sleepovers filled with
half-baked cakes and sweet wrappers,
giggles in the night
echo down the street we shared —
lost to the wind like our love
ABOUT THIS POEM
This tanka was the result of a poetry challenge by Tanka Tuesday (thanks, Yvette).
“For this week, let’s focus on the idea of sisterly love or sisterhood. Find a syllabic poetry form that works for you, and let your inspiration flow.”
I’m not sure if I love what I’ve written for the topic of sisterhood because I would have preferred a poem about strong women and unbreakable bonds or something along those lines. This is what came out instead.
I read somewhere recently that a poem demands to be dramatic. And that was a light bulb moment for me – duh, poetry isn’t all truth! It can be chaotic, exaggerated, and even pure fiction… You can write about anything you want, not just your own experiences or the world as you see it. I guess as a person who holds candor in high regard, it’s difficult for me to put out something that isn’t entirely honest. I’m working on it, and this one has definitely been dramatised.
ok miriam, but what exactly is a tanka?
Good question. I’m only getting started with doing research on different poetry forms myself. Tanka Tuesday explains it as:
“5-7-5-7-7 syllable structure, or s-l-s-l-l. Tanka consists of 5 lines written in the first-person point of view from the perspective of the poet.
The third line is considered your “pivot,” but let it happen anywhere, or exclude it. If you use a pivot, the meaning should apply to the first two lines, as well as the last two lines of your tanka. Tanka are untitled and do not rhyme.”
Apparently, an authentic Japanese tanka won’t include any punctuation, while the modern western style does. I like the idea of writing and reading it as one long sentence but that’s easier said than done.
As always, feel free to share your thoughts below or take part in the challenge yourself.
Until Next Time,
Miriam
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