On My Journey Home


—on my journey home
the trees whisper to the breeze
mysterious leaves
speaking to my tattered soul
beyond my understanding

my understanding
tangled in these worldly weeds
binds me to this path
listening to nature's voice
my hurried ears seldom hear

my ears seldom hear
quiet calm along this path
chaotic order
harmony in peaceful trees
language I've till now ignored

language I've ignored
the doors of my life left locked
gently swinging free
telling me to "Leave your grief
and listen, listen to me."

I listen to thee
the stream, the wind, and the leaves
and hear she is there
I walk with her no longer
alone on my journey home—

This is a chained tanka. The poem may be read as a whole, or each stanza may be read in random order as a single tanka unrelated to the other four stanzas. When read as a whole, the last line of each stanza transitions to the first line of the following stanza.


Because of the lack of punctuation, the final two lines of the last stanza have a dual yet opposite meaning depending on my state of mind. Either it means I no longer walk with her and I'm alone on my journey or she's with me as I walk. The beginning and closing em dashes create an endless loop.

Back

Email: Tom Loper