Editor’s Commentary: Thanks to Chen-ou for yet another classic tanka I had tucked away for an EC also. An old relationship, not only in the many years spend apart, but also in the visuals. Using the word "furrows" for the first line, immediately captures the mystical expression and loneliness (yugentei). The mood is further enhanced by the couple passing each other in silence.
One Man's Maple Moon: Cold Light Tanka by Sonam Chhoki
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*English Original*
throbbing headache
blinds drawn against the dawn
I picture
in the rise and fall of notes
birds flitting in the cold light
*A Hundred Gou...

