Tanka Origins, Issue 4, August 2020

My thanks to the editor, an'ya, for her generous commentary:


pollen dust
sparkles on the pond
we dip
our hands into gold,
forging a memory


"As the author of this tanka Debbie Strange of Canada says "it's utterly magical when the sunlight refracts off the dust on the water - prisms everywhere! Such a lovely visual and a grand way to forge a memory with someone else. Debbie's "we dip" speaks to every one of us as if "we" were right there with her at that pond. Lovely, such a lovely tanka, as lovely as its author, one I always look forward to reading!"

Tanka Origins, Issue 3, April 2020

My thanks to the editor, an'ya, for her lovely commentary!


the autumn wind
whispers a lament
of longing
I wonder again
why you let me go


"Ah, another excellent tanka by a well liked popular poetess, Debbie Strange in Canada. Again an example of how to start with nature and end with a human element. This one is also an example of a "question tanka" which leaves the reader wondering. The words "longing" and "lament" make this tanka flow smoothly as well. Fine work as usual Debbie!"

Tanka Origins, Issue 2, December 2019

My thanks to the editor, an'ya, for her lovely commentary!


painted ladies
hitch rides on the wind
my journey
was without direction
before you came along


"The tanka by Debbie, on a favorite subject of mine, painted lady (butterflies). This assumption is created by lines one and two. However, line three twists this into something more. Depending on how you read this tanka, the reference in lines four and five could mean ladies-of-the-night, one of them given direction by whomever came calling. A tanka that allows readers more than one option."

Tanka Origins, Issue 1, August 2019

Honoured to have two tanka chosen for this inaugural issue. My thanks to the editor, an'ya, for her lovely commentaries!


wildflowers
bloom inside my lungs,
every sense
alive with the fragrance
of this exquisite world


"How great is it to be able to actually breathe in this tanka by Debbie, and let those wildflowers also bloom in our lungs! Debbie makes good use of multiple "l" sounds throughout. This is a tanka that truly takes us on a journey out of the material world and into a realm where everything is exquisite, and our senses come alive with the fragrance of wildflowers."


peace lilies
sprout in my garden
heirlooms
nurtured with the love
you couldn't give me


"A beautiful tanka shared with us by Debbie who has such a classic way with words! She accomplishes this in the first three lines by talking of "peace lilies" and "heirlooms". However, she surprises her readers in lines four and five when the direction of this tanka takes a melancholy turn. Debbie is very much adept at creating a whole story in just five lines, as you can see in this tanka."