Pussy Willows by Silver Creek in Spring, Georgetown, Ontario, 1955-1964: A Tanka Poem
Across from my home,
A vast abandoned field:
Pussy willow bliss.
Sensual buds stir the blood:
The long winter over at last.
Note: My childhood home on Elizabeth Street in Georgetown, Ontario, was located directly across from a scrubby abandoned field intersected by a polluted offshoot of Silver Creek.
This no man’s land was a beloved playground for neighbourhood kids, where we tobogganed in winter and where in summer we captured minnows and pollywogs in jars from the suspiciously foaming waters of the creek. We would wade into the water and even fish for chub.
My mom would fry up any bony catch.
I remember the field as a paradise lost, where wildflowers and random shrubs, including pussy willows, sprouted in spring.
How to Grow and Care for Pussy Willow
I would collect pussy willow branches and bring my mom bouquets.
I would stroke the pussy willow catkins for hours, resonating to their furry sensuality.
Tanka poetry
Tanka poems follow a set of rules. They all have five lines and each line follows a pattern: the first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables, the third line has five syllables, the fourth line has seven syllables, and the fifth line has seven syllables.
When written in English, Tanka poems must meet criteria concerning their structure and content. The number of syllables in each line is the only stylistic constraint of Tanka—there’s no need to rhyme or follow any specific meter.
Additionally, the third line must transition from the descriptive and image-focused beginning lines (called kami-no-ku) into a reflective metaphor, simile, or personification for the closing lines (shimo-no-ku). The subject matter can vary, but many poets choose a subject that’s emotionally stirring or quietly profound.
Tanka Poetry Defined: 3 Examples of Tanka Poems – 2025 – MasterClass
Graceguts – Tanka and the Five W’s
Your friend,
Robert
Robert McBryde – robertmcbrydeauthor.com
