Mid-Autumn Tanka Poem by Chen-ou Liu

mid-autumn night…
the wind whispers to me
Chinese words
that offer me a home
in the shape of a moon


Tanka First Place,2011 San Francisco International Competition Haiku, Senryu, Tanka, and Rengay sponsored by the Haiku Poets of Northern California
Published in Mariposa
Anthologized in Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka,4,2012

Judge's Comment

The originality of the images coupled with the evocative sense of ‘stranger in a strange land' merited a 1st Place award. The first two lines appear to lead to a traditional path. The third line is the turning point that brings this tanka to the next level. The fourth and fifth lines complete the journey. After reading this tanka I found myself looking at the moon with new eyes and listening to the language of the wind.

http: //www.hpnc.org/past-contests/2012-contest-results-with-judges-comments