David Rice

Not Too Big to Fall

ign in the campground: Leave no crumbs. Jays and ravens eat them and produce more jays and ravens, who then eat endangered marbled murrelets.

no-moon-no-lights night sky
my granddaughter says
we're so small
here on earth
we're giants

Ninety-six percent of the historic redwoods are logged. Monetized. We now see that as excessive. Should we have stopped at four percent? Fifty percent? Will we mine ninety-six percent of the coal, oil, and natural gas and then create national parks to protect the rest?

redwood hike
—a twelve-foot diameter titan—
membership
in the save-the-earth club
requires photo id

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About the Author

David Rice was the editor of the Tanka Society of America’s triannual journal, Ribbons, from 2012-2019. His latest book, Tanka Quartets (2020), is a responsive tanka collection written with Autumn Noelle Hall.