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Hello, beautiful readers! I wanted to start by thanking those of you who have picked up my newest short story, Karma Doesn't Kill. A special hug for those of you who have already read and reviewed it. The story is loosely based on someone I know, so it truly is a work of heart. I am eternally grateful to those of you who have shared your review with others. 💗
For this week's #TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, we move into a new season, Risshu. Summer is beginning to wind down, and Autumn is around the corner. This week's challenge is to write a poem about how this time is represented in my area.
For those of you who do not know, I am a middle school intensive reading teacher. My summer officially ended this past Sunday. I have spent the past three days in a workshop learning a new program that is aimed at helping our nonreaders learn how to read. Sadly, we still have some children who come to middle school without having the foundational skills needed to read, so I'm excited about being able to help these kids master the foundations of reading this year. The next two days will be spent in my classroom, analyzing the data of my new set of students and preparing my classroom for the new year.
The bane of my existence is the alarm clock. I abhor having to wake up to an alarm. It's unnatural, and my body knows it. Lol! I have found the kindest, most gentle of alarm clocks to awaken me. It mimics the sun rising by slowing lightening my room and playing the sound of birds chirping, so I am a little more accepting of the invasion to my slumber. Still, waking up at 5 am is not easy. Sleep is especially important to me, so I've made a pact with myself to be in bed by 9 pm every night. So far, so good! Hopefully, I can keep it up throughout the school year.
I've chosen to write a tanka which consists of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllabic pattern where there is a pivot line (usually in the third line). I've bolded and italicized my kigo words.
(courtesy of @Katniss12 on Pixabay)
summer slips away
beach days moved to the weekends
a return to school
alarm clock disturbs my sleep
teacher planning days commence
Would you like to write a poem with us this week? Join us here.
I'm with you about alarms, not a fan. Good for you for getting enough sleep. Sleep is not my superpower... lol. I love your tanka and looking forward to fall. Hottest summer I can remember here. Congrats on your new story too. I hope it gets lots of readers, sure deserves it. Xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Denise! I appreciate your support. :-)
DeleteMy nephew (high school science teacher) was back to meetings for school this week too. It really means autumn is on its way!
ReplyDeleteYep. It's the season changer for me. Thanks for sharing, Kerfe! :-)
DeleteYvette, I daresay this seems like tanka prose to me. Your "forward" leads to such a great tanka. Best to you on reaching your students and opening up the world of reading to them.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think of it like that, Jules! I'll try that next time. :-)
DeleteI like the birds chirping alarm clock.... Enjoyed your tanka...rall
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rall! :-)
DeleteI loved this tanka, Yvi! I've not used an alarm clock for years! (The military did that to me). But your alarm clock sounds like it would be so fun! You're already back to work. Your students are so lucky to have such a dedicated teacher. ❤️
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you, Colleen! I appreciate the compliment. :-)
DeleteAs evere e
ReplyDeleteYevette beautifully done 💜💜
Thank you, Willow! :-)
DeleteHi Yvette, interestingly, when I get woken by an alarm clock I spend the entire day tired. When I awake naturally it will be at more or less the same time but I am not tired. A lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Robbie! The alarm disrupts the sleep our body naturally wants. Thanks for visiting and sharing. :-)
DeleteOh I feel your pain in the need of an alarm clock - but yours sounds great! I don’t have to get up at that time, but my husband does, so his moving about is my alarm clock, but I get a cup of coffee 😉. Great Tanka Yvette
ReplyDelete💞Suzanne
Thank you, Suzanne! I'm the first one up in my house. I prefer it that way because I don't think I could handle someone else waking me up before I need to. Lol! Thanks for sharing! :-)
DeleteHi again, I am so fed up not being able to comment, but logged in on my laptop, and then my google account... I am hoping I have cracked it and I will get notifications now... let's see ... always read lovely ... 💞Suzanne
ReplyDeletehaha! I know Blogger is a pain, but your comments are coming through, Suzanne! Yay! :-)
DeleteSounds like you've found the perfect compromise for your early morning wake up call. Looking forward to reading my copy of your new release.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mark! I truly appreciate your feedback. I'm slowing working through my beta readers' thoughts. :-)
DeleteThank you, Diana! So far, so good. Thanks for visiting! :-)
ReplyDelete