1st Annual Poet's Choice Kukai 2003

Congratulations to Carol Raisfeld, whose poem you chose as the best "kigo" entry of the year!

Congratulations also to Andrea Gradidge, whose poem you chose as the best "free format" entry of the year!

In the listing below, after each poem the author is listed, and then a three digit code revealing how many 3-point, 2-point, and 1-point points were cast for this poem by the other participating poets.

(214 = 12) would indicate that the poem above received two 3-point votes, one 2-point vote, and four 1-point votes.

First Annual Kukai Results

Kigo Theme: various

First Place -- 26 Points

winter rain

one flowered umbrella

at the funeral

Carol Raisfeld

jan2003

(1,6,11) = 26

comments

Second Place -- 20 Points

morning fog

the creak of boats

at anchor

OwenB

may2003

(2,5,4) = 20

comments

Third Place -- 19 Points

morning fog

the sound the river makes

when I close my eyes

Marjorie Buettner

may2003

(1,5,6) = 19

Fourth Place -- 14 Points

mail call …

the scent of violets

from home

Carol Raisfeld

apr2003

(0,5,4) = 14

first day of school -- 

the bus slowly taken

by the morning fog

Peter H. Pache

may2003

(1,4,3) = 14

comments

Fifth Place -- 13 Points

on spread legs

the deer is drinking

it's reflection

Emile Molhuysen

nov2002

(2,2,3) = 13

comments

Sixth Place -- 10 Points

lalique hummingbird--

a thousand pieces

of scattered sun

Kathy Lippard Cobb

feb2003

(1,3,1) = 10

comments

Seventh Place -- 9 Points

storm clouds

a sunflower faces

the cracked earth

Darrell Byrd

aug2003

(0,2,5) = 9

comments

Sunset deepens . . . 

blackbirds on the lawn

become the darkness

karma tenzing wangchuk

oct2002

(1,1,4) = 9

comments

the sun is setting - 

even an ant on the wall

has a long shadow

Tomislav Maretic

jul2003

(3,0,0) = 9

comments

Eighth Place -- 8 Points

heavy frost

I lean deeper

into him

Naia

dec2002

(1,1,3) = 8

cloudy sky -

every sunflower looking

in another direction

Tomislav Maretic

aug2003

(0,2,4) = 8

comments

climbing over the fence

my younger sister

and honeysuckle

Deborah Russell

jun2003

(1,2,1) = 8

comments

Ninth Place -- 7 Points

deserted wharf

swept by winter rain--

the neon crab blinks

Ellen Compton

jan2003

(0,2,3) = 7

comments

after the funeral

the seeds she ordered

in today's mail

Roberta Beary

mar2003

(0,2,3) = 7

Tenth Place -- 6 Points

row of coral bells

a hummingbird 

rings each one

OwenB

feb2003

(0,2,2) = 6

comments

Eleventh Place -- 5 Points

morning frost - 

your long absence

deepens

Rob Scott

dec2002

(1,1,0) = 5

comments

Twelfth Place -- 4 Points

frost in the air

the line of swallows ends

with a sparrow

Johannes Manjrekar

dec2002

(0,1,2) = 4

comments

divorce papers

I pick the nuts out of

the waldorf salad

Carmel C. Lively

sep2002

(0,1,2) = 4

sunflowers~

my grand daughter leaps from

shadow to shadow

Deborah Russell

aug2003

(0,1,2) = 4

bamboo cage

a finch feeding seed

to the mirror

Darrell Byrd

mar2003

(0,1,2) = 4

comments

Gettysburg -- 

a stone hand reaches

through morning fog

Earl Keener

may2003

(0,0,4) = 4

deer tracks - 

imagining my garden

beneath the snow

Carol Raisfeld

nov2002

(0,1,2) = 4

comments

red hibiscus

a hummingbird in place

above her ear

Darrell Byrd

feb2003

(0,2,0) = 4

comments

Thirteenth Place -- 3 Points

melted snow

where a ewe has slept

wild violets

Ray MacKenzie

apr2003

(0,1,1) = 3

almost bedtime…

one last walnut shell

ignites the embers

Sheila Windsor

sep2002

(0,1,1) = 3

comments

night clouds--

the blind man plucks an acorn

from his tin cup

Kathy Lippard Cobb

sep2002

(0,1,1) = 3

honeysuckle

a cloud of gnats drifts

over the pond

martin

jun2003

(0,0,3) = 3

comments

easing off the gas

wild sunflowers

on both sides now

mark e

aug2003

(0,1,1) = 3

comments

fog swirls

through the boat yard - 

winter rain

Darrell Byrd

jan2003

(0,1,1) = 3

comments

afterward --

the scent of violets

in her lingerie

Carole MacRury

apr2003

(0,1,1) = 3

comments

sunflower seeds

scattered on the sidewalk

a homeless man

Deborah P Kolodji

aug2003

(0,0,3) = 3

Free Format Theme: various

First Place -- 19 Points

open windows

a lullaby sung

in Cantonese

Andrea Gradidge (ushi)

Jul2003

(1,7,2) = 19

comments

Second Place -- 13 Points

in my shadow

I see more deeply

into the water

Nancy Smith

Feb2003

(2,3,1) = 13

comments

Third Place -- 10 Points

her last canvas -- 

the artist captures 

a fading sunset

Rosa Velt

jun2003

(0,4,2) = 10

comments

moving day

echoes in a house

no longer my home

Kate Creighton

jan2003

(0,2,6) = 10

comments

Fourth Place -- 9 Points

old desktop

the principal looks for

his initials

Jim Mullins

Aug2003

(0,3,3) = 9

comments

sketchpad -- 

sunlight inches

towards the fly

Martin

jun2003

(1,2,2) = 9

comments

winter night

an empty train disappears

into falling snow

Pamela Molhuysen

mar2003

(1,2,2) = 9

comments

sidewalk café - 

an alley cat licks

spilled latte

Darrell Byrd

May2003

(1,2,2) = 9

comments

Fifth Place -- 8 Points

dried clay on his hands

the potter

rolls a cigarette

w.f. owen

jun2003

(1,1,3) = 8

comments

summer breeze ~

the clink of empty swings

circles the schoolyard

Deborah Russell

Aug2003

(1,2,1) = 8

pencil shavings--

the student's tongue

curls and uncurls

DeVar Dahl

Jun2003

(2,0,2) = 8

comments

Sixth Place -- 7 Points

garden sculptures

children strike poses

near a sunlit wall

Allen McGill

May2003

(0,2,3) = 7

comments

cobblestone alley

his cane

knows the way

w.f. owen

apr2003

(1,1,2) = 7

comments

summer music -- 

pebbles being carried

in and out with the tide

Rosa Velt

Jul2003

(0,2,3) = 7

comments

bicycling 

through plum blossoms -- 

a sudden gust

Carole MacRury

mar2003

(0,2,3) = 7

Seventh Place -- 6 Points

cooler nights - 

the curve of your back

nestled in mine

Carol Raisfeld

sep2002

(0,1,4) = 6

comments

light rain

the moving van

pulls away

Linda Papanicoulauo

Mar 2003

(0,2,2) = 6

comments

on the book cover

the same name

over and over

C. Lee Robinson

Aug2003

(1,0,3) = 6

the widow's house

window by window

lights go out

Carol Raisfeld

jan2003

(0,2,2) = 6

comments

on grandma's brass lamp

three generations

of fingerprints

Cindy Tebo

oct2002

(0,2,2) = 6

boundary waters

the cry of the loon

by my canoe

Deborah P. Kolodji

mar2003

(0,1,4) = 6

comments

spring rain -- 

we bicycle through

the scent of violets

Hortensia Anderson

mar2003

(1,0,3) = 6

cooler days

a fallen leaf twists

on a strand of web

Sue

sep2002

(0,3,0) = 6

Eighth Place -- 5 Points

campfire shadows--

pine smoke flavors

the pork and beans

DeVar Dahl

Feb2003

(0,1,3) = 5

comments

village heat--

a donkey's ear twitches

out of its hat

Martin

nov2002

(0,1,3) = 5

comments

autumn leaves - 

children crowd around

the fallen nest

Carol Raisfeld

dec2002

(0,0,5) = 5

comments

Ninth Place -- 4 Points

first grader's scream

a pet snake

at show and tell

Carmel C. Lively

Aug2003

(0,1,2) = 4

October night

the neighbor's bug lamp catches

nothing but snow

OwenB

oct2002

(1,0,1) = 4

daybreak -- 

windows across the valley

turn rose gold

Hortensia Anderson

apr2003

(0,2,0) = 4

comments

summer garden-- 

frog and stone bathed 

in moonlight

Sheila Windsor

May2003

(1,0,1) = 4

howling wind

an abandoned nest clings

to the moon

Rob Scott

dec2002

(0,1,2) = 4

comments

first school day

he hides his glasses

in the pocket

Tore Sverredal

Aug2003

(0,0,4) = 4

Tenth Place -- 3 Points

band practice night

the board approves a quote

for soundproofing

Andrea Gradidge (ushi)

Aug2003

(0,1,1) = 3

heatwave

the painful sound

of violin practice

Celia Crook

Jul2003

(0,1,1) = 3

comments

writing his name

with a lot of screeches

the new teacher

Emile Molhuysen

Aug2003

(0,0,3) = 3

comments

open house

laughter spills out

on the porch

Carmen Sterba

Jan2003

(0,0,3) = 3

comments

Sunday morning

in the steeple's shadow

virgin snow

Carol Raisfeld

feb2003

(0,1,1) = 3

comments