A Safe Passage

For all those yesterdays
That you don't want me
To recall-

For all those memories
You want me to set free
From my stubborn hold-

For all the love, I thought, I had
In those yesterdays, with those memories...

You now offer me
A deal.

You promise me this:

That only in their redemption
and safe passage into the
Place they belong - the Past,
Will I find myself again;
And Love-
With you.

An offer I cannot refuse;
Stepping out of my past,
and into the circle of your love,

I am finally
Redeemed;

And captivated!

13 October, '07

For Love - Tanka

With colour and light

fragrances and sweet passion-

This moment of Truth!

Crossing my threshold - stealthily,

Love, it cleaves into my Soul!

 6 March, 2011

Syllable break up of the lines, 5/7/5/7/7


With/ co/lour /and /light (5)

fra/gran/ces/ and/ sweet/ pa/ssion- (7)

This/ moment/ of /Truth! (5)

Cro/ssing /my/ thre/shold/ - steal/thi/ly, (7)

Love,/ it /cleaves /in/to /my /Soul! (7)

Tanka, like Haiku, is again a form of Japanese Lyric Poetry.

[As you know by now, :) ] A Haiku works with 17 syllables arranged in 3 lines of 5/7/5 syllables to each line, and evokes an aspect of nature and the seasons, with the last line holding the punch so to speak.

A few Tanka here and Haiku, here and here and here



Tanka on the other hand gives the writer more space to work with – 31 syllables, arranged in 5 lines of 5/7/5/7/7 syllables each. Tanka is an older form of the lyric in Japanese… dating to 13 centuries ago, while Haiku is just about 3 centuries ago..

Tanka was mainly written between lovers, as society had accepted the fact that a man’s dallying with another woman, other than his wife was normal!! After the man departed early in the morning, he would send a Tanka to his lady love with his message of love..