Eucalypt is a highly regarded, long-running tanka journal edited by Julie Thorndyke. The journal is published in Australia with a new print issue produced in May and November each year. Issue 36 was released in May 2024.

Founded by Beverley George in 2006, Eucalypt has maintained a consistent editorial focus over the years, with Beverley editing issues 1 to 21 and Julie editing the journal since then.

Tanka is a Japanese poetic form written in five lines. The origins of tanka date back some 1,300 years with the form still being popular today. In depicting the human experience, these poems often use a lyrical tone to address a range of emotions from love to despair. You can read more about the nature of tanka here.

Eucalypt was the first Australian journal devoted to English-language tanka. While it publishes a range of Australian voices, the pages of Eucalypt also feature writers from other countries. Here are some poems from Issue 36:

grandma stands
tight as a bud
watching wildfire
whip away
her livelihood

Gwen Bitti, Australia

ladling
soup and warmth
into each bowl
she gives them hope
for one more night

Joanne Watcyn-Jones, Australia

my first
cold plunge —
how kind of the water
to make room
for my grief

Lorraine A Padden, USA

The most recent issue of Eucalypt includes poets from some 15 countries, which indicates the important role the journal plays as a record of English-language tanka being written around the world in the 21st century. Clearly laid out, with no more than three poems per page and featuring complementary artwork by Pim Sarti, Eucalypt is a joy to read. It’s no wonder the journal has developed such a loyal following.

Here are three more poems from Eucalypt Issue 36:

in real time
I describe this cloud
above me
and text it to my friend
who flies gliders

Mark Gilbert, UK

so familiar
the whisper of the wind
fleeting
the tenderness
of your breath

Kathy Kituai, Australia

petals of white ume
fluttering and floating
down the Shirakawa River —
my thoughts are always
of my sibling who died young

Kiyoko Ogawa, Japan

Whereas haiku are known for their emphasis on images, tanka create impact by addressing thoughts and emotions much more directly. The poem above by Kiyoko Ogawa is a fine example of both the lyrical and emotional qualities of tanka.

Sitting down with an issue of Eucalypt takes the reader on a moving journey of highs and lows that, in the end, leaves one feeling fulfilled and refreshed.

Eucalypt welcomes submissions in March for the May issue and again in September for the November issue. Details about submissions and subscription arrangements for the journal can be found here.