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UNDERTOW TANKA REVIEW
ISSUE # 1
The Talisman of Grief(A tanka sequence)
‘Do you see white hairs?’Mother asked and I laughedbut nowI too ask my ten-year oldand she rolls her eyes
her fourteenth day rite -a blue butterfly alightson the prayer wheelhas mother alreadyfound a new rebirth?
she callsthrough drifts of mistsin the pine grovethe fear of not finding hershatters the carapace of dream
that coaxing smileas she sculptured mango shapesfor my fevered mouthI want to remember thisnot her cancer-hollowed face
each springher favourite rhododendronsfill the valleywith their scent and hueI see her in every bloom
Sonam ChhokiBhutan
Earnest(A tanka sequence)
forgetting facesyet some of them stick…those kidswho hung nicknamesaround my neck
tauntsof Ken the Hammerdrive me deeperinto the holeof myself
a bullyfishing for weaknesshooksmy shyness with
Kenny the Shark
a curve ballfrom the kid who calls meEarnest…I drive it deepto center field
Ken SlaughterUSA
betrayal(A tanka sequence)
all heroesare fated to rescueand betrayalboth darkling knightand sabbat lord-b-
I feel his breathas he ridespast my doorthe church bellsring the sloe hour-j-
sweepingthe floor behind meI leavefootprints in the dewwhere I mount-b-
at daybreakhis shadow fadesas alwaysI wait for the nightand the dark man-j-
the madmankeeps the talesto himselfhis large black baghidden in the forest-b-
wild beastshave torn the bagwith tooth and clawthe chalice lies sulliedthe cloth rotting-j-
hungerof necessity rendsand tearsthe long-limbed mandrakehowls at separation-b-
Brian Zimmer & Joy McCallUSA & UK
another gazefrom a handsome stranger...I seal my lipson a heart pendantwith my husband’s ashes
Christine L. Villa, USA
the way he tucksmy hair behind my ear…for the first timeI feel the sincerityof a man’s apology
Christine L. Villa, USA
belly ache from laughingat my own jokes…I realize I’ve carveda deeper sorrow
Christine L. Villa, USA
where do I gowithout you now…the heavy silenceafter I turn offthe oxygen machine
Christine L. Villa, USA
to love somebody even after death…I keep in a boxa photo of a womanhe once loved
Christine L. Villa, USA
the sound of him sleepingmore hours in a dayany bird songis a sad lullaby
Christine L. Villa, USA
a dewdrop danglingfrom the tip of a petal…I try hardnot to show himmy tears
Christine L. Villa, USA
a whiff of hyacinthby the grocery entrance . . .this cold winter nightI hope from aisle to aislethinking of spring
Christine L. Villa, USA
all the pillshe couldn’t take anymore…alone I countthe tulips waitingto be photographed
Christine L. Villa, USA
a babyenclosed by hermother's arms...
when does a shelllet go of her pearl
Christine L. Villa, USA
watching Gator Boyswith my daughteron the couchher feetwrestle with mine
Susan Burch, USA
grandma’s wearing hergaudy holiday sweateragain this yearI bite my tongueand tell her it’s lovely
Susan Burch, USA
hiding behindher shaky smilethe diagnosisof Parkinson’s, she hasn’tbeen able to swallow
Susan Burch, USA
finding outher son’s a pedophilemy motherwonders whereshe went wrong
Susan Burch, USA
hearing the cheersfrom Wrigley Stadiumthe boy imagines
he’s there, eating a hot dog,instead of in chemo
Susan Burch, USA
eyeinghis old baseball bathe sighsafter all these yearsstill no kids
Susan Burch, USA
maybe I shouldbury your ashesin the backyardyour blue pinwheelstill spinning
Susan Burch, USA
f i s s u r e sand (whose) fault linescracking openwe try to mend the damageof our quaking lives
Debbie StrangeCanada
African sunhoned on a rasp of skyleaking ichorour hands are stainedwith the blood of child-soldiers
Debbie StrangeCanada
she heldher daughter's lipsto a mirrorno baby's breathbloomed in the garden
Debbie StrangeCanada
jellyfishon the beachat low tideyou still make meweak in the knees
Debbie StrangeCanada
our years roll bylike runaway trainsgathering speedthe closer we cometo the end of the line
Debbie StrangeCanada
childrenof war zonessilencedwith no legs to walkalong the path to peace
Debbie StrangeCanada
sun rayspalpate mossy loamon the forest floora nursery log suckles fungioh, to wean myself from you
Debbie StrangeCanada
this alchemyof ripened clementinesand woodsmokethe fragrance of my pastboth curse and benediction
Debbie StrangeCanada
silencesor tirades cursedevery mealwe lost weight eatingdegradation for dessert
Debbie StrangeCanada
the widow sinksinto depression's paletteher life's pigmentonce the richest saffronnow Vincent's shade of blue
Debbie StrangeCanada
as tea leaves in watermy heart sways and submergesunder the moonlightis it too much to ask youto stay two moments longer?
Aruna Rao, India
with monsoon windstwo moons have passed alreadyin wilting breathI seek the length of your sleeveand the eclipse to sing again
Aruna Rao, India
the stench of sweetnessstill lingers in the grasswhen I walk backthe mountain carries the moonfrom one side to the other
Aruna Rao, India
in these heavy cloudsI search for the shade of greywith bated breathI wake behind shrouded doorsto the sound of your footsteps
Aruna Rao, India
as quicksand does,I fall into the mouth of your heartwhile it pondersmy ribs tinge in flavoursdeep and bold, swirling
Aruna Rao, India
as tea in winterI drink your breathin evening whistleshow I wish the snow staysand your blanket upon me
Aruna Rao, India
over this blank scrollmy brush hoverswhile I search my heartlove's hummingbirdsflit further away
Aruna Rao, India
in the gardena calendula bloomsunnoticedjust another day that slips by
Shloka Shankar, India
summer skies...wing by wing a bluebirddisappearsthe house grows eerierwith just me and my shadow
Shloka Shankar, India
the faintvoices in my headgrow louder...
a caressing moonbeamrests on my cheek
Shloka Shankar, India
under the elmI count broken promisesby rote...learning to unlearneach one of them
Shloka Shankar, India
Caroline SkanneUK
draped in dreamsof stars and moonswe wander togetherentwined by nighttwo souls surviving
Caroline SkanneUK
full moonin scorpioa passionthat lastsall night
Caroline SkanneUK
the afterglowof our lovelingers softlymoonbeamson bare skin
Caroline SkanneUK
love's light touchtwo butterfliescircling the sun --together we knowanything is possible
Caroline SkanneUK
taken undera wrens' wingweightless, i travelon all that iseffervescent
Caroline SkanneUK
half moonyou show metwo sidesto the sameold truth
Caroline SkanneUK
the book of my lifekeeps getting biggerit's a good thingI choose to write iton trimmings of the Lokta bush
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
one stema hundred bloomsthis century planteach life shapesits own spring
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
from the airI see itthe long agomore watery more greenI forgot that this is home
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
I keep itunder my flowery hatthe magic gardenthat grows therein my head
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
sometimesI can't tell the differencebetween usdo we swim or fly
and what do we fish for
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
sometimes impossiblebecomes possiblemagnoliaI watch you turninto a bird
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
as if twilightwas an easy dooryou leftfor the place where lightswere already off
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
as if the seawere were your villageyou lead me oncrumbling steps to shoreto slice sashimi
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
even by this busy streetI notice the placewhere the deer sleptwishing it were youall night the bent lilies
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
broken pieces
mortared with tearssceneson a Moroccan plateI set into my hearth
Kath Abela WilsonUSA
with duressfirst wife holds insideher outragehe is lookingat a young filly
Joann GrisettiWinter Springs FL USA
frost fingersa watercolor palettein Octoberwings wash the skyby the thousands
Joann GrisettiWinter Springs FL USA
loud wordstrying so very hardto hurt youI would do anythingto remember our your smile
Joann GrisettiWinter Springs FL USA
first manto last more than three datesquite specialthe feeling that comes
while dancing
Joann GrisettiWinter Springs FL USA
autumn…sailor drifts backin timeon a summerundertow
Pat Geyer, USA
alone,watching the waves crash...i remember the future
Pat Geyer, USA
ocean wavescrashing over sand castleschildren laugh...i try to remember thatfeeling of scattered laughter
Pat Geyer, USA
bluest of bluethis undersea ridge...waiting,we cross a bridgeto our ocean of dreams
Pat Geyer, USA
no fresh groundsand covered debriswaits to float away...ghosts of sad memoriesrush back to the sea
Pat Geyer, USA
undertowrunning back to the seaa seashelllooking back at your stepscannot remember your face
Vessislava Liubomirova SavovaSofia, Bulgaria
someone singseasy come easy goan echothe waves are going backback to the deep ocean
Vessislava Liubomirova SavovaSofia, Bulgaria
unknown creatureat the bottom of the oceana secreta robber has stolena picture of yours
Vessislava Liubomirova Savova
Sofia, Bulgaria
waiting forthe supermoonabove usa pair of lovebirdspecking
Angelo B. AnchetaPhilippines
still reelingfrom the surgeonly we knowthe slamming wavesgoes a refrain
Angelo B. AnchetaPhilippines
Arunansu BandyopadhyayIndia
ripping apartyour last letterin a fit of rage--white butterfliesflutter away
Arunansu BandyopadhyayIndia
applying a balmover burning ulcers
i can only smileto your morbid eyesill with love
Arunansu BandyopadhyayIndia
sun sets behindbullet-ridden cloudsat Golgothaa violin plays outthe agony of mankind
Arunansu BandyopadhyayIndia
watching the trailof a Grad missile...was this the routefollowed by the Starof Bethlehem?
Arunansu BandyopadhyayIndia
a late summer sunsetsumptuous and surrealwears cloudsof salmon pink and charcoal gray …a kiss of lightning ends the day
Judi Brannan ArmbrusterUSA
coveys of quail scuttleunder dead blackberry busheschallenge Jays and Juncosfor seeds shaken from the feeder…
count sixty
Judi Brannan ArmbrusterUSA
there is on earththis mangled mountainwhere progress loomsand nature tumblesto her knees
Judi Brannan ArmbrusterUSA
trying to figure outthe meaningof undertowtanka,find it's too deepfor me
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
I ponderand seemto understand,after all, good tankahave more than a surface meaning
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
at eighty-eightI find the surfaceis old, bent,cane-driven,and still I guard an undercurrent of wisdom
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
my wifedied in l972,and she mentioned oncethis surface lifewhich she wanted no part of
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
no penniesfrom heavenin the violence of our world,our hate has a depthbeyond all understanding
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
oncewe sangover the rainbow,how beautiful we feltour world would be
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
walkingon sandand treadingdown, down,to what?
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
perhapsthe younger she wasthe prettier,but so much behindher splendid scarf and hat
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
long ago
I felt the worlda tour-de-force,now I want to hidebelow and beyond
Sanford GoldsteinJapan
I searchmy moon all the way horizon of hopeoffers solace in the midnightrekindling vastness of the sky
Pravat Kumar Padhy,India
I paintedthrough out nightmy memoriesof grief and anguishremain as patches of white
Pravat Kumar Padhy,India
autumn morningall my wishes fall apartsome drainsinto the meandering riverrest blown before I could gather
Pravat Kumar Padhy,India
the spiderrides up and downon the mirrorI readjust my facepicking up the shinny hair
Pravat Kumar Padhy,India
thin moonin the hot summerthe nest swingscatching darknesseverywhere
Pravat Kumar Padhy,India
the trainwhistles to startI carry hermemories till I reachthe stretched distance
Pravat Kumar Padhy,India
harsh sunlighton the fourth anniversaryof his deathsunrise on the loughalmost painful to watch
Marion ClarkeWarrenpoint, Northern Ireland
winter gardenthe steady creakof a rusty swing chairI try to remember my father's voicecalling us for Sunday mass
Marion ClarkeWarrenpoint, Northern Ireland
at low tidethe sound of seagullsand moaning windin the rock pool I findnothing but my reflection
Marion ClarkeWarrenpoint, Northern Ireland
an old farmerreturns a field mouseto the scarecrow's pocketI long for the ridged textureof Dad's old corduroy coat
Marion ClarkeWarrenpoint, Northern Ireland
I walk between worldsa shadow born of lightand darkness...who hears the cry of legendsunder this waking moon
Rebecca Drouilhet Picayune, Mississippi, USA
swimmingin an ocean of stars...all the yearswe spent racing through the nightnever looking up until now
Rebecca Drouilhet Picayune, Mississippi, USA
fireworksand the star-spangled bannerunder a half-moon skywhat afterglow will remaininside my American dream
Rebecca Drouilhet Picayune, Mississippi, USA
sliver moonwaterbugs creep intoshadowsthe dog's tags jangleon the lonely street
Carole JohnstonLexington, Kentucky, USA
the moonis a ghost eggfloating
like a spotted snakemade of orange jello
Carole JohnstonLexington, Kentucky, USA
in my dreamwriting haiku withKerouacI write of his eyeshe writes of dead flies
Carole JohnstonLexington, Kentucky, USA
gave awaymy first haiku bookbrokenlike a blue bead museI want it back
Carole JohnstonLexington, Kentucky, USA
will I everunderstand pine treeshow they dropand keep their needlesliving on poet time
Carole JohnstonLexington, Kentucky, USA
wish I couldbelieve in her ghostshow she steals -the blood of family storiesbad enough without her lies
Carole JohnstonLexington, Kentucky, USA
we played in the atticof the gingerbread castlehiding in closetsnever knowing howthe crooked man lurked
Carole JohnstonLexington, Kentucky, USA
late summerwalking the beachlight blinds uswe spend the daywatching our feet
Liz Moura, USA
so few petalsremain on the stemseach morningI find them piling upinside my old shoes
Liz Moura, USA
supermoonwe hear the neighborsoutsideas we nestlein threadbare sheets
Liz Moura, USA
another polar vortex
my first winter
with a puppy –
Mother Nature’s
sense of humour
Leslie Bamford
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
morning walk
two sparrows spooning
in a magnolia
bridal suite of pink -
who needs Vegas?
Leslie Bamford
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
quarreling under
the patio umbrella
this afternoon -
baby grackles scold
us from their nest
Leslie Bamford
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada