Scent of beeswax

I am still catching up with published poetry. Blithe Spirit is the publication of the British Haiku Society. They selected two haiku and two tanka of mine to publish in the winter issue.

Blithe Spirit Fall/Winter Issue 2022

 

1.

brevity
the ripeness
of a pear

 2.

children
fragile as blossoms
learning to let go

3.

fragrant spices, each
with a story to tell,
a bit of this, dash of that
     my pen moves as if
propelled by a stranger
 

4.

scent of beeswax
melting as we draw
invisible designs
on our pysanky eggs—
forgotten childhood

 

.

Chokecherry

 

 

the slow hiss
and sudden pop
of a pinecone in fire—
admitting the mistake
is a first step

 

*

 

had you lived
we’d almost be twins,
two sisters
so close in time
we nearly touched

 

*

 

this urge
to turn and walk away
     chokecherry

 

 

Mary Kendall (c) 2020

Kokako 32, 2020, a journal of the New Zealand Poetry Society
My thanks to the editors of Kokako for publishing all three poems.

 

 

Billowing fog (a few haiku & tanka)

 

 

Two haiku and one tanka in Kokako 29, 2018, a journal of the New Zealand Poetry Society:

 

 

where the house
once stood
only cherry blossoms 

 

 

 

billowing fog
the burden of keeping
your secret

 

 

 

rosé bottle
the forgiving vagueness
of frosted glass
the morning
after

 

 

 

 

Screen Shot 2018-09-28 at 4.01.00 PM

no attribution for this lovely picture I found online

 

 

 

Unwanted touch …

 

Presence Issue 61 (2018) / three haiku and one tanka:

 

1.

a shadow blocks the light    unwanted touch

 

2.

washed up –
this broken shell
once sang the sea

3.

far above
old cotton fields –
migrating swans

4.

thin curls of wood
fly away
from the lathe –
his memory slips 
away bit by bit

 

Screen Shot 2018-08-12 at 11.46.46 AM

 

 

 

When you were six (tanka)

 

Redlights, June 2018:

 

when you were six
I longed to keep you
that age forever
      once upon a time
      I knew you so well

 

 

 

birthday candles 6

 

 

Dedicated to my son, Adam.

 

.