Tanka

early sunset ~ tanka

/ Ken / rivrvlogr / 49 Comments

early sunset
harvest moon rising
dancing leaves
wonderful colors
a treat for the eyes

The first full moon (of two) this October is the harvest moon which typically
appears in late September.  Many places (particularly in the northeast US)
are reporting fall colors weeks ahead of the norm.

This tanka is my response to three different prompts:
→ Frank Tassone’s #Haikai Challenge #158: Harvest Moon
→ Carpe Diem – 8th Anniversary asks for a festive haiku or tanka.
→ Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge
No. 197, #SpecificForm: Tanka
Also shared with Open Link Night #275 at dVerse Poets Pub

Photos
Harvest Moon, 01 October 2020,
Full Moon with Missouri’s Capitol, Jefferson City, Missouri – 01 October 2020
The dome is bathed in red light to honor the firefighters
who gave their lives to serve our community
(click on images for larger view in new tab)

everything is gray ~ tanka, kyoka, gogyohka

/ Ken / rivrvlogr / 28 Comments

The prompt for MTB: 5-Line Japanese Poetic Forms from Frank at dVerse Poets Pub is to write a tanka, kyoka, or gogyohka. Frank discusses each of the forms. I’ve tried to cover all three, in order.  This series was a hard one to write.

bird with broken wing
beneath broken cedar branch
saved by helping hands
must be returned to the wild
before wild nature returns

broken clouds
in coming storm
offer hope
only an illusion
everything is gray

a soul is troubled
looking for escape
safe haven offered
troubles multiply
everyone suffers

Image source: Wikimedia Commons (edited here)

 

spring warbler spreads wings ~ tanka

/ Ken / rivrvlogr / 15 Comments

spring warbler spreads wings
leaves droppings while taking flight
spoiled rice cake remains
cat walks across veranda
hungry for departed bird

Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #110 Carpe Diem Transformation …. Bush Warbler
offers a haiku by Bashō (below, in blue) to be transformed
into a tanka. In a process different from tan renga,
I have revised the original haiku before
adding two lines to create my tanka.

A spring warbler casts
A dropping on the rice cakes –
The veranda edge.

Image source: ukiyo-e.org – Warbler on Red Plum Branch

waiting for a break in clouds ~ tan renga

/ Ken / rivrvlogr / 4 Comments

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Wednesday – White Crane asks us to use
a haiku by Kikaku (in blue) to create a tanka.

how I wish to call
a white crane from Fukei,
but for this cold rain.
               Kikaku

waiting for a break in clouds
to deliver good fortune

A crane is said to symbolize good fortune, balance, and happiness.
Image source: ukiyo-e.org – Crane and Waves, by Baiso
(right click image for larger view in new tab)

unexpected gift ~ tanka

/ Ken / rivrvlogr / 8 Comments

Carpe Diem #1775 Morning Glory! is part of a new feature,
“Carpe Diem’s Transformation,” which has the goal of using the scenes and images
of a given haiku to create a transformed haiku into a tanka.

Another feature of Carpe Diem is to create a Tan Renga, a short exercise that adds two lines to a given haiku to create a tanka. Making a distinction, I have interpreted this new prompt
to be a challenge to first transform a given haiku by re-creating it
before adding two lines to make it a tanka.

The haiku provided (in blue) is by Chiyo-Ni, and my tanka follows.

morning glory!
the well bucket-entangled,
I ask for water
            Chiyo-Ni

unexpected gift
morning glory filled with water
refreshing my thirst
accepted as good omen
a fresh start to my travels

Image source: morguefile.com / rollingroscoe