#TANKATUESDAY Weekly #POETRYCHALLENGE #286 #ThemePrompt @ColleenChesebro
Hi everyone! 🙂
Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for us to create a syllabic poem based on the theme of ‘The Longest Day’.
You can find Colleen’s post HERE.
Today, I’ve chosen a Cascade poem. Cascade poetry takes each line in turn from the first stanza and ends each subsequent stanza with that line.
Though not limited to a syllabic count, I’ve used a 5-6 metre throughout. Where the repeated final line of a verse is 5 syllables, I’ve switched the syllables of the final two lines to fit, so we have 6-5 instead of 5-6 on each alternate verse. I also took the liberty of blanketing the whole thing by finishing with the opening line.
FROM DAWN TO DUSK
Predawn stillness waits
For the first breath of breeze
Which raises ripples
And destroys the glass lake
Of calm reflection
With motion comes a fog
Of false peace, detached
While the pain hits in waves
Mini contractions
So small you scarce notice
No earthquake here
Nor seismic shift to show
Where you came to rest
Hollow in place of mound
Along with death’s spectre
Predawn stillness waits
Fog lifts, lets in sound
Sunrise brings commotion
Solitude broken
Time to paste on your smile
Play games for a time
Fool those who just don’t care
And broken heart waits
For the first breath of breeze
Squeeze air into lungs
Waste breath on empty words
Appease company
That should make no demands
But does anyway
Sacrilege to change plans
Or say a single thing
Which raises ripples
Relationship gone
And now the baby too
Perhaps for the best
Mother Nature stepped in
Left you free to choose
The view from the hilltop
Shatters illusion
And destroys the glass lake
That’s kept you entrapped
Numbness begins to thaw
Allows hope’s glimmer
To follow waves to shore
Squashed self-esteem blinks
Opens its eyes, looks around
Dives deep beneath waters
Of calm reflection
Searches through the mud
Resurfaces with gold
Strong, independent
No need for hats or masks
Happy with the view
Continues up the hill
Armed against the fact
With motion comes a fog
Eyes held wide open
Ears and heart and mind too
Strides straight through midday
Unafraid and unchecked
In the prime of life
Not so easy to fool
Nor fall into the trap
Of false peace, detached
Slow, soft twilight falls
Hoot of owl heralds night
Valley lies quiet
And clouds embrace the hills
Liberated soul
This old dewdrop absorbed
Safe in the calm depths
While the pain hits in waves
Predawn stillness waits
As well as the literal meaning of ‘dawn to dusk’, I also wanted to portray living a whole life, from the predawn of youth to the twilight of old age. In this vein, ‘midday’ represents ‘midlife’. I hope you enjoyed today’s poetry. Have a lovely day! 🙂
© Harmony Kent 2022
A life beautifully articulated my friend. <3 xx
Thanks so much, Debby! 💕🙂
Yes, the full cycle of life. We rise and fall, to rise again.
Gain wisdom the jewels in our crowns. 🙂
For sure! 💕🙂
Beautiful and compelling imagery Harmony! I love this form.
Thanks so much, Balroop 💕🙂
Wonderful form and verse.
Thanks so much, Jude! 💕🙂
Beautifully written, Harmony! I love how you took us through all stages of life. Great poem! 🙂
Fantastic. Thanks, Yvi! 💕🙂
Wonderful.
Thanks, Molly 💕🙂
Everytime I visit your blog, I learn something new Harmony, especially wrt poetry. Today it’s cascade poetry. Thank you!
That’s wonderful! Thanks, Sonia 💕🙂
Although this has quite a ‘dark’ feel to it. it’s lovely too, and, all human life is here!
Thanks, Margaret. I’m so pleased I managed to convey all that 💕🙂
Harmony, I’ve missed your Twitter company and expertise! Also, I’ve missed your poetry. This is such a poignant piece of work. What I especially like is that you created a syllabic rhythm count to fit this poem. I like how you encapsulated a lifetime into the theme. Welcome back and I hope your spirit and soul have rested and you’re on the mend. ❤️
Oh, Colleen, thanks so much for your kind and wonderful words! Hugs 💕🙂
This is poignantly beautiful, Harmony.
Thanks so much, Robbie! 💕🙂
A fantastic way of depicting the cycle of time. You did a great job with the prompt. Such lovely lines!
Yay! Thanks so much, Jan! 💕🙂
Harmony, this is breathtakingly lovely. Thank you for sharing it.
Much love,
David
Thank you so much, David! That means a lot 🙂💕
amazing, Harmony. Well done.
Thanks so much, John! I’m smiling away 💕🙂
I love the nature references. Great job, Harmony!
That makes me happy! Thanks, Joan 💕🙂
How clever of you! Your poetry captured the theme in such a relatable manner.
Awesome! Thanks so much, Annette 💕🙂
What a cool poetic form! It looks really hard, too, but the results are great. Loved your life’s dawn-to-dusk poem, Harmony!
Yay! Thanks so much, Priscilla 💕🙂
So beautiful and it was like the words were whispered to me from the computer screen. Well told, Harmony! Xo
That’s fantastic! Thanks, Denise 💕🙂
This is wonderful Harmony..we wrote on similar lines today. Your poem is so beautiful. Thank you for the prompt 💜
Thanks so much, Willow. I’m headed to yours now 💕🙂
Incredibly deep!
Thanks so much, Reena 💕🙂
As I read, I walked with you through the day and through life. This is an extraordinary poem, Harmony. You’ve captured the movement of time and the rise and fall of life itself. Beautiful, my friend. ❤️
That’s so wonderful to read. Thanks, Gwen! 💕🙂
Cleverly done, Harmony.
Thanks so much, Viv 💕🙂