Tanka by Bill

Tanka is intended to evoke a moment, meaning a feeling, an emotion, a scene, etc., to allow the reader to experience the moment with precision. Tanka in the English language has taken on a character of its own, with most English language composers keeping the original five line form, but opting to for a freer and flowing form that pays no heed to syllable count. I have found the strict syllable count to be both a challenge and a blessing. A challenge in that I am forced to exercise considerable discipline to convey my message, describe my moment, or communicate the feeling I want the reader to feel. A blessing because I tend to be entirely too wordy. When I am writing free verse, my most common editing task involves wholesale deletions to keep to the point without belaboring it.
This collection is a simple chronological presentation of tanka I have written, starting with January 1, 2014, and going through September 15, 2014…mostly because that is the date I decided to get off my rear and make this book happen.
Fair warning, some these are nature related, some about fanciful subjects, and a few are unabashedly religious. If any of them offend you, please just pass them by and if you feel strongly enough about it, fire off an e-mail. I promise that I will read and consider what you say. Which is the only promise I will make. I strive to keep my tone uplifting, and never use profane or crude language. I compose and post my tanka on Facebook, where my daughter can and does read them. When I hear my words coming out of her mouth, I do not want to be regretting what I said!