Cinco／五

So I have returned to a model that I used a little bit in my last poem project: using two languages in a poem, and then MASHING THEM TOGETHER! Since I have now picked up Japanese as well, I can add it to the mix. And Norwegian will be coming along, eventually, so I'll have SO MUCH FUN! But seriously.

Of course, these poems will have accompanying translations.

This poem didn't really have any specific inspiration today, just felt like mixing some languages up. Note that the Japanese section is a haiku: the "feet" (syllables in English) correspond to kana (Chinese characters, hiragana, katakana, basically each little entity), though I cheated because I do not know some of the kanji, so I just used hiragana syllables instead. HEHE.

Moral: beyond us has much to offer, but we are often afraid.

Si jalaras a la cortina,
¿Qué verías? La esquina
No tiene mucha para oferte,
Quizás seas demasiado confortable.

窓から見て、
けしきが待っている。
一緒に行こう！

(Mado kara mite,
keshiki ga matteiru.
issho ni ikou!

Pero tanto miedo tiene tu espíritu.
ばかだ！こわい過ぎる。
(baka da! kowaisugiru.)

TRANSLATION:
If you pulled at the curtain,
What would you see? The corner
Does not have much to offer you,
Maybe you are too comfortable.

Look from the window.
The scenery is waiting.
Let's go together!

But your spirit has a lot of fear.
You are a fool! You are too afraid.

Unpublished Material, ©2011 Cali Digre

Poem dos

This poem was inspired by a snippit of information I heard at a lecture I attended about Norwegian history. Apparently during the Black Death it was commonly believed that the waves of people who died were caused by a powerful witch. When she used her rake, most died but some survived. When she used her broom, no one survived. Thought it was a very interesting image. Enjoy!

Moral: Death is arbitrary.

She uses her rake on us,
To sweep
Our mortality in a rustle
In one
Motion, with the grime.

The broom goes thus:
All souls go to sleep,
No light, no muscle.
She spares none,
Some of the time.

Unpublished Material, ©2011 Cali Digre

Snow on a Glove on a Chairlift

Hello all-
So I'm on spring break now. Woohoo! I've been skiing lots and so have passed quality time on chairlifts. Yay... Chairlifts.

More mountains than glances
Breath-numbered trees,
Infinite chances
On how it will freeze

On a slope. The snow
Could be frost or near
My face. What I don't know
Is why this flake is here.

It melts on my glove
As if maybe to say
Even if it'd love
To have a longer stay,

This flake had happened
To fall on this hand.
So even in a flap, End
Takes the final stand.

Unpublished material, ©2011 Cali Digre