This month’s prompt is a call and response of sorts.
We were to take one of our pal’s poems and write a tanka in answer or reflection.
As tankas (five line, 31 syllable poems) are haiku adjacent,
I chose a haiku as my jumping off point.
Here is Tanita’s classified ad haiku from our prompt of August 7, 2015:
BUY/SELL/TRADE
for sale: one wardrobe
once owned by True Believer
oak. no secret door.
And here, ever hopeful, is my answer:
The disappointments,
leaving childhood behind –
is there no magic?
But look! Egg, seed, chrysalis –
secret doors are everywhere.
Have a look at the other tankas now:
Laura
Tanita
Mary Lee
Sara
Tricia
And our own Laura is hosting Poetry Friday — hurrah!!
Would you like to join us for our next challenge? In October we’re trying Wordplay Poems, as invented by Nikki Grimes. You can read Nikki’s description at Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’ blog in a post entitled Spotlight on Nikki Grimes and DMC Challenge. Feel free to share your poem on October 29th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems!
Be safe and well, everyone!
Secret doors ARE everywhere, and poetry helps us see them. Beautiful! (And I remember those “want ad” haiku, crazy fun challenge.)
Oh those secret doors! Love love love!
I don’t remember the ‘want-ads’ but love Tanita’s and your reply, Tanita. It feels like poems can often help us remember the ‘secret doors’. That’s why it’s important to give children an early start, too! Happy Fall!
Yes to secret doors! Poems are my favorite secret doors :>)
BOOM. There’s my hair blown back!
What a WONDERFULLY heart-lightening response. Imagine the discoveries if one will only “put away childish things…” Okay, I may need to do a whole series of poems responding to responses…
YES to the reminder that secret doors are all around us, and to hopeful optimism!
Wonderful! I love the pairing and the transitions you have brought out. Growing up is not all bad when you can continue to learn to see and find magic!
Yes, I love the hope-filled answer that “secret doors are everywhere” Beautiful!
Liz, this is why I love you. Your work, but also you. You take the most fundamental of wonders and array them in adult realities without obscuring their glow. These two together–perhaps I can go on now. Tanka you.
Yes! Secret doors ARE everywhere!
Love this pair! Tanita’s poem reminded me of a song about growing up that goes “Candy doesn’t taste as good anymore.” And your response opened that not-so-secret little door to my heart. Lovely.
I love secret doors. I look for them always. Excite for the challenge next month.
I love the conclusion of your poem – what an exhortation to look for secret doors in our everyday lives. Thanks for sharing this!
Nice response to Tanita’s haiku, with a twist in your tanka. Love portals and especially “secret doors.” Thanks!