Mingiao Darn / 陳銘堯

Mingiao Darn（b.1947）graduated from Chinese Literature, Tunghai University with B.A. and from Chinese Culture University with M.A. of Art. He has published several poetry anthologies including “Season Imaginary”, ” Poems by Mingiao Darn”, “ Triphibious Dreams” and essays ”So Says A Poet”.

     Not Quite A Winner’s Toast          

When the cup of sorrow tossed empty

In a crazy party

Dream refilled it

With sparkling bubbles of joy overflow

The crystal glass

Clear and sharp

Raise this tulip in grace

The start posture of fencing

To the opponent

To Yesterday

In gentleman’s pride

For a moment

Your ego neutralized

Bear in mind -

No matter how it end up this day

Or should it be you or anyone

Who would turn and walk away in honor

Be graceful

Like a gentleman

     Generations         

Here it comes!

The funeral parade tries to be professional

to play the hasty march

which derives from a popular love song

The drummer seems exciting

But the trumpet is slow and full of sorrow

The leader of the parade

Conducting with a fancy gilded scepter

Treading her beautiful legs under miniskirt

Like a trained horse

Showing off graceful figure

Gradually it leaves

Obeying an invincible power

Drum beat weaken

Trumpet vaguely crying

Finally buried in the noise of the city

Sound of a merciless river

Too serious is a joke

Too lively the dead is not

We Taiwanese realize that

     The Sea         

The sorrowful water

With a letter in a waif bottle

Not mapped in the chart

Neither in a weather report

Just like a dangerous man

Sometimes so quiet alone

Thinking, designing

Sometimes violent

Rocking waves sky high

Without a shore to crash,

The waves push and crush itself into fragments

The black tragedy explode from deep under

A sudden explosion of waves

It turns into white scum and drift away

What a beautiful scene!

With a sigh, it seems heard such a strange cheers

Again and again

It makes some kinds of mysterious melody

Forgetting the rise and fall of sorrow