hanzai

the length
of an apple’s shadow
blossom still falls
between
blinks

Aglaea

I place a mirror up against beauty and I see truth…

Her beauty lies below her skin
flows in her marrow
in her becoming
her being
her.

His beauty lies below his vellum
flows in his art
his Heraclitean canvas
his whole
him.

Her truth is spoken in
quiet sighs of omorphia
her esoteric essence
in visible
her.

His truth is read in
smooth syllable-veined rock
his exoteric expression
in constant
him.

(post scriptum: this is a series of four non-traditional meter tanka exploring two of my pet pursuits – beauty and truth. The first tanka was inspired by remarks made by Kerry-ann Mansford (http://velvetinapurrs.wordpress.com) about internal vs. external beauty. She writes beautifully and truthfully – please visit her. I wrote the subsequent three tanka on the back of the first.)

(part of Open Link Night week 8 – http://dversepoets.com )

Tanka(s): Bitter/Sweet/Love

(The third part in a series of non-traditional meter tanka…)

/Love

I unfurl a canvas
your body
and begin to paint
with my eyes
closed.

As dusk falls
I stop work on your sculpture
my hands unwashed
leaving a part of you
on me.

Your love, like liquid
runs down my throat
through my veins
and then flows into you…
full circle.

Your DNA is smeared
all over me
mine is a helix
anchored
inside you.

My lungs fill
with you..
I dare not
breathe
out.

I treasure your words
keeping them
in envelopes
of different sizes
and colours.

Pages pressed
ink-whispered words
your fragrant vellum
smooth
my spine is strong.

On Sundays
I fold you
into a beautiful square
and keep you
in my back pocket.

coda

I want to be the quiet
you hear
when you open
your bedroom
window..

(part of OneShotWednesday week 51)