Poetry Friday: Summer tanka

Hard for me to believe, but this post was originally published FIVE years ago, in July 2014, before I had seen my first children’s poem in an anthology (“Lullaby & Kisses Sweet” (Abrams, 2015), to be precise). Now, this week, I have a poem in a brand-new anthology! I was watering the window boxes the other day and thought it might be nice to brush off this little tanka and share it again…I hope you like it!)

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Window Box graphic
(click to enlarge)

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For today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup , be sure to head on over to The Miss Rumphius Effect, where Tricia is sharing her response to a triolet challenge!

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35 thoughts on “Poetry Friday: Summer tanka

  1. margaretsmn

    Nice tanka (love the picture too), but I can only imagine having a frost in September. September is one of our warmest months in the deep south.

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    1. Thanks, Margaret. I remember back when we moved to Nashville, we had already had our first frost up here (mid-September), but when we got to Tennessee the daytime temps were still in the ’90s!

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  2. I am kind of a “rainbow killer”…that sounds harsh, doesn’t it? I mean, I just don’t have a green thumb! And yes, the first frost can come pretty early here in Maine, too! Not looking forward to it at all.
    Loved “rainbow at my fingertips” though!

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  3. As we start summer here on Long Island, it is hard to imagine frost in September. Nonetheless, your poem is lovely with its beautiful visual behind and inside the words: “rainbow at my fingertips and “first frost closes the shade.” Matt, may I add this to my #EmbraceableSummer collection? It shares a different perspective on summer.

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      1. haitiruth

        Matt, did you see my post today is about Donald Hall? I followed a trail started by a video I’d seen on Facebook, and then read a bunch of his poetry, but I’m sure that one of the reasons I clicked on that video was because I subconsciously remembered your poem in the anthology inspired by him. I really enjoyed reading his work this week. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com

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  4. Love your tanka, Matt, and that “rainbow” of colors. You had me double checking when the average first frost hits here (in Maine). I was relieved to see it’s in October. Phew!

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  5. Michelle Kogan

    Hoping that first frost is a long way off, but I’ll take all that warn sun beaming down on the window box flowers for now–lovely, thanks Matt!

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