This porcelain heart: A Tanka poem about Ikebana art

This porcelain heart

This porcelain heart

May crack with the weight of time

Or shatter through mishap

But it will live in my heart

Until stern death do us part.

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.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tanka-poem-defined-plus-examples

https://www.graceguts.com/essays/tanka-and-the-five-ws

Ikebana

My wife creates decorative arrangements that include miniature dried flowers. Recently, she learned that her art resembles Japanese Ikebana, an aesthetic of which she was previously unaware.

Ikebana (literally “giving life to flowers”) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, in which the arrangement brings nature and humanity closer together.

The philosophy behind ikebana is grounded in Japanese aesthetics, which emphasizes simplicity, understated elegance, and a respect for nature. Ikebana is not simply about arranging flowers, but creating a harmonious relationship between the natural materials used in the arrangement and the space around them.