Meta/Paradox

META (a Tanka   about Eastern Poetry)

Maddeningly brief
Limited puzzle pieces
Every word matters
Crafted elegantly, there’s
artistry in brevity


PARADOX (a Free Verse   expansion of the above)

Maddeningly brief
Concise
Meticulous attention
to every syllable
Careful choice of words
arranged in flawless order
Complexity and elegance
Simplicity and grace
Nuanced structure laces meaning
into every line

Limited puzzle pieces
Only so many places to move
Like a game of chess
or a hand of poker
Rules must be followed
but the genius lies in
carefully playing your cards
in just the right way
to make it look easy
(deceptively so)

Every word matters
Each syllable critical
Assembling a tanka
or a haiku
or a senryu
is no easy feat
Subject, structure, and style
In Japanese poetry
form and function are
indelibly intertwined

Crafted elegantly, there’s
not an ounce of wasted space
or effort
anywhere in the work
From top to bottom
it’s painstakingly detailed
to show a mastery of
the beauty and versatility
of the language of
human expression

Artistry in brevity
Charm in concision
Poise in pithiness
Eastern poetry is quite a challenge
especially among those that prize
an economy of language
and find protracted, unstructured poetry
a bete noir



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Total: 53 lines / 178 words (Tanka is 5 lines / 14 words, Free Verse is 48 lines / 174 words)
Form: Tanka   and Free Verse  

Originally written for "Invalid Item"  and "I Write in 2018" .