deer at the bird feeders
how lovely, these three
deer friends happened by, their grace,
prompting me to breathe
we coexist peacefully
sisters from different mothers
~kat
Tag Archives: Tanka
Day 12 – glimmer and grace
Day 11
snowscape at dawn
i could be, should be
with so many chores to do
but i’d miss this view
the sacred morning stillness
of a night’s snowfall, at dawn
~kat
We’ve been iced in for a week now. Last night a new layer of snow topped the ice. A part of me might be panicking a wee bit. Even if we needed to, we can’t get to the main road. I could be panicking, but I am choosing instead to embrace this respite from the world. We are safe and warm. We have a secure roof over our heads, electricity, water, food in the cupboards and toilet paper. 😉 The sun, and temperatures above freezing are forecast over the next few days. For today and maybe even tomorrow, I am going to do my best to break from the busy-ness that has dominated me for years. I may even stay in my pj’s for two days. Imagine that! If you know me, the thought of doing nothing has been an unthinkable proposition for a long, far too long a time, I’m sad to admit. Taking my cue from this detour from the race…thank you winter snow for the grace to just be… 💚
Peace and glimmers to you,
~kat
Day 7 – oh my!!!
After a day of sleet and frigid temperatures, loss of electricity for several hours, and interrupted sleep from the sound of trees snapping in the wind, ice shards from their branches pounding the roof and scattering like broken glass on the outside porch floor, I happened upon this glorious sight while assessing the damage (fortunately only a few branches and an old pine tree snapped and fell in the yard.)
Talk about glimmers!!! I do believe the universe is playing with me, but I don’t mind! These are glimmers on steroids! With upper tree branches coated in ice sparkling like diamonds in the morning sun, it reminds me that no matter how dark or scary the night might be, the dawn always, always comes with light, warmth and visibility. Darkness doesn’t last forever. It’s a good reminder.
Oh…and I wrote a little tanka poem to commemorate this eventful revelation…
Peace and glimmers to you.
frosted trees
winter tempests rage
while we sleep, but come dawn, well…
she gives us diamonds,
shimmering glimmers of hope
vanquishing the darkest night
~kat
rain dance
rain dance
to dance in the rain
cool droplets bursting on skin
pools lapping our feet
drawing us deep into the one
we call mother…we call home
come dance in the rain
drenched in heaven, head to toe
blood of stone rising
familiar scent of the earth
calling us…calling us home
dancing in the rain
our feet cool and tingling
letting go at last
like autumn leaves twirling ‘round
ashes, ashes, falling down
~kat
In case you’re wondering…yes I did. I did dance in the rain this morning. Yes, I got drenched. It was glorious! Peace to you this weekend. Praying for peace. 🕊️
Zephyrus
Zephyrus
he softly whispered
tossed my hair, kissed my bare neck
warm breath on my skin
the ancients named him
Zephyrus, god of the west wind
warm breath on my skin
gentlest of the Anemoi
deadly when he is jealous
~kat
I have enjoyed this past week’s practice of the Hainka. Familiar and yet nuanced. This coming week’s micropoetry form will be the Bob and Wheel. It incorporates a trifecta of rules: line, syllable and rhyme, which should be challenging and fun…if you like a good challenge like I do. Until then, enjoy your week end.
The Hainka
The 17-syllable haiku is the shortest form of poetry, and the 31-syllable tanka is probably the second shortest format of verse. Precisely the new form of poetry, hainka, is an assimilation of objective sensitivity of haiku with the more subjective oriented of tanka poetry. The synthesis in hainka is based on the image linking (the ‘fragment’ of haiku acting as the ‘pivot line’ of the following tanka) to explore and interweave human nature, love, emotion, humor in a broader sense by juxtaposition of the imageries.
It is also interesting to see the syllabic coherency between the ‘fragment’ (5-syllable words) with the 5-syllable words of the ‘pivot line’ of tanka. The final structural configuration would be 5/7/5/5/7/5/7/7 (s/l/s/s/l/s/l/l) with the significance of the image linking. A breathing gap (swinging space) is preferred between the haiku and tanka for the reader to imagine and experience the essence of poetry.
This image-linking across time and space is the art of painting an integrated poetic expression and exhibiting the fervent elucidation of hainka writing. Moreover, it retains its focus on the beauty of genetic image-linking to explore the poetic spell within the broader structural framework of the aesthetic essence and rhythms of Japanese short forms of poetry. Echoing the spirit of Basho’s ‘atarashimi’ (newness), I wish that the new verse will entwine the art of gratitude encompassing nature, living beings, non-living beings, and humanity as a whole.
Read more about the evolution of this form at Poetry Digest here: https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/hainka-haiku-tanka-new-genre-of-poetic-form
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