This photo was taken under a bridge on the frozen Red River in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Every winter, there are art installations along the river skating trail. This one caught my attention because it reminded me of a gravestone, and of the time a crow shattered my window, losing its life in the process. The raven is symbolic in many cultures, and the tanka represents the way chronically ill people (myself included) often try to hide their infirmities (“pretending to be sky”) to avoid making others feel uncomfortable. This tanka gained 3rd Place, 2020 San Francisco International Tanka Competition.

-Debbie Strange

Bio and Links

-Debbie Strange

is an internationally published short-form poet, haiga artist, and photographer whose creative practice helps to distract her from chronic illness. Thousands of her works have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide. Please visit her archive at debbiemstrange.blogspot.com for further information.