Poetic Musings: Two Pebbles Tanka by Brendon Kent

two pebbles

and the river’s song

this willow

dancing the same way

you always did

(for Martha Magenta)

Love: The British Haiku Society Members’ Tanka Anthology,  2020

Brendon Kent 

Commentary: Functioning like as an extra line, (for Martha Magenta), contextualizes the tanka as a tribute to the haiku poet and NeverEnding Story contributor Martha Magenta known for her "nature-driven minimalist poetry." 

(For example, 

river mist

a damselfly fades

into the blue

Haiku Dialogue, January 30, 2019

Martha Magenta 

L1 sets an immediate, atmospheric scene while this "ephemeral creature," a damselfly, "fad[ing] / into the blue," Ls 2&3, reinforces that sense of transience)

The structure and tone of this tanka reflect her aesthetic and effectively use minimal nature imagery (Ls 1-3) to evoke grief, remembrance, and the "continuity of nature" after her passing (Ls 3-5). The tanka turns gently from nature to personal loss without breaking the imagery, making the homage feel organic.

The natural landscape depicted in the tanka doesn’t just reflect emotion; it becomes the medium through which the memory is kept alive (L5).