Dream Loop Tanka

For my father who was born in mainland China, lived most of his adult life in Taiwan, died on Jan. 5 2022 and was buried there

this dream loop:

riding on my shoulders

into the Taiwan Strait

Father cries out, Mama

wait for me, I'm coming home

Pages Literary Journal, September 30, 2022

Added:

for my father who passed away on Jan. 5 2022

anniversary ...

old tear stains in my journal

b l  u r ry 

FYI: For more about using punctuation, see my "To the Lighthouse" post, Strategic Placement of Punctuation Marks

Dance of Life and Death Tanka

Tandava,

this dance of life and death ...

alone 

I'm bathed in autumn sunset

as leaves swirl in circles

Pages Literary Journal, Oct. 23, 2022