Tanka: Contagion

photo of three people standing on beach — Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Invisible foe
Manipulator of fear
The world may be yours
But immortal souls will see
Your contagion defeated

copyright Francis Barker 2020

Tanka: Larks Ascending (Vaughan Williams 3)

brown wheat field — Photo by Tetyana Kovyrina on Pexels.com

Larks still ascending
His melody touching me
I mourn for my youth
Pastoral notes evoke loss
Still haunting my tender soul

copyright Francis Barker 2020

Tanka: Cats

The cat owns nothing

He’s the solitary one

Owning all of us

Egyptians would worship him

The silent watcher of souls

Tanka copyright Francis Barker 2020

Tanka: Coincidences

abandoned alone blond building — Photo by Rene Asmussen on Pexels.com

It’s all gone backwards
Health, justice, education,
freedom and our faith
They have all been compromised
but it’s mere coincidence

copyright Francis Barker 2020

Tanka: Old Father Thames

buildings near body of water — Photo by Jerome Kalan on Pexels.com

Poor Old Father Thames
The mudlarks uncovered him
on the cold foreshore
He has turned into old pipes
and porcelain bric-a-brac

copyright Francis Barker 2019