Poetic Musings: Childhood Home Tanka by Marilyn Humbert

my childhood home

framed by river redgums ...

I stumble

over exposed roots

and family scandals

First Place, UHTS Fleeting Words Tanka Competition, 2021

 

Marilyn Humbert

Commentary: Marilyn Humbert’s tanka uses the "river redgum"—an iconic symbol of Australian resilience—to frame a narrative of domestic displacement. Ls 1&2 establish a physical and psychological framework, rooting the speaker’s identity within both the landscape and the family unit. The "exposed roots" in L 4 works well on two levels: both a literal tripping hazard and a visual metaphor for the "family scandals" unearthed in L5. Ultimately, this tanka questions whether the family possesses the same adaptability as the redgum, or if these surfacing secrets will lead to a permanent fall. As with the best tanka, the power lies in the resonance of what remains unsaid.