Category: A Tanka

The Village Green (a Tanka)


“Then, contented with my state,
Where true pleasure may be seen,
Let me envy not the great,
On a cheerful village green.” … from “The Village Green”, a poem by Jane Taylor.



The Village Green (a Tanka)


There’s something calming
About watching birds flying
At the village green
Among the picnickers and
Through our springtime’s shady trees








Ivor Steven (c) November2025

A King Without Wings (a Tanka)


“Even in the middle of nowhere, wings remember their purpose.” —A reflection on leadership, illusion, and the quiet strength of flight.


A King Without Wings (a Tanka)


In the pilot’s chair
I see warning lights out there
In the deep, dark air
Suspended in nowhere’s grip
Who knew — the King had wings, too?




Wattlebird Soiree (a Tanka)

Six frames of flight—wattlebirds mid-dance, wings wide in a hush of blue. A private performance above the treetops, where nature choreographs its midday ballet.




Wattlebird Soiree (a Tanka)



What more could I say,
than be totally amazed
by the wattlebirds’
private aerial display–
nature’s midday ballet.








Ivor Steven (c) October 2025

There is a Better Way (a Tanka)


“Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson




There is a Better Way (a Tanka)


The sun and the moon
Respectfully share the sky
All the birds I know
Fly by harmoniously
Why can’t we learn nature’s ways?






Ivor Steven (c) October 2025