Tanka are a form of Japanese poetry, like the better known Haiku. I’ve noticed that there are a few definitions for the syllable count in a tanka…the form I’ve chosen is 7, 5, 7, 5, 7, 7. Hope you like the juxtaposition of a purely Western mythological figure and an Eastern art form!
coyote in the desert
ske’lep, or murphy,
whiskey jack, barking dog,
what shall I call you?
may I name you Trickster
and haunt the mountains with you?
I see your whiskered face, lost,
coyote in the city,
glass bottle of forgetting,
in crumpled paper bag
riding empty subway car
dreaming of desert sky home
coyote in the mountains
glow of firelight
you stare into the campfire
voice of gravel and stone
“Hey there, got a cigarette?”
your shadow has ears and braids
coyote takes a train ride
leathered paw grips tight
eyes under hat watch miles pass
through open steel door
places flash before your eyes
which one will you choose today?
coyote and the maiden
lovely by the fire
dancing to confuse her mind
bring her to your tent
night black hair like wings falling
raven laughs and flies away
