BODY TANKA (Poem)
Photo by Maya Jackson
Much peace. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for me: National Poetry Writing Month. Each April, many poets commit to writing 30 poems in 30 days. I love this writing challenge! I follow the prompts at www.napowrimo.net.
The tanka is an ancient Japanese poetic form. In contemporary English versions, it often takes the shape of a five-line poem with a 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 7 syllable-count – kind of like a haiku that decided to keep going. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write your own tanka – or multi-tanka poem. Theme and tone are up to you, but try to maintain the five-line stanza and syllable count.
Here is my multi-tanka poem:
BODY TANKA
By Farah Lawal Harris, 2026
I love this body,
how she shapeshifts and sashays,
loses weight, then gains.
“Proof that I’m alive,” I say.
I stopped wasting time with hate.
Mad at reflections
of parts no one protected.
To hide them, I’d eat—
pack on pounds to feel softness
as my heart hardened.
A lump in my breast
came to wash away the shame.
I wanted to live!
My double mastectomy
freed my attachment to parts.
What lasts forever
is art. G cup to C cup—
I’m free! Poetry
has become my legacy.
“Proof that I’m alive,” I say.
