"tanka chain for the spring equinox"

tanka chain for the spring equinox 
portland, oregon

weeping cherry unfurls a
blossom umbrella above the playground
the sky can’t make up its mind

finite or infinite or placid pond
pink blooms broken along the walkway

a side street’s camellias open generous
hands perplexing the breeze
a bicycle passing them by without comment

a hat blown down the sidewalk
change arriving in a whisper and a gust

yoshino’s coruscate white & abrupt
a memory overtakes you 
traffic’s red shift as the stoplight changes

a back lot white Buick swathed in mold
and the garden gate’s gray boards stand open

two magnolias gesture, their
fingers perfection cupping gray air
a half moon in afternoon for all that

surge of interstate traffic on I-5
the Failing Street bridge spans a handful of sky

A.K. Barkley
© 2013

Image links to its source on Wiki Commons:
Blossoming cherry trees-anonymous artist; from 1615 until 1868
Gold, ink, and tint on paper
public domain