Long Way From Home

Kay Castaneda,

Hi everyone!

Today I thought I’d participate in Tanka Tuesday Challenge. It’s been awhile since I wrote a syllabic poem. Melissa from Mom With A Blog https://melissalemay.wordpress.com/  is host for this week’s challenge. Here are the guidelines.

For this week’s Tanka Tuesday Challenge, I’d like us to write Double Ennead poems. The Double Ennead is a form created by our very own Colleen Chesebro. Here is a description of the form:

The Double Ennead comprises five lines with a syllable count of 6/5/11/6/5, (33 SYLLABLES per stanza) 3 STANZAS EACH = 99 SYLLABLES, NO MORE, NO LESS! You can add rhyme schemes or not. Title this form.

Let’s write about the season we’re in, wherever we’re at; or you may write about a missed opportunity bcause of the weather.

You can find an example that Melissa wrote for the prompt on the blog.

https://tankatuesday.com/2025/04

  • Write a double ennead poem.
  • #TankaTuesday does not accept AI-generated poetry.
  • Post your poem on your personal site/blog.
  • Include a link back to TankaTuesday.com in your post.
  • Copy the link of your published post into Mr. Linky. There are no recaps this year.
  • Remember to click the small checkbox about data protection.
  • Read and comment on some of your fellow poets’ work.
  • Like and leave a comment below if you choose to do so.
  • This challenge closes on the following Monday at noon EST Detroit, USA.
  • Have fun!

⬇ MR. LINKY ⬇

https://shorturl.at/rZcCI

Don’t forget to visit Mr. Linky on last week’s challenge post in case you missed reading & commenting on the poetry!

 

***

I chose to write a Double Ennead for the prompt “wherever we’re at”.

 

Long Way From Home

 

Left my home far away

Where did I leave it

In my mind where I cant get to it reach it

In the closet maybe

In a box hidden

 

Under moms blue blanket

Behind fuzzy scarves

Stacks of cowgirl hats and rhinestone bags and belts

Purses gloves baseball caps

Sunglasses galore

 

Photographs in albums

Kodak cameras

Compact digital discs Polaroid snapshots

Antique record player

Let it stay in there

 

Kay Castaneda

 

 

It’s always fun to write syllabic poetry. Why don’t you try to write a Double Ennead or other Tanka? 😍

 

 

 

Poetry

Comments (6)

  1. Knowing where your home was, I love your last line. “Let it stay in there.” You have lived what I would consider a very exotic life since leaving Indianapolis. Who would guess that you would find yourself in another country? I love the familiarity of your home place, but I love even more that you have discovered the larger world.

  2. Mexico is so different from Indianapolis! I really miss the green trees and grass everywhere. I was thinking of all the stuff we brought here. I really don’t need heavy winter coats and boots. Our condo sold in one day, which was great, but the new owners gave us 7 days to leave. My husband brought the lawn mower! It isn’t needed here. 😊Thanks, Marsha

  3. How funny! Yes, grass and trees are a signature beauty in Indianapolis. How long have you been in Mexico? I’m surprised that he didn’t know he wouldn’t need a lawn mower. Isn’t he from there?

    We do need a lawn mower. We sold ours when we left CA to move to a condo in Prescott. Now that we’re back, we have a piece of grass that has quickly gone from new sod to overgrown! The only kind of mower we can buy here is an electric one, and most of them say that they don’t do well with taller grass.

  4. Tony planted some small patches of grass next to the driveway. He used good quality seed we brought from Indianapolis. The “grass” made a few green spots here and there. Watering didn’t help since the sun is so intense. He had the areas paved with stones. In the back, a little area grows next to an adobe outer wall. Bouganvillas hang over and make shade. But…the dogs use the area for their bathroom! Buddy the oldest likes to lie there. Tony brought the lawn mower because he couldn’t find a buyer before we left. He finally sold it to a farmer who uses it to mow under his many trees at his home. My husband won’t throw anything away. I call him Fred Sanford. Remember ‘Sanford and Son’ on tv? We’ve been here since 2018. People know he has lots of tools and equipment. They stop in to buy or rent. Tony was born here yet he had dreams of having a nice green lawn!

  5. You haven’t been there long at all. Moving is so expensive! You never know what you will need when you get there!

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