Lao Tzu

a spoonful of vinegar:
is it bitter, sweet or sour?
the bearded philosopher
throws a smile for an answer

This is my first English tanaga, inspired by the story of the three vinegar tasters: Confucius, Buddha and Lao Tzu. For details on this story and the accompanying painting, click here.

What is a tanaga. This is a Filipino form of poetry, consisting of four lines that rhyme, with seven syllables for each line. I would say that it is the counterpart of the Japanese tanka. Members of the Pinoy Poets e-group, of which I am one, join hands in promoting said indigenous poetry form. I have created a new blog featuring the tanaga that I've written, all in Tagalog except the one above.