Poem: ‘Dusk Sighs Softly Once More’ Sijo

Young palm fronds peer over the fairy-glass waves of the turtle tarn

Parallel golden strips lowers itself into the mirror pond

Not a ripple in sight — a mask-draped chelonia sleeps inside

Explanation:

The first stanza’s palm fronds are probably not actual palm fronds, but the plants looked a lot like one!

The second stanza depicts a real, but odd phenomenon in which the sun’s rays moves vertically downward.

The third stanza is about a turtle, or more specifically, an endangered sea turtle (which is a type of chelonia), that had died after eating a littered mask. Fun fact: the sea turtle’s scientific name is chelonia mydas. The mask is “draped” over the turtle like a makeshift shroud. The carcass would have polluted the waters, which explains why there are no other turtles or any other living creatures.

This was inspired by the Descanso Gardens (without the deceased turtle part)