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sea like a mirror
sails drowse useless as rags
smoke rises vertically
ask me how high the waves
—not a one on this painted sea 

1
ripples and light airs
water like mackerel scales
and on shore 
smoke drifts shows the way
(wind vanes unmoved)

2
call it a breeze now
a cat’s paw, gentle wavelets
with glassy crests
yes, that’s wind on your face 
leaves shift and wind vanes creak

3. 
almost at ten knots 
this breeze pushes large wavelets  
a few white horses
leaves move, even little twigs
those once furled flags extend

4 
surely more-than-a-breeze
made these small waves cohere
freed white horses
raised dust and loose papers
and moved small branches 

5
finds freshening winds
with many white horses
(galloping herds?) 
occasionally spray
small trees in leaf begin to sway

6 
a strong breeze drives
largish waves, likely there’s spray
foam crests everywhere
whistling down telegraph wires
—umbrellas buck, hats fly orf

7
now the sea heaps up
foam blown along in streaks
spindrift (from the scots)
whole trees, hillsides in motion
walkers lean comically

8
here at last a gale
edges of wave crests break
foam is blown along
in well-marked streaks
and twigs on trees  |   snap

9
a strong gale: high waves
streaks of foam flying
sea begins to roll
chimney pots and roofing slates
gone                  (gone? )

10 
as storm or whole gale
very high waves with long
overhanging                    crests
the sea’s surface is white 
trees down, some houses lost 

11
violent storm
exceptionally high waves
small and mid-size ships
may be lost                    to view
widespread damage

12
hurricane's scream
air filled with foam
seas completely white
I’m blinded by driving spray
and on land
                        devastation

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Image: Yachts on Warrane (Port Jackson), 2 January 1941, PIX magazine Sailing series, from original negative, State Library of New South Wales on Flickr. A tanka series inspired by an audio piece, A Mirror Featuring Steve Urquhart played on BBC Short Cuts.

And for music this morning (bear with me) here’s Trio Ramberget – with 24 ways volume 1 (and here’s volume 2). (Youtube). Mesmerising meditations with bass clarinet, trombone and double bass.