WELCOME TO TANKA TUESDAY!
Hi! I’m glad to see you here. Are you ready to write some poetry?
HERE’S THE CATCH: You can’t use the prompt words! SYNONYMS ONLY!
I hope you will support the other poets with visits to blogs and by leaving comments. Sharing each other’s work on social media is always nice too.
Please note: We are all students of poetry. I have given you the instructions on how to write the different forms. Try your best to be as exact as you can. There are no tests, and I don’t grade your work. LOL!
The most meaningful change you will learn about is in writing a Haiku vs. a Senryu. Also, remember, pronunciation in various parts of the world will affect your syllable count. Go with your gut on deciding the syllable count. You are the poet and the creator of your work.
The reason I sponsored this challenge was to help all poets learn how to write various forms of poetry. Remember, if you are sending your poetry for publication in literary journals, contests, or self-publishing, you should know the correct forms and use them.
Image Credit: Brainy Quote.com
For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in one of the forms defined below. Click on the link to learn about each type:
HAIKU IN ENGLISH 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Haiku is written about seasonal changes, nature, and change in general.
TANKA IN ENGLISH 5/7/5/7/7 syllable structure. Your Tanka will consist of five lines written in the first-person point of view. This is important because the poem should be written from the perspective of the poet.
HAIBUN IN ENGLISH Every Haibun must begin with a title. Haibun prose is composed of short, descriptive paragraphs, written in the first-person singular.
The text unfolds in the present moment, as though the experience is occurring now rather than yesterday or some time ago. In keeping with the simplicity of the accompanying haiku or tanka poem, all unnecessary words should be pared down or removed. Nothing must ever be overstated.
The poetry never tries to repeat, quote, or explain the prose. Instead, the poetry reflects some aspect of the prose by introducing a different step in the narrative through a microburst of detail. Thus, the poetry is a sort of juxtaposition – different yet somehow connected.
Senryu in English 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Senryu is written about love, a personal event, and have IRONY present. Click the link to learn the meaning of irony.
Image credit: Pinterest.com
(Currently, free-verse prose poems are NOT part of this challenge)
Here are some great sites that will help you write your poetry and count syllables.
For Synonyms and Antonyms. When your word has too many syllables, find one that works.
Find out how many syllables each word has. I use this site for all my Haiku and Tanka poems. Click on the “Workshop” tab to create your Haiku or Tanka.
THE RULES
I will publish the Tuesday prompt post at 12: 03 A.M. Mountain Standard Time (Denver Time). That should give everyone time to see the prompt from around the world.
WRITE YOUR POEM ON YOUR BLOG as a post.
How Long Do You Have and Your Deadline: You have a week to complete the Challenge with a deadline of Monday at 12:00 P.M. (Noon) Denver time, U. S. A. This will give me a chance to add the links from everyone’s poem post from the previous week, on the new prompt I send out on Tuesday. I urge everyone to visit the blogs and comment on everyone’s poem.
The rules are simple.
I will give you two words. Choose synonyms from those words for your poetry. You, the poet, now have more control over the direction of your writing. Follow the rules carefully. Don’t use the prompt words.
LINK YOUR BLOG POST TO MINE WITH A PINGBACK. To do a Pingback: Copy the URL (the HTTPS:// address of my post) for the current week’s Challenge and paste it into your post. You may also place a copy of your URL of your post in the comments of the current week’s Challenge post.
Because of the time difference between where you are, and I am, you might not think your link is there. I manually approve all links. People taking part in the challenge may visit you and comment or “like” your post. I also need at least a Pingback or a link in the comments section to know you took part and to include you in the Weekly Review section of the new prompt on Tuesday.
BE CREATIVE. Use your photos and create “Visual POETRY” if you wish, although it is not necessary. Use whatever program you want to make your images.
As time allows, I will visit your blog, comment, and TWEET your POETRY
If you add these hashtags to your post TITLE (depending on which poetry form you use) your poetry may be viewed more often:
#Haiku, #Tanka, #micropoetry, #poetry, #5lines, #Haibun, #Prose #Senryu, #CinquainPoetry
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT LINKED TO YOUR BLOG – I WILL NO LONGER TWEET YOUR POETRY… THERE IS NO SENSE SINCE YOUR TWEET BECOMES PART OF WORDPRESS.COM AND THERE IS NO ATTRIBUTION BACK TO YOU.
You may copy the badge I have created to go with the Weekly Poetry Challenge Post and place it in your post. It’s not mandatory:
HERE’S WHO JOINED US LAST WEEK FOR OUR 6th POETRY CHALLENGE USING SYNONYMS FOR THE WORDS: BOND & SEEK
Tomorrow never dies – Playing with words
Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Challenge – Bob Fairfield.ogr
Orbits – Tanka – Trent’sWorldBlog
Tanka Tuesday: Spring search – Jane Dougherty Writes
COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY POETRY CHALLENGE #Cinquain #69: Bond & Seek | But I Smile Anyway…
Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday: Bond & Seek – Afterwards
Forever #midnighthaiku | Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo
Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge 69 – The Bag Lady
A Meditation Haiku – No-Madder Nomadder
#Haibun: Paris and Roses | Charmed Chaos
Bound through Time: Haibun | Yesterday and today: Merril’s historical musings
Bond & Seek | thoughts and entanglements
Quest For Justice & Peace – The Syllabub Sea
#Poetry challenge – bond and seek – Robbie’s inspiration
February 2018 | method two madness
Connected – Triple Tanka – In Emma World
“The Pond,” A Haibun – colleenchesebro.com
Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge – No. 69 – Bond and Seek – The Sisters of the Fey
In the Space-Time Continuum – Calm and Chaos
Weekly Poetry Challenge – a #Tanka | Katja Rammer
Inner Peace – Smell the Coffee
M J Mallon, Author (posted on our blogging collaboration: Sisters of the Fey
Ochlocracy – Like Mercury Colliding
Our POET OF THE WEEK is Suzanne from her blog, Calm & Chaos and her poem called “In the Space-Time Continuum.” Please note: I left off many of her images to save space. You will want to visit her blog to experience the post and her poem.
Now, be prepared. This is not your normal post. Suzanne says:
“This blog post grew out of thinking about how to respond to various blogging challenges on offer this week. Somehow they all morphed together in my mind and became a continuum of challenging ideas…”
Suzanne has skillfully woven a history lesson, a science lesson, and some of her own philosophical thoughts into a magical presentation which leads the reader to the last paragraph followed by a Haiku. (It’s a Haiku and not a Senryu because it deals with the theme of change).
The last paragraph and the Haiku qualify as a Haibun/Haiku although one could include the entire post. Her prose is concise, descriptive, and the Haiku is a sort of juxtaposition – different yet somehow connected.
“In the Space-Time Continuum”
The Celtic Cross has origins that pre-date Christianity and has meanings that parallel those of the Medicine Wheel of indigenous cultures. The four points of the circle symbolize many things – the four directions (east, south, west, north) – the elements (air, earth, water, fire) and time itself. Within the Wheel, time is both circular and cyclical. There are times of day – dawn, midday, sunset, night – and there is seasonal time – spring, summer, autumn, winter.
For the ancient’s time turned rhythmically in a never-ending circle and life was lived within its turnings.
As society became more mechanized and industrialized the concept of time became more linear. Things had a beginning, a middle and an end. Time was a process that could be measured, delineated, segmented and contained.
Now, controlling the passage of time is of paramount importance. Tasks are given allotted times for completion and people attempt to defy time, beat time and even stop time – “stop the aging process” etc.
Quantum physicists see time as intrinsically linked to space.
The scientist and TV presenter, Brian Cox says that time spirals. The flow of time is curved but rather than repeatedly returning to the same point in space, time spirals across higher and higher frequencies of that resonance.
In the past, I accepted the idea that time is something I can manipulate through my own actions. That I can seize the day and defy the odds. That I can (and must) strive to win under any circumstances for the winner takes it all.
The underlying message in all of this is that life is a battlefield and I must fight to stay in the game.
I’m finding, as the years rush by, that winning isn’t always possible and, even if I do win a round in the battle, the prizes come at a price. My physical, emotional and mental wellbeing are increasingly compromised. Despite what the ads tell me – bodies do age and, along with the need for physical fitness, there is an undeniable need for rest, recuperation, and downtime.
As the ancients knew as they moved through the cyclical passage of their lives, we need times of fallow – times when nothing much is apparently occurring yet, deep in the silence and inactivity, seeds are germinating.
Even so, I find when I attempt to stop the world life passes me by and I lose touch with our current reality. There are times when I need and want to strive – times when I desire to better my situation and improve my chances of success.
Now I seek a new path that is not driven by fears of losing but which places me in the way of opportunity. Maybe that path lies in developing an understanding of how the concept of the space-time continuum applies to my own life.
The space-time continuum allows for the growth of wisdom. Whenever time spirals to parallel points of resonance on the space-time continuum there is a possibility that the seeds I have germinated can grow into new, more evolved forms. Lessons can be learned, and new ways of being can result from that learning process. Rather than constantly repeating the patterns of the past and battling on against the odds I can develop new ways of living.
As the space-time continuum flows through and around me with increasing speed and magnitude I begin to intuit new ways of living
-ways that take into account both my need for downtime and my desire to strive, but which are in tune with more expansive perceptions of life as a multi-dimension, inter-connected energetic field.
No longer bound
old ways of being shifting
– exploring the new
© 2018 Suzanne, Calm & Chaos Blog
If you need a brush up on writing a Haibun poem click HERE.
Here are the two prompt words for this week’s challenge: DESTINY & CHALLENGE
#SynonymsOnly
IT’S TANKA TUESDAY! JOIN IN & WRITE SOME POETRY!
Hi Colleen, Hello Everyone,
Here is my entry for this week
https://thoughtsandentanglements.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/the-willow/
Pat
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
Welcome to Tanka Tuesday with Colleen Chesebro and if you are not sure what a Tanka is… Colleen explains in detail and also about Haiku, and Haibun. Get noticed by being a participant and challenge yourself. #recommended
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Thanks for sharing, Sally. This has been such great fun! ❤️
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Good to hear Colleen.. will put in the Meet and Greet on Saturday see if we can entice a few more.. hugs ♥
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Thanks, Sally. Much appreciated. ❤
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https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/dens-of-vice/
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What a wonderful post from Suzanne! A lot to ponder. (K)
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Yes! I loved how she brought it all together. ❤️❤️❤️
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Hi Colleen! Here is my tanka for Tuesday: https://trentsworldblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/the-struggle-tanka/
Last week I did a Friday Fictioneers about fairies – not good enough to share with your readers on your open invitation, but a lot of people did respond.
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I will have to check that out. 😀
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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Thank you, Michael for your support. Much appreciated. ❤
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Thank you for the always great challenges, Colleen. Sorry, had a longer delay re-visiting your site. Michael
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No worries. We are all so busy. I’m always happy to see you! 😀 ❤
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Here’s my Tanka Colleen!
http://butismileanyway.com/2018/02/06/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-tankvotesfor-women-100years-a-70-destiny-challenge/
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Visions of our future in response to this weeks prompt, at http://bobfairfield.org/2018/02/06/colleens-weekly-2018-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-70-destiny-challenge-synonymnsonly/
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My ping back from last week must not have worked. 😦 Here is the link to last week…and I’ll post the link to this week’s soon. I LOVE your weekly challenge Colleen. Wouldn’t miss it! 🙂
https://katmyrman.com/2018/01/31/ochlocracy/
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So sorry, Kat. It could have been me and I missed it. I’ll add you now. ❤
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It happens. I know I’ve missed a few when rounding up my weekly Twittering Tale Challenge. Now worries. No on to meet my Destiny in your next Challenge 😉
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You were in the spam folder… I had about 10 people in there! Who knew???
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I found that I have to check that folder regularly. There is no rhyme or reason to why some posts end up there! 😉
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Beautiful. That’s what I call powerful poetry. One day when I get my act together I’ll be joining in Sis. ❤
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Yes! I would love that. 😍❤️✨
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Me too. ❤ ❤
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a doomed relationship
https://rivrvlogr.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/complete-opposites/
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Glad to see you, Rivrlogr! 😀
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🙂
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Lovely synonyms for this week’s challenge words… here’s my take:
https://katmyrman.com/2018/02/06/grappling-with-fate/
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https://neelwritesblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/07/neelwrites-challengedare-poem-tanka-07-02-2018/
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I almost forgot to add mine here. I wrote a tanka for “Smith Birthday Month.” 🙂
https://merrildsmith.wordpress.com/2018/02/07/february-changed-tanka/
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I’ve bent the tanka form quite a bit here…but with destiny as a prompt…
https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/2018/02/07/repent/
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https://wp.me/p4ayEo-2Ge My short link, in case the ping back doesn’t work
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Thanks, Colleen. Here’s my latest:
http://frankjtassone.com/2018/02/07/of-love-and-struggle-a-tankaprose-tanka-haiku-poetry/
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Hello there! This is my first Tanka Tuesday. I hope I did all the ping back stuff correctly. 🙂
https://thekettleclicks.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/tanka-for-tanka-tuesday-destiny-challenge-haiku-tanka-micropoetry-poetry
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Welcome. You did great. I have your ping-back. 😀
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That’s ace! I’m still getting to grips with the ins and outs of blogging. 😄
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Perfect. Have fun and join in each week. Visit the other participants of this challenge and don’t forget to share. 😀 ❤
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I certainly will! 😃 all the best. ☺
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Hi Colleen, here is my little effort: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/colleens-poetry-contest-destiny-and-challenge/
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Hi There Colleen- A tanka this week! https://charmedchaos.com/2018/02/08/tanka-the-gate/
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A haibun on the darker side of life, but there is always hope. https://odaciuk.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-70-destiny-challenge-synonyms-only-haibun/
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Hi Colleen,
https://radhikasreflection.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/micro-poetry-challenge-destiny/
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Hi Colleen,
This is my contribution
https://syllabubsea.wordpress.com/2018/02/10/searching-the-stars/
Marie
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This is my first ever poem, I hope it’s up to standard. Love the challenge, thanks colleen. Hope the ping back worked. Ben, the dog poet xx
https://benonthebeinnsblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/10/munro-buddy-turns-budding-poet
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Hello, and welcome. Glad you’re here. ❤
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Colleen, I have only ever written a handful of Haiku, but have published other poetry. I know I got the directions wrong but put your link on my wordpress and tried to fill in the sidebar. And My haiku, a sad thing, sorry–is on my wordpress under your title. And here’s the link. I hate to miss fun things through my technical stupidity. But I did try.:)
https://wordpress.com/post/mallie1025.wordpress.com/1534
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Hi, Micki. Glad to see you here. Don’t worry practise makes perfect. I’ll go look now. ❤
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