Starlight

my husband had two strokessometimes he doesn’t understandmy wordschatter chatter chattermetaphors are a challenge it’s hard on meyou have changed, I saymy patiencebalancing on a thin wireI practice walking on clouds only in darknesscan we see stars shinewelcome the night…words my husband spoke to mewhen we were young genie nakano Starlight will be published in…

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my husband had two strokes
sometimes he doesn’t understand
my words
chatter chatter chatter
metaphors are a challenge

it’s hard on me
you have changed, I say
my patience
balancing on a thin wire
I practice walking on clouds

only in darkness
can we see stars shine
welcome the night…

words my husband spoke to me
when we were young

genie nakano







Starlight will be published in Ribbons a tanka Journal in the Spring of 2023, selected by Susan Weaver, editor of Ribbons.


4 responses

  1. Bridgette Avatar

    Such beautiful, heartbreaking prose. “only in darkness
    can we see stars shine
    welcome the night”—gorgeous.

  2. Terra Avatar

    So sweet, so sad, so enduring how the face of change greets the link of our souls. Thank you.

  3. genienakano Avatar

    Dear Janet, thank you so much for your words. sometimes i feel as though i’n talking to myself. and when i read your message i’m so happy ‘words drawing out emotions and pictures in your mind’ … we are all poets thank you for your poem.

  4. Janet Baba Avatar
    Janet Baba

    Your words brings feelings in me………
    I can feel your words
    I can see pictures in my mind that I visualize in my night.

    Your words creates feelings in me.
    Words are drawing out my emotions as I read them.

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