【天玉之原創英文詩歌習作集】（2015-2023） (1-10)

             

               【天玉之原創英文詩歌習作集】（2015-2023）(10首）

 

 

                              文/天玉之

                                            

 

1.

    【A Van Gogh's Sunflower】

 

In Van Gogh's vase of sunflowers,

Some are withering in hearts,

Some are dying in their souls ——

What color is your sunflower?

 

Is it in Van Gogh's golden yellow,

As if the sun blazes through the back of the paper,

Shines on the petals, on the tiny seeds,

Radiates those around you?

 

Oh, be a Van Gogh's flaming sunflower,

Bloom bright yellow,

With your wide open eyes, a fiery soul,

Even in thunders and rain, hear musical, until

 

One day, you are too old to utter a word, 

Or make a difference, a sudden, painless death, 

As falling sun-kissed seeds scream to spread 

In the spring soil,

 

Like what you did, a hundred years ago 

 

* I have read the biography of Van Gogh when I was in my 20s. It was a very thick book but I finished it. It had a lasting effect on me. I went to “Beyond Van Gogh” last summer with my girlfriend and we had a great time there. Here is a video of that visit. Let's see how many paintings you can recognize from it. It was very interesting for me to read about each of the painting's creative background, some were directly from Vincent's own words. I hope you too enjoy the art and the video! ～～

 

 

 

2.

              【Seven Jasmine Blossoms】

 
       A fresh fragrance leads me to the garden patio,

       Ten white jasmine buds bloom

       After last night’s summer drizzle.

       I pick three blossoms and put them in my tea,

       Just the right amount of sweetness it needs.

       The other seven I have to let go,

       They wither and fall onto the dirt below, 

       Their existence, no one else on earth know, except        

       The scent lingers in my deepest memory, 

       It gets stronger as I grow old 

 

 

 

 

 

3。

              【Sweet Pause】

 

Thanks for the sweet pause 

From summer’s cicada songs,

In the middle of each year,

Miss someone dearly from afar,

With soft songs humming in my head，

Like a bumble bee sings to a rose，

Knowing probably being thought of 

On those days as well

 

 

 

4.

                【Lost for Words】

 
                         
I am not a cry baby, you know that

Even if I would like to, today

Create my own pond with rain water,

Not a dam built for me in sight 

 

I could show you a pyramid of sadness, 

Built with little rocks from river of time,

Quiet as old stamps locked in my drawer 

What would you say, anyway, if I do?

 

Are you going to break the barbwire,

Rush to me, hold a rujiao lotus flower bowl to 

Catch my tears? How I wish

The answer were not so clear

 

To say that I am not loved or unlucky

That is not the case either

A woman like me, one of a kind，

Is it really hard for men to fall on me?

 

Please forgive me, I lost for words on this day, 

My love, stay where you are, keep watching ——

The blue ocean is making waves of its own,

Where you belong

 

 

 

5.

                 【A Little Sailboat】

 

From the north, comes the naughty wind 

One moment, sends me to cloud high,

Next second, pours over my head

Buckets of cold rain

   

So I dock the boat, not going anywhere ——

There is always a sunny tomorrow, and 

Ample time, to feel the strong, warm blow,

Pushing me from behind 

 

As the tempest howling at the sea,

I hide my head in the tender arms of 

A calm bay, like a snuggling little dachshund,

Sleep tight, dream sweet dreams                       

 

 

 

6.

                  【Beautiful Wind】

 

I am nothing but a tiny swirl of wind,

Passing by this vast universe and time,

A journey, only those living and touched care

 

You have heard my sunny laughter, when I 

Play with blue waves, my sigh and whimper

On spring nights, over raindrops of heart 

 

I have showed my howling wrath by

Joining forces in tornadoes, to eradicate polio,

Sweep away injustice and evils

 

More often, I escape to rose gardens,

Dance with butterflies of light wings, similar spirits,

Resonate with heartbeats of flowers, soak in fragrances

 

Time will come when my swift journey ends,

Like sand in a palm of hands, I settle on a hill where

Ocean waves chant, days and nights,
 

 
Watching the sun rises from the sea,

I embrace the eternal stillness of a wind

 

                         
" Polio, a rotarian's mission to eradicate it from the world

 

 

 

7.

       【A Few Magical Places】

 

I have been global trotting lately 

Eight countries, three continents 

Miles after miles, high and low 

The world is never short of 

Beautiful sites, things, and people 

 

But there are a few magical places 

For now, I would not go ——

It takes two to carry 

Both ends of a rainbow

I may get misty-eyed, if I go solo

 

I have saved a few places on my bucket list

To feel the magic unwrap,

To see the stars, sparks, and blush intertwine,

While I am being with you 

 

 

 

 

8.

             【Africa Sunrise】 

 
It arrives softly, in shades of

Lemon, yellow, orange, red, as if 

Bold mono colors would have startled 

The quiet morning hunts of Cape starlings,

Impalas, zebras, wildebeests, guineafowls 

 

The sun puts red caps on top of 

The mountain range, morning breeze sends

White fog flowing in fairy skirts,

Dancing above reed filled ponds, where 

Hippos poke out their heads from lily pads 

 

Jeeps for morning safari game drives,

Dot the vast landscape like toy cars,

The only loud sound, echos In this part of the world, 

As the Africa sun rises

 

 

 

 

This movie video highlighted my marathon trip in Africa last month. The Big Five Marathon is mainly fundraising for the World Red Cross organization. It is well known to be one of the most difficult marathon course in the world. It runs in a 5,300-acre private safaris reserve. The big five animals in Africa walking freely inside and there is no fence between the running course and the animals. I am not kidding. After the marathon, I visited three African countries and Victoria Falls. Most of the photos and videos were taken by me, and I also chose the soundtrack to go with it. In the video, there are moments when the matriarch of the elephant family sees us, raises her leg to greet us, and three elephants swim across the river shoulder-to-shoulder. The last photo of the video is a group photo of the brave souls who ate the Mopane Worm, including myself. Take a guess, the last shot of the video, which movie does it come from? Hope you enjoy the video and poem! ～～

 

 

 

9.

            【The Tenderness of Pity】

 

“I am having the best time of my life

Right now …” She said, with a smile

 

“What you just said, broke my heart,”

“It broke my heart…” , he repeated 

 

The burning wood in the fire pit 

Let out a loud sound, red stars splashed out

 

She sank in her chair, defeated ——

Someone just uncovered her hidden wound

 

It was the faint tremble in his voice,

The tenderness in the tone, turned her head 

 

Oh, the tenderness of pity, around braai and fire,

Came from a stranger in a distant continent

 

Through the smoke of fire, she saw herself

Weeping in his arms, without a sound, 

For eight years

 

 

 

10.

               【Bush Dance】  

 
A male greater Kudu with tall spiral horns,

Stands in front of a femal kudu, 

Whistles low pitched calls,

She doesn't pull away from the neck wrestle, 

Nor from the tight limb hugs, not so subtle 

 

Similar body moves, rhythems, breathing 

In nearby Boma dinner drum show

Dressed, face painted with flowers,

They play leather drums, dance, eat barbecue

A man approaches a woman, offers her a Minty Mojito

 

The sun sets in shades of red, gold, purple,

The night is still young

She sees the Milky Way, the Southern Cross,

For the first time, from a new, different angle,

As her ancestors did, three million years ago 

 

 

 

(To be continued)