To me, love itself is
but a memory. A heartbroken man is not just someone who has lost his
love; he is someone who can't find another, who no longer knows what
real love means. A heartbroken man re-invents love with what's left of
it each time.
after sending her
one poem after another
I imagine a key
and a glass shelf
in her medicine cabinet
Below is my award-winning tanka, which could be read as a counter-poem to the tanka above:
ReplyDeleteher toothbrush
in my medicine chest
declares residency…
gazing at the mirror
a face hard to recognize
Tanka Third Place, 2011 San Francisco International Competition Haiku, Senryu, Tanka, and Rengay
Commentary by Tanka Judge, Roberta Beary
The apparently effortless humor of the poet adds lightness to this tanka and makes it stand out from other submissions. But there is something more: a conflict present in the last two lines. This tanka led me toward another reading of Salad Anniversary by Machi Tawara. For this I thank the poet.