touched by heartbreak
I vanish into dreamtime
stirred by the echo
of light footsteps falling
through my tree-lined garden
–issue #4, Moonbathing: A Journal of Women’s Tanka
I’m pleased to be a part of Pamela A. Babusci’s latest issue of Moonbathing, a biannual journal filled with an amazing range of women’s tanka. I’m especially pleased to see my own five-line poem surrounded by the poetry of women whose work I’ve come to know and admire, including: Melissa Allen; Sanjuktaa Asopa; Margaret Chula; Claire Everett; Amelia Fielden; Giselle Maya; Polona Oblak; Adelaide Shaw; and many others.
To learn more about subscribing and/or submitting to Moonbathing, you can contact Pamela via e-mail at moongate44@gmail.com.
About Margaret Dornaus
I’m a writer and a teacher, as well as a haiku-doodler. I live in a beautiful woodland setting, surrounded by native oak forests, that inspires me to record haiku snapshots of luna moths and our resident roadrunner, and even an occasional black bear as it hightails it across the top of my road, my mongrel dog barking at its heels as I watch with wonder.
My work as a travel writer has appeared in publications from The Dallas Morning News to the Robb Report. You can find examples of my travel writing–as well as excerpts from a travel memoir I’m working on–at my other WordPress site, Travelin’ On.
What more than that do you need to know? Only that I started this blog with an eye toward collaboration. Got a haiku? Send it my way. . . . I’m all about new visions & voices.
Best, Margaret
Haiku-doodle 
Margaret,
It’s a beautiful tanka and I wholeheartedly agree with you about being delighted to be in such good company! Moonbathing is a fantastic journal, made all the more special because it is edited by Pamela A. Babusci, one of my favourite tanka poets and an inspiration to us all.
It’s wonderful to join you on this tanka path.
Claire (Everett)
Thank you, Claire. Much to my surprise and delight, Pamela was the first editor to accept one of my tanka (in her January issue), so Moonbathing holds a special sentimental place in my heart. Since then, I’ve discovered that I have a real passion for tanka, and it’s opened up a whole world of wonderful possibilities for me . . . not the least of which is getting to know the voices of tanka poets like you and Pamela. It doesn’t get much better than that . . .
Wow to all three, mi hermana! I’m so beside myself with glee! Your voice is crystal song in a tanka! I’m absolutely proud of you, proud to be your hermana de alma. Please do keep it up, keep delighting a world hankering for lovely moments like yours.
Mil gracias, hermana. It is I who is proud to be your soul sister! How lucky I am . . .
Wonderful tanka, as usual, Margaret…you are so talented and it has been such a pleasure watching that talent blossom and now sharing journal space with you…never can wait to see what you’ll come up with next!
Thank you so much, Melissa. I feel fortunate to have found such acceptance in such a short amount of time. I just keep pinching myself. But mostly I’m so grateful to have friends like you and Alegria. What an honor!
Thanks, Margaret…i am surprised and flattered to see my name mentioned here ! Am no less thrilled myself to share the space with you and all these other names! And beautiful tanka, as always!
So glad to see you here, Sanjuktaa! Thank you for your kind remarks. What a joy to discover your work as well.
How generous of you, Margaret. I just ordered two back issues of Moonbathing from Pamela–can’t wait to get them!
evening in July
the moon waxes gibbous
my eyes wide open
trying to see
what it is you hide
Hi, Terri. My mother used to “give” me her March birthday so I could celebrate with my classmates in school. I thought it was time I gave a piece of my birthday back somehow . . . and this is what I came up with. Consider yourself “entered.” And thank you for the birthday tanka; it’s lovely.