Three Tanka by M Kei

quiet now
sleet falling from
the grey sky
no bird flitting
through the trees


two red beaks!
somewhere,
in all that brown,
there must be
a pair of cardinals


snow mist . . .
a brown cardinal
her red beak
carrying
spring’s promise



M Kei, Maryland, USA

The Sailor's Ear by M Kei

the trees
begin to talk,
tossing their green heads
and whispering
about the weather


sailor’s ear —
I hear the trees
whispering
and feel the cold touch
of premonition


the wooden ketch
and the old schooner
know the winds;
I watch them
watching the clouds


ashore,
Mardi Gras beads rattle
against the lamp
and remind me of
halyards in the storm



M Kei, Maryland, USA

tanka by M Kei

his heart
is a skeleton key
that unlocks doors
that should never
be opened


previously published in Fire Pearls, 2006


M. Kei, Maryland, USA

tanka by M Kei

once there were so many
grasses swaying in the sea,
beckoning to traders
who never thought
their pleasures would end


M. Kei, Maryland, USA

previously 'Editor’s Choice,’ Nisqually Delta Review, 2:2, Summer/Fall, 2006