Dry Spell

Corn stretching its leaves,
Praying to the sky for rain.
Sun bakes the cracked soil.

As goes the land, so go we.
My tears do not bring relief.



* I began writing poetry in the Japanese Tonka style last winter (5-7-5, 7-7) which is similar to haiku (5-7-5). The first 3 lines are about nature and the last two are personal reflection. My goal is to write a complete Tonka collection which consists of 100 poems: 20 each in five collections -- winter, spring, summer, fall, and one on love. It is a challenge to write within such structure, but the discipline and simplicity feels good.