Tanka Sequence
The End of an
Affair
in the night chill
you say you love another
the cry of cicadas
our vows of faithfulness
shattered with this Judas kiss
bright chrysanthemums
scent the winding garden paths
wet with morning dew
I shall pack my bags with care
and shed a few silent tears
I gaze at the moon,
a desolate, barren place
like your promises—
I shall walk in sunshine
wearing a yellow rose
I'll don the colors
of autumn maple leaves,
festive and bright—
hidden is my broken heart
crushed beneath your deceptions
I shall shine,
a bright beacon in the night
leading the way
my sadness dressed in colors
like the last leaves of autumn
