If haiku is the sashimi of poetry, tanka is its heartier hand roll cousin.
Summer, why leave us?
You take the long days with you
The warmth seeps away
We shall miss your smiling skies
Please stay, for just one more month
It’s football season
Summer is waving good-bye
The pigskin is tossed
A wave breaks across the fans
Green and gold color the field
Summer is now gone
Frost covers the browning grass
Pumpkin patches rule
The holidays stand nearby
Waiting for fall to take course
Fall makes a brave stand
Red and gold leaves loosen grasp
Gently falling down
The season turns, turns again
Falling white and cold appear
Summer, we miss you
Miss the swimsuits and flip-flops
Stead, long underwear
Snow shovels, short days, gray skies
Winter tightens grip forever
Mary J Melange 
All wonderful but that last one……very, very good.
Thanks Lois. I know…I probably shouldn’t have even mentioned it…right?
These are very nice word images, M-J, no doubt about it.
But I fear TDP has done me a huge disservice: this means I’m going to be bloody swamped with poetry for the next however long.
Happily yours is the first, so I’m receptive to it. 🙂
Not a fan of poetry? It’s not on the top of my list for writing style, but I decided I must “challenge” myself now and again. Keep the mind sharp, you know?
I don’t. Not at this time when I’m trying to find out how to manage two blogs with different identities …
I KNOW NOZZING …
:-p
I’ll send you a little summer in about the middle of January by which time I expect to be heartily sick of it.
“haiku is the sashimi of poetry” – I love that!
I will accept your summer in January wholeheartedly. I’ll trade you a cooler full of snow balls and a pair of long underwear. PS: The quote comes from the Daily Post page. I can’t take credit.
I hope it isn’t already cold up your way, Mary………MTM’s mom says you’re in a for another doozy of a winter. The flight from Milwaukee to Charleston isn’t bad…….. 🙂
No, it’s not cold yet. I’m going to enjoy the beautiful fall days and hope MTM’s mom is wrong…although that is what I’ve been hearing. Oh well, with six pairs of long underwear, I can suffer through. 😉
Nooo – what’s this talk of another bad winter to come?!! I’m not ready. I’m still trying to recover from the last one! No! I won’t have it!! *pout*
.. by the way, it’s a nice poem … well, except for the part about summer waving good-bye … really? did you have to?
Sorry Joanne. I had to let it out because I was starting to pout.
oh – ok. We can pout together.
I’m all about the cool Fall and cold Winter. Goodbye Summer and it’s hot sweaty days!
Good, I will send the freezing cold your way for you to enjoy. 😉
I love this selection, so topical alas. I feel these things too! The ending has the gravity and heavy rhythm of the cold season..
‘Stead, long underwear
Snow shovels, short days, gray skies
Winter tightens grip forever’
Fingers crossed for an Indian Summer!!
Thank you so much for your comment and the crossed fingers. I am hoping for a warm fall so I can keep my bicycle on the road a little while longer.
Here’s hoping! ;-D