Poetry, Tanka, Tanka Puente, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

New Growth – or – Life vs Death

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Written for Tanka Tuesday where our host,
Colleen, asks us to write a tanka puente on  
the theme of opposites, such as light vs dark,
using a quote of our choosing as the bridge.

Image by Me & ChatGPT

I water the plant
that stopped blooming years ago
still I water it
some habits outlive the hope
that gave watering meaning

~ Death is not the greatest loss in life.
The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live. ~

I cut the dead stem
and green rises from the cut
I did not expect
that letting go of the numb
would let this new light back in

NAR©2026

Nancy’s Notes: The quote I chose is from Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the Human Spirit by Norman Cousins.

This is “Weeds” by Marina and The Diamonds

TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 72, Tanka Puente, 7/7/26

Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.



22 thoughts on “New Growth – or – Life vs Death”

  7. loved the photo… i hold onto the dead plants… cut them back water and wait… I did not expect
    that letting go of the numb
    would let this new light back in… powerful … great response to the prompt…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. My mother-in-law had the most beautiful houseplants and she taught me so much about caring for them. One piece of advice I’ll never forget; she told be to be “ruthless” when it came to pruning, not to be afraid to cut the plants way back. They’ll thank me for it …. and she was right.

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      Reply

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