Early Spring Tanka 2017
After months of matte gray
sky, I finally get a glimpse
of the sun's wry grin;
As welcome as my wife's kiss,
but which one is more sublime?
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Jul
09
Summer Tanka 2022 #2
The monstera of
the teahouse has just three leaves,
un-fenestrated;
But the ten propagations of pothos
dangle down from the
Jul
08
Summer Tanka 2022 #1
We're now in July
and still don't see a cloudless sky
as spring rains persist.
The moss is growing unchecked
Sep
07
Late Summer Tanka 2017
In oppressive heat
it swirls, and I realize
why Ash Flies are named:
it gets in my eyes and stings,
May
31
Yakozen: Juujika
This one has a unique wordplay. The Japanese for "Cross" and "Is it Ten O'Clock?" are nearly homophones ("Juujika" or じゅうじか; Kanji: 十字架 and 十時か). During the chorus, he transitions from the former, to a vague pronunciation (and phonetic spelling) that could be interpreted either way, and then to...
2 min read
Apr
06
Takuboku Tanka #3
花散れば
先づ人さきに白の服着て家出づる
我にてありしか
When the flowers fell,
The first to put on white clothes, and go outside
was me.