A Slender Cord – 30th September 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen

A slender cord holds

a grace, being in balance,

elusively perched.


Papal songs of vibrant pair;

sweet-sweet jewels of the swamp.

A tanka, shared with Reena’s Xploration #400 – inspired by the attached picture from The Marginalian’s An Almanac of Birds. These elusive birds are known as ‘jewels of the swamp’ and their song is a ‘sweet-sweet-sweet’ sound. Their name is derived from their colour, an almost fluorescent golden-yellow, like the robes of a papal prothonotary (a high-ranking cleric in the Catholic Church. I learned all this today, too.

The first issue of BIG FAT TOAD is now available, featuring a few lines from me.

Here is a one-time giveaway code to use at checkout: 1KVP8SH

If that has already been used, then this ongoing code will allow 20% discount: BFT-20%-GSK4VNH

7 thoughts on “A Slender Cord – 30th September 2025”

  3. These lovely birds remind me of the Goldfinches I see around my feeders. Thanks for sharing their history. I like the thought on the card and how you interpreted it.

    Just like most ‘predict’ type or ‘advice’ cards – I can see that possibly every bird ‘card’ could related to any and everyone at some point in their lives.

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