the wind-blown clouds

First published in Woodnotes #28, Spring 1996, page 53. +

the wind-blown clouds by Brian Tasker. Bare Bones Press, 1996, 38 pages, paperback, 4 by 5¾ inches, $10.00 postpaid in U.S. funds from the author at 16 Wren Close, Frome, Somerset, BA11 2UZ, England [address no longer correct]. British poet Brian Tasker has collected, in the wind-blown clouds, 32 of his favourite tanka. Along with his “best of” haiku collection, a ragbag of haiku, this book is a fine sampling from one of Brian’s twin oeuvres. As with his press’s previous books, this one is cleanly printed on fine papers. The cover is a deeply textured tan-colored rag paper from India tied with green ribbon, the color of which is repeated in dark green end sheets. Of further value is a concise introduction to the art of tanka. The book is divided into two halves. The first half culls poems from his earlier book, Housebound in Nirvana, and consists mainly of love poems. The second half shows a broader scope. Here are two tanka from this pleasant collection:

watching you

sit

your legs

tightening

my breathing

the wind-blown clouds

lighten and darken

lighten and darken

the room

in which we argue