A Room of My Own: Vision Tanka

Re-Homing in the Maple Land, XXVII

it's a canvas

and container for our lives

by our design ...

I recall my ex's vision

when the house is foreclosed

Added: Re-Homing in the Maple Land, XXVIII

new place found

weeks after renoviction ...

I stare through 

a hole in the attic roof

at a dreamless sky

Added: Game Show, 2024, LXIII

Here and There, Worlds Apart 

the arena

fills with chants and cheers

for freedom ...

ten thousand miles away

a Gazan girl's cries hush

this old billionaire

utters streams of gripes

and grievances ...

the news on mute, I change

my crying baby's diaper

FYI: Rolling Stone, August 20: Beyoncé’s ‘Freedom’ Helps Kick Off the DNC in New Kamala Harris Ad

The evening kicked off with a new campaign ad for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running-mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, titled “Freedom” — and it fittingly featured Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” from 2016’s Lemonade. The song soars over the typical parade of extremely American images you usually see in campaign ads while actor Jeffrey Wright provides the narration: “What kind of America do we want?” he asks. “One where we’re divided, angry, depressed? C’mon! We’re Americans! Fascism? We conquered it. The Moon? Landed on it. The future? Building it. Freedom? Nobody loves it more.”

And NBC News, August 21: Barack Obama calls Donald Trump a ‘78-year-old billionaire’ with a leaf blower outside America’s window

And as we gather here tonight, the people who will decide this election are asking a very simple question: Who will fight for me? Who's thinking about my future; about my children's future–about our future together? 

One thing is for certain: Donald Trump is not losing sleep over these questions. This is a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn't stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. It's been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that's actually gotten worse now that he's afraid of losing to Kamala. The childish nicknames and crazy conspiracy theories and weird obsession with crowd size. It just goes on and on. The other day, I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day.... 

-- excerpted from Barack Obama's full speech at the 2024 DNC

Added: Game Show, 2024, LIX

The Day After And ...

who would win?

would there be violence?

one "what if"

after another, another

gnaws at my mind as night deepens

let's choose

the sweet promise of Tomorrow ...

my migrant friend

mimics in a high-pitched tone

while downing a six-pack