hosts: Firdaus Parvez, Kala Ramesh, Priti Aisola & Suraja Menon Roychowdhury
Introducing a new perspective to our Wednesday Feature!
poet of the month: Ken Slaughter
as I shave my beard
grandpa’s face appears
in the mirror...
all my ancestors
living in me
Gusts 35
white tips
and many shades of green—
a brighter,
deeper spring
after ten years with you
Frameless Sky 15
We had the pleasure of asking Ken a few questions, and he graciously took the time to answer them. The previous questions are in the earlier posts, here’s the fifth one.
Q5: TTH: Do you show your work in progress to anyone, or is it a solitary art that you keep close to your chest before letting it go for publishing?
Ken: Usually I do share them, but sometimes no. If I have strong feelings about a poem I may keep it to myself. I sometimes don't look for feedback on ones I plan to enter in a contest, for example. Usually, though, I post my poems in the Inkstone Poetry forum, or share them with a poet friend on Instagram. I also ask my wife for feedback sometimes. Lately, I have been posting on this Triveni website. The poets here are so gracious and kind, but they will give honest feedback if I ask.
I can get so wrapped up in a poem that I lose touch with how it sounds to someone else, or if it even makes sense. When I ask for feedback, I'm almost always glad I did.
More about Ken: Ken Slaughter is a tanka poet who also likes to write senryu. He was vice president of the Tanka Society of America for a couple of years. He won the annual TSA contest in 2015. He submits primarily to Ribbons, Gusts, Prune Juice and Failed Haiku. You will see some of Ken’s tanka here in the excellent publication haikuKATHA. He lives in Worcester, Massachusetts with his wife, and is the proud servant of two one-eyed cats. Are you inspired? Challenge for this week: Think of a colour, then use it in your poem. See where that takes you. Give this idea some thought and share your tanka and tanka-prose with us here. Keep your senses open, observe things that happen around you and write. You can post tanka and tanka-prose outside this theme too.
An essay on how to write tanka: Tanka Flights
PLEASE NOTE: 1. Post only one poem at a time. 2. Only two tanka and two tanka-prose per poet per prompt. Tanka art of course if you want to.
3. Share your best-polished pieces.
4. Please do not post something in a hurry or something you have just written.
Let it simmer for a while.
5. Post your final edited version on top of your original verse.
6. Don't forget to give feedback on others' poems.
We are delighted to open the comment thread for you to share your unpublished tanka and tanka-prose (within 300 words) to be considered for inclusion in the haikuKATHA monthly magazine.
Another revision after Kala's suggestion/edit.
at sunset
a quiet prayer
alone
an old man's rough greys
on a rough pillow
Final version after revision, suggestions by Ken. Thanks everyone for your feedback. Much appreciated.
as the sun sets
a quiet prayer
in the dark
an old man's rough greys
on a rough pillow
Original :
as the sun sets
a quiet prayer
in the darkness
the old man's rough greys
on a rough pillow
Feedback/comments/suggestions welcome
this forum is brilliant. It gives a great learning .
the replies and suggestions by other poets are quite helpful in refining our thoughts!
night sky
near the open window
the known silence
waits for no one
till it dawns again
Revised:
cemetery walk
a hummingbird hovers
in mid air
I pause to breathe in
the scent of honeysuckle
Original:
cemetery walk
a hummingbird hovers
in mid air
I too remember to stop
and live in the moment
So many beautiful tanka. Really inspiring Ken. And the interaction/edits go a long way. Thanks everyone. My offer today. Feedback is much appreciated.
as the sun sets
a quiet prayer
in darkness
the old man's rough greys
on a rough pillow
Q. Do we need darkness ? What do you feel about the repetition of the word 'rough'