Tanka Writing Roundtable • Fall 2011
Dr. Randy Brooks

Selected Tanka

by
Owen Kosik

I started writing tanka recently in a writing roundtable class taught by Randy Brooks, and to be honest I did not take it very seriously at first. I was never much one for poetry before I took this course, but I soon found that it was an excellent, simple outlet for creativity. I enjoyed working in the subtleties and creating themes within the constraints of the 5-line format of tanka, and I found that the lack of syllabic constraints would show itself in the subject matter of the poems.

a big, fat tear
rolls down her
cheek
i know better
than to trust it

only together
for 2 days
but how quickly
we fell back
into old habits

two brand new
faces
one smiles constantly
the other
not so much

i never eat enough
to satisfy my
grandmother.
i'm not growing
anymore

living together
like the three musketeers
through the best and worst
suddenly
i'm on my own

memories of childhood
are their only bond
he tries and tries
but she says
no

my devout family
bows their heads
my brother and I
look at each other
should we play along?