Poetic Musings: Haze Tanka by Susan Constable

in memory of Susan Constable

an early supporter of NeverEnding Story, who passed away on the evening of March 18.

ocean salt

spatters the windows

by winter’s end

I peer through a haze

of might-have-beens

The Eternity of Waves, 2017

Susan Constable

Commentary: This tanka follows the classic structure beautifully, beginning with a sharp, physical image in Ls 1-3 before shifting into an emotional realization in Ls 4&5. The transition in L 3, “by winter’s end,” is both thematically and emotionally effective. It moves the reader from the external, cold grime of the world into the internal reflection of the self.

The choice of “ocean salt” as the metaphor for the haze of regrets is tactile and resonant. Salt is both abrasive and preserving, adding depth to the concept of “might-have-beens.” It's a fitting symbol for regret: something that wears down but also lingers, much like the residue of the past.

And while the phrase “might-have-beens” can sometimes verge on cliché, it feels earned here. Grounded in the image of the dirty window, it resonates with the specific end-of-winter lethargy—where everything feels slightly blurred and stagnant, and the weight of what could have been lingers in the cold, quiet air.