish i could write like that!
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Thanks, EW. Just one word followed by others.
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beautiful and touching, thank you
Namaste
Michelle
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Thank you, Michelle. Much appreciated.
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Great poem, creating personal imagry.
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Thanks, Walt. Loss comes to us in many guises.
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WOW
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I hope that was a good “wow,” and not a pained “wow.” 🙂
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They’re always good wows–I’ll figure out something else to express pain.
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I’m so relieved. 🙂
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What I felt your poem speaks about is the impossibility of certainty. We know deep inside us that there is nothing certain in this Universe, other than the Universe itself, but still we look for things to cling on.
And, at the same time, there is nothing certain in love other than love itself, still we stubbornly press into things to be as we expect them to.
It also reminds me of our, apparently, innate melancholy as human beings. There is a certain sadness hiding deep inside, maybe a feeling of what we can be, but rarely become? So seldom in the present, so often in the loses of the past.
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Uncertainty is perhaps our greatest certainty. Thank you for your careful reading of the poem. I appreciate it.
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“….shadows of lovers whoose bodies merge but never touch” I love this imagination.
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Thank you.
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I like this one a lot, Robert. And the photo is amazing as well…Judy
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Thanks, Judy. The photos alas, are not mine – they’re from morguefile.com.
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I keep returning to this one, particularly the idea of how memory is tinged by emotion — a very essential falsity
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Memory is a tricky beast, no?
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Wonderful. I love your poetry. Do you mind if sometimes I reblog some of your poems on my blog. Thank you.
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It would be an honor, Katarina. Feel free to reblog anytime. Thank you.
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Thank you very much.
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Reblogged this on The Secret Life of Sahara and commented:
Wednesday Weekly Readings – I hope you’ll enjoy in these wonderful verses as I did.
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Your poems have such quiet elegance.
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Thank you. You’re very generous.
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If only life can be so beautiful everyday like your poems, then the whole world would be nice. Beautiful, Robert! 🙂
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And now I’m blushing, Sherrie. Thank you.
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A good read! It’s even better read our loud! 🙂
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That’s good to hear! Thank you.
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My pleasure! Its s good sing if I feel moved to speak the words aloud! 🙂
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true words…you know me, I thought the art was cool too…
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Thanks very much!
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This poem is beautifully written. The imagery it creates is magical. Thank you.
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Thank you, Shell.
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Reblogged this on Life is But This and commented:
To Robert – thanks for letting me translate your work. Hope you like it:
水的顏色
眼染著水的顏色
砍下了的樹重現
化為烏有的葉
毀了的樹蔭
激動了懷情
曾經隱在樹中的鳥
現在只聽聲而不見
託歌僅為安慰
雨在空中留痕
可觸之能傷之
但不碰會更傷
兩日前天晴了
變化不是我們
想像中的一樣
是必要的謊言
那一雙眼睛
常變的說話
情人的影子
可融不可觸
(c) Mary Tang 2015
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Robert I also have a voice file of my reading the translation in Cantonese. If you’d like to have a copy, please let me know where to send it. I will work on putting voice files on my blog but am too busy to bother right now as I am trying to get ready for a month long absence.
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Done 🙂
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Mary, I’d love to have a copy. Please send it to robertokaji@yahoo.com. Thank you!
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It’s now attached to my post 🙂
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