Bundled Up:
Quintains and
Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
214+ Quintains and Tankas
(5 Line Poems)
Research
1.
Eskimos have many words
for snow—
falling from my lips
many words for electricity.
Places dictate vocabulary.
2.
my zazen was writing
pencil in hand—
sitting still for minutes
no special breathing
just moving my hand
3.
The Supreme Being thing
a theological dream
compared to Billions of Things—
Taking a bite of Reality
spitting out the seeds.
4.
Opened the Gateless Gate,
creaking hinges sang,
a narrow passage opened;
saw a iron Temple Bell
rarely ever rung.
5.
The silence of decades dead
echo endlessly
in every muscle and vein;
Her kisses are remembered
by my tender love lips.
6.
One Picture of Me
This bony skull of mine
electrified
pictured onscreen for me.
Doctor recommends
some oral surgery.
The brain disappeared,
an empty space
sliced from
X Ray images retraced.
Eyeless in inner space.
Monkey nose holes,
bony eye glasses,
teeth glowing in the dark.
Inner spaces never seen
underneath my very being.
Skinless, noseless, earless,
a shape, a form—
the images informed.
Stripping away the unneeded,
revealing my inner core.
7.
in-breath
out-breath
unconsciously
enables me
to Consciously Be
8.
Emily D. said she Knew Poetry
when her sober head top
was suddenly taken off.
Wow! Complex tight Poetry
from the Topless Emily D.
[Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
American poet.]
9.
Laugh at the dying of the Light
Embrace the Uncertain Night
Useless to Rage and Rage
Boozing your guts away
Rather Face the Fucking Day.
[Dylan Thomas (1914-1953),
Irish poet and author.]
10.
Hegel touted secular spirituality
Carlyle cheered rising unbelief
Neo-Pagan myths and rites appeared
Christian motifs shook and swayed
Later, Buddhists answered with the
No Mind Way.
[Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881),
author, historian, essayist, poet;
Sartor Resartus.]
11.
The Dalai Lama opened the door
making Love, Helpfulness, Decency
the Essence of the Religious Core;
Not beliefs, not creeds, not lore
not arguments; show Kindness.
[(Dalai Lama (1935-)
author, Tibetan Buddhist
leader,
world renowned spiritual guide.]
12.
my tired eyes
closed—
memories slowed
dreams flowed
time dozed
13.
Eight Billion humans growing wilder
a Christened Cancer
impending suicidal
millions more on the Edges
crawling to the gallows end
14.
Broken Down
My great nephew,
Joshua Loya his name,
a troubled, sick, tired man;
We tried to help him and failed.
A soul free of conventionality.
He was a homeboy styler
a skinny fellow
dressed in
baggy pants.
Hanging out with cholos
for a fine machismo time.
His mom died when he was 10
he never recovered!
From auto accidents and hepatitis
and fun drug usage most days;
he slowly slipped from us away.
He lived with us for a year
a lazy fellow
straight F's in high school,
some thieves and stoners for friends.
Still, we wished him well to the end.
My son and we tried to help
Joshua when down
and others did contribute,
to bring him better around
but his failures ground him down.
He phoned every so often
babbling and rude
wandering in a broken brain;
His long letters, indecipherable,
but with artistic displays.
He lived in County jails
for petty crimes
and old half-way houses
time after time after time.
In garages of friends sometimes.
He called his Aunt Blanche.
He was homeless again
hoping for help from friends.
Sadly, he was sick again.
He wished her well at the end.
Today,
the police said,
Josh was shot dead!
They found his slumped body
on bloody asphalt
in a City of Industry
vacant parking lot.
Bullets through his broken heart!
15.
Pruning bonsai with keen eyes
carefully cutting
for structure and size;
Visions in the artist's mind
Coaxing beauty by his design.
16.
The day dribbled to buzzer's end
but ties are forbidden
so overtime dramas begin;
Or, just drop lose or win
Letting wu wei begin.
Ripening Peaches
Taoist Studies and Practices
17.
The desire to smoke cannabis
in my deep blood brain
soaked from habits
unrestrained;
the urges slowly leave in weeks
but guilt still leaves a scar.
18.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
are not enough
for a Spiritual Family.
Where are Mother, Daughter,
and Legions of Wee Folk?
19.
Rain ing IMAGES roll
a r o u n d on the Words
NOthing Special:
Listening to lectures.
Picturing the Page.
20.
My vein is the literal
not the symbolic,
fantastic, abstract, free;
Lost in meaninglessness,
too clever for me.
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
21.
Liminal spheres
between Selves—
opening up
closing bad habits
redesigning oneself.
22.
Bookstore Dilemma
Barnes and Noble
bookstore browsed—
the smell of new books
and coffee brewed,
tasty poetry books to peruse.
Poetry books
on fifteen shelves:
which one? which one?
My wallet wants to force a choice:
just one! just one!
Louise Gluck or Sylvia Plath
which one? which one?
Hungry to meet and hear them speak;
[ignoring my wallet]
I Bought them Both!
Books are alive and talk repeatedly.
23.
She shouted and honked
Road Rage beyond reason
Loosing control, pissed off
Cussing, fuming, Over the top;
Then God told her to stop.
Definitions: Quintains and Tanka
25 Steps and Beyond: Collected Works
24.
"What do you Love?" he asked
"Waking up today!"
she said with gusto keen.
Gave herself an insulin
shot,
nursed her sugary wounds.
25. Old Age
Being 79 is fine
but still running out of time;
so I cope lest
I read less and slower
or think past nowhere.
Reaching 80 soon
four good seasons slowly loom
passing quietly too;
"Don't waste one minute now"
Uranium can't buy any time.
26.
December fogs—
among the rotting brown leaves
a squashed dead frog;
Winter is a Brutal King
freezing beings one by one.
27.
Keep it short, concise, precise
Don't be wordy, verbose, to wide
Keep it focused, on target, aimed
Don't wander, delay, no silly play...
Sadly, a poem imprisoned by Brevity.
28.
to my harmonica:
every color is silver
every note is sharp
every lip is luscious
every player a lark
29.
I meditated often
hour by hour—
watching tiny juncos
listening to firs swaying
waiting at Nothing's Door.
30.
Comfortable outside my skin
While embracing a world within
Both In and Out are One
Undivided as seasons and sun...
Illusions of separateness done.
31.
my dog, Bruno, lifted my spirits
living with me
We were Buddies, Dog and man.
Bruno got cancer and He died,
i walked alone and i cried.
32.
At dusk the winds picked up
shaking the tent,
snow fell from dark cold skies;
we bundled up warm inside
and played chess passing time.
33.
I will be gone someday
never returning
to walk or play.
Signed my Last Will to say
my possessions are given away.
Coming in
let me nourish
like rain on a garden.
Going out
let me disappear
like geese going south.
34.
Asking myself "Why?"
Which software to master?
What better poems to write?
Why Not! Is a good answer.
As long as there's time.
35.
Lamenting his obscure lines,
lack of specificity—
feeling stupid, locked out;
can't fault the reader,
the poet is a mediocre mouse.
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
36.
Junior Varsity soccer game
22 boys hustling at play
sweating this April day
perfect passes on the way...
Referees whistle— Stop!
37.
crawling under the house
sewer pipe broke
puddles of stinking crap...
fixing, reconnecting, glued;
spreading sand on the smell.
38.
Longing
for learning
to make others
surprised
by my words
Trying
to find
the perfect rhyme
and symbolic metaphors
offered in lines
Seeking
the insightful words
and clarity;
that is the goal
ahead for me.
39.
1234567
12345
1234567
1234567
1234567
7-5-7-7-7
7 5 4 1 2 5 7 3
5 7 6 5 3 7 7 3
7 5 4 5 6 7 5 7
7 7 5 5 6 7 7 5
7 7 5 5 6 7 5 7
[Explain]
fenced in by five lines,
boxed in by seven sounds—
still, meaning flows out
a fixed playing field for words,
a frame for our honest doubts.
40.
About the Greeks and Chinese
I eagerly read
their writings from 550 BCE;
nothing interesting for me in
the falling walls of Jericho.
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
41.
Blinded by the obvious
he often forgot
to sink heavy anchors;
ideas swaying to songs
floating aimlessly along.
42.
Little boats float down
the Cowlitz River
scooping up Eulachon smelt.
Oily slimy skinny fishlets
flopping wildly into nets.
43.
Roethke in Seattle
Uplifted and impressed
reading Roethke's
Northwest sketches fine.
Birds flew off the page.
Lizards sunned in his lines.
U-Dub students studied
Roethke's methods
for years closely aligned
walking together the Far Fields
with many creative minds.
Roethke's soaked in hot tubs
his sweat refined
lulled into organic bliss—
laughing in the fog
languishing like a dog.
He lingered by the rivers
topping Puget Sound
listening to beauty;
stepping into forests
around Seattle Town.
[Theodore Roethke (1908-1963)
poet, teacher.]
44.
Leafless Trees of February
February sculptures
of leafless trees—
emptiness on display.
Gray-brown branches and twigs
embraced in Winter's Arms.
fog crawled into branches
of leafless trees—
invisible leaves.
A sweet gum murmured low
a soft lullaby to the snow.
The trunks and branches
of shrubs and trees—
unabashed exhibitionists.
Buff nude bodies exposed,
careless, free, willingly.
Morning opened in sunshine
brilliant crisp blue.
Twisted branches knew
Spring is coming soon.
Leafing, leaves, renewed.
45.
reading e.e.'s poems
in the campus shade
students walking by silently
somewhere in a library
hangs another painting by e.e.
[e.e.cummings (1894-1962),
American painter, author, poet.]
46.
Tried to build my Muscles
of Intentions
to strengthen my Will;
tear the muscles a little
if you want to build.
47.
Planted a climbing rose
to tie to a fence—
optimistic gardeners
endlessly puttering
sworn to thinking ahead.
48.
His walker wobbled looser
the sick man fell—
cancer is serious hell.
I helped him stand and walk,
thinking of myself in his lot.
49.
Hiding in the Junipers
Three ladybugs sit so
cozy together—
the junipers don't really care
who sits here or who sits there
just clean the mites off their hairs.
Shiny orange shimmering shells
black etched eyes—
crawling silently
hiding from enemies
ladybugs jump and fly
Ladybugs by another crisp name
Coccinella novemnotata—
five thousand species of Coccinella
mostly farmer's friends
who live just two short years.
Ladybugs can't all be Ladies—
otherwise
there would be fewer surprises
sans some randy
Guybug's pickup lines
50.
Drifting to My Mind's Edge
The drifting pebbles
slid on the sandy shore
up to me;
my thoughts drifted
outside my mind.
Boy's flying stunt kites
in flying dives and figure 8's
wind at their backs;
our sand castle
remodeled by in-coming waves.
Hot sun and sand burnt
bare fee walking
away from the sea;
grabbing my shoes
touching my toes tenderly.
Black mussels cling to stones
eating in high tide zones
hundreds huddling;
I stumbled hungry
in surf up to my knees.
Only beach grasses
uncontrollable
can live on the dunes;
my thoughts zoomed
hypo-mania loomed.
51.
Raking up fallen limbs
scattered randomly—
my back ached
bending down
no stopping now
52.
robins chatter
jubilantly—
sounds of love
sounds of hope
I imagine I hear
53.
The soccer pitch
slick from dew—
players wore cleated shoes
but they knew
falling hard could be bad news
54.
"Eternity in an hour"
billions born from a dime
kilowatts from nuclear power
millions of sperm working overtime—
blows my mind
55.
Tired but not sleeping
awake—
stretched out on the floor
wearing worries weighing me down
into the depths of Insomnia's Sea.
56.
Time waits patiently for all.
Tiger hiding
in a blind, eying Us—
Our clocks ticktocked,
The Tiger of Death Leapt.
57.
Green olives stuffed with garlic
tasted fine
blended with fresh French bread—
we watched the boats in the river
while slowly sipping fine Pinot Noir.
58.
they bashed in her windows
with a bat:
vandals chose her car
for no reason whatsoever
but delight in destruction
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
59.
On the Vernal Equinox,
staring at the calm sea;
Mallard ducks,
peck the grassy ground.
Drizzle coming down.
60.
wasting away
cancer's curse—
can't stand now
wobbly legs
pain cried today
61.
Woman: making dinner stew
Man: working hard
Children: playing games in yard
Family: growing older further
Life: Uncertain At Large
62.
Arts of Colored Lights
Paso Robles nights—
"A Sensorio Field of Lights"
filling the dark with colored lights
mazes of colors subtle
dazzled by a flipped switch.
Shore Acres Park
Christmas art—
garden lights
flashing empty flower beds
dispelling darker thoughts
Monterey's hip shops
decorated—
Santa Claus is back
colored bulbs bright
gifts galore in sight
Cape Kiwanda dunes
July 4th—
fireworks flared
colors galore
my eyeballs gorged
Skagit Valley tulips
springtime blooms—
tourists flock
like bees to flowers
sweet treats for hours.
At the Edges of the West
Highway 101 and 1
63.
Larger than the longest
short by seconds—
can't measure Infinity
slipped into a Black Hole
the speed of light is too slow.
64.
Befuddled by
a poet's words—
repeating rereads
increased the blur.
No pearl in the oyster.
65.
Titled head
floppy arm—
longstanding guards
in fields and farms;
scarecrow alarmed.
66.
Rising expectations undercut
friendships faltering;
disagreed to agree
end clearly seen
no future for you and me.
67.
Turned Off the TV
empty screen;
lost time remained
stuck in my brain
wasted days, hours decayed.
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
68.
Father Priest once
counseled me—
while on my knees
in the dim confessional box.
Stopped kneeling for sanity!
69.
Is Mu Dark Matter?
Is Light Speed Time?
Is Gravity a Ball of Strings?
Is a Mind a Body-Brain?
Questioning, wondering, ideas rain.
70.
The oak tree in the courtyard
sheltered many a thought.
Better than hissing "Mu";
Nothingness shouted.
Profound silences of Emptiness.
71.
The Wind swept East away
West was cleared of Gray
The Sun split Skies to Blue
Bright gleaming green Yews
Hard Cold! Smell of Firs...
72.
A quatrain with
an extra line
is not a Tanka;
rather 3+2 brief lines,
without the rhyme.
73.
another life on paper
words aligned;
crossing metaphors
images sketched so fine,
tidbits spilling onto lines
74.
Father Priest
scolded me:
hell was my destiny
unless I Believed.
How incorrect was he?
75.
Hammering roofers
step gingerly ...
dusty boots
slippery slant—
Two stories to the ground.
76.
blood pressure
higher...
cuff around hand
sitting taller—
fearing the measure
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
77.
Listening to Jazz
Dave Brubeck Quartet—
Carnegie Hall
Blue Rondo a la Turk,
Take Five with four guys.
78.
washer spinning dry:
pants and shirts
socks and skirts—
electricity at work
chores not shirked
79.
"Not a second to waste"
was a lie—
workaholics disagreed
trapped by a pernicious OCD.
Mystics use seconds otherwise.
80.
fewer painful
confessionals to share—
secretive
closed
unpacked dirty underwear
81.
Crawling on my knees:
pulling weeds
planting bulbs
pruning stems...
Wives like such deeds!
82.
The tangled hair of Akiko,
the sad toys of Takuboku,
the penny world of Sanford—
Japanese poets succeed
sowing clever seeds of imagery.
83.
my young son visits us
for a few weeks—
boxes of medicines
pilled high
failed kidney dialysis time
84.
Father Priest
and I
standing seriously at
my dying father's bedside.
Last Rites Sacrament time!
85.
David Attenborough's words
Al Gore's lines
we did not listen—
plasticizing our dying world
denying Ozone Holes in the sky.
86.
Homophobes and racists
sadly multiply—
underlying hostilities,
inner repulsions unjustified.
Wasted energies and lies.
87.
Covered in clothes and throws,
Coldest night in February.
Shivering in Shore Acres,
a canvas yurt in which to hide.
Bitter cold seldom lies.
88.
First time talking to psychologist,
[revealing some .. hiding some]
seeking something not known;
but optimistic nonetheless
I won't regress from being my best.
89.
"When does God sleep?"
asked the child;
Jesus answered
with a smile:
"Nunca oí a Dios roncar."
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
90.
The Zen archer's bow becomes
One with the Universe.
Despite aiming carefully,
breathing properly,
he missed the target anyway.
91.
Why am I Here
Rather than Elsewhere?
Stop questioning
this or that.
Be Here, take off your hat.
92.
The bloodless sea—
painted red tides
gathered triple toxins
spewed wavy purple streaks
on bays and beaches we see
The bloodless sea—
picturing crashing white waves
bulldozing the thick brown sand
reshaping the shorelines destiny
relentlessly, impulsively, creatively
The blodless sea—
written about by poets for centuries
rudely calling my bluff
challenging me aggressively
pushing me past my petty me
93.
Walking
sand in my shoes
beachcomber blues.
Low tide flotsam line
shattered clam shells my Finds.
94.
Spiritually, the skeptic in me,
Is not very religious, conventionally;
But the ebullience of nature mystics
Is often very inspiring to me.
Silence, poetry,
and music
are Forms of Spirituality.
95.
quite dogmatically gray
these rain clouds arrayed
these last days of March
heavy rains today
on the first Spring day
96.
Fell asleep on the floor.
She covered me as I snored:
turned off the lights
closed all the doors
while I just snored and snored.
97.
She was quite talented
I will agree.
She managed to win
prizes and trophies.
Yet, when losses came
she remained unchanged
using her clever coping brain.
98.
Living on the edge of destiny
precariously. What can I be?
Answering: What do I want to be?
What must I Give Up
to really be me?
99.
three
men
working on an Indiana
power plant smokestack.
All Suffocated!
100.
bought a lottery ticket
and lost again—
hoping Santa Claus
will help me win
before Winter begins
101.
my mom died
one April day—
before her hospice end
she brushed her teeth
in a satisfied way
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
102.
Life's not a bowl of cherries,
Nor a bed of roses.
Nor a dream within a Dream
of a tired black butterfly
Sleeping on a laurel's leaves.
103.
The sea made clouds,
Clouds birthed rain.
Falling on the sea again
recycling itself—
an Endless Chain.
104.
I returned to the Bandon cliffs
year after year.
To savor art works
Carved into the sands
then Erased by the Surf.
105.
The elderly man
hustled fast, but
pissed in his pants—
his damn zipper stuck,
he laughed.
106.
Why is there nothing
rather than something?
The hungry sage pondered—
his rice bowl empty,
weak tea in his cup.
107.
Earthquake rubble
Bodies buried
Wails of mourners
City destroyed—
Even Titan's Shocked!
108.
Thunderbirds born before the Dawn
of lost human history—
Knew the Orcas in the Puget Sound
Knew the Chelais River Salmon
Nested on Mt. Tacoma-Ranier's
steep white glacial slopes.
109.
The stories told, perhaps centuries old,
Crawled up my skin, rather fairness thin,
Called revenge justified, against a killer's lies,
Skinwalker's son smiled; his father feared.
The Avenging Angel,
Cuts lives at an angle,
Appears then disappears,
Settling accounts in arrears,
Knocks on the door,
Of the rich and the poor,
Shows the Warrant
No matter how abhorrent.
Settles the score,
Escorts you out the door
to stand before
Judge Skinwalker's Court.
110.
gathering
fishing gear—
worms in the street
after the rain
free bait
111.
Palestinian terrorists
attacked viciously.
Israel then responded
viciously—
Revenge Insanities.
112.
Boring lecture
far too long—
Doodling abstract
pencil art; thankfully,
the ending bell sounds
113.
limping lady
laughs
heartily—
listening
to radio jokes
114.
she did not
speak
did not cry
closed her eyes
quietly died
115.
Jacaranda seeds
brown and hard—
Toys for boys
in our front home's
Cout's Avenue yard.
Definitions: Quintains and Tanka
25 Steps and Beyond: Collected Works
116.
I turned around,
heard a bang!
Bullet missed
by an inch!
Hole in the wall.
117.
no freezer
no frozen food—
bland canned
corn and beans
no ice cream
118.
Whittier Blvd.
butcher shop—
axed turkeys
flopping about
sawdust floors
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
119.
Wet pier boards
clomped under our boots
docked boats shined
we forgot what we left behind
fishing consumed our minds.
120.
Big Sagebrush
twisted limbs—
scabbard lands
basalt cliffs
rain on the wind
121.
I ran the mile in track
sweated and struggled
often finished dead last;
Cantwell High School track
still in my legs today.
122.
Bodhisattva Jizo or
Saint Christopher both
protect travelers from harm;
if travelers recite Sutras
or wear metal charms.
123.
Tomorrow means
nothing to some
living now, for Today;
but the Past is Present,
seldom unhitched or ignored.
124.
Contemplate-investigate
the Here-in-Now—
voices of trees
shadows of bees
incense burned down
125.
Blessings of being
Alive—
Intensity of Beauty,
Clarity of Truth,
Precious Time!
126.
Things birth ideas
Ideas discover things—
Is Spring an idea?
Are atoms things?
Poet's ponder such "Things."
127.
Watering dry flower beds
chilly April morn—
maple leafing
red Rhododendrons blooming
my finger stiff and cold
128.
Stuck
in a poetry rut—
spinning ideas
muddy words...
Louise Gluck gave me a tow.
129.
beer
guzzled
down—
chatty
clown
130.
"good morning
hello
have a good day"—
walkers
nod and say
131.
Opening her letter
again—
creative sketches
subtle words...
Why did she lie?
132.
Koan answers?
Three pounds of cannabis
Plum trees in the courtyard
Sounds of four hands clapping—
Shape the bonsai, carry the sake.
"My daily activites are not unusual,
I'm just naturally in harmony with them.
Grasping nothing, discarding nothing...
Supernatural power and marvelous activity
Drawing water and carrying firewoood.
- Layman Pang (740-808)
133.
Jesus Christ must have
lost his mind—
to volunteer needlessly
for a suicide mission
to "Save All Mankind."
134.
Nemesis Club Soccer Team
2025
Girls soccer game
rough today—
two Red Cards
four injuries
parents Scream...
Playing soccer
in the rain—
spectators insane...
Referee
stops the game!
Slippery grass
cold rain—
away game
Salem's way
umbrellas sway
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
135.
My grand daughters
17th birthday
today—
17th of April.
Auspicious coincidences?
136.
A best fried,
her cousin,
died today—
total surprise,
healthy till 85.
137.
Two roads
crossed—
four way stop!
My engine died
travel stopped!
138.
Played the game
placed the wager
tossed the dice
won the bet—
left Vegas lucky sane
139.
Symbols shine
in metaphor time
aligning the mind—
The Flowers of Evil
in Baudelaire's lines.
140.
homely boy
worries—
unpopular
shunned
ugliness sucks
141.
alone
on the trail
steep switchbacks
ahead—
my autobiography
142.
Hohner
harmonica
Low C—
blow-suck
sonorous melodies
143.
Alan Watts
made me laugh—
philosophical humor
bundled
Insights
144.
geese formations
flying by
cacophony of honking
moving
sky
145.
cut my hand
cutting wood
can't see so well
can't be as strong—
lost youth
146.
In Gushen Grove
the Valley Spirit
never dies—
Lao Tzu
opened his eyes.
147.
homeless beggar
handed $20—
he held
a cardboard sign:
Matthew 5-7
148.
the bathroom mirror
fogged—
I could not
recognize
my wet face
149.
The School buses loading
stop and go.
Red stop lights flashing,
yellow caution lights blinking slow.
I stop, wait, and watch the show.
150.
Winter killed, spring revives,
ferns recover, tulips rise,
dogs bark, crows skwack-cawk;
I read a Gioia poem out loud.
151.
my coffee cup
receiving
falling
wisteria blooms—
lavender creamer
152.
sitting on sand
gazing at the
Cannon Beach scene—
sneezing into
my sandy hand
153.
eating a bowl
of steaming rice—
pure white
pleasures
bite by bite
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
154.
Departing, step by step;
step by step, arriving.
Sitting down
boots off
feet sore.
155.
Jetty stones, rocky levees,
embrace the River
Columbia to the Sea;
Seagulls and noisy geese
shit on the dirt levees.
156.
We pulled up a crab cage
from the old Toke dock
filled with five small crabs;
no keepers in this fifth pull,
a stingy bay here today.
157.
I turned right onto old
Highway 101
headed south to Olympia.
Sashaying along the Hood Canal
Oysters at every curve.
158.
Feeling my age these April days
From work in our bursting garden;
Clean up chores so long delayed
During Winter's lazy indoor pardon.
Took a nap. Dreamt about dahlias.
159.
morning walk
alone—
rehearsing
a memorized
poem
160.
Since
my friend
is gone—
life
goes on
161.
Plum flowers
in the sky—
sensory
actualities;
Noumena left unspecified.
Flowers in the Sky
By Mike Garofalo
Reference: Master Dogen's Kuge
162.
skinned shins
bleed—
kneeling
pulling
weeds
163.
Climbing in the rain
up a sand dune slope
in quiet Nehalem Bay—
reaching the Top
of Beauty at the Sea.
164.
slanted sun rays
strike
pink cherry blossoms—
parking lot
cars shine
165.
closed down
not open now
nobody within our sight
glass door locked tight till
later tonight
166.
Bach's cello
compositions on
my cellphone MP3s,
complexities of pleasures fill
my ears.
167.
brown leaves
dead trees
damn drought—
helpless ground in
San Joaquin
168.
I wrote these poems
myself—
not stolen
by machine AI
selling plagiarized lies
169.
There are no ads on these pages.
Are you surprised?
Makes my webpages more dignified.
Don't need AI to sell for me.
Just offering some so-so poetry.
170.
we were
off the same page
so we stopped and talked
strategized and calmly agreed
with her
171.
move on
from garden chores
double digging more and more
hour after hours dry dust overturned
work done
172.
The still lake was green
from cyanotoxins algae,
scum floating to the shore,
harmful filth to the core;
everyone leaves the ugly scene.
173.
the basalt cliff rocks tattooed
red with graffiti
of forgotten first names enshrined
placards of insignificance
faded colors of little minds
174.
my money
root of hustling
common source of pride
only good for something nice for
my honey
175.
Three beer cans tossed in the gutter
epitome of the virtue of selfishness
shining examples of ugly clutter
clones of lazy boozer's discontents
symbols of careless abandonment.
176.
hours of reading
into midnight—
cold study room
bright lights
sleepy eyes
177.
blood drips
from plastic tubes
replacing her lost fluids
from the Cuts from the Crash...
she drifts
178.
protest marchers
walk today
rejecting
King Trump's
dictatorial way
179.
Bible belt
buckled up for Trump.
Nazi belt emblem
Gott mit uns.
White worship.
180.
tears of pride
yells of joy
champions cheer—
loosing team
silently goes
181.
He died
then revived—
tunnels of light
stigmatic hands
Shaman's plan
182.
Standing meditation
bores me—
I'm prone to ADD
easily distracted
wobbly Roots under me
183.
telltale signs
of miseries—
cold homeless camp
stale scraps of chips
begging in the rain
184.
Patiently
waiting in line
for my appointed time,
along with other old men in
urology.
185.
Of night, or moon, or naught
of shadows tangled in knots
of dull dreams remembered not
of a sad song sung a lot...
rambling rhythms sway and rock.
186.
Five T-shirts all said in red
"Trump is God"—
The five enjoyed the Disneyland rides
pleased that Pope Francis had just died.
Lucifer's faithful on parade.
187.
Emily D. love the em dash—
—not a macron or en dash—
to signal shifts of her mind—
—to highlight a verse's charm—
to strengthen or stop a line—
"First—Chill—then Stupor—
—then things letting go—" ED
188.
he ran
as fast as he can—
finished last in the race
proving his manly tenacity,
nobody clapped
189.
e.
e.
cummings
Typ0
GraPH Ical
Obsc
UR
Ities
190.
spiders weave webs
we weave words
skylarks sing
poets pen odes—
meanings unfold
191.
fashion power
restrain power—
a balancing act
to create great art
controlled and smart
192.
He had the courage
to say:
I'm not going to be
the center of the rest
of my life."
193.
time has a rhythm
beyond ticktock—
a string quartet waltz
a dying walker's walk
a stewing pot
194.
sleepless in pajamas
awake with worries—
mind buzzing
ideas racing...
moonless night
195.
Thoughts as
real as rocks—
piled up stones
ideas stocked:
quartz and fools-gold.
196.
Not Forcing
going with the flow
finding the groove
being Cool—
Taoist roles.
197.
Where are the bees?
Why have they died?
Without Them
plant life will disappear
and animals/humans will die.
Pesticides increase production
for awhile while
profits for corporations rise;
imported grapes and avocados
out of season
this worlds awry.
198.
thinking about thinking
can be useful
as a rule—
too much just thinking
creates clever lazy fools
199.
The world has sadly been
Americanized—
leaving junk
piled high
polluting the earth and sky.
200.
This world projects me
emanates, creates, grows me
births me, radiates me, plays me—
yet needs me to see,
It is Not about illusions of me.
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
201.
There is no Boss of Nature
No King of the Universe
No Ruler over all—
Just Happenings of Itself,
just so, is just so.
202.
My body is not
a horse I ride;
not a Brother Ass
I work till it dies.
St. Francis lied.
203.
Learning how
to let go—
participate,
don't dominate,
enjoy life's show.
204.
religions mostly
define sin as sex,
immorality,
a pest—
Nature laughs
205.
Your mind can be
like a mirror—
keeping you distant
from intimacy...
touchless unreality.
206.
He killed his wife
with a kitchen knife:
jury returns,
judge pounded his gavel,
killer's children cry.
207.
My balance unravels
if I turn to quick;
my age is 80,
what the shit;
I'm amazed
that I still exist.
208.
poet's confess—
loneliness
loss of love
distress
words of regrets
209.
She passed
the pipe—
cannabis
fine,
I declined.
210.
walked
an hour—
dogs barked
birds fled
azaleas red
211.
tired
sleepy—
gas
tank
empty
212.
dead bird
in the gutter—
street sweeper
coming
distant roar
213.
thinking
about thinking's themes;
Not thinking about Not-Thinking
[what can that really mean?]
"thinking"
214.
only
a cloud of gnats
circling the dirty birdbath
inviting the midges who are
lonely
215.
Bundled Up:
Quintains and Tanka Poems
By Mike Garofalo
25 Steps and Beyond: Collected Works
Poetry Research by Mike Garofalo
At the Edges of the Fertile West, Volume 2
Highway 99 and Interstate 5
At the Edges of the West, Volume 1
Highway 101 and Hwy 1
Texts Press Publications
Free Online Poetry and Studies
Vancouver, Washington
Texts Press Email
Quintains and Tanka Poetry
Bibliography, Links, References,
Webpages, Essays, Magazines
Definitions, Examples
Bundled Up: Quintains and Tanka Poems By Michael Peter Garofalo.
The Quintains found on this ad-free webpage make use of punctuation and indentation, frequent rhymes, capitalization, allusions, metaphors, haiku and senryu in unexpected places, typographical variety, and other common Western poetic techniques. It features over 200+ Quatrains and Tankas by the author. Often featuring contemporary and Northwest USA settings; and, with Buddhist, Taoist, Stoic, and Neo-Pagan philosophical and spiritual themes. Some minimalist Tanka are included. Includes a detailed bibliography, links, notes, quatrain stylistic considerations, definitions of quatrains and tankas, related research, and the author's writing objectives.
Cinquain: "A cinquain is a poem or five-line stanza with a rigid syllable count for each line. This modern form was invented by American poet Adelaide Crapsey. The first line contains two syllables, the second line contains four, the third line contains six, the fourth line contains eight, and the last line contains two."
Crapsey, Adelaine (1878-1914) American cinquain poems. "The five-line cinquain poetic form she created reflected her life. The first four lines build up "expectancy" only to be followed by a one stress line as an "abbreviated conclusion."
The Crapsey Cinquain and Its Variations. Cinquain Org.
"Listen...
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the trees
And fall."
- Adelaine Crapsey, November Night
"How frail
Above the bulk
Of crashing water hangs,
Autumnal, evanescent, wan,
The moon."
- Adelaine Crapsey, Niagara
"Still as
On windless nights
The moon-cast shadows are,
So still will be my heart when I
Am dead."
- Adelaine Crapsey, Moon Shadows
Dance to the World: Tanka Society of America, Twentieth Anniversary Anthology. Edited by Michael Dylan Welch. 2020, 108 pages.
English Quintain: "The English quintain follows a rhyme scheme of ABABB, in which the final two lines form a rhyming couplet. Though an English quintain requires an ABABB rhyming pattern, there is no established foot or measure."
"In the golden lightning
Of the sunken sun,
O'er which clouds are bright'ning,
Thou dost float and run;
Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun."
- Percy Bysshe Shelley
Envelope Quintet: "An envelope quintet is a five-line verse in which the inner lines are enclosed by the rhyming outer lines. The rhyme scheme may look like ABCBA, AABAA, or ABBBA (in which the middle lines form a rhyming tercet)."
"An Envelope Quintet is a 5 line verse in which the center lines are enclosed by the rhyme of the outer lines. The elements of the Envelope Quintet are: Stanzaic, a quintet may be a stand alone poem or can be written in any number of 5 line stanzas; meter at the discretion of the poet; rhymed abcba or aabaa or abbba , subsequent stanzas may link or continue the rhyme scheme: linked abcba cdedc or abcba deced / continued is simply abxba cdxdc etc. x being unrhymed."
"Ever since seeing John Wayne
on the movie screen
I've had a thing for the cowboy.
Like them long and lean
and if shy, I don't complain."
- Judi Van Gorder
"Opening my toybox after all this time
Those within saw my look and my shame,
They knew of my life, and was not to blame.
So I spoke with, Kanga and Wambi again,
Clearing memories covered in dust and grime"
- Ryter Roethicle
Four Decades on My Tanka Road: The Tanka Collections of Sanford Goldstein. By Sanford Goldstein. Edited by Fran M. Witham. Preface by Patricia Prime. Winfred Press, 327 pages, Second Edition, 2012. Selections from 6 of Professor Goldstein's books: This Tanka World, 1977; Gaijin Aesthetics, 1983; At the Hut of the Small Mind, 1992; Records of a Well-Polished Satchel, 1995; This Tanka World, 2001; and, Encounters in this Penny World, 2005. Includes a selective bibliography, and a biography of Professor Goldstein. Some introductory notes. Over 500 Tanka in this attractive anthology. Good paper and clear crisp print. $22, Paperback. VSCL. Professor Sanford Goldstein (1925-2023) is often called the "The Grandfather of English Tanka." These Tanka are nearly all in lower case, using only a comma or dash for punctuation, 5 concise lines, mostly free verse style. He includes more gritty, earthy, and intimate aspects of living. These poems reflect many of his experiences while living in Japan for decades. Sometimes, the stark brevity of the Tanka style can lead one to the edge of insight, but they are often too thin to hold up the pants of a deeper understanding. I reviewed this book for Amazon.
The Five Hole Flute: Modern English Tanka in Sequences and Sets. Edited by Michael McClintock and Denis M. Garrison. Modern English Tanka Press, 2006. Out of Print.
Graceguts Website: Michael Dylan Welch.
Haiku and Senryu Poems by Mike Garofalo. Arranged by the months of the year. Composed from 1998-2025.
Last Mile on the Tanka Road. By Sanford Goldstein. 2023, 140 pages. It was reported that Sanford Goldstein wrote 10-20 Tanka every day. Amazon offers a number of books by this author. Professor Goldstein was a distinguished translator, anthologist, critic, and well known Tanka poet. He passed away in 2023 in Japan at the age of 98. Some people call him "the Father of English language Tanka."
Limerick: "The limerick follows a rhyming scheme of AABBA. The “A” lines are composed using iambic tetrameter, while the “B” lines are written in iambic trimeter. Limericks usually stand alone as a five-line poem and often contain bawdy or humorous subject matter."
"There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, 'It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!"
- Edward Lear
"The limerick packs laughs anatomical
Into space that is quite economical.
But the good ones I’ve seen
So seldom are clean
And the clean ones so seldom are comical."
"God’s plan made a hopeful beginning.
But man spoiled his chances by sinning.
We trust that the story
Will end in God’s glory,
But at present the other side’s winning."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes
"There was a young lady named Sally,
Who enjoyed the occasional dally.
She sat on the lap
Of a well-endowed chap,
And cried “Sir! You’re right up my alley!”
There Once Was a Limerick Anthology. Edited by Michael Croland. Dover, 2022, 96 pages. VSCL.
Little Poems. Edited by Michael Hennessy. Everyman's Library Pocket Poets Series. 2023, 256 pages. Harcover, VSCL
Mad in Translation: A Thousand Years of Kyoka. By Robin D. Gill. Paraverse Press, 740 pages, 2009. Humorous, witty, naughty, earthy, sexual, bawdy.
Master Class on Quintains
Here are the Eight most common types of quintains:
Cinquain, English Quintain, Limerick, Spanish Quintain,
Pentastich, Sicilian Quintain, Tanka, Envelope Quintet.
"A quintain (also known as a quintet) is any poetic form or stanza that contains five lines. Quintain poems can contain any line length or meter."
McClintock, Michael Winston (1950-): Website, Hyper Texts, Anthology, AYSO Flash.
Minimalist Tanka. This style of English language
quintain poetry features, primarily:
All words in lower case font; except for Proper Nouns.
Mostly unrhymed, free verse style.
Little or no punctuation.
Twenty sounds or less.
Not limited to season words
or key words used in Japanese Tanka.
Mostly contemporary settings.
More like Senryu thematically.
"in-breath
out-breath
unconsciously
enables me
to consciously be"
- Mike Garofalo, #7
"alone
on the trail
steep switchbacks
ahead—
my autobiography"
- Mike Garofalo, #141
Modern Japanese Tanka. Edited by Makoto Ueda. Columbia University Press, 1996, 288 pages.
A rather expensive $115.00 rare book.
A Monchielle Quintain stanza poem is usually six syllables, or iambic trimester, with a rhyme scheme of abcdc."
"I dream in arcane blue
as stars begin to shine,
in sleep, I feel your love
as heart entwines with grace,
I touch the night above
I dream in arcane blue
as stars begin to shine,
in sleep, I feel your love
as heart entwines with grace,
I touch the night above"
- Jem Farmer, Arcane Blue
Mukhammas (Arabic 'fivefold') "refers to a type of Persian or Urdu cinquain or pentastich with Sufi connections based on a pentameter. And have five lines in each paragraph. It is one of the more popular verse forms in Tajik Badakhshan, occurring both in madoh and in other performance-genres."
Pentastich: "A pentastich is a free verse or blank verse form of quintain poetry. Each five-line stanza contains no rhyme or meter."
"From blossoms comes this brown paper bag of peaches we bought from the boy at the bend in the road where we turned toward signs painted Peaches.
From laden boughs, from hands, from sweet fellowship in the bins, comes nectar at the roadside, succulent peaches we devour, dusty skin and all, comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.
O, to take what we love inside, to carry within us an orchard, to eat not only the skin, but the shade, not only the sugar, but the days, to hold the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.
There are days we live as if death were nowhere in the background; from joy to joy to joy, from wing to wing, from blossom to blossom to impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom."
-
Li-Yung Lee, From Blossoms
Quintet: "A stanza of five lines. Also called a quintain, it appears in various forms, from the clever English limerick (which rhymes aabba and thus relies on a principle of return0; and, the classical Japanese tanka (each line contains a set number of syllables: 5,7,5,7,7)... There seems to be something a little beyond reason and emotionally excessive in punching past the symmetrical quatrain. Thus the possibilities of five unfold..."
- Edward Hirsh, The Essential Poet's Glossary
Quintain Poetry - Wikipedia Poems with only five lines: Pentastich, Quintilla, Cinquain, Quintains, Quintets.
Quintain Rhyme Scheme. By Pat Bibbs.
River of Stars: Selected Poems of Yosano Akiko. By Yosan Akiko (1873-1942). Translations and editing by Sam Hamill. 1997, 160 pages. 91 Tanka and numerous longer poems.
Saigyo Hohsi (1118-1190) was a Japanese monk who wrote many tanka. For exmaple, Gazing at the Moon.
Seltzer, Jacob D. Haiku and Tanka author from Vancouver, WA. Author of numerous books. Editor, artist and teacher.
"My name is Jacob D. Salzer. I am a Pacific Northwest poet, artist, and editor. I have been writing haiku, tanka, and haibun in English since 2006. I was a past managing editor of Frogpond: The Journal of the Haiku Society of America (2023-2024). I am also the founding editor of Mayfly Editingand the Haiku Poet Interviews blog, and serve as a co-commentator for the Haiku Commentary blog with Nicholas Klacsanzky and Hifsa Ashraf. I am also an artist. My drawings and paintings can be viewed in my online art gallery."
Sicilian Quintain: "The Sicilian quintain employs an ABABA rhyme sequence. Though the original form of the Sicilian quintain had no specific form or meter, it is now common for it to be written iambic pentameter."
- Shakespeare, Sonnet 99
"The years have worn my body down;
and soon, I'll breathe my final breath.
Life has left me tired and rundown;
but I am not afraid of Death;
though I'll meet His gaze with a frown."
- Emile Pinet
"Home is so sad. It stays as it was left,
Shaped to the comfort of the last to go
As if to win them back. Instead, bereft
Of anyone to please, it withers so,
Having no heart to put aside the theft
And turn again to what it started as,
A joyous shot at how things ought to be,
Long fallen wide. You can see how it was:
Look at the pictures and the cutlery.
The music in the piano stool. That vase."
- Philip Larkin, Home is So Sad
Spanish Quintain: "The Spanish quintain (also known as the quintilla) is a type of five-line poetry that is eight syllables in length, each line written in iambic tetrameter. It usually follows a rhyme scheme of ABBAA or AABBA, but this five-line poetry form can follow any rhyme scheme (including ABAAB), as long as no more than two consecutive lines rhyme at a time."
"A flickering flame, on the wall
The sound of a, coyotes call
The desert winds, singing at night
Sandstorms dancing, in the moonlight
Embracing lovers, to befall"
- Pat Bibbs
"Madrid, castillo famoso
que al rey moro alivia el miedo,
arde en fiestas en su coso,
por ser el natal dichoso
de Alimenó de Toledo."
- Nicolás Fernández de Moratín,
Fiesta de toros en Madrid
Stacking Stones: An Anthology of Short Tanka Sequences. Edited by M. Kei. 2018, 204 pages.
Sunflower Tanka: An Anthology of Tanka, Tanka Prose, and Experimental Tanka. Colleen M. Chesebro and Robbie Cheadle Editor. 2024, 126 pages.
Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka, Volume 4. Edited by M. Kei. 2012, 264 pages.
Tanka: "The tanka is a Japanese form of quintain poetry. Much like a haiku, the tanka has particular syllable requirements. In Japanese, the tanka is written as one unbroken line consisting of 31 syllables, but when it is converted into English poetry, it is usually broken up into five lines. In this case, the first and third lines contain five syllables, while the second, fourth, and fifth lines contain seven syllables." The Master Class definition of the Japanese form. Contemporary English Tanka is different.
The Tanka Anthology. Edited by Michael McClintock, Pamela Miller Ness, and Jim Kacian. 2023, 240 pages. Here is my Amazon review: "800 of the best tanka in English by 69 of its finest practitioners. This is an outstanding collection of Tanka poems in the English language. Easy to hold in one's hands, light, compact, good quality print and paper. Very good choices by the highly qualified editors. Most Tanka are in the minimalist style: lowercase, no punctuation, 5 lines. For a paperback, a bit expensive at $34, but worth the higher price. Includes biographies of the authors. No introduction. Good enough for many rereads!"
Tanka Poetry: A Home for Traditional Tanka
Tanka Poetry Books at Barnes and Noble
Texts Press Publications
Free Online Poetry and Studies
Vancouver, Washington
Texts Press Email
This Short Life: Mimimalist Haiku. By Sanford Goldstein (1925-2023). 164 pages, 2014.
25 Steps and Beyond: Collected Works. By Mike Garofalo. Includes haiku, tanka, quintains, rhymed verse, short and long poems. Docu-Poem: Highway 101.
The Way of Tanka. By Naomi Beth Wakan. Shantee Arts LLC, 2017,
146 pages. $15.00. VSCL. Here is my Amazon review: "Tanka are brief 5 line poems, typically using 19-33 sound units, uncapitalized, with little punctuation. This is a good brief introduction and guide to the reading and writing of Tanka style poetry. Many fine Tanka are included and briefly analyzed. She provides a few insights into the proper construction of the Pivot Point, Turning Point, the Volta, the Twist, usually in the 3rd line. (I have added more comments on the Pivot Line above.) She emphasizes the importance of a dramatic and surprising phrase in the last 5th line. She makes clear that writing English language haiku cannot follow some Japanese Tanka standards or sensitivities because these two languages have many differences in the sound elements, homonyms, more rhyming in Hiragana, culture, and poetic heritage. The Tanka form has been used since 800 CE in Japan. She includes a few of her longer Tanka sequences. She discusses tanka collage, tanka montage, Haibun, McClintock's Taika, Kyoka tanka wit and humor, minimalist tanka, response/dialogue tankas, Ekphrastic tanka, love tankas, travel/place tanka, diary tanka, tanka strings, nostalgic tanka, tan renga, confessional tanka, and tanka sequences. Japanese terms like wabi, sari, aware - mono no aware, kyojo, makoto, shibusa, and kokora are briefly explained. Ms. Wakan provides a brief bibliography and lists of online resources. She talks about the authors that influenced her. A fine companion to The Tanka Anthology (Edited by McClintlock, Ness, and Kacian, 2023) or Four Decades on My Tanka Road: The Tanka Collections of Sanford Goldstein, 2012."
Wind Five Folded: An Anthology of English-Language Tanka. By Jane Reichhold and Werner Reichhold. Gualala, CA: AHA Books, 1994.
Writing Haiku: A Beginner's Guide to Composing Japanese Poetry: Includes Tanka, Renga, Haiga, Senryu and Haibun. Tuttle, 192 pages, 2022.
Zen Poetry Anthology, Research, Bibliography, Notes. By Mike Garofalo.
As for my personal Quintains
and Tanka
Style of
writing and
webpage publishing:
here are
my aims,
personal preferences,
objectives
or tendencies:
All my poetry webpages after 2025,
must be CSS
formatted, and must be
easily viewed on a
typical cellphone.
I frequently and freely use:
Rhymes, alliteration, assonance,
allusions, metaphors, symbols,
and other poetic devices.
Punctuation: — ; . ! : () [] & * " '
Indentation and spaces for
typographical variety.
In Tanka, I try to use Pivot Points (lines 3 & 5) effectively for
for impact, kicks, abruptness, contrasts, changes, etc.
My lines are often longer/fatter than other Tanka.
I sometimes try to use 7577 English syllable counts.
Few of my poems are in the minimalist tanka style.
I find that using a photograph with a poem
is an effective
means to stimulate my thinking.
I mostly write first in a notebook with a pencil.
I try to learn by reading the best Quintain writers.
Clearly, I imitate some of the best already in print.
I connect to my various related webpages with Links.
I am a beginner Quintain writer in 2025. I read lots of Quintain and Tanka poetry. I am learning from those who have written noted Quintain and Tanka poems, and who have written usefully about this form of poetry. I plan to study, work, and make some progress in understanding Quintains and Tanka. I must be patient with myself, be steadfast, endure:
"Talent is insifnificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance."
- James Baldwin
I intend to enjoy the creative playing with words and ideas.
I have considerable experience with both writing, reading, and studying Haiku since 1998. I read all of R.H.Blyth's essays and haiku books in the 1960's. Zen poetry has always appealed to me.
Tanka Poetry Research
English Language Quintain Poems
By Mike Garofalo
Research, Studies, Notes
Bibliography, Links, Docs
19 to 33 sounds/syllables/On
5 lines for modern Tanka: 7-5-7-7-7
Modern Japanese Tanka poems:
5 lines, 31 sounds.
Naomi Wakan defines the Tanka line
length pattern as:
Long, short, Long, Long, Long
I have read Tanka in a:
Short, Long, Short, Long, Long;
and other variations.
Minimalist haiku might go down to 19 sounds.
Of course, if clear intent and meaning can be
conveyed with fewer words - Bravo!
The 7-5-7 pattern is the norm for Japanese Haiku.
I have also seen 5-7-5 patterns for haiku,
and many other variations.
Haiku are normally just 3 lines.
Most Tanka poems I have read are left untitled.
Occasionally, longer sequences of Tanka
on a
particular theme might be titled.
Most American Tanka poems I have read are
unrhymed free verse, and
sometimes patterned
7-5-7-7-7 Tanka style. All, use only 5 lines.
I have a propensity for using rhymes,
capitalization, and punctuation. Therefore,
I am a bit outside the norm for Tanka.
Readers are forewarned!
Normally, I read Tanka that are unrhymed quintains,
no capitalization except for proper nouns, little
punctuation, and 19 sounds or less; sometimes
called minimalist Tanka.
There is a great structural variety in English language Tanka poems. Many are quite brief and not in 57577. They might look like 23255 or 13344 or 32177, etc. Also, syllable counting in the Japanese language for Tanka or Haiku is somewhat easier than in the English language. I believe, for another case, that the Italian language sounds favored the birth of rhymed sonnets.
Pivot Line, Volta, Twist, Turn, Shifting the Focus
In a Tanka Poem
“The pivot line means one thing as a finish to the first couple of lines and something else as a herald to the last two lines.” - Naomi Wakan, p. 36
The third line in a five-line Tanka poem.
Voltas or pivot lines are also used in Sonnets to shift the focus.
The Pivot Line might Shift or Pivot the Focus:
Pivot from the general to the more specific, or vice versa
Switch from the impersonal to the personal, or vice versa
Change from one time to another, e.g., past to future,
past to present, etc.
Pivot from abstract to concrete, or vice versa
Shift from a limited to a more extended view of a thought
Change from a word choice to a pun or homonym for contrast
Move from one thought to a contrasting or contradictory thought
Vault from one emotion to a related emotion
Pivot from one idea to an associated or related idea
Contrast a physical thing image to a related concept or idea
Switch from a clear image or idea to unrelated arbitrary ideas
Pivot from nonsense into more nonsense
Shift from obscurity to clarity, or vice versa
Change from free verse to rhymed verse, or vice versa
Move from many nouns to some verbs, or vice versa
Shift from the historical to the ahistorical, or vice versa
Detour from the everyday to the universal, or vice versa
Pivot from the spare direct immediate Haiku
mind to Tanka complexities
Change from one religious perspective to another
Move from technological to pastoral, pagan, earthy
Change from no punctuation to using punctuation
Shift from secular to Buddhist or Taoist thinking
Detour from the non-human to human emotions and feelings
Pivot from satisfied to dissatisfied or unhappy, or vice versa
Switch from one simile or metaphor to a related one
From facts to feelings and emotions, or vice versa
From emotions related to love or those of hate, or vice versa
From life to death, elegies, or vice versa
From the workday ordinary to celebrations, or vice versa
From Death day and ending poems to birth and beginnings
From a woman's interaction with a man, or vice versa
From minority views to majority views, or vice versa
"Tanka are not just stretched haiku." - Michael Dylan Welch
"Tanka are the perfect vehicle for capturing the swift, direct, pulse of emotion." - Carl Sesar
"No art form is more stubbornly national than poetry." - T. S. Eliot
25 Steps and Beyond: Collected Works
Cuttings: Haiku by Mike Garofalo
Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series
Michael Peter Garofalo (1946-) grew up in East Los Angeles, was educated in Catholic Schools, lived with two other brothers, graduated (B.A., M.S.) from local universities, married Blanche Karen Eubanks, served in the US Air Force, worked in and managed many City and Los Angeles County Public Libraries, raised two children, socialized, traveled, and learned. Retired as the Regional Administrator, East Region, Los Angeles County Public Library in 1998. We moved to a rural 5 acre property in Red Bluff, in the North Sacramento Valley, CA. Webmaster since 1999. Worked part-time for the Corning School District (Technology and Media Services Manager); and as a yoga, Taijiquan, and fitness club instructor until 2016. Traveled extensively in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. We both retired, and we moved to Vancouver, WA, in 2017. Currently in 2025: reading, writing, gardening, harmonica playing, home chores, yurt camping, exercise, traveling in the Northwest, web publishing, family events, poetry research, photography, Northwest research, Nature mysticism, Buddhist and Taoist literature, walking, sports events, etc.
25 Steps and Beyond; Collected Works
Texts Press Publications
Free Online Poetry and Studies
Vancouver, Washington
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This document was last edited, revised,
reformatted, added to, relinked,
changed, improved, or modified
by Mike Garofalo
on April 28, 2025.