late in life
I've struggled into Being
like a newborn seal
warming on a sandy shore—
wondering why I'm here at all
no one wants
to read my anti-war poems—
day after day
I watch the dark waves
drowning rocks onshore
waking late
to face a snowy day outside—
I climb out of bed
turn up the heat—then dive
back under the covers
a pox on exercises—
I reject those boring
ups-and-downs!
playing tunes we once called "swing"
I fling myself around the room . . .
tanka
Melissa Dixon is a Canadian actor and writer who cherishes her close connection to the Pacific coast. Living in retirement, she finds inspiration in the ocean shores and appreciates the companionship of others of like mind who have been drawn to the area. Where tanka is concerned, Melissa says she enjoys the process of focusing on an idea, highlighting the heart of it and then tucking it into a recognizable tanka form.
Melissa Dixon is a Canadian actor and writer who cherishes her close connection to the Pacific coast. Living in retirement, she finds inspiration in the ocean shores and appreciates the companionship of others of like mind who have been drawn to the area. Where tanka is concerned, Melissa says she enjoys the process of focusing on an idea, highlighting the heart of it and then tucking it into a recognizable tanka form.