Arts

Love's Eyes

Tanka Japanese poems by Lenard D. Moore

Lenard D Moore

If anyone deserves to be called a legend in his own time it is the African American poet Lenard D Moore. He is most celebrated for his pioneering interpretation of the Japanese poetic art form, haiku. Now his interest has spilled over into tanka, an earlier 1300 year old poetic tradition, that served as secret messages between lovers. Mr Moore's complete mastery of the poetic idiom together with his achievements as a teacher and workshop leader have given him a status of distinction, if not fame. Here, Mr Moore reveals his mastery of the ancient Japanese art form of tanka.

Painting the Toenails

painting the toenails
of her right foot
my wife in black bikini
beyond her, curved shadows
of white herons

 

The Night is Long

The night is long
A tavern just off the road
With only one car,
But the man and woman hug
To the song on the jukebox

 

Note about Tanka poetry
"From tanka's long history - over 1300 years recorded in Japan - the most famous use of the poetry form of tanka was as secret messages between lovers. Arriving home in the morning, after having dallied with a lover all night, it became the custom of well-mannered persons to write an immediate thank-you note for the pleasures of the hospitality.

Stylised into a convenient five lines of 5-7-5-7-7 onji, the little poem expressing one's feelings were sent in special paper containers, written on a fan, or knotted on a branch or stem of a single blossom. These were delivered to the lover by personal messenger who then was given something to drink along with his chance to flirt with the household staff.

During this interval a responding tanka was to be written in reply to the first note which the messenger would return to his master." Excerpt from Tanka for the Memory by Jane Reichhold

 Permission to reprint these tanka granted by the author.
Copyright 1983-2000 Lenard D. Moore.

All rights reserved. No responsibility for errors, omissions or opinions stated in this work are assumed by the editor and publisher of The Chronicle.