***

it needn’t be an omen

the dead moth by the bed

but as i call to you

a desiccated wing

flies against my hand

Ribbons, Tanka Society of America,

Members’ Anthology 2022

***

the moon

throws out the sun’s blaze

mellowing the light

and dripping it onto

the lake at my feet

***

a snake’s molt quivers

on the crumbling sidewalk

am i

too comfortable

in my skin?

Ribbons, Tanka Society of America,

Spring/Summer 2023

***

summertime forest

the canopy a prism where

sun and rain mingle

my sisters lingering there

play hide-and-seek together

Ribbons, Tanka Society of America,

Member’s Anthology 2023

***

at ninety

she’ll give nothing away

is it folly

or simply hope

and imagination

Ribbons, Tanka Society of America,

Spring/Summer 2022

***

i hear Mozart

a wind serenade I once hummed

when summer curtains

floated over the windowsill

I was on the cusp of everything

Ribbons, Tanka Society of America,

Winter 2023

***

midnight snow floats

alone you listen to it 

accumulating  

and you long for first light to 

illuminate the crystals 

***

hummingbirds

hover above the fuchsia

then flit away

my betrayed heart

quickens as they go

Ribbons, Tanka Society of America,

Fall 2022

***

when the jasmine

shows its white flowers

this late June

I fan their scent upward

to summon my mother

Ribbons, Tanka Society of America,

Member’s Anthology 2021

***

breezy grass tickles

my daughter’s running feet

will she remember

as she gathers her years

how i kept my eyes on her

***

a sudden snow in May

breaks the cherry tree’s limbs

and i realize

that i am strong enough

to leave him for good

Ribbons, Tanka Society of America,

Spring/Summer 2021