TANKA in English

TANKA   December 21, 2024

Grandmother's words―

no sip of water here,

not on the road.

Beyond thirst lingers still

the scent of shadowed trades.

Bien Hoa skies―

Grandfather's war’s last days,

the same old hill.

Above, where we once looked,

crosses stand in their place.

TANKA   December 14, 2024

”A Dog’s Sunset Gaze"

Your soft eyes hold fire,

like embers in orange skies.

Can you feel it too?

Purple tears fall to the earth,

the horizon hums with peace.

"The Strange Scent at Noon"

At noon, scents were strange

I howled, chasing through the dark

Grandma scolds me soft

Her calm hand stills my bold bark

The thief, unseen, fades away

TANKA   December 7, 2024

"In a Dog’s World"

  The scent of you  

  Lingers softly, so true,  

  Upon the couch,  

  I curl and gaze around,  

  Your trace falls to the ground. 

TANKA   November 29, 2024

Air chokes, fingers ache,
my throat clings; frost hums within.
Winter, a stranger―
be still now; hear the frost sing.
Will you leave the quiet whole?

Winter at the gate,

centered mind and gentle state,

kimono, ornate.

Soft heels break the silent flow,

shadows deepen where they go.

TANKA   November 23, 2024

"Rain Dog"

Rain stretches down thin

Long and sleek, then leaps again

Bouncing softly near

The master’s quieted knee

No bark, just calm silence here.

TANKA   November 16, 2024

"Pumpkin Sweets and Time Loops"


Grandma softly speaks,

war’s shadow clings to her voice―

pumpkin sweets in hand,

we stand in line as time loops,

her mem'ries grip, sharp and near.

TANKA   November 9, 2024

autumn grows short

beneath yellow blooms we walk

softly, softly

the Earth has drawn a faint line

between the warmth and the cold