My mother's one wordfor both homesick and contenthas no English twinI carry it like a stonetoo smooth now to translate back
About the tankaA five-line poem that opens on an image and closes on a feeling.
Tanka shares haiku's compressed, image-first opening — three lines in a 5-7-5 syllable shape — then adds two more lines that turn inward, naming the personal or emotional response the image stirred. It's haiku with room left to say what the image meant.
The shape Five lines in a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable shape: an image, then a personal turn.
Listen for Where the poem stops just describing and starts feeling — usually right at line four.
2 poems in this form →@nadia
Two languages, one notebook. Trusts the shorter poem.
11 poems · 9 readings received · 11 written · 2 followers
Readings (1)
Leave a reading
Readings are written by members — free, and the poem stays right here while you write.
Sign in to leave a readingNew here? Create an account — it takes a minute.
More by Nadia Osei
Alongside this one
Matched by shared theme or form. Where two match equally, the one still waiting for a first reading comes first.