Five Tanka and Ten Haiku by Ruth Holzer

 

Five Tanka and Ten Haiku

wearied 

you left me and turned into

a butterfly

I became another one

to pursue you through the air

supper

a hard dry roll

at Woolworth's

butter was extra

pennies for the beggar

room to room

and country to country 

restless

whatever I was looking for

always left behind

more of the same

more and more

of the same

and then a shedload

of what next

snow-crowned

eternal mountain

heart of fire

through heat and cold I reach

the summit in a dream

bamboo the character bends to the wind

winter sunset

the sparrows have had their day

and I mine

seeing Jupiter up close the moon rabbit and I

shining down

on this foreign city too

the evening star

patch of rhubarb

tangled in its roots

a cache of Celtic coins

on the path to the castle a fine mist

pale day moon floating on a wisp of cloud

infinite highway

soothing the sorrow

between near and far

the long shadows of late evening remembering friends

falling asleep 

to the solitary sax

stolen moments

Ruth Holzer's short form and longer poems have been widely published. She is the author of eight chapbooks, most recently “Home and Away” (dancing girl press), “Living in Laconia” (Gyroscope Press) and “Among the Missing (Kelsay Books). Her work has been nominated multiple times for the Pushcart. Originally from New Jersey, she now lives in Virginia.