Summer Tanka Poems | Examples
These Summer Tanka poems are examples of Tanka poems about Summer. These are the best examples of Tanka Summer poems written by international poets.
It’s a nice old wood
she says as we hand-in-hand
walk and the dancing
shadows of old trees filtered
from summer sun meet us there.
embers lose their glow
smoke thins across distant hills
magpies call at dusk
i grieve the long gold evenings
yet welcome the cooling rain
Sunflowers waving
midst scorching heat remain bright
reigning until Fall…
exuding God*-blest life’s bliss
welcome vibrant hue-changes.
*Numbers 6:24-26The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
August 20, 2026
3rd place, "End of Summer, Beginning of Fall Tanka" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Tania Kitchin; judged on 8/27/2026
sleep... sweet soul of sun
in f a l l hues, lost with ghost heart ~
as leaf of love frails...
and I paint pandora's s t a r s
in summer that never came...
End of Summer Beginning of Fall Contest 8-19-26
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wistful kiss
summer tells stories
tales of golden sunflowers
fables of fireflies
a wistful kiss to autumn
who speaks in bright harvest hues
End of Summer Beginning of Fall Contest 8-19-26
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
wistful kiss
summer tells stories
tales of golden sunflowers
fables of fireflies
a wistful kiss to autumn
who speaks in bright harvest hues
End of Summer Beginning of Fall Contest 8-19-26
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
wistful kiss
summer tells stories
tales of golden sunflowers
fables of fireflies
a wistful kiss to autumn
who speaks in bright harvest hues
End of Summer Beginning of Fall Contest 8-19-26
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
wistful kiss
summer tells stories
tales of golden sunflowers
fables of fireflies
a wistful kiss to autumn
who speaks in bright harvest hues
End of Summer Beginning of Fall Contest 8-19-26
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
wistful kiss
summer tells stories
tales of golden sunflowers
fables of fireflies
a wistful kiss to autumn
who speaks in bright harvest hues
End of Summer Beginning of Fall Contest 8-19-26
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
wistful kiss
summer tells stories
tales of golden sunflowers
fables of fireflies
a wistful kiss to autumn
who speaks in bright harvest hues
youthful bright summer
teaches us play and laughter
then hands earth's baton
to autumn for demos of
beauty found in life's cycle
tangy breeze fades off
from sultry eve's rosette view…
leaving summer mouths
like a zing of Merlot wine…
to taste last kisses on flight
polished by sunlight
dark green leaves of the live oak
shades spider web swing
happy children's laughter with
itsy bitsy spider song
Written: August 17, 2026, for a contest sponsored by Tania Kitchin
Checked by HMS.COM/ 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 7 -
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in the hush of dusk
my sandals brush dry grasses
the day's warmth fading
crickets sing of letting go
and i breathe in the new chill
summer light wanes, slow.
golden days fold into dusk.
autumn, at doorstep~
chill blasts will soon veer around.
call to lie in dust with leaves.