Late Afternoon

Tanka is a Japanese form of poetry I learned about last year. Haiku is a related form that started as part of Tanka. Haiku has a 5 syllable line followed by a seven syllable line, and ends with another 5 syllable line. Tanka begins with the same arrangement but adds two seven syllable lines at the end.

Tanka and Haiku are both sparse, impressionistic forms due to their small size. Tanka is a nice choice when you need just a skosh more room to complete your thought😉

Below is a Tanka I wrote last year, which will appear in my next book, Event Horizon. I am hoping to self-publish Event Horizon in June!

Late Afternoon 

Then you realize—
too late—the day slipped away, 
and you catch the sun
looking back at its zenith
over a hill’s hunched shoulder.