Issue 4 - March 2026 – Tanka Doha
tanka doha — twin tanka
charcoal drawing …
my palm accidentally rubs
across the page
the smudged lines create
their own stories
beets and carrots
pickled in brine …
as kids
the liquid crunchy colours
were our magic air crayons
the liquid crunchy colours
were our magic air crayons
Kala Ramesh, India
Definition of Tanka Doha:
Kabir, a 15th-century Indian mystic-poet-saint, is famous for his Doha – couplets of 24 sound units. Ignoring the sound units, I found I could pair tanka to tell a story. We have tanka sequences, but there is something special about a twin tanka, which says so much in a short span of 10 lines. Personally, the link and shift that happens in the white space between the two tanka is sheer magic. A title is not needed. A tanka doha will stand on its own like a haiku or tanka, without crutches! Retaining the spirit of tanka in its form, I’m happy that tanka doha is gaining wide acceptance.
Lovely storytelling here Kala. You inspire me to try writing Tanka Doha. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteBonnie