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