Warm Smell Tanka

her towels

still on the bathroom rack

yet I forget

the warm smell of her breasts

cupped in my hands

Croatian Translation

njeni ručnici

još uvijek na stalku

ipak zaboravljam

topao miris njenih grudi

obgrljenih mojim rukama

Iris International, 9, 2023

Trail Winds Tanka

this trail winds

through a maze of crevices 

the distance 

between me and shadows

becomes shorter and darker

Croatian Translation

repni vjetrovi

kroz pukotine labirinta

daljina

između mene i sjena

postaje kraća i tamnija

Iris International, 9, 2023

Midnight Sky Tanka

night shift over

on the long way home

I take for friend

a sliver of moon

in the midnight sky

Croatian Translation

nakon noćne smjene

na dugom putu doma

prijatelju nosim

tračak mjeseca

na ponoćnom nebu

Iris International, 9, 2023

Glow Haiku

sleepless again

the glow

of a cigarette

Croatian Translation

opet nesanica

sjaj

cigarete

Iris International, 9, 2023

Tofu Chicken Senryu

bite after bite

of a tofu chicken

twist to the monk's mouth

Croatian Translation

griz za grizom

grimase na licu redovnika

tofu piletina

Iris International, 9, 2023

Housing Bubble Senryu

this talk

about a housing bubble ...

popcorn popping

Croatian Translation

taj razgovor

o cijenama nekretnina...

pucanje kokica

Iris International, 9, 2023

Reunion Senryu

high school reunion

one smiling face 

among the strangers

Croatian Translation

godišnjica mature

jedno nasmiješeno lice

među strancima

Iris International, 9, 2023

Fetal Heartbeat Haiku

fetal heartbeat ...

an air of high school

still clings to her

Croatian Translation

bebini otkucaji srca...

još je s njom okruženje

srednje škole

Iris International, 9, 2023

Faded Photo Haiku

faded photo

three smiles, one smirk

... and one missing

Croatian Translation

izbledjela fotografija

tri osmijeha, jedan zlobni

... i jedan nedostaje

Iris International, 9, 2023

Deep, Deep Breath Haiku

deep, deep breath ...

sunlight on cherry petals 

on my face

Croatian Translation

dubok, dubok udah... 

sunce na latima trešnje 

na mom licu

Iris International, 9, 2023

Midnight Barking Haiku

midnight barking

the depth
of this darkness

Croatian Translation

ponoćni lavež

dubina

ove tame

Iris, 7, 2021

Tongues of Forest Fire Haiku

tongues of forest fire

what will be will be
and yet ...

Croatian Translation

jezici šumskog požara

što će biti, bit će

a ipak...

Iris, 7, 2021

Muffled Cries Haiku

muffled cries

at the edge of a closing door
twilight chill

Croatian Translation

prigušeni jecaji

uz rub pritvorenih vrata

hladnoća sumraka

Iris, 7, 2021

Barred Window and Paper Butterfly Haiku

winter sunlight

through a barred window
paper butterfly

Croatian Translation

svjetlost zimskog sunca

kroz ogoljeli prozor

papirnati leptir

Iris, 7, 2021

Migrant Kids Haiku

migrant kids

waiting in line ...
harvest moon

Croatian Translation

djeca migranata

čekaju u redu...

pun žetveni mjesec

Iris, 7, 2021

Old Barn Haiku

silence before dusk

this old barn wrinkles
with shadow

Croatian Translation

tišina pred sumrak

stari ambar namršten

sjenama

Iris, 7, 2021

Refugee Camp Haiku

wisps of snow

break the silence
refugee camp

Croatian Translation

čuperci snijega

prekinuli tišinu

u kampu migranata

Iris, 7, 2021

Lockdown and Divorce Haiku

lockdown lifted

stack upon stack

of divorce files

Croatian Translation

prekid Covid-19 zabrana

nagomilao se stog

brakorazvodnih parnica

Iris, 7, 2021

Selected Tanka: Twilight Land Tanka

loneliness
circling like a vulture ...
my shadow and I
on this twilight land
of the past and present

Revision, Iris, 2015

Divorce Tanka

finally
divorce papers arrive
at the door --
she folds my spring sky
in half

Iris, 2015