Chen-ou Liu Poems

an empty chair
at the Nobel ceremony...
thoughts of Tank Man
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'I love you...'
she bites half the chocolate heart
I brought her
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job hunting...
a yellow leaf drifts
from branch to branch
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wordless
in my borrowed tongue
plum blossoms
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A Tanka Prose for Basho


In 1693, parting from his favorite disciple Kyoroku, Basho said, “Didn't the retired Emperor Go-Toba say of Saigyo's poetry that it contained truth tinged with sorrow? Take strength from his words and follow unswervingly the narrow thread of the Way of poetry.”
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Version I

Jesus shouted, 'Eli Eli lama sabachthani? ' which is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? '
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who claimed that '... there is no such thing as society... There are individual men and women, and there are families'


'Iron Lady Dead! '
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autumn twilight…
dueling with my shadow
once again
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this ink dark night...
nostalgia and loneliness
circle me
two predators waiting
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