Haiku by Sherry Grant in New Zealand

On January 24, 2021, Ms. Sherry Grant in New Zealand sent her email to me as follows.

Dear Hidenori-san,

It was very nice to meet you online. I have just started writing poems in June 2020. Whereas probably not yet very amazing, I think I am improving. 

I wrote quite a lot already, mostly in short forms (I am most published for my cherita, 44 accepted so far, and another 30 poems in other forms). A number of my poems have been translated into Japanese and other languages. I have a longer poem ‘Combat Ready’ that got short listed at the 2020 NZ Heritage Literary Award, and this poem got translated into Japanese by a friend too! I love seeing my poems in Japanese. Perhaps in the future, I will have an opportunity to publish my books of poetry bilingually, in both Japanese and English!

Yours,

Sherry

drowsy afternoon
mistaken for sultry sun
winter hearth

(Sherry Grant Op.1397)

眠そうな午後
蒸し暑い太陽と間違えた
冬の炉床

fairy tales
once upon a moon-lit night 
children’s dreams

(Sherry Grant Op.1398)

おとぎ話
月明かりの夜に一度
子供たちの夢

my memory
not what it used to be
      c
        r
          a
             s
                h

(Sherry Grant Op.1396)

私の思い出
以前のものではありません
粉々に砕ける音

a world
all shaken up
snow globe

(Sherry Grant Op.1367)

世界
すべてが揺さぶられる
雪の地球

solar flare
mother’s angry tone
any time now

(Sherry Grant Op.1393)

太陽フレア光
母の怒りの声
今いつでも

moments of 
temporary relief
winter cascade

(Sherry Grant Op.1381)

瞬間
一時的な救済の
冬の小滝

sweater 
from last season
one size too small

(Sherry Grant Op.1384)

セーター
昨シーズンから
１サイズ小さすぎる

stop playing 
with your food
kitten’s mitten

(Sherry Grant Op.1388)

遊ぶのをやめなさい
食べ物と一緒に
子猫のミトン

drinking game 
with imaginary friends
hot sake

(Sherry Grant Op.1390)

飲酒ゲーム
架空の友達と
熱燗

piled up high
autumn leaves landing
fresh bruises 

(Sherry Grant Op.1392)

高く積み上げられた
紅葉の着陸
痛ましい傷

― Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta

p.s.

I just started writing poems in June 2020 but in the last 7 months I’ve written over 1400 poems with over 70 accepted for publication at various journals and anthologies around the world, and I was long listed at (2020 Glass House Festival) poetry competition in India one month after I started writing, short listed at 2020 NZ Heritage Literary Awards 2 months after I started writing poetry!

https://nzsacanterbury.wordpress.com/heritage-literary-awards-2020/