Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge, poet Lisa Smith Nelson encouraged us to write a poem based on the picture she provided (see below).
I decided to write a tanka prose, which is a paragraph followed by a tanka poem. For those new to poetry, a tanka poem has five lines with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. Tanka proses are titled.
Queens of Yore
Eons ago, my kind was worshipped. Considered magical, pharaohs revered us as conduits to the gods and goddesses. Even in our passing, we were treated with respect and dignity. Then, society began to fear us. People ran away when they saw us, frightened we would cast a spell upon them. Insignificant humans perceived us to carry evil omens and house the devil within us. Little did they know their perception of us was simply a reflection of their own souls.
once a prized heirloom
centerpiece of living rooms
cast aside with time
ignored and broken, worthless
discarded for new treasures
Would you like to write a poem about this picture? Join us here.
Well done, Yvette! I love your poem. It says so much!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jan! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. :-)
DeleteVery true that perceptions are based on what we see inside ourselves. Cats have certainly had changes in their image throughout history. I think they never forgot they were revered though, and get a kick out of thinking they are devils! I think one of mine does anyway.
ReplyDeleteHaha! My sister has three cats, and their personalities crack me up. There is always at least one diva in the group. Lol! Thanks for visiting and sharing, Lisa! :-)
DeleteLove this, Yvette. In my house our cats would disagree, they still rule...lol
ReplyDeleteHaha! I believe it, Denise! Thanks for visiting! :-)
DeleteOh my, you've covered the centuries and offered reflection - along with a great tanka. 😊
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gwen! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by! :-)
DeleteI enjoyed your tanka. Cats are adorable. The Egyptians used to shave their eyebrows if a cat died, As much as I love them I have never done that.)
ReplyDeleteI had read that as well, Rall! I definitely wouldn't shave my brows for a pet. Lol! Thanks for visiting! :-)
DeleteFabulous, Yvi! Tanka prose should be written in the first person, but I would call it experimental tanka prose if you write in the third person. I like these story poems. I love how you added all the cat history/mythology. It gives a sense of the cat as a character. 💛
ReplyDeleteThank you, Colleen! I tried to write it from the cat's POV. I'm enjoying writing these, so I'm sure I'll come up with new ones in the future. :-)
DeleteCats have always been sacred and magical and this Tanka Prose is lovely 💜
ReplyDeleteThank you, Willow! I'm happy you liked it. :-)
Delete(Jules) Ah, poor Basset - I remember one episode of Star Trek where the Greek Gods I think let their 'child' play with the 'crew' - but appologized and set things right - in part explaining that they 'as Gods' were no longer worshiped because they had been forgotton. Nicely done. I once had a a black cat for a pet... I know folks that have Tuxedo cats - they are smart but not totally black! :)
ReplyDeleteMy sister has two tuxedo cats and another tabby cat, and I love them all. I am a big fan of Greek mythology and can totally see them acting that way. Lol! Thanks for sharing, Jules! :-)
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