Eucalypt: A Tanka Journal (Issue 26, 2019) has published Andrew’s poem “no consolation”.
Unlike most of the 5-line poems in the magazine, Andrew’s poem conforms to the the traditional 5.7.5.7.7 syllabic structure used by the ancient Japanese tanka poets. Also, Andrew has structured his poem so that each line is a balanced phrase ending on an identical consonant.
no consolation
but it was by death it won
my admiration—
this long-snouted seadragon
snagged in weed by the ocean© Andrew Lansdown
Kyoto Journal (No. 94) has published Andrew’s poem, “Dragonflies from the Bamboo Forest”.
Kyoto Journal is an award-winning English-language magazine founded in 1987 in Kyoto, Japan. It presents cultural and historical insights from all of Asia, with a major focus on Japan. It is published biannually.
The text of Andrew’s poem is reproduced below:
Dragonflies from the Bamboo Forest
They journeyed from Japan,
the bamboo dragonflies
buoyant by my bookcase.Members of a squadron
of small fixed-wing flyers,
they zeroed in on meas I walked with my wife
through an ancient forest
of tall timber bamboos.And I quickly yielded
to the craftsman for them
my pocketful of yen.Now they hover weightless
above papers and books,
upheld by just the tipsof their noses touching
the raised sticks of their stands,
the weight of their bodiesand long tails magically
offset by the weight of
their forward-thrusting wings.They tremble dreamily
in the still air above
the tarmac of my desk,tempting me to puff them
into storm even as
I marvel at their poise,reminding me always
of the balance and grace
they own but I must chase.© Andrew Lansdown
A slightly altered version of this poem is included in Andrew’s new collection, Distillations of Different Lands (Sunline Press).
Goodreads, “the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations”, has two brief reviews of Andrew’s latest poetry-and-photography book, Kyoto Momiji Tanka:
Trevor’s Review
Dec 23, 2018
This is a delightful collection of mostly tanka poems lavishly illustrated using photos taken by the poet.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2636666903
Susan Austin’s Review
Apr 04, 2019
Beautiful photos matching some interesting poems, like traveling to Japan in Autumn from the comfort of your couch, with someone who is good at taking in the details and making some quirky comparisons.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2775233088
Learn more about Kyoto Momiji Tanka on this website here.
One of Andrew’s poems has been included in the Australian Poetry Anthology, Volume 7, 2019. The poem, “Prank Call”, is also published in Andrew’s latest poetry collection, Distillations of Different Lands (Sunline Press).
The Mozzie published Andrew’s poem “Sounds and Wrens” in its Vol. 27, No. 5 issue. This poem consists of two tanka and it is also published in Andrew’s latest poetry collection, Distillations of Different Lands (Sunline Press).
The Mozzie published Andrew’s poem “Suburban Birds” in its April 2019 issue (Vol. 27, No. 3). This poem, which is a set of five haiku, is included in Andrew’s latest book of poetry, Distillations of Different Lands, which has was released late last year by Sunline Press.