WELCOME TO TANKA TUESDAY!

It’s the fourth week of the month – time for a #ThemePrompt! Last month, I selected Sally Cronin to pick this month’s theme:
The Night Sky
On the Monday before the next challenge, I’ll select someone to choose next month’s theme. Have fun!
PLEASE support the other poets by visiting blogs and leaving comments. Peer reviews help poets perfect their writing craft. Remember… sharing is caring.
For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in the forms defined on the Poetry Challenge Cheatsheet:

Poetry Form Cheatsheet
Remember, the Gogyoka in English syllabic poetry form is the only form that does not require a syllable count per the five lines. Please be mindful that each line should be the duration of a single breath or a phrase. Choose your words carefully…
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
Every Tuesday I’ll post the challenge early enough so everyone can see it. Remember, there will be no recap. You have a full week to write your poetry (Tuesday – Monday). Don’t forget to copy your poem into the comments on this post so that everyone can find your poetry.
The rules are simple. Write your poetry on your blog.
Do a link-back by placing the HTTPS:// address of the challenge post into your post. ALSO, please copy your poem and add it to the comments. If you created a Haiga, let us know in the comments with a link to your post. Now, all of the poetry ends up on the challenge post in one place.
Follow the schedule listed below:


I will visit your blog, comment, and TWEET your POETRY.
If you add these hashtags to the post TITLE on your blog (depending on which poetry form you use) your poetry may be viewed more often on Twitter:
#Haiku, #Senryu, #Haiga, #Tanka, #micropoetry, #poetry, #5lines, #Haibun, #Prose, #CinquainPoetry, #Etheree, #Nonet, #Shadorma #Gogyohka, #TankaProse


Very honoured Colleen to be asked to select this month’s theme prompt and look forward to seeing everyone’s creative thoughts… ♥
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It’s a great prompt, Sally! ❤️
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Thanks Colleen…will get my thinking cap on for my own response..hugs♥
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Tried something new this week. Hope that I did it correctly. Please let me know if I didn’t.
Thank you, Sally for the prompt.
http://susansplace.blog/2020/03/24/nightfall-gogyoka/
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Will do, Susan. ❤️
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Loved it Susan.
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Good theme, Sally 🙂
https://janedougherty.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/gogyohka-for-the-night-sky/
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I knew you would love this! 😍
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I did 🙂
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https://padresramblings.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/cloudy-night/
Still
Darkness
Clouds obstruct
The gibbous moon
And glittering stars
Heavenly bodies peek
From behind wind nudged nimbi
Expectant of the storm’s passing
Moist grass below awaits the rain’s end
When the bright sun of morning will arrive
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How beautiful, Padre! ❤️
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That is stunning.
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Very nice!
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Hi Colleen,
Night time, and moon and stars seem to be a theme of my writing lately. So interesting. Here is my link for this week😊
fitful wakeful dreams
leaves me staring at night sky
on this sleepless night
in the cool darkness, a peace
a setting free of worries
Pat
https://thoughtsandentanglements.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/night-sky/
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How lovely your Tanka is! Great work, Pat. ❤
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Thank you Colleen, glad you like it.
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Thanks Colleen.
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Lovely response.
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Thanks
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Thank you
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I changed it a little..
from a fitful dream
I wake staring at night sky
on this sleepless night
in the cool darkness, a peace
a setting free of worries
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Oh, I like this Pat. ❤️
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Thank you.
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Thanks😊
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Thank you Sally for such a beautiful prompt!
Here is my effort.
https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/colleens-2020-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-170-themeprompt/
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Love it! I’ll try to hop on. ❤
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Great! Sally came up with a great theme. ;D
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Yes!!!!! ❤
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Hi Colleen, A Nonet for the theme prompt
SEEN AND UNSEEN
Dusk tells portends of its arrival
whispers dark as obsidian
thoughts and secrets awaken
sparkling with appetite
bold and unabashed
thriving beneath
shadowed veils
and cloaked
schemes
A time
when shyness
fades into dreams
And realms of desire
fade within moonlight’s beam
Strewn upon the velvet blackness
red, blue and yellow stars alight
hidden emotions come out to play
when dark and light meld upon the night sky
https://wordeologist.wordpress.com/2020/03/25/seen-and-unseen/?preview=true
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Thanks for the prompt, Sally. https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/kimbladeswritingblog.wordpress.com/269
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Just made it! https://wp.me/p2XQu3-gCP
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Here’s mine. thanks.
https://tinastewartbrakebill.com/2020/03/25/de-novo/
dark gives way to light
a nova bursts then dies
life’s circle unveiled
as the stars of the night sky
reveal themselves de novo
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How beautiful, Tina! ❤️
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Hi Colleen, I’m trying to publish my post, but something is wrong with the wordpress, I can’t published it or save the draft. Well here is my poem for this week, Gogyoka.
Unlocking the door
Feeling the scent of the night
They remembered everything
Seduced by the stars
Drifting towards love
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Finally I got it published!
https://teandpaper.ca/2020/03/25/the-night-sky-gogyoka/
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WordPress must be updating things again. Yikes. I do love this Tanka. Very atmospheric. ❤
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I particularly like “Drifting towards love”!
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Senryū!
https://rivrvlogr.com/2020/03/25/huddled-in-darkness-senryu/
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Here’s my three Haiku and a short story. https://tracikenworth.com/?p=20564
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Thanks, Traci ❤️
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You’re welcome, Colleen!
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I’ve written my first ever Found Tanka Prose Poem, inspired by “Frost at Midnight” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
http://toofulltowrite.com/2020/03/26/colleens-2020-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-170-themeprompt-micropoetry-prose-tankaprose-fire-still-flutters-there-a-found-tanka-prose-poem-by-d/
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How exciting! 😍
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https://radhikasreflection.wordpress.com/2020/03/26/tanka-starry-date/
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Hi Colleen,
Thank you for running the challenge. Thank you Sally Cronin for the theme.
Here’s my effort, a double etheree :-
https://kittysverses.wordpress.com/2020/03/26/atop/
Atop :-
Dawn,
New chance,
To aspire,
New beginnings,
Brake monotony,
Unassuming light breeze,
Chirping of birds energise,
Morning freshness intoxicate,
Rising sun, hope personifier,
To re-live aspirations once again.
Dusk, to reminisce, retrospect, ponder.
In order, they gather, events of ,
the day, discussed, under canvas,
of entrancing twilight light,
One time before morrow,
Flock under worldwide,
keeper of time,
Setting sun,
August,
Kites.
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How beautiful, Kitty! ❤️
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You are welcome, Colleen. 🙂
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Thank you, Colleen. 🙂
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everything we need
we do not
need revelation–
what will be
should be un
known, a mystery, like night
skies, like orbiting—
if we hold
the stars, the cosmos,
constant in
awe, we have
already seen both the be
ginning and the end
https://kblog.blog/2020/03/26/everything-we-need/
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Hi Colleen. I hope I didn’t bungle it. A little humour got in my way. 🙂
https://jengoldie493473930.wordpress.com/2020/03/26/the-night-sky-pantomime-j-e-goldie-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-170-march-24-2020/
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LOL! Humor is good, Jen. Make you sure you review the forms here: https://colleenchesebro.com/poetry-form-cheatsheet-2/. If you go to this site: https://www.howmanysyllables.com/syllable_counter/, it will help you count your syllables. We’re all learning how to write syllabic poetry together. ❤
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Thanks I will. 😊
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https://jengoldie493473930.wordpress.com/2020/03/26/the-night-sky-pantomime-j-e-goldie-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-170-march-24-2020/
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Hi, Sis! Thank you for another poetry challenge, and thanks to Sally for the wonderful theme this week. Have a safe and happy Friday and weekend! ❤ xo
https://vashtiqvega.wordpress.com/2020/03/27/poetry-friday-the-night-sky/
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The sky was dark when I finally went to lay down in my bed at midnight. My game playing lulled me to sleep. When I awoke at 10am I was full of anger.
Capitalism
The dark angry sky of night
Reveals it’s evil
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Ohhhh, very powerful, Ruth. This is an excellent Haibun! Well done. ❤
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Thank you!! It helped a little to write it.
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That’s what our poetry should be… an outlet for our feelings. ❤
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Hi Colleen.. hope you are doing okay… here is my Night Sky Double Etheree
Double Etheree – The Night Sky
Stars
planets
sun and moon,
have ignited
imaginations
over thousands of years
of scientists and poets
who have attempted to explain
the magnitude of the universe
across light years into infinity.
Under the canopy of the night sky
as shooting stars light up the heavens,
it is easy to imagine
they have been sent from afar
bringing us messages
of goodwill to man
and a welcome
to visit
distant
worlds
©Sally Cronin 2020
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/03/28/smorgasbord-poetry-colleen-chesebros-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge/
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Sally, this is stupendous! Excellent work. ❤️❤️❤️
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Thank you Colleen.. glad you thought so..hugs ♥♥
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Hello Colleen- A haibun.
MIDNIGHT BLUE SKY
In the midnight blue sky, there is no pestilence or disease, only the brief flash of a dying star. There are no planes, only stars and the waxing moon. Somewhere high in the universe beyond my sight a cosmos is being born. I wrap my old blue sweater tighter still, giving myself a hug pretending it is my long passed mother. I am grateful she is gone and safe from this madness, for she lived through so much. She spoke often of the great depression and I listened. She told of hard and lean times, but there was always a pot of beans simmering on the stove to feed anyone who may be hungry. It’s because of these talks that my pantry is always well stocked. All those conversations all those years ago, did she know she was preparing me for this?
celestial night sky
each twinkling star a prayer
beacons for passed souls
©2020 Linda Lee Lyberg
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You know my step-mother was hard to tolerate… but she also taught me how to survive with limited funds. Like your mother, I can’t imagine what she would say now (well, actually I can). After the sacrifices my parents made during WWII I think they would be sad that we’ve fallen to such levels in America. Linda, this is an amazing piece of poetry. I had goosebumps reading it the entire time. ❤
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Thank you for your thoughtful words Colleen.
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A lovely poem, Linda. I’ll backtrack and add this one to the book. I’m finally get some health issues under control and can get back to writing. 😍❤️
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Good to hear Colleen! And thank you so much.
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Thank you! 😍
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And the link: https://charmedchaos.com/2020/03/28/haibun-midnight-blue-sky/
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https://joem18b.wordpress.com/2020/04/07/haiku-405/
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