The sun is so hot
Forty degrees in the shade
No breeze for relief
So hot you can fry an egg
Not a very pleasant day.
The birds seek shelter
Stillness from the lack of breeze
Time passes slowly
Heat haze shines off everything
Will the evening bring relief?
Plants gasp for relief
Wilting in the summer heat
Longing for a drink
Is it right to have such heat?
Won’t beat the Australian heat.
Till next time,
Calvin
[Author's note: Tank poetry is of Japanese origin. A tanka, meaning 'short poem' or 'short song,' has 31 syllables in five lines, with the first and third lines having five syllables and the second, fourth, and fifth lines having seven syllables.]
About the Creator
Calvin London
I write fiction, non-fiction and poetry about all things weird and wonderful, past and present. Life is full of different things to spark your imagination. All you have to do is embrace it - join me on my journey.
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insights
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Calvin London and writers in Poets and other communities.
Descent
Descent is not a collapse. It is a deliberate return, a controlled lowering of altitude after the sky has done its work. You come back to the ground slowly, intentionally, carrying the clarity you earned in the thin air. The world rises to meet you with all its familiar weight, but you are not the same person who left it. Gravity reaches for you with the confidence of an old habit, expecting you to slip back into the shapes you once held, but altitude has altered your outline. You feel the pull, but you do not mistake it for belonging.
By Elisa Wontorcik7 days ago in Poets
Violence Begets
"Any last words, cowboy?" "None you'd understand, sodbuster." "Funny. That's Marshall Sodbuster to you. But I meant some last nugget that would help us in the adjudication of the myriad offenses counted against you and your gang. I wasn't asking for penitence."
By Adam Diehl4 days ago in Fiction
Comments (7)
great expression
Really brilliant ♦️♦️♦️
😊 👍 Great Tanka. There was a bit of a breeze today, but I don’t much like summer these days like when I was younger. Are you in Australia too? I’m in SA.
This is a great use of the form, and is a great expression of suffer feelings
Oh, wow... I can feel the summer heat heating in the poem 😄 What's the highest temperature out there in summer? For us in summer, 46-48 is kinda normal 😅😂 But, at the end of the day... If I get cool and refreshing drinks after a hot day—I'm happy with summer!
You have done fantastic job with the imagery. Interesting information about Tanka poem.... Thank you so much for sharing.
This is written very beautifully; I can feel that humidity and suffocation that occur in the summer season.