a plastic bag
whirled by the wind
struggling in mid-air --
a tanka is conceived
at that sight
writing tanka --
four lines sound perfect
yet I struggle
to write a fifth
to perfect my tanka
my anguish
crumbled into a ball
I continue to write
as the wastebasket waits
for one more throw
days slip by
minute by minute
hour after hour --
a tanka is born
yet my life withers
March / April, 2010 issue of Sketchbook
Special Feature: Selected Poems for Reflections on Russian Opposition to
Putin and His War in Ukraine
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*Patriot: A Memoir*
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