Tag: tanka

Fish Feast

Chris Hall59 Comments

a view from our stoep

it’s almost Christmas
and we will have a fish feast
elegant, possibly
but don’t miss any lovely juice
since we will have some mussels
~~~

Keith Floyd’s Moules Marinière 

Ingredients

  • Fresh mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
  • Butter
  • Shallots (or onion)
  • Garlic, unpeeled and crushed
  • Fresh parsley
  • Good white wine

Instructions

  1. Prepare the mussels: Clean them thoroughly, removing any beards or barnacles.
  2. Melt the butter: In a large saucepan, melt a generous amount of butter over high heat.
  3. Sauté aromatics: Add the chopped shallots, crushed garlic, and most of the parsley to the melted butter. Stir for a moment.
  4. Add wine: Pour in the white wine and let it come to a boil.
  5. Cook the mussels: Add the mussels to the pot, cover tightly, and cook over high heat for a few minutes until they open. Shake the pan occasionally.
  6. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
  7. Serve the mussels immediately with their juice and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.
  8. Enjoy: It is customary to serve with crusty bread for dipping in the flavourful sauce. 

~~~~~

For Colleen Chesebro’s #TankaTuesday #41 – 2 December 2025 where this week, Colleen’s invitation is ‘to write a syllabic poem on the food/or foods that are served according to your December traditions.‘

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 41, December Foods, 12/2/2025

New Life

Chris Hall50 Comments

my biggest trees

little leaves and buds
are all around the old oak
it’s spring in the air
birds and squirrels jump for joy
and so much new life begins

~~~

Val‘s Scavenger Hunt – first prompt
Write a poem inspired by leaves (dying ones or newly emerged).
For bonus points use a Tanka to express your feelings about the leaves.

Looking to Slide into Seasonal Change

White Dew

Chris Hall42 Comments

a new beginning
bugs come out, so that’s handy
the white dew glistens
tranquil… could’ve been, but no
it’s a Venus flytrap, whoops

~~~

Written in response to this week’s Tanka Challenge – from Colleen – very useful!
p.s. – I’m in the springtime… in the southern hemisphere.

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 30, 24 Seasons, 9/16/25

Time and Clocks

Chris Hall50 Comments

canva.com

time is so precious
and I think tick tick tick tick
it is moving on
where will I go when I die?
can anyone tell me today?

This is a taiga with a tanka poem and a black and white photo – created by Colleen and Robbie.

Written in response to this week’s Tanka Challenge – from Colleen – very useful!

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge #25, 8/12/25: Tanka & Experimental Tanka
Submissions are OPEN for the 2025 Sunflower Tanka Anthology

What’s for lunch?

Chris Hall42 Comments

in my fruit basket
there’s plums, tangerines, avos
it maybe winter
but toms are still ripening
and sitting in the sun room

What to eat for lunch? Maybe use the avocado – definitely ready. Opening it up… mmm, perfect. A little mayonnaise with some tuna, or even better, make some guacamole. So mash the avocado mixed with tomato, a tiny bit of chopped onion and a little chilli pepper. Now we could go really mad. Let’s pile everything in to some tacos, and hey presto… it must be Taco Tuesday – just like Tanka Tuesday (well, it’s only a couple of days late).

~~~~~~

Thanks to Colleen for the inspiration to write syllabic poetry. 
The challenge for this week is all about fruit!

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 18, Fruit, 6/24/25

She’s Aquarius

Chris Hall30 Comments

she’s Aquarius
such a beautiful creature
she’s wheeling around
and wearing her magenta
though she often wears silver

she is a kelpie
she’ll dive down and up again
and she’ll breathe Air
she is an inspiration
and she’ll fly up to the moon

~~~~

Thanks to Colleen for the inspiration to write syllabic poetry. The challenge this week is to play with colours and write a syllabic poem of your choice featuring your zodiac colour.
I’m Aquarius and my colour is Magenta, plus my element is Air.

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 11, Zodiac Colors, 5/6/25

Ballet

Chris Hall54 Comments

she warms up gently
she needs to walk prettily
here she goes, ‘en l’air’
there ‘glissade’ – she glides five five:
but it helps if you’re a ghost

🩰👻🩰

In French
en l’air – in the air
glissade –  to glide (a gliding movement for 5th to 5th)

———————————————————

Image credit: Alex Shuper @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a white ghostly figure suspended in the air over a crop of pumpkins. The trees in the background are lit by an eerie red light.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #259 photo prompt.

What do you see # 259- 21st October, 2024

Magic?!

Chris Hall63 Comments

Pick a card, any card
look at it and put it back
don’t tell me about it
here it is and it’s right!
Will you have another chance?

Let’s try something else…

Here’s a big top hat
hey presto, a little bunny
now she’s disappeared!
Oh, don’t worry, she’s fine.
Would you like a final chance?

Sorry. No money now. Shame.

🐰~~~🎩~~~🐰

~~~

Image credit: Julian Drost@Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows an extended hand. Over the hand, hovering in the air is a deck of playing cards, enveloped in flames. At the top of the deck, aces of spades and hearts are visible.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #244 photo prompt.

What do you see # 244- July 8, 2024

Magic Moon

Chris Hall36 Comments

the moon beckons me
as the night sky’s burn brighter
her moon becomes radiant
my magical dreams drift on
and offer tiny pulses of light

~~~~~~~

Image credit: Kenrick Mills @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a full moon in a cloudy sky. It’s night time and the clouds behind the moon are illuminated by the moonlight in an eerie fashion.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #236 photo prompt

What do you se # 236- 29 April, 2024