“Go Out On A Limb” #tanka #poems

For RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Challenge—a fun activity that helps keep our creative writer’s brain active! This week’s words: Amused & Irate. This grew into a Tanka style poem, 5/7/5/7 syllables.

“Go Out On A Limb”

Up she reached and reached
Yet the peach dangled too high.
Others were laughing
Amused by her vain attempt
To reach the prized branch.
Irate, she took in a breath
Gathered her courage
And left the ladder to climb.
Carefully she climbed
Gripping the bark with each move
Higher and higher,
Until she could see the branch
And its treasured peach.
Those watching stopped their laughing
And held their breath as
She approached the thin, high limb.
The branch swayed, rattled,
Hazardous under her weight.
She paused, shut her eyes
But the peach was just ahead.
She couldn’t give up.
She inched forward, more and more.
The branch groaned and bent.
Her hand reached out, fingers stretched
Further, further, then…
She felt something soft: the peach.
She grinned, and grabbed it,
And the branch broke under her…
She screamed, tumbling
Though the leaves and limbs slowed her
To land on her back.
She ached, but held the peach high.
The other kids came
Telling her she was crazy.
But she only smiled
“Take a chance, and you’ll reach the best fruit.”

© 2017-present E.E. Rawls & RawlsE.wordpress.com

Tuesday July 25 the winner of the Most Mysterious Imp Silmaril will be revealed here! See you then.

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If you like the above poems, you may also enjoy this collaborative work published by me and my mother: AMAZON | GOODREADS | B&N | SMASHWORDS
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