red circles under my eyes
the injury
of a mosquito bite
takes longer to heal
than the first assault
red circles under my eyes
the injury
of a mosquito bite
takes longer to heal
than the first assault
summer began with
the long drive to get there
grandma's front porch
from rice and old bottle caps
we made our own tambourines
approaching train
a boy with his hands
over his ears
as if the noise were gunshots
on the Fourth of July
an old woman seated
on a low railing
she faces the windows
with rooms as dark
as her black sweater
harvest time
a bale of hay tied
to the horse's back
by a boy who looks younger
than the horse
the future shaped by
the boy's pointed elbows,
the curve of the haystack,
and the bend
in his grandmother's back
the steady gaze
of gravediggers
two with clenched hands
as though they were still
holding their shovels
Tribute to Vivian Maier
I am currently reading the biography of "the mystery woman," Vivian Maier. There were certain aspects of her childhood that I could relate to.
It's been a while since I've written a tribute. Some of the tanka will be posted here and others on a separate tribute page.
in her woolen swing coat
with oversized buttons
from the 50s
the self-portrait of a woman
who's ready for winter
under the olive trees
in Israel
you said you were tired
and asked me
to wander on without you
built in 1883 the narrows covered bridge its lifespan stronger than any words I have to describe it