I am entering the Space Tanka Contest.

I love the scent of white musk.

Musk is a natural animal-derived fragrance from the musk deer, but white musk is a synthetic fragrance made using essential oils and the like.

When I learned the meaning of 'musk' (jakou), I felt a little scared, but it seems it is also used in traditional Chinese medicine and other remedies, so I thought, 'I see, that is why it has such an amazing scent.'

The white musk I like is often used in aromatherapy, and it has a soap-like scent that makes me feel like I am wrapped in a freshly washed bath towel.

Scent is something that brings memories back to life.
I believe it is the strongest of the five human senses.

Even memories that you think you will never forget in your life can sometimes be forgotten.

But,

when you are on your way somewhere,

if you catch that scent, you always remember, don't you?

Chasing your scent along the way, I break into a run when I spot you.

The haiku I submitted for the White Cup

Along the way, your scent, the autumn breeze.

I have a poem like that.
I turned that haiku into a tanka.

For the header, I added a bit of playfulness with a fanged musk deer, along with the difficult kanji for 'musk' (麝香).

The entries for the Everyone's Tanka Contest can be found in this magazine.

The Everyone's Tanka Contest runs until April 25th!

The Everyone's Haiku Contest and Senryu Contest are also being held at the same time!

The spin-off project, creating a single verse, is also open until April 25th!

#SpaceTanka #SpaceCup