A tanka journey

A Tanka Journey

John {Jack} Byrne

Welcome to tanka poetry which originated in Japan more than 13 centuries ago, a poem written of love or self reflection, they do not rhyme and are written in 5 short lines of 31 syllables {5/7/5/7/7}or less, and is best written with a pivot which changes the tone of the poem, join me on this poetic journey John{Jack}Byrne

All poems within are the work of John{Jack}Byrne and should not used without the authors permission 2015

from the harbour great ships carry people away‌ when will I see one bring you back to me

sadness in the curlew’s cry this grey day‌ his loneliness the same as mine

the stars how wonderful and bright they shine‌ this night you have promised to love me

this Christmas the snow falls more silent than before‌ it knows how I pine for you

unkind words exchanged over breakfast leaving me with more of a mess to tidy this morning

almost a year now since she left searching for the young man whom I was

I awake to birdsong your gentle breath rising and falling your face content from last night’s love

molly my cat squints in my direction with affection‌ blackbirds play into Spring

heavy snowfall in the night has secretly stolen Spring and all she offered

under the bridge the river flows fast aided by the rain‌ a broken heart aids my tears

third visit walking through the ward door she asks again who am I

at breakfast a sparkle in your eyes a promissory note of what lies ahead

year of the snake could have a more pleasant start‌ is there an antidote for mankind’s venom ?

Ireland where moonbeams and lover’s kisses are often stored within the hedgerows

summer clouds kiss the mountain top spilling dreams‌ pleasing my heart in the valley below

happiness is a rose born on a stem of love‌ how pleasing this scent of you

whiskey already below the mark‌ how to tell her it’s over

once I travelled the carefree path of a young boy‌ but tread careful on this adult road

brent geese gather in the field to graze and chatter‌ what do they know of loneliness

watching the sunset pull this day to a close‌ are there more words to say?

during my stroll a soft mist cools my face like a velvet glove‌ my thoughts of you this Irish morning

relaxing music fill my ears while songs of the violins wisk me aloft on the wings of angels

I have little fear of falling on this uneven ground provided I fall to your heart

silent as the owl she brings her love to me this Irish colleen on soft wings she flies to my heart

autumn the swallows have left to journey south‌ again you leave me nothing but loneliness

I’m afraid we’ve reached the end of our first step in this great tanka journey, but I’m just mooring for the night in the harbour of dreams, here I will dream my dreams of love, and awake refreshed ready to embark on the ocean of poems and our tanka journey.

John{Jack}Byrne