Redlights, June 2018:
a newborn fawn
hidden in tall grasses,
with breath so soft
not even a dandelion
stirs

Photograph by Carmen Sterba Russell (used with her permission) (c) 2018
Redlights, June 2018:
a newborn fawn
hidden in tall grasses,
with breath so soft
not even a dandelion
stirs

Photograph by Carmen Sterba Russell (used with her permission) (c) 2018
Redlights, June 2018:
when you were six
I longed to keep you
that age forever
once upon a time
I knew you so well

Dedicated to my son, Adam.
.
Published in Ribbons, Spring/Summer 2018: Volume 14, Number 2
the squeak
of the old swing . . .
only four when carefully taught
to keep that secret
to myself
This tanka was published in the Tanka Café of Ribbons
the little girl’s doll
marred by lipstick
scrawled on her face
. . . maybe this time
mother will notice


Published: Failed Haiku, a Journal of English Senryu, Volume 3, Issue 31,
July 2018
Guest editors: Lori A. Minor and Chase Gagnon
Primary editor: Michael Rehling
Note: I’d like to thank my dear friend, Christine M. Kalke for her permission to use her beautiful photograph that was taken in Scandinavia during one of her visits. The digital art work was done by me.
Moonbathing, A Journal of Women’s Tanka, Issue 18, Spring/Summer 2018
blue-black mussels
torn from harbor rocks
fill the worn rusty pail –
there was no looking back
when I left you

Our Poetry Corner today touches on the theme “Our Precious Children”, with Ross Anthony, Linda Papanicolaou, Johannes S. H. Bjerg, Billy Howell-Sinnard, Giselle Maya, Lois P. Jones, Kathy Uyen Nyguen, Patty Hardin, Gillena Cox , Marlene Alexa, and Mary Kendall . Photos by Michael Czarnecki, Robert Johnston and Tom Clausen. The Poetry Corner is hosted by Kathabela Wilson.
Please follow this link to read the whole article and all the wonderful poems. My thanks to Kathabela Wilson for inviting me to contribute this tanka.
https://coloradoboulevard.net/poetry-corner-our-precious-children/

Note: This tanka was written in 2015, and, to my surprise, Kathabela Wilson remembered it. She invited me to share it for her lovely column on Precious Children. What a lovely honor.
(I later created a piece of Tankart using a much different version of this tanka. It is on my blog.)