Life (a poem by Chiranan Pitpreecha)
(Kaentian Street / Shutterstock.com)
Leven
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The pain erupts, deep, piercing.
Nerves throb and wring.
The sweat flows, hot and fierce,
Dazzle eyes with mist and fog.
Silhouettes change places;
Movements go back and forth.
Fragments of old dreams fly
To today, and pass quickly.
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Then the first sweet words…
And shaky steps
Dress up lavishly.
Twenty-five years lived!
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Through joy and adversity
Learned everything from mother.
Dearly loved by mother.
More than words can say.
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The pains jerk and shake.
Limbs jerk wildly.
The labor pains begin.
Cry out in pain, and cry.
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The little life that was inside of me
Delights my life.
Fill me with joy and hope,
With dreams of delight and courage
'Cause I'm a mom now...
-The-
Source: The South East Asia Write Anthology of Thai Short Stories and Poems. An anthology of award-winning short stories and poems. Silkworm Books, Thailand. English title Life. Translated and edited by Erik Kuijpers.
Poet is Chiranan Pitpreecha, in Thai More info พิตรปรีชา; about the poet and her work, see elsewhere in this blog:
From Lung Jan: https://www.thailandblog.nl/achtergrond/chiranan-pitpreecha-de-ziel-houdt-stand/
From Tino Kuis: https://www.thailandblog.nl/politiek/thaise-poezie-geboren-politieke-strijd-1/
Unfortunately I could not (yet) find the Thai version of this poem. Here are some nice pictures of her:
http://www.oknation.net/blog/print.php?id=73460
A photo of her in the mountains in combat uniform and carrying a weapon, sometime after 1976, when she joined the communist guerrilla with her boyfriend, Sexan Prasetkul.
And then her name จิระนันท์ พิตรปรีชา Chiranan Pitpreecha. That means 'Continuous Joy' 'Treasure of Wisdom' .