Welcome to the Tanka Tuesday Poetry Recap featuring the Poet of the Week and the honorable mention poetry that spoke to me. If you would like to participate in this challenge, you can learn the rules in the menu item called Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Guidelines.

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Congratulations, and many thanks to all the participants! The first of the month always gives you a chance to do your own thing by selecting one of the poetry forms and writing what you love. This week was filled with amazing poetry!

Please visit the challenge post comments HERE, where you’ll find the links to everyone’s poetry. Stop by and say hello! ❤

Each week, I like to highlight a poet who I call the Poet of the Week who has shared an exceptional message or shown impassioned creativity through words or form. Poetry is all about perception. You may not feel the same way about my choice. That’s okay. Perception is different for all of us.

The Poet of the Week

This week, I’ve chosen Donna Matthews as the Poet of the Week. She’s written an amazing Haibun Tanka I’ve added below. There are many emotions at play in her words. What I really liked was the different meanings that could be inferred by the reader.

In fact, take the time to visit her blog and read the comments. Many folks drew attention to the last line: “I stumbled along the edge…” which was clearly the climax of her poem.

There is a connection between inferred meaning and poetry. Poetry is all about inferring or suggesting a meaning behind the poet’s words. But if you can bring to mind other meanings with your prose that will allow you to touch the hearts and souls of more than one reader.

“Valley” #Haibun #Tanka

My friend sits down with a sigh. No, it’s more like plops down in defeat. Everything she knew yesterday is no longer true today. She’s lost her way. I share my lost days with her. Days so dark I couldn’t see two steps ahead. Barely enough light to see one.

past valleys transversed
memories tumbling forth
a darkest black road
wild fear my companion
I stumbled along the edge

©2019 Donna Matthews

Honorable Mention(s)

Annette Rochelle Aben got the honorable mention this week for her poem. This Tanka doesn’t infer meaning. Instead, the message is obvious. There’s nothing wrong with stating a meaning or inferring a meaning. It’s all up to you as the poet, to choose how you want to get your message across.

“Look Beyond” #Tanka

Her beauty
Ever her captor
She the slave
To her looks
Longing to truly be seen
Appreciated

©2019 Annette Rochelle Aben

Stay tuned! The new challenge will be up tomorrow!