gathering
dark-red roses
I trim the thorns
cutting off regrets
before a petal falls

Published by

Jenny Ward Angyal

Jenny Ward Angyal lives on a small organic farm in Gibsonville, NC, USA, with her husband and one Abyssinian cat. Her tanka have appeared in various online and print journals and may also be found at www.grassminstrel.blogspot.com

15 thoughts on “”

  1. Jenny, such a lovely poem. Although I am a "haiku apprentice" one thing I learned from Basho was his deep appreciation and love for the classical 5-line form of "waka" or "tanka" as a crucial part of his haiku inspiration. He is reported to have once said, "any day I don't read waka, thistles grow in my mouth." I look forward to taking his advice and reading more poetry in your favoured format.

    Strider

    1. Thanks, Strider! I love the quote from Basho. I know what he means–I feel that any day I don't write tanka, thistles grow in my mouth. And I am permanently a tanka apprentice.

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