a beetle scuttles
tickatickatickatick
runs from a shadow
the crack of the carapace
echoes in an empty room

Bug
Rob McGuinness 2006

This is an example of a Tanka. It follows a strict syllabic form. Traditionally the focus of a Tanka is the natural world but after the first three lines there is often a pivot point where the focus changes from the external world to the thoughts and emotions of an internal world.

The poem, Kafka’s Father, was written to go with Rob McGuinness’s 3D piece. His work reminded me of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis; the story of a man who is transformed into an insect. My poem is an attempt to condense aspects of the story and Kafka’s personal life into a tiny form. During the writing of this poem I began to think of haiku and tanka as the beetles of the poetry world!

Emma Purshouse 2006