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Grandfather Tanka Poems

These Grandfather Tanka poems are examples of Tanka poems about Grandfather. These are the best examples of Tanka Grandfather poems written by international poets.


Grandfather
In sacred gardens,
your heirloom roses ascend,
the chipped-paint trellis—
in yesterday’s reflections,
where petals fell long ago...

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Categories: eulogy, grandfather, nature, remember,



Otomo No Sakanoue No Iratsume Translation
To a Daughter More Precious than Gems
by Otomo no Sakanoue no Iratsume
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

Heaven's cold dew has fallen—
and thus another season arrives.
Oh,...

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Categories: child, childhood, children, daughter,

Honeysuckle
heartfelt
bond to grandfather's farm
in the south
tobacco grows in his dark earth
honeysuckle too...

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Categories: beauty, grandfather, green,

Forgotten Plague
grandfather 
died in the forgotten plague
of the last century*
I sit musing under the cherry
startled  by a white possum 


*tuberculosis...

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Categories: body, grandfather, mom,

Dying Grandfather
dying grandfather
child of hot rods and whiskey
unsure bellowing at nurses
defines a life of loudness,
cargiving and alcoholism...

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Categories: abuse, caregiving, grandfather, sick,



Premium Member Time Pieces
TIME PIECES

grandfather clock
time so easy to take apart
this child
with broken heart
couldn’t piece back together


that moment
she frowned and closed the door
i checked my watch
second hand stopped
gone...

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Categories: time,

Nagi Tanka
The following is a tribute to all Native Americans. Please check the footnotes for
unfamiliar words.

A lonely man riding a tashunke
Toward the anapo
Where the yellow-gowned prince
Rises...

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Categories: tanka, death, life, loss, sad,


Book: Reflection on the Important Things