[Final Episode] Secret Reply Poems

This is a project where you write a reply poem (henka) to a given tanka (original poem)
in the comments section.

Tanka beginners, newcomers, passersby,
veterans—all are welcome 👍

Participating via text articles is also welcome in this project.

It has finally reached the final summary episode.

This time, 38 people participated,
and a total of 173 poems were submitted.

Thank you so much for participating.

This long-running project
is supported by many people every time,
and I receive so much inspiration.

I am the type of person who takes
quite a while to compose a poem 💦

Since poems start gathering about an hour
after the original poem is announced,
I feel grateful while also thinking, 'That was fast!'

The article becomes lively in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that, some people think it looks fun
and come to join in.

People who leave thoughts on the reply poems in my comments section,
those who frame them in Canva on their own,
and those who reply to the reply poems on their own—
I think the depth of this project, including those who support it,
is truly amazing.

I also think it is a wonderful project where we can all compose reply poems
from the same original poem and feel a sense of unity.

In the article posts that have become quite familiar,
when I am called by a notification and fly over to the article,
I sometimes receive poems as love letters attached to plum branches.

Seeing how people enjoy replying to each other within those articles,
the seeds of the 'Secret Reply Poems' have taken root in those places
and are blooming.
I was happy to realize that everyone is enjoying it

in their own respective places.

This time, I also incorporated a lottery-style poem selection
for the third round.

As the project organizer, it was incredibly interesting.
As a participant myself, I was excited to see what the original poem would be,
and it had a fun, 'drop the handkerchief' kind of excitement.

From the poems chosen by fate,
various patterns of reply poems were submitted,
many dramas were born,
and it was very lively.

Thank you all so very much ✨

Now, thank you for waiting,
here is the announcement of the fourth and final poem.

Please try to feel the worldview
combined with the previous three poems.

Original Poem 1

Holding my breath, I clench my palm into a fist
It's okay now, I don't love you anymore
Even so, I am a mother

Original Poem ②

Seeds of love buried at the end of the snow
Hearing the first thunder, they sprout, unable to wait
Tateyama Tsurugi

I made this a separate article this time, but I had the AI
write out the worldview of each tanka
in prose.

I was reminded once again
that human sensibility is wonderful✨.

The Lilac Cup starts on the 25th.

If you are having trouble with your submission, it might be interesting
to write a poem for the final tanka,
or to write another poem based on the worldview of original poems ① and ②

and submit that.
Secret Response Poems connects the seasonsand runs alongside the tournament.

The original poems borrowed from Shirokuma Tanka
return to Lilac Tanka via Secret Response Poems.

The sea of Minhai Tanka is becoming even richer.

Perhaps Secret Response Poems
might have that very role.
As the final episode approaches, such thoughts
crossed my mind.

That is only because of all of you
who shared the joy with me for a long month each time.

Let's enjoy the Lilac Cup together too🌸.


Thank you for reading
until the end✨.

To check the application requirements😊

The following is for contact purposes.
Please scroll all the way down to the comment section.