MIN THU WUN

The Pyinma Stump

Gnarled and grotesque like a vulture

An old Pyinma stump

Stands alone on the mound

Assuming an unsightly look.

Its branch point has an old rotten hole

Encrusted with scabs

It is a big old termite nest.

On the river bank

Lies a soldier’s helmet on the cracked ground

A dummy dressed in dry clothes

Pointing to an army camp.

The old stump

Afflicted by battles, termites,

Knife curves, sun burns and storms

Yet unbowed.

Comes along summer

Old leaves drop

New ones sprout profusely in the breeze

Assuming a youthful look

What a courageous man you are!

The Rose

On my way back from the paddy fields,
She wished for star flower buds to wear
With care, I picked those blossoms fair,
Hoping they’d bring her joy unearned.

But later, in the morning light,
Her hair adorned with roses red,
A quiet grace, a beauty bright,

Timeless elegance softly spread.