Tanka

In between our PAD challenge, we have been given a Tanka form Challenge. A tanka is like a haiku only it has more syllables using lots of metaphor, similes, and personification. It is written about nature, emotional struggle, love, and of course, broken hearts. And like the haiku, you need to count your syllables and lines. Tanka has five lines, thirty-one syllables that you fit together like this: 5 7 5 7 7

No sweat, right? Oh, one more thing, they do or do not have to have a title.

Here are two of my attempts:

“Fire and Ice”

I would kiss the soft
belly of your lonely eyes
if I could see ache
like you do, instead we gaze
at the sun, waiting to thaw.

* * * * *

I am sinking in
a bed of bleeding hearts all
because you tangled
with voices of saints wedged in
vineyards of gossip and time.

* * * *

There, that wasn’t so tough, was it? Now you give it a try.