First III (tanka)

3 of 12 in the Jemverse ’12 months III’ series

And so November
Colder days have taken hold
as wrapped up people shiver
into winter
With the swansong of Autumn
for the year-end’s curtain call

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

First II

2 of 12 in the Jemverse ’12 months III’ series

October is here
as autumn waits in the wings
and the greenery turns brown
leaves begin falling
for the underfoot crunching
into the face of winter

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Tri-Tanka V (coffee)

Fussy? Yes perhaps
but for me there’s no excuse
for tasteless coffee
made carelessly without soul
Listless, dull and moribund

Especially when out
Cafes, restaurants and pubs
in particular
Coffee from the roasted bean
is all that passes muster

Coffee lover me
An ‘amante del cafe’
Bring me the Java
Especially of a morning
for the day that is ahead

©Jemverse

Photo – atlantablackstar.com

Tri-Tanka IV (Lancing Beach)

Once again relaxed
Lancing Beach does that for me
Every single time
The sound of the moving sea
The sight of the ocean waves
And I’m in my element

Completely relaxed
Listening to the ocean
I sit here for hours
Reading for a little while
Writing for a while longer
Here outside Hut 101

Relaxation here
This is my perfect haven
Little home from home
Where I can quite simply be
Where I can quite simply feel
The simplicity of life

©Jemverse

Photo – Lancing Beach, West Sussex, looking East – Jempics

A tanka is a 31 syllable 5 line Japanese poem with a syllabic sequence of 5-7-5-7-7

Tri-Tanka III (light)

Yes, it is morning
But time clings to night time still
and my pen falters
Caught between a moment there
the clarity hides behind

Daylight hides away
Its face obscured by darkness
and my pen falters
Unsure of the words that come
and can their truth be trusted

The beauty shines through
A small pink of light lurking
Confident my pen
Finds the words and hold them true
as a torch in the darkness

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Tri-Tanka II (Festive)

All decorations
up by first of December
Christmas is coming
Though earlier every year
commerce would have us believe

No bah and humbug
despite my reservations
As into spirit
flowing with the tinsel here
my heart goes to the yuletide

And into the fray
firmly with gusto I tread
‘Ho ho ho’ sung loud
I am the voice of Christmas
Seasons greetings one and all

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Tri-Tanka I (tanka)

To start this series
in thirty-one syllables
Japanese Tanka
A short song to bring you joy
Jemverse social media

So here are first lines
Crafted by the poet’s hand
Found and captured here
To form and syntax structured
Voicing life in five short lines

And I play with words
Crafting here my poetry
for you the reader
To take, ponder and reflect
for life’s many bright moments

©Jemverse

Photo – Google images

Tanka – Japanese 31 syllable poem of 5 lines with a syllabic sequence of 5-7-5-7-7