Palace halls hide thoughts
location clues glimmer bright
words echo when passed
images and places bound
anchor what the mind lets slip
Marble cracks hold screams
floors reek with forgotten tears
keys corrode to rust—
is this palace yours to keep
or the maze you cannot leave
The dog each morning
lies across the fresh-dug grave
be it snow or sun;
For the dog does not know death;
his master still lives within.
Written: September 15, 2025, for contest by Brian Strand
*******
A name in the dust,
etched once on a windowpane—
sunlight fades the trace,
but the ache remains intact,
like a song without its tune.
sickle moon moves slyly
slices dark clouds in dim sky
stars sprout to light up
sore mind shreds life in its grip
divine soul wakes up to heal
baby is crying
the three year old is “why-ing”
daddy fell off his pulpit
one eye spied red-blooded male
thought it okay to take life
With frayed emotions
the whisperer in the night
its paper-thin wings
combating inner demons
- release your anxiety
Dejected psyche
it's not a computer game
prove the demons wrong
deny their dark existence
- quiet with your inner thoughts
the Biltmore Hotel
appears through my car window
by my new office
two workplaces as bookends
to forty years and one life
TO THE WHY OF WARS
Why are there still wars?
A perennial question;
A simple answer:
God gives humans their free will;
They choose theirs, instead of His:-
THIRSTY PEACE WALLOWING
In life’s wet streamings–
Sweat, tears, and painful peeing–
Peace wallows in thirst:-
Today’s warring wet waters,
Quenching greed’s evil thirstings:-
golden leaves drifting
trees whisper in the wind
forlorn reveries-
trees once wearing stained glass hues
hold a few golden children
your gaze hides a love
entrenched deep within your heart
peeking through the veil
a shy glance that holds my world
like dahlia blooms all seasons
the sun still rises
the moon also but shyly
following cycles
as certain as my feelings
for you though you notice not
My love slowly grew
Since I found someone new: you.
I always just knew
That you would soon love me too.
For you, I'll live this life through.
A gurgling brook
Surrounded by large oak trees
Flowers everywhere
And a blanket for the ground
Best picnic place ever found!
FOREST SOULS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
burst of vibrancy
leaves amber, peach, and crimson
late autumn harvest
a time of serenity
forest souls sparking to life
Specific Types of Tanka Poems
Read wonderful tanka poetry on the following sub-topics:
art, animals, christmas, death, family, flowers, food, friendship, funny, kids, life, love, music, nature, nursery, parents, sadness, school, spring, sports, summer, war, winter
and more.
Definition | What is Tanka in Poetry?