Walking the Fence Selected Tanka of Randy Brooks

I am not interested in writing tanka that plod along counting syllables. I don't seek flashy words to show off my vocabulary. Nor do I craft tricky linguistic gymnastics to show off a mastery of twisted language. I am not interested in turning my tanka into word puzzles. I am also not interested in writing waka, following the refinements of stylized beauty and traditional tropes of the aristocratic traditions. I am not interested in writing tanka based on an algebra of short-long-short-long-long phrases. I am compelled to write tanka out of the Modernist traditions of Takuboku Ishikawa and Akiko Yosano. I want my tanka to be raw and spontaneous expressions of spiritual or psychological journeys written with a playful voice of authentic, caring conversation between contemporary friends, I hope my tanka open up memories, feelings, understandings and a few smiles as you join me on my journey, walking the fence. -- from the author's preface