Tanka 'bout Town

A near-empty bus
first day back from holidays.
Ride whispers warning:
The students are returning...
The students are returning...

Totally Absent in 2024: My Tanka Poems

No Jesus Tanka. No Tanka 'bout Town. I hit a wall and haven't written any good tanka in a while. It's been even longer for the town tanka. Two years! Even the Jesus Tanka I published at Five Fleas was written years prior.

I need to get out more. Touch grass. Touch concrete even. Take more photos. Hopefully, that will happen in the new year. Maybe we'll go see the fireworks on New Year's Eve if we are all feeling better. That will put me in the right mood.

As for the Jesus Tanka or Jesus poems in general? Aside from the "Palestinian Jesus" reference on Christmas, those might be dead for the near or even far future. I can't bear the thought of writing another "Donald Trump Jesus" poem in any kind of form.

Tanka 'bout Town

The morning commute
is morning in name only.
Low expectations,
rig a fight with your shadow,
your sole victory today.

 

Tanka 'bout Town

Winter warrior,
it's time to lay down your arms.
The weather has won,
and you have nothing dry left.
Lay down your arms and slosh home.

Tanka 'bout Town

 

One more casualty
in the great umbrella war
against the snowstorm,
one more crushed frame wondering
how they could lose to water.
 

Tanka 'bout Town

Section 8 housing's
demolished spotted rainbow,
signs of desire
to better one's self, one's place,
bootstraps polished, then pulled off.

Tanka 'bout Town

Inspiration's like
change for beggars who work on
Heatwave Avenue.
Waiting for it may kill you,
but anything is worth it.



Disclaimer: This photo wasn't taken during today's heatwave, thankfully.

Tanka 'bout Town

Snowstorm and cold snap.
Workers before and after
spray the earth with salt
to cover any bodies.
And we're here. We are still here.

Tanka 'bout Town

Start of West Broadway
where yuppies dig their trenches.
Morning after hipster crowds,
woman sweeps trash to pretend
none of them were ever there.

Tanka 'bout Town

I've done my City Haiku series on this blog for a while. This is just an attempt to keep things fresh. Find out what a Tanka is here.

Andrew Square at night,
youth wears "Bible Nerd" t shirt,
waits at bus station
hoping someone beats him up
and proves his persecution.