Sunny Tanka Sequence #2 April 15, 2009

I introduce to you Krunk, the wall guard! Going for an ogrish personality with this guy. Yes, Krunk is a very medieval Japanese name.

 

Guard:
So Krunk says to him
“Krunk take yer shift me buddy!”
Whatta bad boo boo,
Working on Free Ramen Night.
What wuz dat, Krunk hear big sound.

 

Ninja:
Fall alerted guard.
Mourning not bringing smoke bombs.
Unprofessional.
Can hear guard coming this way.
Once again, forced to end life.

 

“Who’s there! Krunk find you!”
He thinks he’s the predator.
Very ironic.
Blades drawn, stepping out of bush.
He is prey; me? A hunter.

Sunny Tanka Sequence #1 April 13, 2009

This started as me wanting to write about ninjas, then I thought, why not a story set in medieval Japan! Don’t exactly know where I’m going with this yet, but I definitely will have the different personas talk in different ways in their tankas. As an example, the ninja talks sort of like Rorschach.

Prince:
I cannot stand him.
The emperor, my father.
I wish I can fly,
depart and never return…

 

Ninja:
Unfinished tanka?
shameful; about his father?
very quaint topic.
wishing to leave; getting wish
might not be in form he thought.

 

Jumping over wall,
careful not to alert guards.
Slipper caught on tile.
Not as graceful as wanted
Guards spot me; must disappear.

 

Might include illustrations soon, but I also like making the poem’s imagery talk for itself.