I’m not sure this is a true tanka. It’s a short five line poem anyway. For Frank Tassone’s haikai challenge, should he choose to accept it…
Triplicity—
three facets of the
same magic—
unfolding, blooming, fading,
faces always to the sun.
Words from the poemetry unit
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Jane Dougherty Writes 
Nice! I was wondering how to approach this prompt. 🙂
It wasn’t easy!
Maybe not a haiku but impressive 💜
Thanks Willow. As long as it does the job 🙂
It does indeed 💜
Excellent! I love how you incorporate the two related images between the first three and last two lines. Let the purists howl–it’s tanka enough for me! 🙂
I’m glad you like it, Frank. Sometimes I’m almost sure I’ve got it right, but there’s always a grey area. It’s a damn subtle thing, a tanka!
Indeed! 😀
It works for me. As Frank points out, the timing of the holy days is no coincidence.
Nothing new. The Christians pinched everything from the Jews, except what they pinched from the various Celtic, Norse, Germanic Pagans and the Romans who pinched everything from the Greeks…
There are a few “ways” to consider a tanka. You should ask which metrics and contents are required i guess
The metrics seem to be optional and I can understand why. The content is the difficult part though, and the shift in the way of expression between the first and second parts of the poem. Difficult!
I agree with you, the problem is: someone wants the “shift of contents”, others doesn’t. Same with metrics. Off course it’s not easy already, but not having clear rules makes me unwilling to take part to any kind of contest
I suppose you can read other entries and decide what rules, if any, they are following.
Meh, not my way, i’m picky on this things XD
🙂
I like it. It feels to me like a cross between tanka and cinquain. It reads very well.
Thank you 🙂 With the cinquain, you know it has to respect a syllable and stress count. Tankas are more subtle in that there’s that shift at the end of the third line. I’m never sure that I’ve shifted 🙂
It does indeed read nicely. I like the way it rolls off my tongue when read aloud.
Thank you 🙂 If sunflowers could speak…
I consider your verse delightful poetry. What’s in a name?
I would like to believe there is still some magic in nature 😉
So much pilfering… time to just take a hand and be grateful for life.
Traditions can be a funny thing… with words and magic too. 🙂
Thanks Jules 🙂 I find magic in nature, but only get sinister vibes from religion.
I can understand that… I get sinister vibes from politics too…
Certainly most politicians don’t inspire much confidence.
Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #2: Jane Dougherty’s latest #tanka for my current #haikai challenge!
Thank you, Frank 🙂
My pleasure, Jane! 😇
🙂
I like this tanka very much Jane…it feels so unique and presents a ‘truth’ in a poetic way
The idea of the triple identity goes back way before Christianity. There must be something in the idea that appeals to us.
I like your word choice: “unfolding, blooming, fading” It is a process that can be witnessed or applied in many ways…though I was raised in a Christian home my knowledge of theology is sparse.
There’s the trinity, that nobody really understands. The three ages is pagan though and much easier to understand 🙂