Tanka in Droplets

Since I joined academia in the United States, I have taken every opportunity to provide lectures on tanka. I have presented my tanka poems at professional conferences and workshops, because of my belief that “emotions” are a universal language. Living, studying, and teaching in Japan, the U.S. mainland, and Guam (American territory) have provided me with many experiences that led me to think about the components of my daily life. During this time, writing tanka and short essays has become an important part of my life, just like writing a journal or keeping a diary. I am fond of both tanka poems and essays. Tanka is a truly short form of poetry that expresses my heart and feelings. Likewise, short essays are appropriate ways for me to express my opinions and thoughts. To me, tanka is a way of life. Without writing tanka poems, I probably could not have survived in the world of academia. In a way, tanka is like my religion, as my tanka mentor, the late Kanta Yamamoto, used to say. Certainly, it is so.