“Random Tanka”

#Haiku Happenings #3: Jane Kohut-Bartels‘s random #tanka!

The fire of life

Is love. No exact measure

A whirling dervish

Hands in opposite display

Gathers in the miracle

Sound of frog-cries heard
A pale moon floats above pond
Fresh life is stirring
An early owl goes hunting
Wise mice scatter for cover

Cranes wheeled in the sky

Their chiding cries fell to hard earth

Warm mid winter day

A pale half moon calls the birds

To stroke her face with soft wings

Human frailties

wounds that bleed such heated blood

leave a dry vessel

Without the moisture of love

the clay reverts to the ground

Glimpse of a white wrist

Feel the pulse of blood beneath-

This is seduction!

But catch a wry, cunning smile

One learns all is artifice.

Overhead! Look! cranes,

Sandhills– swirl in broad circles.

Broken GPS?

No matter, their cries fall like

Celestial chiding rain.

The futility

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Comments

2 responses to ““Random Tanka””

ladynyo

September 7, 2018

Hi Frank! Thank you for rebloging these random tanka. I used to be very tight with tanka, then I loosened up, and now? I don’t know. I am influenced by Mikagawa Kenjii recently, and am studying his work. His early tanka is beautiful then he loosens up and produces longer poetry. He only lived for 37 years but produced so much wonderful work. I like his earlier tanka best but I have to settle down and read all of his work. Amazing poet, who is only now being known by many western poets. His “Novermber 3rd” poem was used by the fascist government during WWII. He was a Buddhist, and greatly concerned about the peasants around his birth place. He was very progressive. That “November 3rd” poem was a testament to his Buddhism.

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Frank J. Tassone

September 7, 2018

My pleasure, Jane! 😇 Thank you for the background on your Tanka and on your current influence.

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