Winter's wild romance
dark, moonless nights
beguiling the artist,
confusing the traveler,
on the way home

#TankaThursday romance

#vss365 #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels

birds chirping
in the eucalyptus
me swaying gently
in the hammock
I turn a page

#TankaThursday page

#vss365 #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

I promise
long after the sun sets
when the woke petals
will have withered and dried
I'll stay the same

#wss366 woke

#TankaThursday #vss365 #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #senryu #haikufeels

white of whiskers
and faded of fur
in the background
discreet drumbeats
of goodbye

#TankaThursday drumbeats

#vss365 #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

rogue ruler
hastening the fall
of a dying empire
but the more guilty masses
that let him

#TankaThursday #vss365 #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

lucky shot
on blue-sky Thursday
a jubilant thrush
in time
for my camera

#TankaThursday blue sky

#vss365 #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

on a hot air balloon
under a blue sky
a fleeting moment
between this
and that

#TankaThursday blue sky

#vss365 #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

from a treasure chest
of warm memories
granny's muffler
stealing all the cold
from winter

#haikufeels steal
#dailyhaikuprompt cold full moon
#wss366 chest

#TankaThursday #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu

a creeping desert
of desolation
then suddenly
the true magic
of green leaves

#TankaThursday true

#vss365 #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

in the longest shadow
cast by Winter's sun
I struggle between
true halves
of myself

#TankaThursday true
#vss365 struggle

#NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

I call this a semi-vertical free verse tanka and I’m very grateful to Alison Williams at Quail Eggs for publishing something different. Unfortunately she placed it LH justified so here is how I prefer. Originally came from a #NaTankaMo prompt 🙏 @evecastle.bsky.social. quaileggstanka.blogspot.com

now and again
a napping kitty
and the burden
of having to tiptoe
around the house

#TankaThursday burden

#NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366 #vss365

in other news
coo after coo
a drenched hummingbird
singing in the rain
breaks my tender heart 💔

#TankaThursday #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366 #vss365

small finds
on my evening walk
a magenta scarf
caught
in the rose bush

#vss365 magenta

#TankaThursday #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

an apple a day
repels the doctor
but rhinitis
makes a joker
out of me 🤧

#TankaThursday apple

#NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366 #vss365

autumn
of achievable dreams
finally settling down
to knitting mufflers
for granny

#vss365 achievable

#TankaThursday #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

forget-me-not
granny's precious
old trench coat
a tired button
coming lose

#TankaThursday #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366 #vss365

warped trees
stripped by autumn 🍂 🍁
the dendrophile
surviving
without momentum

#TankaThursday momentum

#NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366 #vss365

the gradual erasure
of granny's garden
weeds and unseen weevils
bumblebees
hovering overhead

#TankaThursday erase
#vss365 unseen
#wss366 weed

#NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #verse #haiku #senryu #haikufeels

time and tide
erasing me
'tis the same book
but I'm hardly
the same

#TankaThursday erase

#NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366 #vss365

sundown at base camp
by rancid moonlight
a lost scout 
counts pinecones
with bare feet

#TankaThursday pinecone

#NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366 #vss365

Cappadocia skyline with colourful hot air balloons

Cappadocia
the irresistible allure
of a skyline
of unearthly heights
and hot air balloons

#vss365 unearthly

#TankaThursday #NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem #tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #senryu #haikufeels #wss366

Flying bird

adjusting
to the subtle whims
and caprices of time
flying
never to return

#TankaThursday subtle

#NaTankaMo #poetry #TankaPoem

#tanka #5lines #kyoka #haikuchallenge #POEMS #poetrytwitter #poetrylover #haikutwitter #micropoetry #lovingpoetry #haiku #3lines #senryu #haikufeels #wss366 #vss365

Never giving up
Holding on tightly to faith
In the darkest days
Letting hope lead us along
We can make it through the night

#Dark #tanka
#natankamo #tankathursday

Streetlights flickering
Against the indigo night
Planes flying over
Alone, but not lonely
Feeling at peace in my heart

#Streetlights #tankathursday
#natankamo
#tanka

Soldiers and women
Fathers, children, elderly
Living together
Looking for riches and wealth
Searching for a better life

#Soldier #tanka #tankathursday #natankamo #micropoetry

The smell of rice wine
Breath like a tiny white cloud
On a winter night
 
For a short moment in time
My worries all fly away  
 
#Cloud #tankathursday #tanka #natankamo #micropoetry

Midwinter picture
Sunlight rays and longer days
Heralding fresh spring
Crisp air catching your senses
Feeling like time has stopped

#Sunlight #tanka #tankathursday #natankamo
#micropoetry

Her eyes are two flames
Cold blue coals burning;
Feeling so alive,
She is dancing and jumping
She is a possessed woman

#Jump #tankathursday #natankamo
#tanka

I don’t have a choice
Every day I got to lose
I can’t find my voice
I’m a jester among Fools
Still losing against the Blues

#Choice #natankamo #tanka #sundaystoryteller