Memorial Day Poem

Tanka form written for Tuesday Morning Cantos

A moment silent,
Gently flapping, flags up high
Grateful hearts salute--
Souls all dear, fallen heroes
Flowers planted on their plots

Lime carpet cut lawn
Screen door creaks as smiles appear
Friends and kin arrive
Rays of sun swathe warmth on skin
Day off work for merriment

Holiday’s gala--
Smoking grill, aromas rise,
Backyard barbecue
Sweet watermelon slices
On checkered picnic tables

Heavy horseshoes clink
Crunch! tumbles ice in coolers
Beer cans click and pop
Grown-ups chatter, laughter chimes,
Screeches, splashes from the pool

Tanka Poetry ~ a Japanese poetry style that dates back to the 5th century. The poems were originally written to mark a special occasion or moment. They traditionally contained five lines and 31 syllables in a 5-7-5-7-7 fixed syllable pattern. Tanka poetry stresses using verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in the elaboration of its subject. The structure also emphasizes the use of patterns and syllabication. Rhyming, if included, is generally alliterative or internal. Information borrowed from a lesson of “Tuesday Morning Cantos” "Tuesday Morning Cantos class page" .