soft sigh of regret
sweet chance lost, and sparks that dimmed
a lass
the dream gone, her smile remains
treasured diamond in the sand

Very nice! Beautifully done

huddled by the fire
ashes of her lonely world
approached
warm silk brushing tired legs
rhythmic purring, neither spoke

(dedicated to my cat Leo that passed away many years ago)

I have done some online research on Tanka, and it appears that the standard syllable arrangement is actually 5,7,5,7,7 and not 5,7,2,7,7. In fact, I could find no reference to a 5,7,2,7,7 arrangement. But, ultimately is doesn't matter, as most American Tanka's organizations recognize that the syllables in Japanese and English language differ. And considering the nice poems on this thread, this 5, 7,2, format works very well. Maybe we need to make up a new name for it
Perhaps Yona found this format elsewhere? Besides, it's his thread, so he can set the rules.

Interesting... Good point. You know, for some reason I do like the two-syllable 'pause' in the dead center of the poem, the use of a single word or pair of words there is a nice touch when reading the final product.

This link discusses the differences between english syllables and 'morae'. Morae is what the japanese are counting. This link explains that the word london would count as two syllables, but the Japanese would count four 'morae' in this word. The japanese count morae, while the Westerners count syllables.
http://www.worldhaiku.net/archive/onji.pdf.

Here's another link on tanka that people might find interesting.

http://www.ahapoetry.com/tanka.htm

Pause for reflection
Mirrors, water, blackened glass
They lie
Backwards worlds, seen in reverse
Slip through, drown in vanity

I like poems that makes one think, and ones that use multiple meanings of words

Tanks, umm, I mean, Thanks! (Tanka on the brain)

faint sweet melody
dreams are held then slip away
wind chimes
soft whisper in lover's ear
passions of nature revealed

From tanka's long history - over 1300 years recorded in Japan - the most famous use of the poetry form was as secret messages between lovers.

Arriving home in the morning, after having dallied with a lover all night, it became the custom of well-mannered persons of the Imperial Court to write an immediate thank-you note for the pleasures of the hospitality. Stylized into a convenient five lines of 5-7-5-7-7 onji [sound syllables much shorter than those in English], the little poem expressing one's feelings were sent either in a special paper container, written on a fan, or knotted to a branch or stem of a single blossom. This was delivered to the lover by personal messenger who then was given something to drink along with his chance to flirt with the household staff. During this interval a responding tanka was to be written in reply which he would return to his master.

It was not an easy task for the writer, who had probably been either awake or engaged in strenuous activities all night, to write a verse that related, in some manner, to the previous note, that expressed (carefully) one's feelings, and which titillated enough to cause the sender to want to return again that evening. Added to this dilemma was the need to get the giggling servants back to work and the personal messenger on his way with a note so written that he wouldn't know exactly what was what but with the references and illusory comments the beloved would understand and appreciate.

In a society that accepted the fact that marriage vows were financial and social leaving affairs to trigger adrenalin and the arts, the chore of writing those morning-after notes was raised to an exercise in poetic genius. A woman who, after being wakened from a well-deserved sleep, could cope with brush, solid ink, and words, was assured of more lovers (and hence, more financial support) than the contortionist on the mattress.

So treasured became tanka - and so eager were men and women to improve their own works - that contests were regularly held for the purpose of writing, judging, and reading tanka. So necessary was a body of esteemed works to which one could refer, and be inspired, and borrow from when all else failed, that the emperors decreed the collection of anthologies beginning around 700 AD