Tempo, Tempo
Prompted to pay special attention to tempo and pacing, I’ve written a tanka made up entirely of Italian musical tempo terms. (At long last my Cal Arts BFA in Music Performance pays off.) Tempo, Tempo...
View ArticleEpiphany (Tanka)
Epiphany (Tanka) By Madeleine Begun Kane My muse teases me, Awaiting epiphanies That never arrive. So I must go it alone, Writing until I’m amused. (Note: Tanka is five line Japanese poetry which...
View ArticleAcidic Tanka
Every so often I break into tanka: Acidic Tanka By Madeleine Begun Kane Pithy recipe: Turn lemons to lemonade. Don’t mean to be tart, Acid, ill-natured, sour— But sugarcoating’s tasteless. (Prompted by...
View ArticleIt’s Time To Tanka Beethoven (Tanka)
It’s Time To Tanka Beethoven By Madeleine Begun Kane The King’s Speech film score gets Desplat an Oscar nod, but poor Beethoven is overlooked once again— He needs a new publicist. NOTE: Alexandre...
View ArticleTastes and Sounds (Haiku and Tanka)
Feverish hostess serves chickpeas dropped on the floor— a guest spills the beans. ***** Sick party-goer coughs and sneezes on buffet— chilly reception. ***** The corner bakeshop seems a buttery...
View ArticleSquirrel Limerick (Tanka Too)
From time to time, sundry animals (squirrels, raccoons) find our New York City home alluring. While these incidents provide great fodder for poetry and prose, I could live without them. If only… Our...
View ArticleUndecorated (Haiku and Tanka)
Blank slate office walls — Decorate? No one tempted — temporary work. ***** Nakedly ringless, undecorated fingers robbed of wedding bling. Married still, but ringed no more. Replaceable … and yet not....
View ArticleNigh Not Nearly My Forte
Today I have a bit of fun with two pairs of synonyms: The words nigh and near — synonyms, and yet just one sizzles and sings. Near merely describes, while the soaring nigh evokes — close but no cigar....
View ArticleTanka Tuesday
I took a break from limerick writing to write this pair of tanka: When haiku won’t do, when thoughts defy compression and can’t be contained in seventeen syllables, give thanks to plus-sized tanka....
View ArticleSundry Haiku and Tanka
Prompted to write a school-related haiku, I ended up with a tanka. I just couldn’t seem to fit this true tale into a mere seventeen syllables: Classroom clock won’t move, its hands dulled by droning...
View Article
