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Posts Tagged ‘tanka’

Ecstatic Tanka

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on February 6, 2013| 3 Comments »

for years
thinking you were my jailer
these unyielding bars
today finding the key
in my own pocket

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Though Her Drawer is Full of Others

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on December 12, 2012| 3 Comments »

now threadbare
those black socks
of jealousy
and still every morning
she pulls them on

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six listenings

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on December 5, 2012| 2 Comments »

standing
in the not falling snow
not hearing
the voice
of god

*

the colder
it gets
the slower
the crickets
sing

*

telling it
to hush, that voice
that says
you are not
enough

*

eventually
you notice it,
like a painting
no longer there,
the chirrup gone

*

it’s so quiet
the moon
as it rises
at least so it seems
from here

*

the urge comes
to sit
the stone
beneath you
already there

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Three Wonders

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on December 2, 2012| 2 Comments »

bliss stands
in the center of the field
sticking out her tongue
laughing her head off
that I can’t see her

*

scent of quince—
how many other great pleasures
I never considered

*

dry river bed
not one rock
out of place

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Three in the Spirit of Izumi Shikibu

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on October 20, 2012| 4 Comments »

which is worse
to walk the aspen
knowing they will die
or to not walk
the aspen?

*

on the table
the shadow of smoke
from the candle
how many other ghosts
do I not see in this room?

*

which is better
loving you although
it hurts, or
well, there are, it seems
no other options

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Bet God Is Laughing Tanka

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on October 19, 2012| 2 Comments »

strange, even after
the door disappeared, jamb, too
I still stand
in the middle of openness
hands clasped around a knob

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Four Fallings

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on October 14, 2012| 2 Comments »

empty the trees
and thousands of lily bulbs
not yet bloomed—
in my heart
still spring

*

floating into the pond
the cottonwood leaves—
each one a boat
I would ride in
with you

*

for some things
it is too late, some nests
will never be built—
every hummingbird
is gone

*

I have wanted
to love you perfectly
petal after petal—
now I just want
to love you

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Golden Tanka

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on October 1, 2012| 1 Comment »

just before they are gone,
I treasure them most,
the aspen leaves—
please let us not
love like that

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Underachiever Tanka

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on September 28, 2012| 3 Comments »

not that I don’t
admire the universe,
but today it’s enough
to marvel at just this one
leaf

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Three Surprises

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on September 25, 2012| 2 Comments »

aslant
the freezing rain
turns sleet—
on the trail
laughter our boat

*

speaking
all my secrets
to the pebbles—
the gray spider
eavesdrops

*

once pulled
from the stem the petal
will never again stick—
in my hand
bare sunlight

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