forbidden passage

jagged, rugged face
rocky formation
layers of shale rock climbing
starkly into sky
the forbidding passage looms


Author's notes: This poem was written in response to the February 2, 2022 Newsletter "Let's Tanka" edited by the talented eyestar~* . As she instructed, Tanka is typically formatted 5-5-7-5-7 meaning five syllables in line one, five syllables in line two, seven syllables in line three, five syllables in line four, and seven syllables in line five. In honor of the Japanese language, I have omitted all caps in my poem. The written Japanese language has no caps or punctuation.

Tanka typically has an epiphany or a "ah-hah" moment at the end and this epiphany stands in contrast to the rest of the poem. The epiphany usually explains the poem. Tanka is often about nature, particularly landscapes.

Read the enlightening newsletter by eyestar~* for more information.