WELCOME TO TANKA TUESDAY!
It’s the first of the month and you know what that means! Poets choose your own words.

PLEASE support the other poets by visiting their blogs and leaving comments. Sharing each other’s work on social media is always nice too. Don’t forget to share your poetry in the comments. It’s been great seeing all your poetry in one place!

Remember, many of our poets have published books that would make great gifts for the holidays. Check out the list HERE in the Tanka Tuesday Book Store. (Widgets on the right side menu take you to their Amazon Author Pages).
For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in one of the forms defined below. Click on the links to learn about each form:
CINQUAIN & the variations on Cinquain-Wikipedia
Here are some great sites that will help you write your poetry and count syllables
This site even has a link so you can install the extension on Google Chrome.
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 to compose my poems. Click on the “Workshop” tab, then cut and paste your poetry into the box. Click the Count Syllables button on the button. This site does the hard work for you.

THE RULES
I will publish the Tuesday prompt post at 12: 03 A.M. Mountain Standard Time (Phoenix, AZ). That should give everyone time to see the prompt from around the world. I publish the RECAP on the following Monday. It will contain the Poet of the Month and any Honorable Mentions.
You have one week to complete the Challenge with a deadline of Sunday, at 12:00 P.M. (Noon) Phoenix, AZ, U. S. A.
The rules are simple.
Follow the schedule listed below:


As time allows, I will visit your blog, comment, and TWEET your POETRY. I have also been sharing some of your poetry on my Facebook Author Page.
Click HERE to follow me on Facebook.
If you add these hashtags to your post TITLE on your blog (depending on which poetry form you use) your poetry may be viewed more often:
#Haiku, #Senryu, #Haiga, #Tanka, #micropoetry, #poetry, #5lines, #Haibun, #Prose, #CinquainPoetry, #Etheree, #Nonet, #Shadorma
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:


Excellent imagery! Love this! ❤️
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Back with the syllables. Glorious morning!
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Yes! You’ve been missed! Welcome back, Jane. ❤️
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🙂
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Homeward bound
Thoughts like me adrift
Gone so long
Kith and kin
Now to me unfamiliar
I’m now a stranger
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Padre, this tanka is emotional! I feel your words! Well done! ❤️
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I think you have captured the mix of emotions beautifully … and, have answered the challenge of the shadorma form. It runs deep, Padre.
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Thanks for sharing, Sally. ❤️
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I know
you will go back
on your words – once again
I will trust you yet again-there’s
no choice
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Oh, this is powerful, Reena! I feel lots of emotions. ❤️
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Glad you liked it. Thanks!
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Thanks, Willow ❤️
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As Christmas approaches I have written a Tanka about the homeless.
Living on the street
Cold, hungry, looking at feet.
No one cares for me
None show any sympathy
Good will to all, oh! really.
********
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Thanks, Colleen! Here’s my latest:
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Welcome back! You were missed, Frank.
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Thanks, Colleen! 😀Happy to be back!
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Hope your Thanksgiving was fabulous!
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It was, indeed, thanks! And yours?
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Nice and quiet. ❤️
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I may hop in with a short haiku ❤
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You go, Sis! 🥰
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❤
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weightless
open the
sky, wash the air with
colors, sing
the wind far
and over the veiled secrets
hidden and exposed
written in
the patterns of land,
dancing on
particles
of distilled light, taking all
and then returning
voyagers
on boundless oceans
flowing be
yond, unfurled,
spinning with spirits, flying–
exploding like stars
images as always:
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“Spinning with spirits,” I love this! During the holidays the spirits seem to hover closer remembering past celebrations. ❤️
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They do…thanks Colleen.
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Nice! That last line is a great surprise.
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Hi,
Thank you for running the challenge.
I’m participating here for the first time. Please find my entry here :-
Thank you all for stopping by and reading.
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Hi,
Thank you for running the challenge.
I’m participating here for the first time. Here’s my entry :-
Thank you all for stopping by and reading.
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Hi, Kitty! Nice to meet you. Glad to see you here. ❤️
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Same here. Thanks a lot for the warm welcome, Colleen. 🙂
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You’re welcome. Go ahead and copy your poem and place it in the comments. That way, we have all the poetry in one place. ❤️
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Sure.
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Here’s our contribution… https://wp.me/p2XQu3-fis
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Thanks, ladies ❤️
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A series of senryū:
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I love series poetry!
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🙂
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Metamorphosis :- ( Form :- Shadorma )
Adamant,
negative meaning,
largely bears,
when we use,
it as a fuel for dreams,
amazing things take,
shape, hidden,
strength comes to fore, which,
seemed hard to,
reach, turns easy,
becomes a positive force,
metamorphosis.
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A Shadorma has a 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllable count. I use this site for all my poetry: https://www.howmanysyllables.com/syllable_counter/. I actually compose my poetry there too. It will help you get your counting straight. I do love when poets use two Shadorma’s together. It fills out the poem. ❤
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Thanks for the information.Yes, I have used the site to count the syllables, I have actually composed 2 Shadorma’s in a single poem, like you have mentioned. I hope I have got the syllables and the Shadorma’s right.
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This is a learning challenge and we all learn together. ❤
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Yup true. Thanks a lot. 🙂
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Seeds of winter #tanka
The fruits of wisdom
Grown on branches touched by frost
Understand winter
Tomorrow’s beauty set free
Remembering yesterday
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How lovely! ❤️
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Hey Colleen, i wrote this series of haiku to tell a story, titled COURAGE
Unexplored romance
remnants of love left behind
discovered but lost
Salacious desires
obscured within realms of lust
moistened by passion
The She, meant to be
searching for port on his coast
for beach amongst rock
Her furnace of love
forlorn on his icy shores
left unrecognised
Her whispers linger
Her embers carry memory
His chance not taken
https://wordeologist.wordpress.com/2019/12/02/found-and-lost-haiku-poetry/
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Jude, that’s fabulous! Well done.
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Thank you Colleen.💙🍀
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That’s lovely, Sally! ❤️🌵🎄
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Thanks Colleen..hugs ♥
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How quickly the Poet’s Choice comes around and December already…. Here is my poem from my post today ♥ – Double Etheree – Happy Christmas by Sally Cronin
You
would think
at my age,
I would have lost
this childish delight
and anticipation
of the weeks of fun ahead.
Christmas represents many things,
depending on our faith or culture,
but at its heart is peace and love to all.
We are encouraged to be inclusive,
and change the name of this festival,
to call it just ‘the holidays’.
But my friends of other faiths
are delighted to share
our celebrations,
bringing their love
and friendship
as their
gift.
©Sally Cronin
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I love this, Sally! ♥️🌵🎄
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Thanks Colleen…♥♥
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This is something about Christmas that brings out the child in all of us. 💜💜💜💜
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Thank goodness Willow hugs ♥♥
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Yes indeed 💜💙
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First challenge of December, of course it has to be a frosty one! Here’s my Shadorma 🙂 https://wp.me/p41Mzy-6I7
“The Life of a Snowflake”
Crystallized
A raindrop, frozen
Within time
Warms the soul
Though its delicate beauty
Swiftly melts away
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Beautiful! ❤
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Thank you, Colleen!! <#
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You’re so welcome. 😍
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That’s ❤
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Love this 💜
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Thank you very much, Willow! ❤
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A pleasure Dorinda 💜
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https://tracikenworth.com/2019/12/05/stars-fruit-traci-kenworth-haiku-colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday/
Stars & Fruit
Traci Kenworth
starry holiday
sliced fruit and cinnamon sticks
tossed on the table
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Very nice, Traci!
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Oh, thank you, Colleen!
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The Seven Sisters! How I love this, Merril! I’ve waiting for a book to be published that proposes the Seven Sisters are the Seven Fairy Queens! Marvelous! ❤
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Hi Colleen–a shadorma sequence
Pleiades
He’s breathless
at the sight of them,
all seven
beautiful.
Heedless of their desires,
only knows his own.
A god’s touch–
they’re doves. Now weightless,
flying high
and higher
through the moon’s shimmer, and then,
too, they glimmer.
Ageless, they
wander, star-lighted,
twinkling and
traveling
through the skies. Are they at peace?
Immortal sisters
still pursued
but untouchable,
in stellar
grace they sail
an indigo timeless sea
forever and on.
https://merrildsmith.wordpress.com/2019/12/05/pleiades/
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LOVE this!!
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Thank you, Colleen! ❤
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Welcome. ❤️
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a tanka titled: SAD by Annette Rochelle Aben (my poet’s words are SEEK & ELUSIVE)
Just seeing someone
Trying too hard to be liked
Can be confusing
The very thing they’re seeking
Grows ever more elusive
©2019 Annette Rochelle Aben
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Oh, this is so powerful sis! I love it!! ❤
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Thank you so much, Sis! ❤
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You’re most welcome. ❤️
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So sad so true 💜
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I appreciate that you appreciate this! ❤
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Thank you for writing about it 💜
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Hi, Colleen! Happy Friday! Thanks for another poetry prompt challenge. ❤ xo
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You’re so welcome. ❤
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Hi Colleen,
Since I am at work and my brain is in another place I decided to share this one instead. A good weekend to you.
Pat
through the morning haze
comes the rhythm of the waves –
gulls prance on smooth sand
Pat R
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Excellent, Pat. Nice and beach! 🥰
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Very nice 💜
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I will tried an Etheree.
*
Let it Snow
Snow
Adorns
Everything
Beautifying Mother nature’s space
Obscuring dumpster rubbish
Hiding the ugliness of life
With white comforters of icy fluff
Landscapes adorned for a the winter season
~RuthScribbles
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Thanks excellent, Ruth! ❤️
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Thank you, Colleen!!
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Very nice Ruth 💜
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Thank you, Willow!!
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😁💜
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It’s been too long. 😦 Here’s mine Colleen: https://mjmallon.com/2019/12/07/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-poets-choice/
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Marjorie I love this double Etheree , the story with it is lovely too. I am so pleased that you are back here, your poetry has been missed. I am afraid I could not find your comment box so I am commenting here .hugs to you 💜
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Aww thank you Willow that is so kind of you. ❤ x
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It’s a lovely poem 💜
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Thank you Willow. 🙂 x
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🙃😁💜💜
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Welcome back! You were missed, Marje ❤️
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Hi Colleen. Thank you! Its lovely to join in again. 🙂 x
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I’ve missed you! ❤️
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And me you too. ❤ x
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My entry Sis ❤ https://dgkayewriter.com/15421-2/
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Love this! ❤️
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❤ Me too lol xx
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Hi Colleen 👋
I have really missed doing this.
Here’s my entry for this week.
❤
https://aweni.net/2019/12/08/my-prayer-for-you-haiku/
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Welcome back, Aweni ❤️
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