Tanka--By Elizabeth Howard--United States

morning sun
burning away the fog--
in slow motion
the barn's cupola and ridge . . .
at last the horses
_______________

autumn breeze
red and yellow leaves
twirling and swirling . . .
a disheveled sparrow’s
hard landing on the porch
_______________

relentless heat--
red dust shimmers
over the cracked earth,
a hollow clap of thunder
in the far distance
_______________

Elizabeth Howard lives in Crossville, Tennessee. She writes poetry and fiction. Her poems have appeared in Comstock Review, Big Muddy, Appalachian Heritage, Cold Mountain Review, Poem, Still, Mobius, Now & Then, Slant, and other journals.