Tanka Origins
digital publication
a late tide
wrinkles the shore
I wonder
how many more calendars
will yet hang on my wall
Pris Campbell
USA
This fine tanka by Pris not only comes alive with the visuals of the tide wrinkling the sand in line two, it’s also
a metaphor for aging. In the next 3 lines, Pris muses about how much longer her life on this earth, will last. However, she doesn’t “tell” us this, rather she “shows” readers by using the word “calendars” for counting
her “time left”, day by day, week by week, month by month or hopefully year by year. Wonderful work!
a late tide
wrinkles the shore
I wonder
how many more calendars
will yet hang on my wall
Pris Campbell
USA
******
in the snow
I wait for you under
a lamplight
with breathless kisses
we melt an evening's coldness
oyoguhito
UK
Wow, loved this one by oyoguhito! A fine tanka rhythm of 4/short, 6/long, 4/short, 6/long, 6/long. It flows and reads
from line to line like snow melt. The subject of “love” is sometimes too mauldin, but this one doesn’t read that way. It needs not say anything else other than what it says in the last two lines. This author is one to watch for more breathless tanka to come.
in the snow
I wait for you under
a lamplight
with breathless kisses
we melt an evening's coldness
oyoguhito
UK
******
her scent
on that soft summer night
confession
of an undying love
now faded to oblivion
Richard St. Clair
USA
This tanka submitted by Richard skillfully includes multiple senses, “smell/scent” in line 1, “touch/soft” in line 2, “speak/confession” in line 3, “emotion/love” in line 4, and “sight” or rather “out of sight/oblivion” in his closing line. Richard’s use of the word “confession” is especially fine, and creates a unique pivot to connect the flow of this whole tanka together.
her scent
on that soft summer night
confession
of an undying love
now faded to oblivion
Richard St. Clair
USA
******
ready
to drip like a tear
ripe words...
better that the wind
would take them away
Diana Teneva
Bulgaria
A personal type tanka by Diana that probably everyone can relate to in their own life at some point in time. Those words on the tip of your tongue about ready to be spill out until you think twice about what you want to say or don’t want to say. Words that are “ripe” (great adjective), which would be better off if the “wind (nature reference) would take them away.”
ready
to drip like a tear
ripe words...
better that the wind
would take them away
Diana Teneva
Bulgaria
******
honeysuckle vines
touched by the gentle breeze
that led you through life
I wander a fence line
looking for an opening
Darrell Lindsey
USA
A poignant tanka written by Darrell, and I would like to praise him for the fine way he twisted the kami-no-ku (upper phrase) into the shimo-no-ku (lower phrase). This tanka can be interpreted different ways, some might say the person has died, and others might think the person is still here. With these few words from Darrell you decide: “the person in this tanka identifies the gentle breeze with the spirit of the person. The life force.”
honeysuckle vines
touched by the gentle breeze
that led you through life
I wander a fence line
looking for an opening
Darrell Lindsey
USA
******
an up-hill walk
between the roots and rocks
along our lake
I pause to rest my body
and retrieve your memory
Adelaide B. Shaw
USA
This fine tanka by Adelaide is indicative of life’s ups-and-downs shown through nature concepts. Upon reading you
can imagine this person walking alone and ultimately (while resting their body), retrieving memories, specific memories about a person no longer with them for whatever reason. The middle line also provides a strong pivot in Adelaide’s tanka.
an up-hill walk
between the roots and rocks
along our lake
I pause to rest my body
and retrieve your memory
Adelaide B. Shaw
USA
******
refugees
reach the mountains
each snowflake
searches for a place
to kiss the ground
Mark Gilbert
UK
A tanka from Mark that could be about the past or present or both, as well as anywhere in the world. The metaphor of “snowflakes” for “refugees” is interesting, but then Mark hits us with that powerful closing punch-line in the words “to kiss the ground.” This is a hard-hitting write, could we even ask for anything more in just five lines down.
refugees
reach the mountains
each snowflake
searches for a place
to kiss the ground
Mark Gilbert
UK
******
I walk
a field to feel the flowers'
music
where the sunset becomes
wine for cupid's arrow
Lee Felty
USA
A lovely tanka by Lee. I especially admire her use of the word “feel” rather than “hear” in reference to the “flowers’ music”, for it’s things like this that set one tanka apart from others. The last two lines are just as impactful as one can imagine someone waiting all day for a sweetheart to appear, or are they just hoping that “cupid’s arrow” will bring them someone? Lee’s wine (red for me) represents the color of love.
I walk
a field to feel the flowers'
music
where the sunset becomes
wine for cupid's arrow
Lee Felty
USA
******
the busyness
and weariness of now
they toss about
regulating their sleep
by one another's
R. K. Singh
India
An age-old concept to this tanka by R. K. in keeping with the spirit of the genre. It could be about any couple doing any kind of busy work and the weariness of how they feel, especially when trying to come down from the day. The word “regulating” is a fine verb choice that depicts a close relationship and the tenderness of respecting another person’s rhythm.
the busyness
and weariness of now
they toss about
regulating their sleep
by one another's
R. K. Singh
India
******
the echo
of a door slammed—
enough
if only once
you have regrets
Marilyn Fleming
USA
This interesting write by tanka poetess Marilyn is special because of her ambiguous play on words, and a unique pivot line. Can you imagine the person left behind saying “enough”! (in reference to the slamming of a door), and then also saying it would be “enough” if the person leaving would only once have regrets. I can hear the door echo slam over and over again.
the echo
of a door slammed—
enough
if only once
you have regrets
Marilyn Fleming
USA
******
last light
on the horizon...
snowflakes drift
into the silence
of my attic world
Chen-ou-Liu
Canada
Leave it to a well known tanka poet Chen-ou to always create “atmosphere” in his tanka, as well as give us superb visuals. This is the kind of tanka you can step right into literally. Upon reading I was immediately enjoying the silence of that attic world right alongside this author watching that “last light on the horizon”; this tanka makes good use of bringing nature indoors.
last light
on the horizon...
snowflakes drift
into the silence
of my attic world
Chen-ou-Liu
Canada
******
sudden path—
all those talks of blue sky
are not false
one step after another
I follow it back home
Neelam Dadhwal
India
Speaking of stepping into a tanka, this one by Neelam allows readers to follow her in coming back from something left unsaid. Perhaps a tanka about recovery which can be interpreted in a different way by each reader. It gives me the feeling of being “found” or “saved”; a ray of hope for the skeptic and the weary. Thank you Neelam for the real “blue sky”...
sudden path—
all those talks of blue sky
are not false
one step after another
I follow it back home
Neelam Dadhwal
India
******
returning
from a long holiday...
ribbons
of old cobwebs
welcome me home
Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawy)
Nigeria
This tanka by Taofeek from Nigeria has two sides to it. The visual reference to”ribbons of old cobwebs” for one person might be a lonely visual, but the beauty of thought to another reader. I choose the second option because the “welcome me home” last line is the most important in this tanka. We all like to get away for awhile, but coming home to a familiar place, ( even with cobwebs), is the point.
returning
from a long holiday...
ribbons
of old cobwebs
welcome me home
Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawy)
Nigeria
******
midnight yoga
I opened the window
in my mind's eye
and saw a mistress moon
too hot for this evening
Ernesto P. Santiago
Greece
Ernesto’s tanka (a rhythmic 4,6,4,6,6) composition, is a sensual moment indeed. During yoga the author’s mind wanders and a window of thought, is opened. Ernesto shares this time by using the nature reference of “a mistress moon.” Are we to believe the weather was too hot for the evening, or is his mistress moon a metaphor?” A little mystery is always a plus in any tanka.
midnight yoga
I opened the window
in my mind's eye
and saw a mistress moon
too hot for this evening
Ernesto P. Santiago
Greece
******
long journey
home to my village
noon breeze
bringing maple leaves
down to the ground
Agus Maulana Sunjaya
Indonesia
This tanka by Agus gives readers a strong sense of time (regardless of whatever season), and place (with the words "my village"). However, what it doesn’t tell us, is how far did the author have to travel on this long journey, how many seasons did it take to get there, and returning home for what?; the rest is left up to each reader to come to their own conclusion.
long journey
home to my village
noon breeze
bringing maple leaves
down to the ground
Agus Maulana Sunjaya
Indonesia
******
peace lilies
sprout in my garden
heirlooms
nurtured with the love
you couldn't give me
Debbie Strange
Canada
A beautiful tanka shared with us by Debbie who has such classic a way with words! She accomplishes this in the first three lines by talking of “peace lilies and “heirlooms.” However, she surprises her readers in lines four and five when the direction of this tanka takes a melancholy turn. Debbie is very much adept at creating a whole story in just five lines, as you can see in this tanka.
peace lilies
sprout in my garden
heirlooms
nurtured with the love
you couldn't give me
Debbie Strange
Canada
******
careless strokes
of summer light filtered
through windows
stained glass refractions
from a pothole puddle
Elancharan Gunasekaran
Central Singapore
A tanka by Elancharan with visuals that come alive, but the way they came alive, is exceptional. First, we see “careless strokes” (great wording) of “summer light/filtered through windows.” Not just ordinary light however, but the physics of rays of light in passing obliquely from one medium into another… from “a pothole puddle”, making an ordinary window into a work of art.
careless strokes
of summer light filtered
through windows
stained glass refractions
from a pothole puddle
Elancharan Gunasekaran
Central Singapore
******
whispering
love to the clouds
summer sun
how your cheeks glow under my gaze
Richa Sharma
India
This is an intoxicating tanka by Richa that “yes” personifies the “summer sun”, however it also provides an excellent line three pivot. In haiku, poetic devices are quite rare, but in the tanka genre, we are given more space for expressing our emotions which was accomplished by Richa in the final two lines. The juxtaposition of sunglow and the person’s cheeks aglow is also a plus.
whispering
love to the clouds
summer sun
how your cheeks glow under my gaze
Richa Sharma
India
******
winter sun
scatters the remnants
of darkness
my way home seems
longer and lonelier
Chen-ou Liu
Canada
Another wonderful visual tanka (lines one through three) from Chen-ou, becoming a statement tanka in lines four and five. Only an experienced writer can accomplish this correctly. Not as easy as it sounds, because the first part must be deeply enhanced by the second part. The final line with the words “longer and lonelier” accomplishes this, and also provides us with “l” sounds that will linger beyond the read...
winter sun
scatters the remnants
of darkness
my way home seems
longer and lonelier
Chen-ou Liu
Canada
******
heavy rain—
red roses you brought me
and I too
begin to fade away
behind the closed louvers
Lavana Kray
Romania
In this tanka by a Lavana who is not only a fine writer, but also a fine photographer, she has created a word picture. Lavana first talks of “red roses” in line 2, and then compares them to self in line 3. They both begin to fade away, one without the sun and the other behind closed louvers. Are the louvers closed becaue of loneliness, desolation, privacy, or just closing out the heavy rain; perhaps we have to use our imagination…
heavy rain—
red roses you brought me
and I too
begin to fade away
behind the closed louvers
Lavana Kray
Romania
******
clearly echoing
in the valley of the hill
an eagle's voice
is this showing its strength
or is it a lonesome scream
Neni Rusliana
Indonesia
Here is an unusual submission by Neni, which to my mind, is a “question tanka”, and the same as a statement tanka, the final lines should deeply enforce the first part. Reni has heard an “eagle’s voice” but as a human, cannot determine its intent, hence the question is posed, and therefore left up to each reader to relate it to their own feelings and choose an answer...
clearly echoing
in the valley of the hill
an eagle's voice
is this showing its strength
or is it a lonesome scream
Neni Rusliana
Indonesia
******
oh moon,
speak to me
just once. . .
the night laced
with coyote howls
robert d. wilson
Philippines
A simple straightforward write by robert with a short but correct tanka rhythm. However there’s hidden meaning
to this one, especially if you understand coyotes. Group howls are often a response to lone howls, or to other group howls where they're reaching out to contact other coyotes. Are the words “oh moon, speak to me just once,” a comment that conveys Robert’s meaning indirectly; a parable perhaps…or not...
oh moon,
speak to me
just once. . .
the night laced
with coyote howls
robert d. wilson
Philippines
******
paddling
in a tandem kayak
no choice
but to travel
in the same direction
Marianne Paul
Canada
Marianne’s tanka is about teamwork between two individuals that have no choice but to work together since they are in “a tandem kayak”. Does their relationship always travel “the same direction”, or is this a kind of therapy to keep them close? Marianne doesn’t tell us too much so all sorts of reasons might be applied depending on our own relationship with another, whether it be a friend, family, lover, business partner, or?
paddling
in a tandem kayak
no choice
but to travel
in the same direction
Marianne Paul
Canada
******
in the midst
of charismatic
renewal
I copy her faith
doing and being
Anne Curran
New Zealand
******
This tanka by Anne speaks of a personal experience with another person, obviously someone she greatly admired
We often copy those we admire, and in this case it was "her faith" in line 4, and the concept of that faith is revealed in line 5. The rhthym is a perfect 3,5,3,5,5 that is also to be admired by readers and other tanka poets. Thanks Anne for sharing this with us.
in the midst
of charismatic
renewal
I copy her faith
doing and being
Anne Curran
New Zealand
******
as ringing bells
fade away into silence...
orchids die off
never having known
how beautiful they were
Vasile Moldovan
Romania
A tanka by Vasile that uses the “zoom” effect to its advantage. In line one, we hear “ringing bells” but in line two they “fade away into silence”. Line three snaps us back to a moment of reality as our mind and eyes zoom in on the orchids. In the final two lines, although we must accept their death, we are also the fortunate ones (as humans) having known and appreciated how beautiful they were.
as ringing bells
fade away into silence...
orchids die off
never having known
how beautiful they were
Vasile Moldovan
Romania
******
that faraway look
in grandmother's eyes
winter deepens
and I take one more step
out of her shadow
Agus Maulana Sunjaya
Indonesia
This tanka by Agus could be interpreted many different ways by readers. For me it’s a heartfelt tanka about watching a loved one (who is in the winter of her life) slip slowly away. Therefore the author is preparing for the inevitable with the words “and I take one more step out of her shadow”, perhaps trying to cope and fade quietly
out of the picture as well; a very comtemplative tanka.
that faraway look
in grandmother's eyes
winter deepens
and I take one more step
out of her shadow
Agus Maulana Sunjaya
Indonesia
******
wildflowers
bloom inside my lungs,
every sense
alive with the fragrance
of this exquisite world
Debbie Strange
Canada
How great is it to be able to actually breath in this tanka by Debbie, and let those wildflowers also bloom in our lungs! Debbie makes good use of multiple "l" sounds throughout. This is a tanka that truly takes us on a journey
out of the material world and into a realm where everything is exquisite, and our senses come alive with the fragrance. of wildflowers.
wildflowers
bloom inside my lungs,
every sense
alive with the fragrance
of this exquisite world
Debbie Strange
Canada
******
at sundown
counting our losses
on the trail
you walk behind me
suddenly older
Leslie Bamford
Canada
By Leslie, this tanka is one of understanding what it’s like to suddenly feel older. Why, and at what age this happens to a person, varies for everyone, but we all will feel this same thing in our lives, perhaps not only once, but many times over. However there is reason to this as the feeling was set up in line two with the three words “counting our losses.”
at sundown
counting our losses
on the trail
you walk behind me
suddenly older
Leslie Bamford
Canada
******
with gps ships
no need for our lighthouse—
now automated
the sweep of Point Pinos beam*
counts of unnumbered gulls
Neal Whitman
USA
Neal’s tanka is about “historical nostalgia”, (a topic popular in Japan) that should more often be explored by all tanka poets. Neal is a volunteer docent at the Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove; here are his words:
* Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove, California, is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast. It still uses the original 1855 lens that beams 17 miles across the ocean in clear weather. It was automated in 1975 with a three seconds on/one second off pattern 24/7.
with gps ships
no need for our lighthouse—
now automated
the sweep of Point Pinos beam*
counts of unnumbered gulls
Neal Whitman
USA
******
Author Biographies
The short forms of Pris Campbell have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She won a Bronze award in the 2018 Ito-en competition and a Sakura award in the 2018 Vancouver Cherry Blossom contest. A book of tanka has been published by Nixes Mate Press. A former Clinical Psychologist, sailor and bicyclist until sidelined by ME/CFS in 1990, she now lives a quieter life in Lake Worth, SE Florida with her husband and cat.
***
My name is Anne Curran. I have been writing Japanese short verse forms for several years. Every day provides fresh and exciting opportunities when it comes to my enjoyment of writing. I have learned so much from reading my peer writers and from working with editors and tutors alike.
***
R.K.Singh, born, brought up and educated in Varanasi, till recently Professor at IIT--ISM, Dhanbad, has been writing tanka and haiku for the last four decades. He is a widely published poet with 19 collections, including Growing Within (English/Romanian, 2017) and God Too Awaits Light (2017), to his credit.
***
Marilyn Fleming is a Wisconsin short form poet and occasionally dabbles in sumi-e brush painting. Her special interests are Japanese forms of poetry, (haiku, tanka, haiga, haibun and tanka prose.) She is widely published in the US as well as internationally. You can follow her on https://twitter.com/mflem9811
***
Ernesto P. Santiago spends most of his free time by dividing it between here and there trying to learn something. He is too small for his ego. He is enough for himself. Born in Philippines, he lives in Greece, where he still continues exploring the poetic myth of his senses.
***
Adelaide B. Shaw has been creating tanka, tanka prose, haiku, haibun, and photo haiga for 50- years. Her haiku book, An Unknown Road, won third place in the HSA Kanterman Merit Book Awards. Her second book of haiku, The Distance I’ve Come, is due to be out soon.
***
Elancharan Gunasekaran is a multidisciplinary artist and poet. He has a strange love for all things poetical and Sci-Fi A winner of the Montblanc X Esquire Six-word Story prize 2017. His latest publications are Superatomicluminal (Hesterglock Press, UK), Gods of the Gonzo (Analog Submission Press, UK), The Cosmosnaut Manifesto (Underground Books, New York), Sleeping with Wildflowers (Alien Buddha Press, Arizona/New York), Deviant Flames and Dark Revolver (Roman Books, India/UK).
***
My name is Neni Rusliana, I’m 56 years old, an Indonesian citizen, and a painter, (especially glass painting). I also enjoy writing haiku and tanka very much, and have fallen in love with both genre.
***
Lavana Kray is from Iasi, Romania. She is passionate about photography and poetry and has won several awards, including the status of Master Haiga Artist, from the World Haiku Association. Her work has been published in many print and online journals. She is the haiga editor for the UHTS journal Cattails. Vist Lavana's Blog:
***
Chen-ou Liu lives in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of five books, including Following the Moon to the Maple Land (first prize, 2011 Haiku Pix Chapbook Contest) and A Life in Transition and Translation (honorable mention, 2014 Turtle Light Press Biennial Haiku Chapbook Competition). His haiku and tanka have been honored with many awards.
***
Oyoguhito is a poet living in The Mumbles, Gower, Wales, UK. He does most of his writing in his beach hut at Rotherslade Bay, on the Gower.
***
Agus Maulana Sunjaya lives in Indonesia, teaching physics and mathematics at college, and has been writing English Language haiku for 3 years. Agus' works had appeared in Wales Haiku Journal, Hedgerow, Frogpond, Akitsu Quarterly, NHK Masters, The Mainichi, The Asahi Haikuist, Under the Basho, Chrysanthemum, and others. https://twitter.com/agusmsunjaya
***
ARicha Sharman, an avid sky watcher and a dreamer, resides in India and loves to read and write poetry. Some of her poems have been published in Better Than Starbucks, Mojave Heart Review, Wales Haiku Journal, Failed Haiku, Asahi Haikuist Network, Poetry Pea and others.
***
Debbie Strange is an internationally published short form poet, haiga artist and photographer, whose creative passions connect her more closely to the world and to herself. She maintains a publication and awards archive on her blog at debbiemstrange.blogspot.com, which also includes hundreds of haiga and reviews of her books. Please visit her on https://twitter.com/Debbie_Strange.
***
Neal Whitman and his wife, Elaine, live in Pacific Grove, California. He is haiku editor for Pulse: Voices from the Heart of Medicine, on the editorial board of the Romanian Haiku Society, as well as vice president of the United Haiku and Tanka Society.
***
Diana Teneva is a Bulgarian writer. Her poems have been published in many journals, including Sketchbook , A Journal for Eastern and Western Short Forms, World Haiku Review, The Heron’s Nest, The Mainichi – Haiku in English, Asahi Haikuist Network by The Asahi Shimbun, A Hundred Gourds, Shamrock – Haiku Journal of the Irish Haiku Society, and Chrysanthemum. Some of them are translated into Russian, French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Croatian.
***
Richard St. Clair, a New Englander born in North Dakota, is active as both poet and composer. His tanka have appeared in Atlas Poetica. A prolific composer of modern classical music, his work has spread to four continents. He has set many traditional and modern tanka and haiku to music.
***
Ms. Neelam Dadhwal is from Chandigarh, India. She spends her leisure time writing haiku, tanka, haibun and painting haiga. Her previous works can be found at The Living Haiku Anthology. She maintains online profiles at https://twitter.com/neelamdadhwal and https://www.instagram.com/neelamdadhwal
***
Taofeek Ayeyemi fondly called Aswagaawy is a lawyer, writer and proud haijin whose works have appeared and/or forthcoming in Modern Haiku, Cicada's Cry, 100Bards of 2019, Tuck Magazine, The Quills, Akitsu Quarterly, Failed Haiku, Frogpond, Seashores, Presence, The Mamba and elsewhere. He won the PoeticWednesday Poetry Contest, 2018.
***
Mark Gilbert is based in Nottinghamshire in the UK and has been writing tanka for over 10 years. Examples may be found in the journals Atlas Poetica, Skylark, Jalmurra and the anthology Neon Graffiti: Tanka Poetry of Urban Life.
***
Lee Felty is a poet of Japanese short form poems. From the time she began writing tanka daily, she has felt more balance in her life. She is a published New England poet and writes most often about that region. Writing the turn in a tanka is Lee's sudoku.
***
Leslie Bamford spends as much time outdoors as she can given the wacky Canadian climate. She often composes tanka in her head while gardening, boating and hiking with her husband and their dog. She is happy to be have been published in publications such as Moonbathing, Gusts, cattails, Daily Haiga and several editions of Bright Stars.
***
Marianne Paul is a Canadian poet and novelist. She is a member of Tanka Canada, and the Tanka Society of America. Her short-form poems have appeared in a wide variety of publications. She tries to live by Basho’s words: It’s better to live poetry than write it (although writing poetry is her sweet passion and her chosen way
of life).
***
Vasile Moldovan was born on June 20 in a Romanian village. He was co-founder (1991) and chairman of The Romanian Society of Haiku and published haiku and tanka in several magazines: Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Daily News, Haiku World Japan), Atlas Poetica, Lynx, moonset, Simply Haiku; also, he published two tanka books and five haiku booklets.
***
Darrell Lindsey's poetry has appeared in more than 70 journals, magazines, and anthologies. His haiku and tanka have garnered numerous international awards. His Poets & Writers Directory listing can be found here: https://www.pw.org/content/darrell_lindsey
***
Robert Wilson, owner and managing editor of Simply Haiku, an online literary journal showcasing Japanese
short form poetry. He is a painter, and the author of an as yet unpublished mystery novel entitled "Late For Mass." Robert is also a performing poet, who reads and performs his poetry on cable television, radio, college campuses, in bookstores, and in saloons.
Thanks for reading the Premier Edition of Tanka Origins. Bookmark this page and I'll see you in December 2019.