About
Sunflower Tanka is a new journal of contemporary tanka, tanka prose & experimental tanka forms.
Founded by Robbie Cheadle & Colleen Chesebro, Sunflower Tanka is published once a year, in December.
Submission periods for 2026 will be announced this summer.
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Resources
- If you’re using the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count, please count your syllables and the number of lines for the form you’re writing. Use a qualified syllable counter to check your syllable count. We use: https://syllablecounter.net/. If you’re writing in the s-l-s-l-l format, please check your syllable count.
- Double-check your poem. Look at the spelling and grammar.
🌻 Here’s a refresher on how to write tanka and tanka prose. ⬇️
tanka
5-7-5-7-7 syllable structure, or s-l-s-l-l. Tanka consists of 5 lines written in the first-person point of view from the perspective of the poet.
The third line is considered your “pivot,” but let it happen anywhere, or exclude it. If you use a pivot, the meaning should apply to the first two lines, as well as the last two lines of your tanka. Tanka are untitled and do not rhyme.
tanka Example
soft hues wash the eye
these heady honeymoon days
on the horizon
sail boats softly drift away
carrying worn dreams with them
© AJ Wilson
tanka Prose Example
Experimental Tanka
Experimental tanka are syllabic forms made using the basic structure of a tanka using the 5/7/5/7/7 or s/l/s/l/l syllable counts.
For example, the garland tanka below consists of six tanka in which the last stanza is formed from the preceding five tanka. Typically, line one from stanza one, line two from stanza two, etc. Like tanka, they should always have a title. These forms do not rhyme. They are always written in the first person viewpoint—just like the tanka.
Garland Tanka Example
Waiting for Autumn
through the morning mist
I see early signs of autumn
red tints on green leaves
baffled by the warm weather
leaves stuck in chlorophyll’s hold
Lake Michigan’s gloom
birthing drizzle on wet streets
the end of my walk
yet, summer hangs on—waiting
for temperatures to drop
first autumn rainfall
the other side of silence
I dance with raindrops
a puddle reflects the sky
dew point reads in the millions
autumn’s solitude
oak branches creak in the wind
my wild dreams of storms
who speak to me in echoes
geese flying in formation
temperatures plunge
dead sunflowers still face the sun
I rake piles of leaves
remembering summer days
Autumn gifts me the goods
through the morning mist
birthing drizzle on dark streets
I dance with raindrops
who speak to me in echoes
Autumn gifts me the goods
© Colleen Chesebro
(From: Poetry Forms – tanka)
Tanka Puente
1st stanza: separate thought, equal number of lines (5/7/5/7/7)
2nd stanza: one line enclosed in tildes (~) to distinguish itself from the last line of the first stanza and the first line of the third stanza. No syllable count, but keep it brief.
3rd stanza: separate thought, equal number of lines (5/7/5/7/7)
Tanka Puente Example
Marital surprises
Magical wedding
Golden sun gives its blessing
Two lives joined forever
Youthful, innocent couple
Only happiness ahead
~ The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all ~ *
Challenges present
Chronic illness gobbles joy
Life’s path is pitted
Some days devoid of sunshine
A burden to be endured
© Robbie Cheadle
*This quote comes from the Walt Disney Company’s animated movie, Mulan. The meaning behind this quote originally comes from the earliest blooming flower in China — the Plum Blossom. The plum blossom, known as the meihua, is a symbol for resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, because plum blossoms often bloom most vibrantly even amidst the harsh winter snow.
Taiga
The taiga is a form that Robbie and I created for Tanka Tuesday and the Sunflower Tanka Anthology. The taiga is a tanka poem placed on a black and white photograph the poet is taken. (Please do not use images from other sources because of copyright issues).
The photograph must be 300 d.p.i. The photograph will have to be sized in Canva.com with the following dimensions: 1566 x 2541 px. The text should be placed on the photograph so that it is readable. See below ⬇️
Taiga Example
This image is 1566 x 2541 px on Canva. We will all use the same font: Etna Sans Serif. Questions? Email us at tankatuesdaypoetry@gmail.com.
🚨 LEARN how to create the taiga on canva.com on this post:
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Contact
If you have any questions, please contact us at tankatuesdaypoetry@gmail.com, or fill out the form below:
Contact Sunflower Tanka
Navigating life’s intricate fabric, choices open paths to the extraordinary, demanding creativity, curiosity, and courage for a truly fulfilling syllabic writing journey.
Sunflower Tanka Anthology 