(m) Otherland Tanka Poem by Chen-ou Liu

years in exile...
moonlight rippling
the Pacific,
this narrow path
to the (M) otherland

First Place, Tanka,2024 San Francisco International Competition held by the Haiku Poets of Northern California


FYI: Judge's Commentary: This tanka has every quality of tanka that I love. It is lyrical, has mystery, and is especially creative in its use of language. It stands out, of course, for the parenthetical (M) .This unusual element draws attention to multiple meanings, and is subtle and powerful. What can be closer than the mother, and yet estrangement, by geography, emotion, or rules, is heartbreaking. And the long narrow way back, in the night, traveling by moonlight, is very moving and speaks to all the separations and current difficulties our hearts are dealing with in our current affairs...