Count the place settings,
fifteen gather for dinner
on Thanksgiving night,
ghosts sit amongst us—hear them?
They are welcome, too.
Franz Marc, “Deer,” {Public Domain], Wikipedia Commons
This is an untraditional tanka for Frank’s Haikai challenge, using the prompt Thanksgiving, and Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday challenge using synonyms for celebrate and number. I’ve been busy with work and Thanksgiving prep, and I’m behind on reading posts. I’ll catch-up over the weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate the holiday, and happy Thursday to everyone else.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Nice piece of writing! Love your blog too! Happy Thanksgiving! Hope to see more from you. Have hope, write on! 🙂
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you.
you are welcome!
We will have five for our gathering, 2 brothers, my Mom and youngest daughter, Felicia. Turkey is in oven, giblets and neckbone ready with natural juices to add to the gravy. Now, boil cranberries! Love you, Merril. Blessings to you and yours. 💗
Thank you so much, Robin. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I’ve done the prep I can do–turkey will go in the oven a bit later. ❤
Oh, sounds lovely, Merril! Rich took off to run the Turkey Trot 🦃 in his home town (10k = 6.2 miles). I await on Randy and Felicia who has longer drive. I’m eating apple pie with pecans streusel topping for breakfast! Dogs had a little turkey cooked giblets. 🤗
Sounds like a great breakfast! 🙂 Daughter and daughter-in-law in Boston were going to do the walk/run with daughter-in-law’s family. It was very cold. I’m not sure if they did or not. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Beautiful tanka, those ghosts are comforting characters. . . hugs xo
Thank you, Robin.
Happy Turkey-ness!
May the ghosts feed well too! Looking forward to photos of food! Happy Thanksgiving Merrill to you and family 😀
Thank you so much, Susan. I’m sure there will be some food photos. 🙂
Enjoy your time with family, Merril. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much, Jill! We had a good time. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving, Merril!
Thank you, Robert! And to you!
I like the inclusion of those who have passed away, who are still in our hearts with gratitude. 🙂
Thank you very much!
What a lovely Tanka poem, Merril. I like the idea of the ancestors joining you in the celebration. ❤
Thank you so much, Colleen! I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving.
Love this! Yes, the ghosts must be invited…
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you very much, Dale!
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Thursday!
This conjured up visions of happy Thanksgivings past. Lovely poem.
Thank you very much!
As always, your contemplation amidst the celebration always hits at the right spot. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with a meal of 14, but the ghosts were around, as well they should have been. xo
Thank you, Pam. I’m glad you had a good celebration. If older daughter and her wife were here, we would have had seventeen, but the ghosts were definitely hovering.
Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #9: Merril Smith’s #tanka for Colleen’s #weekly #tanka #poetry challenge my current #haikai challenge!
Thank you, Frank!
My pleasure, Merril! 🙂
Please tell me you didn’t host 15 actual eaters on Thanksgiving! Because if you did I would have to kneel down at your feet. We were four (gardener, me, daughter, and the bf) and that was pretty good, although maybe son and DIL and my mom could have rounded it out. That would be 7 and my limit.
You’re so funny, Luanne. Yes, there were 15 of us. My brother’s friend and her son came, but older daughter and her wife did not (they alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas with in-laws). So we might have had 17. I’ll probably have a photo on Monday. 🙂
Ah, the feast of memories. Those ghosts I think enjoy hearing the same as well as the new jokes. Sometimes I like to make place cards… So the last couple of times our families got together at our son’s in-laws the grands made place cards. I was going to keep mine, but I forgot. When some of the letters are reversed… it’s so cute. The grands also got some craft kits to help decorate the table. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. Your place cards sound very cute. 🙂
I think besides the names… they kiddo’s put on turkey and other Thanksgiving stickers 🙂
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Very nice. 🙂 I like that the ghosts (ancestors) join us.
Meant to add: I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Merril.
Thanks so much. I did! I hope you did, too. 🙂
Thank you, Robin!
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