~ ~ ~
Three tanka published in
Gusts No. 37 Contemporary Tanka, Canada,
Spring/Summer 2023
~
I grow old now
and dream of a journey
I will never take
. . . the aurora borealis
dances, but does it sing?
~
the emptiness
of losing a friend—
never understanding
what I did or
what you felt I did
~
such soaring voices
pure soprano & alto notes
in a boys’ choir
each singer’s gift destined
to change course
~ ~ ~
.
.
Notes:
(1) All tanka by Mary Kendall © 2023
(2) Photo by stein egil liland
https///www.pexels.com/photo/mountain-under-aurora-borealis-9636388/.jpg
A Poet in Time 
Artfully done, Mary! You make every syllable count as you express the universal emotion of regret in three different settings. And yet there is hope in the margins: hope that one day from heaven we just may hear the aurora borealis sing, hope that a broken friendship may be healed, hope that a change of course may actually prove to be pleasing. You left room for that too.
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Thank you, Nancy.
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Such sensitivity in all the three tanka, there is a sense of poignancy. ‘the emptiness’ resonates. Beautiful tanka, Mary.
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Many thanks to you for your generous words.
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Hi Mary, Your tanka make me want to try writing more tanka. They say so much and say it beautifully. I have not spent much time with this form thinking it isn’t for me. Perhaps it isn’t, but reading you makes me realize the depth that a talented poet can put into five lines.
Thank you. Jo Balistreri
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You are always so kind. I hope you will give it a go. I look forward to reading some of them. 🙂
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