November by Jun Fujita On a pale sandhill A bare tree stands; The death-wind Has snatched the last few leaves. A Leaf by Jun Fujita The November sky without a star Droops low over the midnight street; On the pale pavement, cautiously A leaf moves. These poems appeared in the June 1921 issue of Poetry . From the Academy of American Poets: " The tanka is a thirty-one-syllable poem, traditionally written in a single unbroken line. A form of  waka , Japanese song or verse, tanka translates as...

Lessons by Pat Schneider I have learned that life goes on, or doesn't. That days are measured out in tiny increments as a woman in a kitchen measures teaspoons of cinnamon, vanilla, or half a cup of sugar into a bowl. I have learned
 that moments are as precious as nutmeg,
 and it has occurred to me 
that busy interruptions 
are like tiny grain moths, 
or mice.
 They nibble, pee, and poop,
 or make their little worms and webs 
until you have to throw out the good stuff 
with the bad. It took...

Harlan County, USA (2019) by Pauletta Hansel Maybe it is a revelation to you, but miners know how to stop a train. Maybe you think that love of coal means love of the company. Let me tell you what we love about coal. It’s the paycheck. The one we don’t have. It’s the food that’s not on the table, the new backpack that won’t be on his back, my boy’s first day of school. The doctor his granny won’t be seeing for her heart. Remember, we’re used to the dark. We can see inside your pockets lined...