The Forest I Know by Kala Ramesh is a fabulous collection of her tanka verses. I won this book in a tanka competition organized by Blogchatter in the last week of August this year. Before that, I didn't know the word 'tanka'. So then, I did a little bit of research on the Internet on Kala Ramesh, the author of this book, and of course, on tanka. Only one contestant was to win this book as an award from none other than Kala Ramesh. It was, indeed, a tough competition. Anyhow, I tried my luck, and luckily that became the best tanka as announced by Kala Ramesh. Though the book I had to receive had to be author signed but due to Pandemic the logistics could not be worked out by Blogchatter. So, finally the book was delivered but without a note from the author in it.
The Forest I Know by Kala Ramesh is not at all a one time read. It's a collection of gems and each gem needs its own time to sink in reader's heart and mind. In fact, it's a book to be a part of your personal library and can be picked anytime to get a new meaning of an already read tanka. Tanka, as I got to know is more than thousand years old five-line lyrical form of poetry from Japan. It was originally named as 'Waka' which in Japanese means 'short song'.
Tanka is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature. Wikipedia
Origin
One of the oldest Japanese forms, tanka originated in the seventh century, and quickly became the preferred verse form not only in the Japanese Imperial Court, where nobles competed in tanka contests, but for women and men engaged in courtship. Poets.org
The Forest I Know by Kala Ramesh is her first book in this genre. It, as the genre suggests, contains tanka, tanka purpose, and tanka doha. This book is a journey of simple pleasures, startling beauty, deep emotions, and life moments.
tanka
for months
I go without writing …
this urge
to become a leaf
rising with the wind
wishing
I were looped
to a string …
one red kite fluttering
across the twilight sky
I stand up
eager to discover
the new woman
taking shape
deep within me
in the silence
of my stilled mind
I hear
the whisper
of raindrops
the forest i know: HarperCollins 2021
Kala Ramesh is a Pushcart-nominated poet.
tanka doha
for the first time
shaping snow
into a ball
I become the grandchild
I’m waiting for
mango blossoms
all over
how soon
how very soon
spring has come!
the forest i know: Harpe rCollins 2021
I'm participating in the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter
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