The Detour: A tanka sequence with Pamela A. Babusci

The Detour

A Tanka Sequence
by:  Kirsten Cliff, NZ
& Pamela A. Babusci, USA

a breakfast
of pills & cold toast
out the hospital window
this world i used to know
passing me by

who am i
trapped in this body
invaded with cancer?
looking at the infinity of stars
i touch the hand of grace

still unsure
of how long this ordeal

will last . . .
the stories i tell myself
between waves of nausea

losing all my hair

from chemo... 
gaining
more humility & compassion
on my life's journey
 
a new awareness
of my inner strength—
free in the wind
these Tibetan prayer flags
frayed, but full of colour


Kirsten Cliff is a Leukaemia cancer survivor   
& Pamela A. Babusci is an Ovarian cancer survivor

Published in Skylark 1:2, Winter 2013

You can now download a FREE copy of Skylark 1:1, Summer 2013 here. This tanka journal edited by Claire Everett is hands-down my favourite thing on the haikai scene. Have a read for yourself! :-)

December Daze

Things have gotten hectic this month. Even if you're not a big Christmas person you certainly can't help but get caught up in the rush of others as they proceed to shop, celebrate, and ready themselves for the big day. All this extra buzz and busyness makes things like supermarket parking difficult and appointments for haircuts hard to come by, even in a small country town!

So you'll find me at home making some Christmas cards for family and putting the finishing touches on my 2014 calendar of haiku and photography, which I invited my hubby to be a part of this year. We have six months each and it's pretty cool to have our two styles represented within the pages for our family to enjoy.

Below is my last calendar page for 2013. Click on image to enlarge.

I achieved some big things this year: the biggest of all being completing my first poetry collection and sending it in to the Snapshot Press Book Awards. It will be a long few months yet before I hear anything back about the contest, but it's exciting enough to have fulfilled my goal and the rest is out of my hands for now. 

Another big highlight of my writing year was being part of A New Resonance 8: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku (Red Moon Press). I still have copies of this for sale, so please get in touch if you'd like one to give as a Christmas gift to yourself or to someone else. Just send me an email.

2013 also included writing tanka sequences with Pamela A. Babusci and Seánan Forbes (a delight); judging the junior section of the NZPS International Haiku Competition (great fun); coming 5th in the open section of the NZPS International Haiku Competition (yay!), and editing a month of dream haiku thanks to The Haiku Foundation's 'Per Diem:Daily Haiku' feature. Hard to believe it's all coming to an end . . .

So, what does 2014 hold? In regards to the writing realm I'm not sure, but stay tuned!

Call For Submissions: Moonbathing 8

From the editor of Moonbathing:

 

MOONBATHING

A JOURNAL OF WOMEN'S TANKA

 
EDITOR
Pamela A. Babusci 

PLEASE NOTE SOME CHANGES BELOW:

 

Moonbathing Issue 8 is now accepting submissions. 

I have additional copies of Moonbathing Issue 7, if you wish to purchase a copy(ies) please e-mail me.

Moonbathing will publish two issues a year: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: 

Moonbathing will feature only women poets. Send a maximum of 10 tanka per submission period. Submission deadlines: 

Spring/Summer: In-hand Deadline:  May 15th spring/summer themes or non-seasonal only

THIS ISSUE: Spring/Winter In-hand deadline:  May 15th

spring/summer theme ONLY or non-seasonal 

No previously published tanka or simultaneous submissions; no tanka that has been posted on-line, on Facebook/Twitter or on a personal website/blog.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

 

Send your tanka IN THE BODY OF AN E-MAIL to: Pamela A. Babusci:  moongate44(at)gmail(dot)com PLEASE NO ATTACHMENTS. E-mail submissions ONLY.

PLEASE NOTE:

 

All tanka poets who have their work accepted in Moonbathing are required to purchase a copy of the issue they are published in or a year's subscription. Unfortunately, Moonbathing cannot survive without your financial support due to the increase every year with the cost of printing and mailing.  Thank you in advance for your understanding.

DONATIONS MOST WELCOME

DISCLAIMER:

Moonbathing does not assume liability for copyright infringement or failure to acknowledge previously published tanka.

 

COPIES/SUBSCRIPTIONS:

NOTE:  I will now be accepting Paypal for foreign poets-PLEASE e-mail me FIRST, so, I can give you the details-thanks!

 

Subscriptions: $12 for one year (two issues) U.S. and Canada; $6 for single issue. International: $16

(two issues) $8 single issue U.S. dollars; send US cash or international M.O.—payable to Pamela A. Babusci

 

Pamela A. Babusci, Editor of Moonbathing

244 Susan Lane Apt. B    Rochester, NY  14616  USA 

 

 The Editor of Moonbathing is looking forward to receiving your best tanka. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail Pamela A. Babusci moongate44(at)gmail(dot)com 

 

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to any of your female tanka poets that might be interested in submitting-many thanks!
 

Respectfully submitted,

Pamela A. Babusci, Editor of Moonbathing

 

 

Call For Submissions to MOONBATHING 7 and the Moonbathing Annual Contest

From editor Pamela A. Babusci:

 

MOONBATHING

A JOURNAL OF WOMEN'S TANKA

Please note a change in Issue 7's deadline & my change of address 
 
EDITOR
Pamela A. Babusci  

 

Moonbathing Issue 7 is now accepting submissions. I have additional copies of Moonbathing issue 5 & issue 6 

If you wish to purchase a copy(ies) please e-mail me.

Moonbathing Issue 7 has the Annual Moonbathing Contest
Please send one tanka on the theme of: "moonbathing" however you interpret it with your regular submission. Please label the contest tanka. The winner will receive a year's subscription to Moonbathing.

Please note the change in deadline for Issue 7  from Dec. 15th to Nov. 15th
 

Moonbathing will publish two issues a year: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: 

Moonbathing will feature only women poets. Send a maximum of 10 tanka per submission period. Submission deadlines:  

Spring/Summer: In-hand Deadline:  May 15th spring/summer themes or non-seasonal only

THIS ISSUE: Fall/Winter: In-hand deadline:  Nov. 15th

fall/winter theme or non-seasonal only

No previously published tanka or simultaneous submissions; no tanka that has been posted on-line, on Facebook/Twitter or on a personal website/blog. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

 

Send your tanka IN THE BODY OF AN E-MAIL to: Pamela A. Babusci:  moongate44(at)gmail(dot)com PLEASE NO ATTACHMENTS. E-mail submissions ONLY.

I hope that all tanka poets who have their work accepted will support Moonbathing by purchasing a copy or a subscription. If Moonbathing is to survive it will need your support and I will be most grateful for it.

DONATIONS MOST WELCOME

DISCLAIMER:

Moonbathing does not assume liability for copyright infringement or failure to acknowledge previously published tanka.

 

COPIES/SUBSCRIPTIONS:

 

Subscriptions: $12 for one year (two issues) U.S. and Canada; $6 for single issue. International: $16 (two issues) $8 single issue U.S. dollars; send US cash or international M.O.—payable to Pamela A. Babusci

 

Pamela A. Babusci, Editor of Moonbathing

244 Susan Lane Apt. B    Rochester, NY  14616  USA 

 

The Editor of Moonbathing is looking forward to receiving your best tanka. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail Pamela A. Babusci moongate44(at)gmail(dot)com

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to any of your female tanka poets that might be interested in submitting-many thanks!

 

Respectfully submitted,

Pamela A. Babusci, Editor of Moonbathing

 

 

Call for Submissions: MOONBATHING Issue 6‏

MOONBATHING

A JOURNAL OF WOMEN'S TANKA

 

FROM EDITOR
Pamela A. Babusci  

 

Moonbathing Issue 6 is now accepting submissions. 

 

I have additional copies of Moonbathing issue 5

If you wish to purchase a copy(ies) please e-mail me.
 

Moonbathing will publish two issues a year: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:   

Moonbathing will feature only women poets.  

Send a maximum of 10 tanka per submission period. 

Submission deadlines:  

Spring/Summer: In-hand Deadline:  May 15th (spring/summer themes or non-seasonal only) 

Fall/Winter: In-hand deadline:  Dec. 15th ( fall/winter theme or non-seasonal only)

 

No previously published tanka or simultaneous submissions; no tanka that has been posted on-line on a personal website/blog.

SUBMISSION ADDRESSES:

Send your tanka IN THE BODY OF AN E-MAIL to:  

Pamela A. Babusci  

PLEASE NO ATTACHMENTS. E-mail submissions ONLY.

I hope that all tanka poets who have their work accepted will support Moonbathing by purchasing a copy or a subscription. If Moonbathing is to survive it will need your support and I will be most grateful for it. DONATIONS MOST WELCOME

 

DISCLAIMER: Moonbathing does not assume liability for copyright infringement or failure to acknowledge previously published tanka.

 

COPIES/SUBSCRIPTIONS:

 

Subscriptions: $12 for one year (two issues) U.S. and Canada; $6 for single issue. 

International: $16 (two issues) $8 single issue U.S. dollars; send US cash or international M.O.—payable to Pamela A. Babusci to:  

 

Moonbathing Editor

150 Milford Street Apt. 13 

Rochester, NY  

14615-1810  USA    

 

PLEASE NOTE: I will be moving into a new apt. by the end of May, so, please check with me for my new address before mailing me-thanks!

The Editor of Moonbathing is looking forward to receiving your best tanka. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail Pamela A. Babusci 

Respectfully submitted,

Pamela A. Babusci, Editor of Moonbathing

Moonbathing Call For Submissions

MOONBATHING: A JOURNAL OF WOMEN'S TANKA

From Editor Pamela A. Babusci - 

Moonbathing Issue 5 is now accepting submissions.

Moonbathing will publish two issues a year:

(Northern) Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Moonbathing will feature only women poets.

Send a maximum of 10 tanka per submission period.

Submission deadlines:

Spring/Summer: In-hand Deadline: May 15th

spring/summer themes or non-seasonal only

Fall/Winter: In-hand deadline Dec. 15th

fall/winter themes or non-seasonal

No previously published tanka or simultaneous submissions;

no tanka that has been posted on-line on a personal website/blog.

SUBMISSION ADDRESSES:

Send your tanka IN THE BODY OF AN E-MAIL to:

Pamela A. Babusci 

PLEASE NO ATTACHMENTS. E-mail submissions ONLY.

I hope that all tanka poets who have their work accepted will support Moonbathing by purchasing a copy or a subscription. If Moonbathing is to survive it will need your support and I will be most grateful for it. DONATIONS MOST WELCOME.

DISCLAIMER:

Moonbathing does not assume liability for copyright infringement or failure to acknowledge previously published tanka.

COPIES/SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Subscriptions: $12 for one year (two issues) U.S. and Canada;

$6 for single issue.

International: $16 (two issues) $8 single issue U.S. dollars;

send US cash or international M.O.—payable to Pamela A. Babusci.

Please email for address details.

The Editor of Moonbathing is looking forward

to receiving your best tanka.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail Pamela A. Babusci.