Tanka Train

Liminality · 2020-12-25T12:50:11Z

Don't panic. I can explain. Waka or tanka -> 31-syllable poems, written in a continuous line, but later popularised as poems with line breaks in 5-7-5-7-7 pattern. This thread is just like the haiku thread, except with tanka :D Please use the last line of the tanka before yours as the second line of your tanka. (Modifications made because of differences in syllable counts between haiku and tanka.) Traditional tanka typically have the following features: mix themes of nature with human feelings have a 'turning point' or a twist in the second last line little to no punctuation BUT feel free to write non-traditional tanka here as well! Here is a tanka to start, and I've underlined the line to use: i read that tanka were originally sung in a river stream which runs loudly gutter-borne through the streets, the roads to home

Liminality

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Sun Jan 17, 2021 12:54 pm

Liminality says... · Sun Jan 17, 2021 12:54 pm

Electric pylons
and ghosts who crossed perfection
playing in my mind,
as a cold but bright star is
ever glowing, though afar.

she/her

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yoshikrab

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Sun Jan 17, 2021 2:56 pm

yoshikrab says... · Sun Jan 17, 2021 2:56 pm

Distant eyes shimmer
ever glowing, through afar
sometimes dark or bright
sometimes flashing the brightest
as if they were starry nights

they told me to never give up on my dreams.

so i took another nap

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Hijinks

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Sat Jan 23, 2021 1:38 am

Hijinks says... · Sat Jan 23, 2021 1:38 am

i recall vignettes
as if they were starry nights;
memories bitter
with inkblots, yet sweetened by
scattered flakes of gold leaf sheets.

When you're faced with something you don't understand, I think the most natural thing but also least interesting thing you can be is afraid.

-- Hank Green

they/them
(previously whatchamacallit and Seirre)

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Liminality

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Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:39 pm

Liminality says... · Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:39 pm

A long white table,
scattered flakes of gold leaf sheets
clumped in one corner;
sunset-wings flutter, landing
on that vast and vacant plane.

she/her

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JoyDark

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Sun Jan 24, 2021 3:57 pm

JoyDark says... · Sun Jan 24, 2021 3:57 pm

Nothing lives on Mars;
On that vast and vacant plane,
Only dust gathers,
Waiting for human footprints
To shape its red particles.

she/her

woah
i actually made a post
pretty radical if you ask me

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Liminality

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Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:43 pm

Liminality says... · Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:43 pm

Ixora flower
to shape its red particles
waits for lava rain,
soon realising that the soil
bleeds carmine alluvium.

she/her

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Spearmint

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Fri Mar 19, 2021 10:34 pm

Spearmint says... · Fri Mar 19, 2021 10:34 pm

That desolate world
bleeds carmine alluvium,
spills red-orange soil
outwards to the winds of time.
Time that whisks all things away

mint, she/her

.--. / ... ...- -.-. .-.. / - .--. ..- .- / .--- --- ...- .--- / .--- --- .--. .-- / .--. .--- .-.. / .--- -.-- .-.. .... -
=D

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Liminality

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Mon Mar 22, 2021 6:28 am

Liminality says... · Mon Mar 22, 2021 6:28 am

I arrive to bleed
time that whisks all things away,
as the droplets fall,
I hear them splat against the street,
watch how they divide, sink in.

she/her

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Rook

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Wed Mar 24, 2021 4:10 am

Rook says... · Wed Mar 24, 2021 4:10 am

dull knife cuts cold plums
watch how they divide, sink in--
purple skin bloodies
bamboo cutting board, how sweet
the juice dribbles from my lips.

Instead, he said, Brother! I know your hunger.
To this, the Wolf answered, Lo!

-Elena Passarello, Animals Strike Curious Poses

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Charm

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Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:40 pm

Charm says... · Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:40 pm

smooth fruit, I bit in,
the juice dribbles from my lips.
sweet like summer days
where the sky is blue kool-aid
school-time seems so far away

Charm's Work Club
WRFF
NaPo
she/her

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JoyDark

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Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:47 pm

JoyDark says... · Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:47 pm

Why do I have to
Use the dang restroom every
Five bloody minutes?!?

she/her

woah
i actually made a post
pretty radical if you ask me

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Liminality

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Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:51 pm

Liminality says... · Wed Mar 24, 2021 3:51 pm

Even fireflies
must need to use the restroom
at midnight, sometimes;
otherwise, they are like stars
on tour, visiting the earth.

Spoiler

@JoyDark This is the tanka train XD I think you meant to put that in the life in haiku thread?

she/her

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blueca

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Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:40 pm

blueca says... · Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:40 pm

a short vacation
on tour, visiting the earth
their bodies are strange
their ships fill me with horror
now departing at lightspeed

i can't beleive it's not gender!
artim/artos/artims/arself
my name is the same as my user, or you can call me jan Laso!

romance makes me uncomfortable, please don't.

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