Colleen’s 2019 #Tanka Tuesday #Poet of the Week & Honorable Mention, No. 158, #PhotoPrompt

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Happy Winter Solstice, everyone!

Welcome to the Tanka Tuesday Poetry Recap featuring the Poet of the Week and the honorable mention poetry from last week’s challenge. 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.

Remember… the challenge is on holiday break for the rest of 2019. Enjoy your time off. We will resume on January 7, 2020.

I want to take this time to thank you all for participating in this challenge and making it the success that it is. I look forward to joining in on several of your challenges this coming year.

I’m updating the blog toward my love of syllabic poetry and flash fiction. WordPress is busy updating things too. I’ve struggled to get this post up. Just so you know, I changed my theme because the Jetpack mobile theme option will expire in March 2020. Since I was updating things, I thought it was best to do now. Now you will be able to view my posts on your mobile devices. I chose the Astra theme as it had a mobile theme built into it. Many of the themes on WordPress.org aren’t mobile-ready. I’ve also added the PDF Poster plugin. You will now be able to download various PDFs from my site. Enjoy.

[pdf id=36955]

And, don’t forget to visit the challenge post comments HERE, where you’ll find the links to everyone’s poetry. Stop by and say hello! <3

I will publish the Poet of the Week and Honorable Mention Poets in the 2019 Poet of the Week Anthology, which everyone can grab as a FREE PDF in January 2020.

Congratulations, and many thanks to all the participants! Merril Smith sure picked an interesting photo this week. I thought the piece in the middle was ice, but later I found out from H. R. R. Gorman, that the blue stuff was a substance called aerogel. Check out his Shadorma poem for more information: Salvation.

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 Willow Willers as the Poet of the Week for her Etheree, below.

She said, “I have chosen to do an Etheree. I looked up the photo. It’s described as a flower on a piece of aerogel which is protecting the flower from a Bunsen burner. I see my soul as the flower, the aerogel as my Guardian Angel, and the Bunsen burner as the sins of the world.”

I liked Willow’s vision in this piece. She was able to look past the obvious to connect her feelings to the image. Her Etheree flows with the power of short phrases that give us a sense of the imagery from the photo without describing the flower, the aerogel, and the Bunsen burner. I also like the emotions she interjects into the poem.

“Protection,” #Etheree

My

Soul held

In your care

Shielded with love

From the fires of hell

You keep me safe from sin

My beloved guardian

However intense the danger

Your wings keep me safe from the world’s harm

You care for me and I bathe in your calm.

©2019 Willow Willers

That means Willow picks the image for the January 21, 2020 challenge. Please email your pick with image credits to tankatuesdaypoetry@gmail.com at least one week in advance.

Honorable Mention(s)

Next, I want to share a Haiku written by Fran, from Brew & Spew. She posted this lovely piece in the comments.

Look at how perfect this Haiku is… take the first two lines and read them together. Then, take the middle line and last line and read them together. In each instance, there is a separate thought – related yet, different.

Also, look up the word mesmeric. When we’re counting syllables, every word must count toward our meaning. I can’t think of a better word to use for greater impact than mesmeric.

petals kissed in red
blessed with mesmeric beauty
postured graciously

©2019 Fran, Brew & Spew

Happy Yule from me to you! See you in January!

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About Colleen Chesebro: WordCraftPoetry

Colleen M. Chesebro is a Michigan Poet who loves crafting syllabic poetry, flash fiction, and creative fiction and nonfiction. Colleen sponsors a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called #TankaTuesday, on wordcraftpoetry.com where participants learn how to write traditional and current forms of syllabic poetry. A published author, Colleen is also an editor of “Word Weaving, a Word Craft Journal of Syllabic Verse, also found on wordcraftpoetry.com. Colleen’s mission is to bring the craft of writing syllabic poetry to anyone who thinks they can’t be a poet. Recently, she created the Double Ennead, a 99-syllable poetry form for the Carrot Ranch literary community at carrotranch.com. Colleen’s poetry has appeared in various anthologies and journals including “Hedgerow-a journal of small poems,” and “Poetry Treasures1 & 2” a collection of poetry from the poet/author guests of Robbie Cheadle on the “Treasuring Poetry” blog series on “Writing to be Read." Colleen published “Word Craft: Prose & Poetry, The Art of Crafting Syllabic Poetry,” which illustrates how to write various syllabic poetry forms used in her Tanka Tuesday challenges; and a collection of poetry, flash fiction, and short stories called, “Fairies, Myths & Magic: A Summer Celebration,” dedicated to the Summer Solstice. She contributed a short story called “The Changeling,” in the “Ghostly Rites Anthology 2020,” published by Plaisted Publishing House. Find Colleen at Word Craft: Prose & Poetry at wordcraftpoetry.com.
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34 Comments

  1. Ritu
    23 Dec 2019 at 1:05 am

    Yay! Congratulations, Sis on all your changes!
    And, happy holidays!
    And well done to my other sis, Willow, for your winning etheree!
    🎄💜🤗

    Reply
  2. D.L. Finn, Author
    23 Dec 2019 at 2:30 am

    Happy Holidays:)

    Reply
  3. merrildsmith
    23 Dec 2019 at 4:54 am

    It’s been such a busy week that I didn’t even get a chance to write a poem for the photo I selected. I’m pleased that so many thought it interesting! Congratulations to the winners of the challenge, and happy holidays to all!
    Thank you, Colleen, for all you do. <3

    Reply
  4. bamauthor
    23 Dec 2019 at 7:19 am

    Merry Christmas! Enjoy your break!

    Reply
  5. H.R.R. Gorman
    23 Dec 2019 at 7:41 am

    Looks like Merril figured out the aerogel as well! Super cool.

    Reply

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  7. -Eugenia
    23 Dec 2019 at 11:10 am

    Willow’s Etheree is excellent and thank you so much, Colleen, for the honorable mention! ❤️🥰

    I love your new theme because it showcases your blog so well and it has the Colleen’s magical touch! I’ve tried many different themes and seem to always go back to the same one.

    Wishing you a joyous holiday season!

    Reply
  8. dgkaye
    23 Dec 2019 at 2:32 pm

    Beautiful poetry and congrats to all. Sis you are a busy beaver girl! <3 xx

    Reply

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  10. markbierman
    24 Dec 2019 at 3:37 am

    Wonderful post! Happy Holidays!

    Reply
  11. Roberta Eaton Cheadle
    24 Dec 2019 at 4:08 am

    Congratulations to Willow, Colleen. A fantastic poem.

    Reply

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