For Satori by Phillip Appleman

In the spring of joy,

when even the mud chuckles,   

my soul runs rabid,

snaps at its own bleeding heels,   

and barks: “What is happiness?”

The poem above is an example of a tanka. Tanka is a form of Japanese poetry that is similar to a haiku. However, while a haiku is written with the pattern 5/7/5, a tanka is written with the pattern 5/7/5/7/7.

Watch the video below to learn more about the tanka format.