Tanka #22

One lonesome magpie
taunting the superstitious
with promised sorrow.
Those who trust old wives’ tales
see our world in black and white.

Many cultures consider the magpie an omen of bad luck. For those of you unfamiliar with the English traditional nursery rhyme about certain numbers of magpies meaning good or bad luck, you might like to read some full versions of the rhyme here.

Author: Sarah Potter Writes

Sarah is a British eccentric who writes offbeat fiction, haiku and tanka poetry. When stuck for words, she sketches or paints instead. She's into nature conservation, sustainability, gardening, dogs, natural health, and reading. Her sociability is something that happens in short bursts with long breathing spaces in between. View all posts by Sarah Potter Writes

6 thoughts on “Tanka #22”

Naomi Baltuck says:

24/11/2013 at 5:25 pm

Dear Sarah,
I LOVE this! You are so clever, and I especially appreciated your excellent play on words!

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1. sarahpotterwrites says:
  
  25/11/2013 at 6:13 pm
  
  Thank you, dear Naomi 🙂
  
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Crowing Crone Joss says:

24/11/2013 at 8:58 pm

oh well done. Had to read it a few times to really get it, so yeah, well done! We have them here in Normandy too and I usually only see one and always smile when I do so, take that, you naysayers, I say. heh heh

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1. sarahpotterwrites says:
  
  25/11/2013 at 6:12 pm
  
  You’re like me in dismissing superstition. I always purposely walk under ladders and greet Friday the thirteenths as super-lucky days.
  
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68ghia says:

29/11/2013 at 4:56 pm

Don’t think we get magpies this far south. Then again, I won’t know a magpie from a finch in all likelihood 😉

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1. sarahpotterwrites says:
  
  29/11/2013 at 7:09 pm
  
  Magpies are much larger than finches — about the size of a jay or dove. They have very strident voices, especially when they’re arguing with a squirrel about ownership of a tree!
  
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