A Tanka: Flower Petals

Posted byJJJ Interactive BooksPosted inPhotograph, PoemTags:, , , , ,

Inevitable
Smile brightens upon the face
Cheeks flush with color
Open as flower petals
A blooming display of joy

TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 13, hosted by Selma on the theme of “stay in joy.”

W3 Prompt #160: Wea’ve Written Weekly poet of the week, Dennis, prompts us to write a poem that leads to a single abstract noun, to be revealed at the end of the poem. Due to being short on time this week, I had to let this one unravel more quickly than I would have liked.

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21 thoughts on “A Tanka: Flower Petals”

  3. I have to confess to enjoying early Japanese poetry so I was intrigued to see how you would use a tanka to address the W3 prompt. I found this is a gentle, delicate take on the prompt, blending classical form with a subtle execution of the “delayed noun” strategy. The choice of a tanka – form traditionally associated with nature, seasons, and intimate emotion – adds an understated elegance and discipline to your response, showing that brevity doesn’t need to be dramatic to be effective.

    I particularly appreciate the way your abstract noun – joy – arrives in the final word, as required, but it’s already been evoked through image and tone: a smile, flushed cheeks, the metaphor of petals opening. Joy isn’t described directly: it’s felt in the imagery long before it’s named. You’ve crafted a poem that caresses into the natural unfolding of joy, both thematically and formally, making the delayed noun feel like a feathered landing. It’s a quiet, intimate and naturalistic interpretation of the prompt that demonstrates how poetic restraint can evoke emotional resonance. I’m reminded of Ki no Tsurayuki’s In The Summer Mountains and others.

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