Falling Into Me: tanka

Showing posts with label tanka. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Carpe Diem ~ Sacred Earth

sacred earth
my one true mother
her holy spirit
and magnetic soul
ground me to this life

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Carpe Diem ~ Ashes

life to death to ash
sprinkle me among poppies
and lavender
south of france or italy
to dance ever after

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Carpe Diem ~ Tan Renga Challenge

Complete the haiku with two seven syllable lines to create a tanka.

the eucalyptus
captures the iridescence
in the morning fog

(c) Steph

koala bear savors the leaves
breathes penetrating fragrance

Friday, October 25, 2013

CD: "Autumn Leaves"

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge #20

Joanne's "Autumn Leaves"

Transform Joanne's haiku into a tan renga by adding two more lines (traditionally seven syllables each). I broke tradition slightly.

autumn leaves
myriad shades red and gold
begin to fall as snow
(Joanne)

blanketing the brown earth
silently in downy white

Thursday, October 24, 2013

CD: Edge of Life

Carpe Diem's Tanka Shrine #1

"Small footprints" by Marika Kitakubo

Write a tanka inspired by this one by Marika Kitakubo:

fine snow
of New Year’s Day,
small footprints
lead to grandma’s gate
before the shrine

My inspired haiku:

another new year

struggle to stay alive

now behind me

from edge of grave to life

open wide the gates

Thursday, October 17, 2013

CD: Escape to New

Carpe Diem ~ Release

release from bondage
of invisible chains and
programmed thoughts
learn life from the beginning
child taking her first steps

***

"set raven free"
leads to the red rock canyon
release lets me soar

***

release rage of past
channel into new growth
positive energy

Friday, October 11, 2013

CD: "Life From the Sea"

Carpe Diem ~ Tan Renga

The challenge is to add two lines of seven syllables each onto the following haiku written by Cathy Tenzo.

life from the sea
shipwrecked on the sand
so many shells (CT)

untold history within
their porcelain-like frailty (MG)

Monday, October 7, 2013

CD:Toward Extinction

Carpe Diem ~ Ivory

wanton for ivory
elephants endangered
entire species
trophies of the greedy
ruination of life cycle

(Felt I needed to say more than a haiku would allow. A new age tanka...not exactly 5-7-5-7-7.)

Monday, September 16, 2013

Tanka: Shadow Self

Tanka Poets On Site

Shadow

my few memories
a shadow of my life
lived by others within
we are all one now
still a mere shadow

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Tanka: PIgeonholed

Tanka Poets On Site

Niche

tucked in a corner
of my pigeonholed mind
a memory of you
keeping me from seeing
the ugly world outside

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Tanka: What Fate?

Tanka Poets On Site

No Ordinary Eye

through the eye of fear
a world filled with terror
through the eye of love
kindness abounds
what fate humanity

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Tanka: Awareness of Awe

Tanka Poets On Site

From Dream To Reality

mind shattered in youth
fragility meets terror
fine crystal shatters
now pieced back together
wonders surround me
awareness of awe

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Tanka: Yearning

Tanka Poets On Site

What We Can Learn From Children

listen closely
to what is not said
a child's fear so closely held
yet there is screaming
yearning to be heard

Tanka: Anywhere But Here

Tanka Poets On Site

Waking Up Somewhere New

Photo by Brian Beam 2005

wake up to a new world
safety surrounds me
anywhere but here
walk boldly in the open
embrace the freedom

(Photo taken in Brunate, Italy, 2005. Before my back and knee issues. Walked miles each day with that backpack. Loved every moment.)

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Tanka: Wild Side

Tanka Poets On Site

How To Be Wild In Nature

Photo Source

hike the unknown trail

breathe in all nature offers

delight in new sounds

become one with the magic

embrace the universe

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Tanka: Unfathomable

Tanka Poets Onsite

Dealing With Loss

unfathomable
grief stricken heart overflows
gather emotions
plant them in the earth to bloom
watch beauty unfold

(I have planted trees and rosebushes to honor a loss. It is healing to me to watch the growth and season renewal.)