speeding across
the river bridge by car,
i miss the scent --
sweet riverine perfume --
that I'd smell from the bank.
Speed Kills [Kyōka]
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Tag Archives: tanka
Yielding [Tanka]
beneath cypress trees
stands a small pagoda;
top tier damaged
by storm-dropped limbs;
it won't outlast those trees.
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Winter Sunlight [Tanka]
low winter sun
shines upon the city
while residents
walk shadow-dimmed streets
and fluffy clouds grow angry.
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Crow Mind [Kyōka]
crow on lamppost
contemplates a CAW!
but is silenced
by a morsel clamped
in its beak.
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Tree Hell [Tanka]
pine cone wedged
in a rotten sleeper,
on derelict tracks,
may become a tree
and made into sleepers.
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Playful Thief [Kyōka]
puppy guards
a stolen garment
it hopes owner
will attempt to retrieve,
so that play can ensue.
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Chinese Painting [Tanka]
sunlight washes out
the distant mountains;
they look like
an old Chinese painting --
ink faded with age.
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Stalker [Kyōka]
stealthy raccoon
stalks up on trashcans -
as lion to gazelle.
having reached its target,
sends lid clattering down.
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Guardian [Kyōka]
some swear guardians
come to life -- dancing through
the temple yard...
but only Autumn nights, and
after a calabash of wine.
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Red Maple [Tanka]
early Spring seed pods
of Red Maple hold tight
- patiently —
til one day in late Spring:
they’ll drop, spin, and fly.
