Laurels #3
February 2025
Margaret Tau, editor
Welcome
Our theme for Laurels #3 was choice, and wow! as guest editor, did I ever have choices to make. Choosing which tanka to include in this edition of Laurels was difficult indeed! The South African author, Roy T. Bennett, wrote: “Every choice comes with a consequence. Once you make a choice, you must accept responsibility.” Many of the tanka selected express some of these consequences of making a choice in life, in love, and in pursuit of happiness. Many others focus on choices to attain a goal, achieve satisfaction, or simply to decide what to have for breakfast. Still others examine the possible reasons we feel empty, alone, or disconnected. See if any of the choices described in this collection align with yours. Happy reading!
Margaret Tau
long-legged girl
with summer’s carefree laughter
and swinging hair
a fleeting jealous time
to turn heads and make choices
Adelaide B. Shaw
Somers, New York
ballet lessons
rather than the piano,
my decision
when I was made aware
Mom couldn’t afford both
Amelia Fielden
Wollongong, Australia
the other way
I want to shout as I spot
a grass spider
hauling her egg sac into
the unmown half of the lawn
Andrew Lansdown
Perth, Australia
autumn wind
against gray waves
a laughing gull
the day of my death
not mine to decide
Anna Cates
Wilmington, Ohio
warned to never
go past the edge of town
where gypsies camped—
yet as a restless child
every chance I had I took
an’ya
Port Orford, Oregon
in the vast night sky
I long to be smaller still
vanish in details
so I cry myself to sleep
since I am invisible
Barbara E. Davis
Brooklyn, New York
the garden blooms
then reseeds itself . . .
avoiding repetition
I seek barren ground
where I will flourish
Bonnie J Scherer
Palmer, Alaska
tale of two cities
daffodils in London
across the channel
an explosion of jonquils
April in Paris
Charles Harmon
Los Angeles, California
“I killed the poet
inside of me years ago” . . .
in shadow he takes
a long drag on his Lucky Strike
as our night shift is over
Chen-ou Liu
Ajax, Ontario
she asks me
the same question again
I tell myself
what a blessing to tell her
another way
Christine L. Villa
North Highlands, California
unable to cure
all that is wrong in the world
I leave it behind
this deep-seated need
to fix things
C. Jean Downer
White Rock, British Columbia
frosted path
I take the road back
to your door
each step quiet
with what I won’t say
C. X. Turner
Birmingham, United Kingdom
spring equinox—
less than eager
to exit
the cocoon
of an electric blanket
Cynthia Anderson
Yucca Valley, California
his easy manner
no big deal
passing
on wine
the thousandth time
David Chandler
Chicago, Illinois
that old dog
limped into my life
by chance it seemed
simple choices simple acts
each day has its purpose
David Lee Hill
Bakersfield, California
an orca
backflips near our boat . . .
when was
the last time we tried
to impress each other
Debbie Strange
Winnipeg, Manitoba
my dieting is rigid
new knee so worth it
I celebrate
with a little dance
not a sundae
Diane Funston
Marysville, California
when I lose myself
I become the wind
whispering
a longing for home . . .
migrating starlings
Dru Philippou
Taos, New Mexico
I admire
the unusual skirt
she is wearing . . .
her ethical choice to buy
all clothing secondhand
Elaine Riddell
Hamilton, New Zealand
out of work two months
pay gas bill or buy food
dark dilemma
accompanied by cold rain
and a storm of hot tears
Eve Castle
Aurora, Colorado
what to do
in this moving sculpture
will she
feel abandoned
or is it the right time to leave
Gerry Jacobson
Canberra, Australia
age is only
a number
and figures
don’t lie . . .
but I do
Jack Douthitt
Fox Point, Wisconsin
holding up the line
pumpkin spice
or caramel
does it matter
I’m for the caffeine
Jackie Chou
Pico Rivera, California
which path
should I take
in old-growth forest
I follow the sound
of a woman’s laughter
Jacob D. Salzer
Vancouver, Washington
each morning
we rearrange each other’s
arrangement . . .
the shower soap, pumice stone
and abalone shell in flux
Jenny Fraser
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
a roach waves
to me from the ceiling
I cultivate
a friend who survived
mass extinctions
Jenny Polstra
Waikato, New Zealand
a raindrop
trembles on the pane—
what need
to choose between
moment and meaning
Jenny Ward Angyal
Gibsonville, North Carolina
what will it take
to mend this fence,
to allow love back in—
the meandering stream
filled with rainbow trout
Joanna Ashwell
Barnard Castle, United Kingdom
sharing
final moments
my privilege
and sorrows
as a nurse
John Budan
Newberg, Oregon
suddenly old
living on the edge
with a view to die for
I look forward
not back
John Tehan
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
the nights
longer than the days
torn
between hope and fear
your hand pulls away
Jon Hare
Falmouth, Massachusetts
a rainbow
of felt-tipped pens
what colour
shall my words
be today?
Julie Thorndyke
Sydney, Australia
that silky feeling
how I wrap up in a blanket
wear a velvet dress
my passion for ripe peaches
mashed potatoes and fleece
Kathabela Wilson
Pasadena, California
the rustic bathhouse
in a heavily-snow-buried onsen,
gentleman from a warm country
said he came here
to see the snow
Kazuaki Wakui
Shibata-shi, Japan
parking Grandma
in an aged care home
we flee
from responsibilities
and set off overseas
Keitha Keyes
Sydney, Australia
choosing to let you go
at least three times today
like pulling teeth
i now begin to wonder
how many times tomorrow
Lafcadio
Chattanooga, Tennessee
I make a U-turn
to go to my brother’s
before nightfall
how warm the weather
and thoughts of you
Lenard Duane Moore
Raleigh, North Carolina
two coins
head over tails
in the wishing well
across time and space
the secrets they share
Leon Tefft
Greenville, South Carolina
the dog’s ashes
get a place of prominence
on the mantle
he wonders will she
do the same for him
LeRoy Gorman
Napanee, Ontario
a roundabout breaks
my focus on straight lines
clear-thinking curves of consequence
give me a choice
on which way I might turn
Linda Conroy
Bellingham, Washington
how easy it was:
it took just a few seconds
to swoon then sleep
then wake in a paper gown
alone in a hospital room
Marc Kimball
Portland, Maine
this year
I will slough off scales
of brittle bark
drop dead leaves of fear—
stand tall as summer’s gums
Margi Abraham
Sydney, Australia
I don’t know
if I like it or not,
still
I pick up this blue pen
when I write tanka
Mari Konno
Fukui, Japan
on the hill trail
two tracks intersect
at the crest
sometimes it’s easier
to follow your preference
Marilyn Humbert
Sydney, Australia
each morning
some aches fit like a glove
others not so nicely
then I choose
where to focus
Mark Teaford
Napa, California
the touch
of my father’s hand
for the last time
a dried leaf
falls silently
Mel Goldberg
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
spring breakup—
as if it mattered
what I think
of your painting
in the juried art show
Michael Dylan Welch
Sammamish, Washington
trying to find
the right words to say
but truly
if she loved you
it wouldn’t matter
Michael Ketchek
Rochester, New York
the anguish
in her choice
to stay or go . . .
that final decision
no one saw coming
Michele L. Harvey
Hamilton, New York
politicians
say what we want to hear
on both sides
their words pave way
for dishonest leaders
Mona Mehas
Noblesville, Indiana
gently
the ginkgo shedding
its golden leaves . . .
if only letting go
was this simple
Nitu Yumnam
West Bengal, India
Satan’s offer
in exchange for my soul
sounds pretty good . . .
I quickly text heaven
for a counteroffer
Peter Larsen
Lake View Terrace, California
i am angry
and not talking to her
but listening to her
favorite song
on repeat
Quamrul Hassan
Fayetteville, Arkansas
just the two of us
over the years
we have reached
a compromise
on pizza toppings
Randy Brooks
Taylorville, Illinois
at the crossroads
countless signs pointing
to cities near and far
I choose the one with no miles
and a destination unknown
Richard L. Matta
San Diego, California
choosing sides
a slight hesitation
before deciding
to release a firefly
from the spider’s web
Rick Jackofsky
Rocky Point, New York
she stands
on top of a cliff
hair flowing
with the abyss ahead
the crossroads behind
Rita R. Melissano
Rock Island, Illinois
running late
stopped to get some milk
shots ring out
I duck under a counter
clutching my lotto ticket
Robert Erlandson
Birmingham, Michigan
clouds linger
over the summer
gray sky
i still kayak with
a chance of rainfall
Roy Kindelberger
Edmonds, Washington
lost in the mountains
of Andalucía
I stop to wonder . . .
not a sign anywhere
in the clear blue sky
Shawn Blair
Cohoes, New York
iridescent
flashing green and brilliant blue
aggressive today
these grackles . . .
who will she choose?
Sherri Moye-Dombrosky
Liberty, South Carolina
a squirrel twitches
in the leafless birch
a web of twigs
so many different ways
to come to earth
Simon Wilson
Peterborough, United Kingdom
stuck at home
during a blizzard
perhaps
it’s an invitation
to just be
Susan Burch
Hagerstown, Maryland
no longer
the homeless cat
in our neighborhood
every night, all night
his warmth next to me
Susan Weaver
Allentown, Pennsylvania
above Bondi beach
from the Waverly graves
sea captains
watch black-suited surfers ride
the seas they sailed
Teri White Carns
Anchorage, Alaska
a restless night
full of unresolved strife . . .
placing faith
in my better angels
I finally drift off to sleep
Theresa A. Cancro
Wilmington, Delaware
staying together
for the sake of the kids
until
we need to split up
for the sake of the kids
Tim Cremin
Andover, Massachusetts
i started writing
but very soon lost my way
so this offering
is less than a fine tanka
but more than a kyoka
William Kerr
New York, New York
there’s a cold swallow
in the bottom of my cup
too painful to drink
for when the coffee is gone
what’s there to do after that
Wilson Martin
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
winter’s colours
paint a peaceful morning
where the path splits
we pause and pick
the longer trail
Xenia Tran
Nairn, Scotland