It Won’t Be Long – 22nd January 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen

Shared with Tanka Tuesday following the poem “Appellate Jurisdiction,” where Marianne Moore uses a pattern of 9-syllable lines and a 4-syllable refrain.

Stories did their work for the future
The world, still deciding what to keep

Before was long


Lounging, ankles crossed, watching the clouds
Translating sunlight into stillness

The days are long


Adrenaline of whiskey shortcuts
Dawn is held off by sheer momentum

The nights are long


The future shrinks, the past multiplies
The scenes replayed all out of order

Life is so long


Whether it is silence or in song
Meaning will redistribute itself

After is long

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

The Day In Review

What did you think and what did you do
Each day, put it all up for review
Things that were good, things that were bad
All that made you happy, all that made you sad

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