FicWad

Tanka is an ancient Japanese form of poetry, older and less familiar than Haiku. The syllable patter is normally 5-7-5-7-7, though many tanka poets who write in English will take any combination of 5 lines and 31 syllables. In classic tanka, the upper verse (5-7-5) sets a comparison or natural scene: the lower verse (7-7) pertains to an important life passage. I try to stick to that pattern as much as possible.


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1. Miracles

They don't amaze us
If they can't make us smile
But sometimes I think
the Devil works miracles
every bit as great as God's


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2. Swansong

Graceful, moon-white swans
carry immortality
on wings of starlight
with the proper precautions
six months can be forever


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3. Crab Apples

Wind blows crab apples
down from their white-blossomed throne
If change is so good
why do they moan as they are
carried away on the breeze?


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4. Flowers in Autumn

Smiling in the grass
Summer flower in Autumn
Golden flare of hope
I wish our lives could be thus,
not fast fading candle flames


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5. Ice

Winter chills the air
Clear ice encases branches
sparkles like crystal
I miss you with all my heart
The ice inside never melts


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6. Over Dinner

In the Dining Room
We stare across the table
We are both silent
Then, you seem to want to speak...
You only say, "Pass the salt."


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7. Faces

Faces on the train
Twisting around each other
all blur into you
Surrounded by so many
I feel so very alone


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8. Remember

I can remember
his eyes, his voice, his smile
his hand clutching mine
as we run through the soft snow
I can't remember his name


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9. Drink

Cold rain pounds the roof
Inside, the hot shower
will burn away your touch
I drink in the steam-filled air
and the water tastes like blood


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10. Snowflakes

Catching white snow flakes
In our warm black-mittened hands
they will glisten there,
but only for a moment
before they melt into black


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11. Dragonflies

Blue-winged dragonflies
hover over the water
glistening monsters
The slightest touch makes me burn
and those little wings are strong


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