iris nod wind's rhythm
praise summer's diurnal heat-
cicadas scream
~~~~~~~~
fireflies beckon
sparklers in the darkest night
twinkling as beacons
lovers lust in the moonlight
shimmering flitting glow worm
~~~~~~~~
I'm still not convinced that Japanese forms, such as tanka, can be translated into English. Tanka, older than haiku, are written across the page in Japanese. Cultured folks, during Japan's Heian period (794-1185 A.D.), would mark an occasion with the grace and beauty of their tanka.
Robert Lee Brewer says,
"If a haiku is usually (mistakenly) thought of as a 3-line, 5-7-5 syllable poem, then the tanka would be a 5-line, 5-7-5-7-7 syllable poem."
A tanka, then, is a 5-line poem with 3 short lines (lines 2, 4, 5) and 2 very short lines (lines 1 and 3).
Tanka is conversational, unlike haiku, and it uses of poetic devices (metaphor and 
personification) not allowed in haiku. Each line is distinct, and the images do not wrap into the next line. They are concise and musical.
But to write a brief, succinct poem is a god thing! Oops, a
good thing. Freudian slip... I honour those who have mastered it. I have not. But I keep on trying - and sometimes it is very trying!
I am amazed at the website that purport to feature haiku, but some do not make the grade. Watch out for imitations.
For more info on tanka:
* American tanka
* Aha poetry
* Modern English tanka
Visit:
Summer Haiku for how-to-join.
cold lake dissuades them not
raccoons dream dreams of spring
