The following poems are not meant to terribly amusing or profound. They are intended more as a kind of 'what-if' exploration: what kind of poems do I think these characters would write, if they were to give it a try?
I wanted to give something of a traditional, formally bound feel to them, although I quickly realised I can't really imitate the forms of Classical Chinese poetry, which was my original intention. Still, only recurring characters of Chinese nationality are used.
Comments are very welcome. Don't be afraid to criticise!
Disclaimer: The characters Cologne, Shampoo, Mousse, Pantyhose Taro and the Jusenkyo Guide all belong to their creator, Rumiko Takahashi, and are used here without permission.
CHINESE POEMS by Elin B
Cologne
Opening the back door to the restaurant this morning,
I am greeted by the tumbling spring wind.
It whirls the dust, litter and old leaves around;
And I sense the chill of change in my bones.
This wind has the feel of an old friend of mine;
It knows me well - yet hides a knife in its arms.
The battle it heralds cannot be won;
The hair that it plays with is snowy white.
This crowded city is far from the forest,
And the wise crone, far from the girl she once was.
But the spring wind still runs through the suburban streets,
And I am still filled with joyful surprise.
Shampoo
I am as swift as a whistling arrow,
But my love is swifter than me.
I am as strong as the rushing river,
But my love is stronger than me.
I am as deadly as a gleaming sword's edge,
But my love is far more terrible than me.
I am as cunning as the fox in the thicket,
While my love is as men tend to be.
He is shy, and so he dithers,
But I've seen him fight for me,
Fears of cats and pretty women;
He will lose them soon, you'll see.
He will leave this petty country,
Where he never could be free,
And my happiness will grow daily;
That's how things are meant to be.
"So there!"
Mousse, I.
The scent of the woods,
When the rain is gone,
Will smell sweeter still,
When my love is won.
:whap!:
"Mousse, would you mind not alluding to my great-granddaughter in everything you write"
(glares)"I don't see how that is any business of yours"
"When you declare it out loud like that? It is getting awfully repetitive, sonny"
"Hmph"
"Of course, I don't know if you can put down four whole lines without her in them somewhere. Haha"
"Hrrmph."
Mousse, II.
The storms have passed, the air is fresh;
A lark flies high above the trees.
She calls and calls - I don't know why;
So quiet - not a single breeze...
Pantyhose Taro
(frowns, scratches his head: "poetry? how wussy"
grins: "aha! got it!")
When I fight, it's like a roar up to heaven,
A golden lion, his great mane curled,
Fiercer than dragons, slyer than the tiger:
When I fight, I can rule the world.
:evil chuckle:
The Guide
The springs are as they are. Mountaintops peer through the mists,
Steadfastly growing bamboo, glimpses of dark green forest.
I'm smoking my favourite pipe, my daughter is munching a cookie,
Everything's quiet and ordinary, nothing really goes on.
We live in the middle of danger, surrounded by ancient tragedies;
But this is my job, plain and simple, and are we so special in that?
Right now, my heart is at peace, as I look at the valley before me:
Where stories begin and turn back- Not so close to the edge there, Plum!