Tag: Tanka

The listening, or: Burrowing of the mole

ben AlexanderLeave a comment 
eyes closed, I focus
downwards into meaning's depths
~experiencing~
I hear others burrowing
listening below surface

d’Verse Poetics

Prompt: The Print the Whales Make

The above tanka is my response to the d’Verse challenge to write a poem in the first person that compares some trait of ours with something animal.

It should not be a whale, but another creature (mammal, fish, bird, insect, etc.) with which we have something in common. The title should be the animal thing, in the same way Marjorie Saiser chose ‘The Print the Whales Make’.

Twitter poetry 2021: Week 14

ben Alexander6 Comments

My blogger-poet-friend Ingrid inspired me to create a Twitter account and start writing #APoemADay, which I began on January 1, 2021.

This week, for some reason, I felt very pressed in keeping up with both my blogging and my Twitter poetry so I ended up posting poems on Twitter that I had written the very same day for my blog. There’s nothing wrong with that; I’ve taken a forgiving attitude towards myself when it comes to producing content… I’m prioritizing quality over quantity.

Below is my 14th week of Twitter poems:

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem,
David

Your drive, or: Love virus

ben Alexander17 Comments

A ‘Magnetic Poem’ tanka

Wanna try? Click here.

figure out your drive
hack the online content stream
upload love virus
intelligent performance
will boost network of writers

Notes

  • For this poem, I decided to make use of the ‘Geek Set’ on the Magnetic Poetry website once again;
  • This poem was inspired by my post yesterday, in which I shared some contemplations about how to successfully grow one’s subscriber count here on WordPress (hint: it’s the human touch);
  • I once again opted for a tanka, rather than a haiku;
    • The extra two lines (14 syllables) provide a greater challenge, as well as a larger canvas;
  • I searched for and found the featured image only after I had written the entire tanka.

Poison words, or: Wake up kiss

ben Alexander23 Comments

A ‘Magnetic Poem’ tanka

Wanna try? Click here.

but my god decayed
into warm liquid fish eyes
broken lips smoking
breathed poison words over me
melting into wake up kiss

Notes

  • For this poem, I decided to make use of the ‘Poet Set’ on the Magnetic Poetry website for the second time;
  • This poem was, in part, inspired by my personal descent into religious skepticism, which I spent many years trying to avoid;
  • I once again opted for a tanka, rather than a haiku;
    • The extra two lines (14 syllables) provide a greater challenge, as well as a larger canvas;
    • I’ve really taken to writing magnetic tankas;
  • I searched for and found the featured image only after I had written the entire tanka;
    • I really wanted to find a free use image of a pile of fish eyes, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t.

Twitter poetry 2021: Week 13

ben Alexander21 Comments

My blogger-poet-friend Ingrid inspired me to create a Twitter account and start writing #APoemADay, which I began on January 1, 2021.

This week, with my six-year-old daughter at home every day during the Passover holiday, I had less time alone with my thoughts ~ there were things on my mind that I wanted to write poems about, which I did not get to. Still, I managed to stick to my commitment! (She’ll be returning to preschool on Tuesday of next week…)

Anyway, below is my 13th week of Twitter poems:

Shabbat Shalom & Happy [end of] Passover from Jerusalem,
David

Marble nights, or: Haunting

ben Alexander30 Comments

A ‘Magnetic Poem’ tanka

Wanna try? Click here.

angel bleeds color
desiring eternity
father's ghost haunting
in joyless kiss lingering
marble nights' old prisoner

Notes

  • For this poem, I decided to use the ‘Poet Set’ on the Magnetic Poetry website, which, I believe, is the first time I have done so;
    • I find that switching between the sets of magnets makes magnetic poetry more interesting;
  • This poem was, in part, inspired by my having lost my own father nearly three years ago, but it’s not about me or about him at all – it’s an entirely fictional piece;
  • I once again opted for a tanka, rather than a haiku;
    • As I’ve written before, the extra two lines (14 syllables) provide a greater challenge, as well as a larger canvas;
    • I’ve really taken to writing magnetic tankas;
  • As an additional challenge to myself, I deliberately wrote this as an alphabet poem;
  • I searched for and found the featured image only after I had written the entire tanka.

Twitter poetry 2021: Week 12

ben Alexander18 Comments

My blogger-poet-friend Ingrid inspired me to create a Twitter account and start writing #APoemADay, which I began on January 1, 2021.

It’s funny to me that I know how many days have gone by this year merely because I’ve been writing daily poems since day one.

Please note that I’ll be offline for the next couple of days because of Shabbat (the Sabbath) and the 1st day of Passover, which ends at sunset on Sunday. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with all of you lovely people then!

Anyway, below is my 12th week of Twitter poems:

Shabbat Shalom & Happy Passover from Jerusalem,
David