{"id":14897,"date":"2023-12-16T14:17:53","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T19:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/?p=14897"},"modified":"2025-09-14T19:18:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T23:18:17","slug":"from-the-professors-journal_cinnamon-ferns-hide_-a-tanka-poem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/from-the-professors-journal_cinnamon-ferns-hide_-a-tanka-poem\/","title":{"rendered":"Lynda’s Journal – – Poem – Cinnamon Ferns hide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Walking by Inner Vision presents:<\/h3>\n

A Poem From Lynda’s Journal\u00a0 \u2013
\n<\/em><\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/em>by Lynda McKinney Lambert<\/em><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

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<\/h2>\n

This poem will appear in my forthcoming book_Each Day Holds Some Small Joy: Little Nature Poems_ to be released in April 2024, for National Poetry Month.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Poem: <\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

This poem is a Tanka.<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cinnamon Ferns hide<\/p>\n

woven mossy habitat<\/p>\n

house wren\u2019s empty nest<\/p>\n

camouflaged for protection<\/p>\n

abandoned seasonal home<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Backstory:<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In 2015, I wanted to work on a special project in honor of National Poetry Month.<\/p>\n

I chose to learn about the Tanka Poem<\/strong> and began to write some tanka in response to what I was learning. This was a surprising journey into the Tanka Poem,<\/strong> and it has led me to some interesting revelations.<\/p>\n

To learn even more, I joined the Tanka Society of America.<\/p>\n

Immediately, I made important discoveries since I wrote about tanka on this blog \u2013 April 10, 2015. Today, as I write again about tanka poems, the year 2023 is at its final week. What have I learned about tanka over the last eight years?<\/p>\n

At that time, I subscribed to \u201cRibbons,” published by The Tanka Society of America, I was speechless when I saw the tanka poems featured there. They looked so different than what I thought a tanka must be like.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

A TANKA POEM is like a Japanese DANCE<\/p>\n

expressive, human emotion, movement, a dreamscape<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

My first encounter with \u201cRibbons\u201d opened my eyes to the fact that the Tanka need not have a syllable count of 5-7-5-7-7 at all! In fact, almost none of the poems published have this restriction.<\/p>\n

What is TANKA? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The TANKA poem originated in Japan over 1200 years ago.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, Tanka themes are:<\/p>\n

Nature \u00a0 \u00a0 Seasons<\/p>\n

Romance \u00a0 \u00a0 Sadness<\/p>\n

Love \u00a0 \u00a0 Strong Human Emotions<\/p>\n

A Tanka Poem usually reflects a single MOMENT.<\/p>\n

Tanka poems do not have titles or numbers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Use personification, metaphor, and other allusions.<\/p>\n

The lyrical intensity gives a sense of a personal, intimate world.<\/p>\n

Capitalization and punctuation are not necessary. In fact, it can be a distraction to take the reader out of the moment in the poem. I saw this in the poems I read.<\/p>\n

Tanka is a lyrical poem, and it is important for it to have a feeling of human emotions, awareness of being in a dream, or the author discussing personal relationships or desires.<\/p>\n

Fragmentation is highly desirable.<\/p>\n

Once you understand the structure of the Tanka Poem, you do not need to count the syllables and words \u2013 it is not necessary to have the 5-7-5-7-7 format and in fact, this poem is \u00a0much smoother if you do not restrain yourself and force your words into a particular \u00a0syllable count.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Note:<\/p>\n

As you begin to consult literary magazines that focus on Tanka, or Haiku poetry forms, you soon see the poems published do not have the traditional generic description. Here is where we see the master class.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BONUS:<\/em><\/p>\n

Rona Black has some great nature photos on her site. <\/em>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Click here to\u00a0 \u00a0See photos by Rona Black<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

_<\/p>\n

Using the information, I have given you, create your own Tanka poem!<\/p>\n

I would love to read your poem \u2013 send it to me or post it in the comments below. If you scroll to<\/p>\n

Lynda McKinney Lambert. Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

Would you like to write a TANKA today?<\/p>\n

Tell me what you think.<\/p>\n

You may post your tanka in the Message on this blog if you would like to share it here.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a9Lynda McKinney Lambert, December 16, 2023. All rights reserved.<\/strong><\/p>\n

*<\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n

\u00a0My Newest Published Book is ready for purchase!
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0Perfect for Gifting this Year – NEW BOOK by Lynda!<\/h3>\n
\n

\"\"Songs for the Pilgrimage.
\nPhoto: Courtesy AllAuthor<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\"\"Songs for the Pilgrimage.
\nPoems, Non-fiction Stories, Journal Entries, Meditations<\/p>\n

NEW<\/strong> \u2013 Songs for the Pilgrimage<\/strong>:<\/em>\u00a0 Apple Books<\/a><\/p>\n

Lynda\u2019s books at Bookshop.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Lynda\u2019s e-Books at Smashwords<\/a><\/p>\n

Lynda\u2019s Books at Amazon<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Lynda McKinney Lambert<\/p>\n

Author of Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Poems; <\/em><\/p>\n

first snow<\/em>, a poetry chapbook; Star Signs: New and Selected Poems; <\/em>and<\/p>\n

Songs for the Pilgrimage, <\/em>a collection of poems and stories.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

www.lyndalambert.com<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n
\n

My Mission Statement:<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

I reveal what is lost, forgotten, and\u00a0 unseen.<\/p>\n

Hebrews 11:1<\/p>\n

\u201cNow faith is the substance of things hoped for,\u00a0 the evidence of things not seen.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<<<<<LMcL>>>>><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discover the joy of writing a Japanese Tanka Poem.<\/p>\n Continue reading →<\/span><\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14439,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trusting-god"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2023_Lynda_Dixie_Mitchell_2_June-8.jpg?fit=1240%2C2208&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4gbwn-3Sh","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6521,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/electricity-a-tanka-poem\/","url_meta":{"origin":14897,"position":0},"title":"electricity – A Poem-a-Day #8","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"April 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Lynda McKinney Lambert, Pennsylvania poet, author, and artist, shares a tanka and gives links to more information of writing this Japanese form. Read, \"electricity,\" for the 8th day of National Poetry Month - today!","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo of night sky with mfull moon.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/18_FullMoonDecember5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1093&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/18_FullMoonDecember5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1093&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/18_FullMoonDecember5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1093&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/18_FullMoonDecember5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1093&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/18_FullMoonDecember5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1093&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12472,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/from-lyndas-journal_watching-summer-sky_poem\/","url_meta":{"origin":14897,"position":1},"title":"Lynda’s Journal – #716 – Watching Summer Sky","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"October 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Most of my poems come to me in ordinary daily life activities. It's a matter of taking time to really look, and to see what is around me in the natural world.","rel":"","context":"In "#From Lynda's Journal"","block_context":{"text":"#From Lynda's Journal","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/from-lyndas-journal\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Matter_Book-Cover.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Matter_Book-Cover.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Matter_Book-Cover.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Matter_Book-Cover.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12455,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/from-lyndas-journal-full-sun\/","url_meta":{"origin":14897,"position":2},"title":"Lynda’s Journal – Poem – full sun (Tanka poem)","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"October 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Blessings are Always GOOD NEWS! Today, I am sharing a photo and poem, Full Sun, a tanka. Tell me what you like about the world outside your window.","rel":"","context":"In "#From Lynda's Journal"","block_context":{"text":"#From Lynda's Journal","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/from-lyndas-journal\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Sunflower2_Patti-Gibson-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4805,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/tanka-lesson-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":14897,"position":3},"title":"“wet red umbrella,” A Tanka Lesson – Part #1","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"April 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, Pennsylvania author and artist, Lynda McKinney Lambert, intraduces the TANKA poem. This is a Japanese style of poem that is so beautiful. If you love nature, the seasons, and human emotions - this poem for is for YOU! This is PART ONE of her 2 blog posts on How\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/ZenGardenGravelferns.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/ZenGardenGravelferns.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/ZenGardenGravelferns.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/ZenGardenGravelferns.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/ZenGardenGravelferns.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4794,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/stony-paths-disappear-tanka-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":14897,"position":4},"title":"“stony paths disappear” – Tanka – Part 2","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"April 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Pennsylvania author and artist, Lynda McKinney Lambert, presents Part 2 of How to Write a Tanka. this is National Poetry Month - Lynda is writing a post every day in April. She posts 1 poem a day from her archives. In today's post, she explores some surprising information on writing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DSC09187.jpg?fit=1200%2C876&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DSC09187.jpg?fit=1200%2C876&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DSC09187.jpg?fit=1200%2C876&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DSC09187.jpg?fit=1200%2C876&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DSC09187.jpg?fit=1200%2C876&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13692,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/from-the-professors-journal\/","url_meta":{"origin":14897,"position":5},"title":"Lynda’s Journal – Tanka – stony paths","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"December 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A Poem stony paths Lynda's Journal\u00a0 \u00a9Lynda McKinney Lambert, 2022. All rights reserved. \u00a0 * The Poem \u00a0 stony paths disappear beneath my feet I am the darkness of ginkgo trees and indigo skies * The Backstory This poem is a perspective of the landscape and my own recognition of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SFTP_Mock_UP_6.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14897"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17666,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14897\/revisions\/17666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}