#TankaTuesday #Poetry Stars No. 290 |#Ekphrastic #photoPrompt

Welcome to our weekly poetry stars’ celebration. For this week’s challenge, Britta Benson selected a photo from her personal collection.

Now, I know some of you had issues with the photo of this sculpture. No matter what you think of the double skulls, the theme of death is present in the photo. Death is a part of life, although the subject can be difficult to write about.

Please read my submission to the challenge on my author blog HERE. I think it clears up any of the perception issues you may have struggled with.

While we’re discussing perception, please understand that I aim for this challenge to be inclusive to everyone. If you don’t want to take part in #TankaTuesday because the subject isn’t to your taste, I totally understand. I welcome all views on my blogs, intending to give poetic voices to everyone, no matter their belief systems. Please be kind to everyone. Thank you. 💜

Many thanks to everyone who joined in below:

Thanks for taking up the challenge and writing syllabic poetry with me. If you haven’t visited the links above, please do. There’s some fascinating poetry!

This week, I chose Lisa Fox’s tanka prose. She combined two challenges with her poem and the result is stunning. Lisa wrote this poem as a poem tale, using the episode method of tanka prose. A title would enhance this piece nicely. But do you notice all the significant details? This poem reads like a mini-short story.

The tanka portion reveals more details and reflects back on the prose. The phrase, “They have a summer,” is so powerful!

Tanka Prose

Kneeling in church, as he whooshes by in his blood red brocade, she breathes cinnamon and flounders between heaven and earth. He glances at her beatific form in passing. For him it is her ginger locks, rolling down her slender back against the vanilla cream gown. Unholy unions will be revealed and punished. They have a summer.

white skin reddens as
tinder crackles blue-orange,
licking sinful flesh;
prominent on the altar
the damned, joined eternally

© Lisa Fox

This week, I’ve asked Lisa Fox to choose the prompt for the October #PhotoChallenge. Please email your selection to me at least a week before the challenge to tankatuesdaypoetry@gmail.com. Thanks.

💜 October Specific Theme: Kerfe

💚 October Photo Prompt: Lisa

💛 September Theme Prompt: Sangeetha

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See you tomorrow for the new challenge!