Tag Archives: Tanka

dark bramble vise

dementia tanka trickster tau tanglessticky beta amyloidsare gray matter sieves—a brain bombogenesis—dark bramble vise on your mind What I’m Reading: “Cruelty has a Human HeartAnd Jealousy a Human Face Terror the Human Form Divine ” — William Blake / “A Divine Image”

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songs sung true

A Pall (haiku, tanka, ukiah) The snow falls like ashFrom a nuclear winter—Sorrow songs sung true. There are some good days,When voices of exile bray:The start is the end.The mournful rumble we hearWidens a crack in our souls. Our voices … Continue reading

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in our blood

embodied (tanka) a strange faith we breatheinto our lives, in our bloodviolence braidedquotidian & steadfastembodied death incarnate What I’m Reading: “Do you lie thinkingThe stars in the skyWere a big mistake?” — Charles Simic / “Dear Lord”

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roil dark water

Dark Water Tanka (redux) Lower the lifeboats—We tread nose-deep in the plague—Lifelines beyond us.We roil dark water and sink.The mermaids sing for no one. What I’m Reading: “To call your father and say, I’d forgotten how nice everyone in these … Continue reading

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thirsty and eyeless

Vulture Peak Tanka That arid seasonTranspired on vulture peak—Thirsty and eyeless—I roamed around the mountainHere, there, nowhere—all at once. What I’m Reading: “It’s a beautiful day to tell my mother I once aspired to kill myself…” — Julian Randall / … Continue reading

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the tuna satsuma

damn yam man he’s the damn yam man—dire—gets worse by the dazea comma swiper, a foothold grifter:schemes the pearl butterflies& dark alley luresweighs the buttercup thesisagainst his peppercorn life he screams of unexpiredroentgen megatons—names his fireflies by heart he’s the … Continue reading

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why belligerent robots

Aural Disjecta Dream-Fu(Haiku/Ukiah/Tanka) Headful of childhoodDisjecta—jingles, and tripe—Where is the off switch? His white man savior complex—Why Marlin Perkins?Why Animal Kingdom, why? Why Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em?Why belligerent robots?Rub-a-Dub Dolly?Why can’t I turn-off my head? Maybe, I’ll get back in … Continue reading

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i was downgraded

Tardigrade Dream Ukiah Haiku Tanka Fu Dreams from another planet—I was downgraded.I’m an ancient tardigrade: Eyeless and armored,Yet kind (harmless to humans),Parthenogenic, Sharp-clawed and faceless.(Only a mother would love)…I am my mother!I float like a bathysphereThrough an ocean of pale … Continue reading

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red tattered cloth

cinders tanka four or five bricks heapedthe remnants of your burnt heartha red tattered cloththe cold cinders of your lifemonticules wind-blown away What I’m Reading: “i dreamt i was a pinnacle of coral.” — Bernadette Mayer / “Unconditional Death Is … Continue reading

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lost time incarnate

Missing Tanka Dreamt of my fatherLast night—lost—time incarnate A winding riverA hidden oxbow downstreamHe went missing round the bend What I’m Reading: “The trees are half air. They fissure the sky; you / could count the leaves, pare / time…” … Continue reading

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