Winter

I had a conversation last night about Japanese poetry and the syllabic forms they are constructed with, most of the poems I have written, in the Japanese style, are in the Senryū mode even though I used to call them Haikū - the content wasn't spiritual so the Senryū name should really apply.

The syllabic form of these two types of poem is in the form of three lines comprising 5:7:5 syllables and is fairly well known and quite popular everywhere.

I did write one poem in another style, the one here, said style being Tanka, the construction is 5:7:5:7:7 syllables. I have to admit that I really prefer the Senryū form - like the ink images where just a few strokes make the image, a few lines of writing can make a really vivid image.

I wish to apologise for this waffling but felt that it was necessary to explain a bit of the background to the poem, sorry if you already knew this; I now present my only ever Tanka poem...



Winter 14 Jun 75

Winter passed, as though
A flock of heron - winging
Southward, shed feathers
White. I dreamt of frozen lakes
And streams but found not one.



Only the one poem today because I have been waffling too much, said he grinning.