2nd Annual Poets' Choice Kukai
Kigo from Monthly Winners
First Place -- 22 Points
heat lightning--
ice cubes crack
in the lemonade
aom
(2,6,4) = 22
Second Place -- 21 Points
old pond --
the speckled stone
becomes a frog
Carol Raisfeld
(1,7,4) = 21
Third Place -- 18 Points
dog days
the old fence leans towards
its shadow
Sue Stanford
(2,3,6) = 18
Fourth Place -- 16 Points
distant thunder
the spent log collapses
in the fireplace
Allen McGill
(3,1,5) = 16
Fifth Place -- 15 Points
winter branch
the sparrow's roundness
in the wind
Martin Cohen
(2,2,5) = 15
Sixth Place -- 11 Points
deepening dusk -
an owl adds its voice
to the campfire song
Zhanna P. Rader
(0,3,5) = 11
Seventh Place -- 10 Points
tomatoes on sale
a blind man selects one
for me
Kylie Hooklyn
(2,0,4) = 10
peace rally
red leaves
cover the river
Tore Sverredal
(1,3,1) = 10
distant lightning…
the feel
of a scar
Paul Pfleuger, Jr.
(1,2,3) = 10
winter--
sipping tea
alone
oga
(0,4,2) = 10
Eighth Place -- 9 Points
distant thunder
counting the minutes
during labour
ushi
(0,2,5) = 9
first snow
a hopping sparrow
prints arrows
Grzegorz Sionkowski
(0,2,5) = 9
Ninth Place -- 8 Points
lightning flash
the suckling baby
curls his toes
Aruna
(0,1,6) = 8
Tenth Place -- 7 Points
first snow
on the rusted pump
sunset
Larry Gross
(1,1,2) = 7
spring field
the crow pecks
at its shadow
martin
(0,2,3) = 7
dog days
a copperhead slithers
out of its skin
Robert
(1,0,4) = 7
Eleventh Place -- 6 Points
garden party
a red beetle lands
on her hat
Audrey Downey
(1,0,3) = 6
red leaves
the house for sale
still sits vacant
Joann
(0,1,4) = 6
spring field --
the snowman's broom
on the ground
Flatline
(0,2,2) = 6
campfire
the occasional hiss
of snowflakes
soji
(0,1,4) = 6
afternoon calm--
a bullfrog leaps into
its reflection
Kathy Lippard Cobb
(0,2,2) = 6
dog days--
a fly in the lemonade
rests now and then
DeVar
(1,0,3) = 6
Twelfth Place -- 5 Points
lightning …
a flash of your photograph
at my bedside
Mark Hollingsworth
(0,2,1) = 5
midnight thunder …
a shaft of moonlight
strikes the pine
Robert Bauer
(0,2,1) = 5
campfire
brass rivets sparkle
in her jeans
Darrell Byrd
(0,1,3) = 5
rumble of thunder
a tomato falls
from the vine
Robert Bauer
(0,2,1) = 5
soup line--
a tattered child makes
the first snow angel
Kathy Lippard Cobb
(0,2,1) = 5
Thirteenth Place -- 4 Points
first snow
already yellow--
neighbor's dog
oino sakai
(0,1,2) = 4
summer solstice
the first ripe tomato
cut in half
sheila windsor
(0,0,4) = 4
cloudless sky -
ladder against the garage
anchored in red leaves
Debi Faulkner
(0,2,0) = 4
full moon
a beetle carves some light
from a lily
Paul Pfleuger, Jr.
(0,2,0) = 4
Free Form Monthly Winners
First Place -- 31 Points
sunset
the skin of the orange
still warm
sheila windsor
(4,6,7) = 31
Second Place -- 16 Points
prairie sunset
the glow of the cattleman's
branding iron
Ed Markowski
(2,3,4) = 16
Third Place -- 13 Points
hotel check-in
the pool boy
filters the moonlight
roberta beary
(1,4,2) = 13
Fourth Place -- 12 Points
the Japanese gardens -
friends taking pictures of
friends taking pictures
Brenda Roberts
(2,1,4) = 12
Fifth Place -- 11 Points
morning dew--
so many suns
on the spider's web
susan bond
(1,2,4) = 11
Sixth Place -- 10 Points
filling pools
all over town
harvest moon
Aruna
(0,3,4) = 10
tidal pool--
another cloud
passes
Mary Lee McClure
(0,4,2) = 10
cold night air
the leaves in my teacup
settling.
Zaida Lysle
(1,2,3) = 10
photograph album
no one left to tell
their stories
Carmel C. Lively
(0,4,2) = 10
Seventh Place -- 9 Points
hot air balloon
the landing field
is full of cows
ushi
(0,2,5) = 9
day moon
a tray of cookies cools
on the window sill
Sue
(1,3,0) = 9
sunset
no one
looks east
Grzegorz Sionkowski
(0,3,3) = 9
home office
each child's height marked
on the door frame
Carol Raisfeld
(1,1,4) = 9
Eighth Place -- 8 Points
wanting to write
a haiku about cookies,
I eat the whole jar
Zhanna P. Rader
(0,1,6) = 8
pool party
two shades of lipstick
on one glass
Flatline
(0,2,4) = 8
sunset
my shadow grows
with each step
Origa
(1,1,3) = 8
Ninth Place -- 7 Points
desert air
behind the veil
blue eyes
Paula Fisher
(0,2,3) = 7
casual Friday :
the office temp's
purple Mohawk
ushi
(1,1,2) = 7
wedding day
grandmother's gown
walks again
Kylie Hooklyn
(0,0,7) = 7
four generations
of the same nose--
family pictures
DeVar
(1,1,2) = 7
Tenth Place -- 6 Points
the station cat
asleep in the shadow
of my luggage
aom
(0,1,4) = 6
curtains flutter -
the feel of the air through
half-closed eyes
Carol Raisfeld
(0,3,0) = 6
direct flight --
our luggage takes
the scenic route
Laryalee Fraser
(0,2,2) = 6
fisherman's lunch…
a hawk follows
the bend of the river
Ed Markowski
(0,3,0) = 6
fog on the bridge--
a flicker of headlights
from the other side
Kathy Lippard Cobb
(1,1,1) = 6
Eleventh Place -- 5 Points
sermon over --
on a back pew
cookie crumbs
Laryalee Fraser
(0,1,3) = 5
sleepless night --
counting the headlights
on the wall
Flatline
(0,1,3) = 5
attic dust
bronze baby shoes
and a purple heart
Carol Raisfeld
(0,1,3) = 5
lunch hour
waiters share
a cigarette
aom
(0,1,3) = 5