Tanka Writing Roundtable • Spring 2024
Dr. Randy Brooks

we. are. human.

by
McKenna Beals

In the big picture of being human, there's a strong connection between us. Poetry, especially tanka, has been my way to explore this shared journey. Tanka's short yet deep style has helped me express feelings and scenes in a powerful way. Even in just a few lines, a whole moment fueled with emotion can be captured. I've been able to reach into an untapped creative part of myself. I have also been able to share more personal experiences in hopes to find others that relate to the struggle of simply being human.
 
This collection, "we. are. human.", shows lots of different human experiences and feelings. I wanted to express love, heartache, longing, and anger. Each tanka is like a little snapshot, showing these different emotions in specific moments. It's about inviting readers to understand and see themselves in these verses. For me, that's the magic of tanka—capturing our shared humanity in simple yet powerful words.

falling on hard times
a gentle reminder
rooted in struggle
we are . . .
human

surrounded by people
i'm texting you and
you're texting me
like we're passing notes
in middle school

finally,
i could get
my ears pierced
of course . . .
my little sister too

dad angrily
pulling the cord
of the push mower
everything that happened
was my fault

Easter brunch
at a restaurant
missing my father
who always
cooked

a cousin
i never met
now
only a picture
in a gold frame

the old lumberyard
on a fall evening
a promise
of forever
witnessed by a cat

out on the pond
in the little
green boat
i reach out for
your hand

small town
Chinese restaurant
my favorite part,
reading our fates
to each other

presenting myself
in the same fashion
as the others
always
the odd man out

playing cards
with grandma
she pretends
she didn't notice me
sneak a peak

pink circus glass
once filled
with butterscotch candies
now shrouded with
sentimentality

the moonlight dances
on the sandy stage below
a silent embrace
for only the waves
to behold

spontaneous road-trip
Monday morning
unforgettable
memories
made with you

fresh green grass
growing above you
showing just
how much time
has passed

looking through
the spyglass
beholding glints
of our dazzling
future