sleepless I
reach deep skyward, wish
ing for wings
to appear–
my hand pauses, empty, catch
ing only moonlight
Colleen chose me to provide this week’s #TankaTuesday image, and I sent one of my artworks, above. I always enjoy reading what others see in what I’ve created. I haven’t done a shadorma in awhile.
I went back to the original post with this image, which was in 2016, to see what I had written (a san san based also on another poem), and used it as a starting point for what I wrote.
arise to witching hour,
the moon eclipsing the sun–
in afterlight crow echoes his own call
gathered clouds, a bower
of reflected light returned,
unwrapping into daylight from its pall
orbits overlapping,
crossing time as well as space–
a hush that parallels the day’s forestall
twin umbras pause, passing–
opposites in brief embrace–
Aurora wakes, released to fly withal
Another kerf poem, for Colleen’s #TankaTuesday, where Gwen Plano has provided the words Dawn & Twilight. My apartment doesn’t face east at all, but the eclipsed sunrise felt very different yesterday, veiled and stilled, and the crows had a lot to say about it.
Another collage from the archives.
always digging deeper–
roots that grow below, restore–
listening through decay beyond stillness,
a place that is neither
dark nor light, yet full, aware,
gathered germinating into witness,
distilled light casting words
that linger as counterpart–
revealing mysteries in all that is
held on the wings of birds,
circulated through the heart,
absorbed into the spiraling axis
It’s poet’s choice of form at Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday, and how could I resist a syllabic form called “kerf”? I meant this also to be for the earthweal challenge this week, earthcraft, but obviously did not finish it in time.
Once again, art from the archives.
The same foolishness
everywhere. We talk over
each other, repeat
words until they are erased.
The lines become solid form.
We can’t see either
forest or trees. We respond
without listening.
The same actions, recast,
broken up, taken down. Angry
outlines drawn like guns.
Hanging over cliffs, waiting.
Holding on, out, back.
We banish heart, soul. Burning
every single bridge. Drowning.
Early in my blogging life, on memadtwo, I did a series of paintings titled what is it good for? Then I did some embroideries titled war is not healthy (for children and other living things). Unfortunately, it’s (always) (still) relevant. Even in my city (mostly) young men are killing and being killed every day by gang and turf wars that are little more than macho posturing. And of course, as in every war, civilians are merely collateral damage.
Three linked tankas for Colleen’s #TankaTuesday with synonyms for life and move.
only
stillness remained
afterwards—everything
else unearthed, uprooted,
exposed into
absence
A badger’s hexastitch for Colleen’s #TankaTuesday with synonyms for the words provided by Jude: search and lost.
And because I’ve been neglecting the NaPoWriMo prompts recently, a short Skeltonic poem for Day 16.
The sunny day
has gone away–
I want to say
it’s not OK.
It’s been a very showery April so far. Hope that portends a very flowery May.
I consulted the Oracle this morning while thinking about Colleen’s #TankaTuesday theme chosen by Merril, immortality. I was surprised when I went to post it how it follows the Oracle’s message from last week–beyond to the great beyond. Although I am consumed, one might even say overwhelmed, by my moving tasks, as long as my computer is still assembled I will continue speaking with the Oracle on Saturdays.
black as death
we say—but what lies
whispering
like wind like
skyshadow singing through blue
lightdreams and still seas?
remember
the rhythm dancing
dazzled with
starsisters–
embrace the open window–
vast secrets flying
the geography of water
parallels and reconfigures
the complexity of the heart–
light, a fissured mirror, reflects
memories in recurrent waves–
the complexity of the heart
parallels and reconfigures
the geography of water
For Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday poet’s choice this week I’ve written an octo poem which is a revision of a poem I published four years ago for Sue Vincent’s photo prompt, spring, above. You can see the original post here (a shadorma, of course). What’s interesting to me is how wildly different my painting is from the photo.
Also, though I like the way this painting looks, I never followed up and did any more with the idea. I need my gouache which is in storage, but it’s got me thinking. Perhaps to be continued.
Fractals can’t be measured in traditional ways. And so it is with springs, memories, and hearts.
suddenly you open,
falling back into what
was ere, senses bare, taut,
returned, stepped through–
like dusk that silences
the sun, rooted in deep
layers of shadowed sleep,
awaiting night–
the point of transfer is
never clear—the threshold
disappears—uncontrolled,
adrift and lost–
each moment lingers too
long—endings shrink, tied fast
to darkness, floating past
what can’t be seen–
hints of color, mirage
of movement just beyond–
all sense of distance gone–
who owns this fate?
For Sue Vincent’s photo prompt, above, and Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday, an abhanga using synonyms for loose and tight.
Will you reply when called?
What is your name? The sky
refuses to say why
you hold the tree.
Why have you conscripted
this perch among the dead?
Abide with me instead
amidst the green.
Have my ghosts entrusted
your wings with messages–
voices of presages
destined for me?
Immovable, silent,
a silhouette distilled–
I seek but am unfilled–
inside stripped clean.
For Sue Vincent’s photo prompt above, and Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday, where she has introduced the poetic form Abhanga. I like it, but I think I need to experiment more with it to get the rhythm right.
Also linking to earthweal Open Link Weekend.
As you may know, Crow and I are old friends.
How far, how
long? Is forgotten
gone? Today
can stretch out
ahead and behind towards both
retreat and escape.
Form has no
real boundaries—light
shifts, guarding
waves wielded
in ways we misunderstand
and fail to protect.
Things change when
we try to measure
them—they be
come contained,
finite, solid, orderly–
ordinary—fixed.
A shadorma chain for Sue Vincent’s photo prompt, above, and Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday words past and present.
Even changing the orientation of an image reconfigures how you see it.
Additional inspiration courtesy of Marcy Erb and Tom Waits.
