Here’s a little backgrounder on this poem, which I wrote around 20 years ago while on a course at Heavenly Mountain in Boone, North Carolina. The first part was originally just a haiku. It was a fun way to point out the need to increase awareness as a preparation to write. Years later, an idea presented itself extending the metaphor to its logical conclusion. The phrase, taken literally, was an unexpected surprise, along with the irresistible pun. I added them as a hoku, completing the poem, transforming it into a tanka on writing. Enjoy reading “Preparing to Write.”
PREPARING TO WRITE
a tanka on writing
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Railroad Crossings Are
Places To Become Aware—
STOP! LOOK! And LISTEN!
.
If you hear a train of thought
You’ll know you’re on the write track!
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© Ken Chawkin
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Also see Haiku On The Nature of Haiku.
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