6th Annual Poet's Choice Kukai 2008

Kigo Poems

First Place – 48 Points

autumn

the sky grows bigger

by one leaf

April Serock

(3,11,17) = 48 Pts

An original perception. Ying / yang. The loss of one thing is a gain of something else.

Pure haiku.

Second Place – Thirty-three Points

early spring

all night the pond ice

shifts its weight

tom painting

(1,10,10) = 33 Pts

The image is of "in the beginning was the Word" - the very, very beginning of something momentous.

sand sculptures

a mermaid slips back

into the sea

Edward

(1,8,14) = 33 Pts

How effortless it seems! Great work!

widow's cottage —

every spider

has a name

Paul Hodder

(1,7,16) = 33 Pts

Sad without being sentimental. Wabi (or is it sabi?)

Haunting!

Third Place -- Twenty-seven Points

a field

of faceless pumpkins...

Autumn begins

ed markowski

(0,5,17) = 27 Pts

The word "faceless" turns on the energy field of this poem.

Nice alliteration, along with a kind of zen perception of what is not there... but is to come.

The first part is sad/lonely; then the second part evokes the feelings of excitement and anticipation of the season. On a deeper level, there's a kind of mystery to this poem: It's the beginning of the end. It has a distant reverb back to Basho's monkey mask haiku.

Fourth Place – Twenty-five Points

firefly

—the night

finds its way in

miriam chaikin

(2,4,11) = 25 Pts

A kind of an inverse, photographic negative of the usual patter of perception. Beautiful!

Well done!

Fifth Place – Twenty-four Points

spring night

the astronomer finds

a hole in his sock

Petar Tchouhov

(1,6,9) = 24 Pts

How many levels are there in this one? The shape of the hole? The astronomer making a discovery? A "tear" in space? The possibilities are as infinite as the sky.

Sixth Place – Twenty-three Points

ink brush

so many ways to draw

a plum blossom

Audrey Downey

(1,6,8) = 23 Pts

sandcastles...

her youngest daughter

calls me daddy

Colin Stewart Jones

(1,4,12) = 23 Pts

Touching beyond words.

Wonderfully portrays the feelings of tenderness, fragility, hope, expectations, the feeling of being at the beginning of something bigger than ourselves.

Seventh Place – Twenty-two Points

early spring

green at the heart

of an onion

j. cully

(2,5,6) = 22 Pts

I love this!

Sometimes nature is so secretive and sneaks up on us unawares, in places where we least expect.

Eighth Place – Twenty Points

attic window

a spider spreads his web

on the moon

Jacek M.

(1,3,11) = 20 Pts

Ninth Place – Eighteen Points

gathering thyme...

the thoughts that come

when I'm on my knees

Francine Banwarth

(2,1,10) = 18 Pts

When read over and over it seems to provoke an expansive perception of time and meaning by this brilliant combination of words.

Though perhaps not intentional, the use of the word "thyme" (time) was poignant.

Tenth Place – Seventeen Points

migrating birds —

the waving field

of narcissus

Israel Lopez Balan

(4,2,1) = 17 Pts 

(please see footnote below)

first firefly

the electrician shuts

his toolbox

ed markowski

(1,4,6) = 17 Pts

A simple image with profound resonance.

Eleventh Place – Fifteen Points

awkwardly

I carve the turkey

in dad's place

Karen Briggs

(3,2,2) = 15 Pts

This expresses a nice paradoxical feeling of nothingness and everythingness.

Leaves a lump in the throat. I have experienced something similar with my grandfather's passing.

Twelfth Place – Twelve points

near dusk —

a tadpole surfacing

bursts the moon

P. O. Williams

(2,2,2) = 12 Pts

on the front porch

knitting beside grandmother

the spider

Bill Hudson

(1,2,5) = 12 Pts

mossy bank

the doe nuzzles

her swollen belly

Susan Constable

(1,2,5) = 12 Pts

I don't remember the topic for this one, but the image touched me so deeply at the time that even out of context, I still feel it.

footprints...

from sandcastle

to sandcastle

Jacek M.

(1,2,5) = 12 Pts

old farmhouse

the weaving loom filled

with spider silk

Melissa Spurr

(0,2,8) = 12 Pts

Thirteenth Place – Eleven Points

autumn breeze

a dragonfly skims sunlight

off the pond

Keiko Izawa

(0,2,7) = 11 Pts

autumn chill —

the church fills

with the smell of mothballs

Jacek M.

(0,1,9) = 11 Pts

Fourteenth Place – Ten Points

narcissus...

stars turning

to snow

Francine Banwarth

(3,0,1) = 10 Pts

autumn...

a spider takes over

the watering can

sheila Windsor

(1,1,5) = 10 Pts

Fifteenth Place – Nine Points

ikebana

just a lily

and a lily

max verhart

(2,0,3) = 9 Pts

into the water,

into itself:

narcissus

josh wikoff

(0,3,3) = 9 Pts

Fun allusion, brings a smile to everyone who knows the John Wills original.

moon in the lilies

she asks me

to stay the night

Francine Banwarth

(0,2,5) = 9 Pts

Sixteenth Place – Eight Points

new snow...

her footprints lead

to the narcissus

Susan Constable

(1,1,3) = 8 Pts

mind empty

a firefly

fills it

Francine Banwarth

(1,1,3) = 8 Pts

Seventeenth Place – Seven Points

moonlit field

the cows knee-deep

in comfrey

larisa

(0,2,3) = 7 Pts

turkey dinner

three generations

bickering

Beth Richards

(0,2,3) = 7 Pts

Eighteenth Place – Six Points

late november —

the turkey's shadow

suddenly shorter

Mary Davila

(1,0,3) = 6 Pts

What a delightful detail we our shown!

receding clouds

a spider mends

its net

polona

(0,2,2) = 6 Pts

lavender —

even the old stems

fragrant

jill

(0,2,2) = 6 Pts

early spring

her wrinkled fingers

sort seed packets

Yositaka

(0,1,4) = 6 Pts

Great contrast and connections between the new seeds and old hands.

Nineteenth Place – Five Points

tax day —

a bit of parsley

in his smile

josh wikoff

(0,1,3) = 5 Pts

heat wave

a child waters

the fire lily

Collin Barber

(0,1,3) = 5 Pts

Twentieth Place – Four Points

plum pudding

an old friend warms

a cold night

Jo McInerney

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

A feel good poem where inner truth manifests itself.

Even just reading this haiku is warming, both physically and spiritually.

into winter —

the empty plum tree

and I

Paul Hodder

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

Twenty-first Place – Three Points

nap time —

hand print turkeys

line the classroom window

tim

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

turkey calls

the urge

to reply

Audrey Downey

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

Twenty-second Place – Two Points

autumn morning

strutting behind his shadow

the old turkey

Rita Odeh

(0,1,0) = 2 Pts

late Autumn sun —

a turkey

tries to fly

Paul Hodder

(0,0,2) = 2 Pts

Twenty-third Place – One Point

the first snow...

dad and the butcher

talk turkey

Dejan Pavlinovic

(0,0,1) = 1 Pt

General Comments:

As far as I'm concerned, it's 44 winners out of 44. Best I could do was to select three that appealed to me very strongly (for quite subjective reasons, no doubt) and in three different ways.

It's easy to see why this selection of haiku earned a place among the top three this past year. A number of them are as good as haiku I've read in anthologies.

So hard to choose a few from these haiku riches.

What a wonderful group of haiku! It is so hard to decide the best!!

These haiku stay with me long, long after I've read them. Feel totally connected with the beautiful unfolding of Susan Constable’s “mossy bank”, love the surprise elements of “mossy bank” and Mr. Williams’ “near dusk”. Love the image of the child in Collin Barber’s “heat wave” and I love the beautiful images in each of these haiku.

On both sides of this month's Kukai, there were so many haiku I found worthy, I could only award one point to each, or else leave out some I wanted to vote for!

Footnote:

migrating birds —

the waving field

of narcissus

Israel Lopez Balan

Not to be confused with Kristen Deming’s fine haiku:

migrating birds--

fields of pampas grass

show the way

Kristen Deming

1st Mainichi Haiku Contest, Japan, 1997

Free Format Poems

First Place – 60 Points

old piano —

from every key

the same silence

Gosia Zamorska

(6,10,22) = 60 Pts

A rare senryu without people, although they are implied. Very subtle alliteration in "same silence." Plus a good fit for my sensibility of hearing-by-not-hearing.

This is the essence of wabi & sabi. Inverted, the poem would be about a new piano, each key making a different sound. It would conjure up images of the person playing the piano, and the people listening, dancing, and/or singing along. This poem depicts the absence of all of that. Has the owner died? Or has the piano fallen into disrepair? Increasing the sense of isolation is the mention of the keys as individual, instead of acting in harmony as a chord.

Second Place – Thirty-five Points

rejection letter

folding another

paper crane

Melissa Spurr

(2,6,17) = 35 Pts

An object of beauty from something saddening. It’s funny and poignant. So lighthearted!

This shows a way to "accept rejection" and turn a "no" into a "yes" - playfully, peacefully, gracefully.

Third Place – Thirty-three Points

drought year —

only the shape of water

on the stones

Devika

(2,8,11) = 33 Pts

Pure haiku. Of all 88 poems, this one was my favorite. It is about what is absent, and I enjoy the elemental images, the shapes, and the textures.

Fourth Place – Thirty Points

night sky

the rusted tin roof

leaking moonlight

Melissa Spurr

(3,5,11) = 30 Pts

A beauty, no doubt!

afternoon tea

dusk settling softly

into corners

Frances McCarthy

(0,7,16) = 30 Pts

I think this is a perfect haiku, the words echoing the feeling of a winter afternoon.

Such a gentle haiku. I love the use of the word "softly" here.

Ah, this one is so delicate and subtle.

Fifth Place – Twenty-nine Points

crushed

between two nights —

winter day

Dejan Pavlinovic

(2,5,13) = 29 Pts

There is something very poignant about this.

Sixth Place – Twenty-five Points

winter day —

the paperboy one house

ahead of dusk

Irene Golas

(2,3,13) = 25 Pts

This haiku has a nostalgic feel, as one so seldom see paper boys anymore.

This is a delight of the imagination.

Seventh Place – Nineteen Points

rusted pickup

on the edge of town —

prairie wind

Beth Powell

(2,1,11) = 19 Pts

Wonderfully evocative - in a few words you can imagine cold prairie winter winds, and the life of a farm pick-up truck.

Eighth Place – Eighteen Points

just when

I'd almost forgotten

wild roses

Ann K. Schwader

(1,3,9) = 18 Pts

Ninth Place – Seventeen Points

full moon

the call girl calls me

angel

Petar Tchouhov

(0,3,11) = 17 Pts

Funny, yet touching in a way. The poet, rooted in earth (it's hard to get earthier than a call girl), with his head in sky (moon). Becomes an angel.

Tenth Place – Fifteen Points

winter beach

my rough hands choose

the smoother stones

Jan O'Loughlin

(1,1,10) = 15 Pts

Most poignant!

bullet holes

rust bleeds down

the old sign

Neil Muscott

(1,0,12) = 15 Pts

birth certificate:

the name of the father

he never knew

Catherine J.S. Lee

(0,3,9) = 15 Pts

…and the many interpretations.

Eleventh Place – Fourteen Points

our marriage

falling apart

he patches the roof

Carolyn Coit Dancy

(2,3,2) = 14 Pts

I could have written this one!

Twelfth Place – Thirteen points

harp song

rain crosses

a pond

Sherry Weaver Smith

(1,4,2) = 13 Pts

Beautifully aural and visual...gives me a pleasant shiver.

Thirteenth Place – Twelve Points

evening

a mockingbird returns

the song of my flute

Rose Marie Stutts

(0,3,6) = 12 Pts

where the barn's tin roof

 rusted      through

        Mars

ed markowski

(0,1,10) = 12 Pts

Fourteenth Place – Eleven Points

will writing...

a lawn mower

strikes a rock

Alice Frampton

(1,2,4) = 11 Pts

family dog

the weight of the stones

upon his grave

Melissa Spurr

(0,4,3) = 11 Pts

This one has stuck in my mind. I have buried many a beloved pet, the weight on the heart mirrors the stones weight on the grave.

yard sale —

the faded diploma

of a country doc

Carmen Sterba

(0,2,7) = 11 Pts

Fifteenth Place – Ten Points

new sunroom

the dog

claims his spot

Frances McCarthy

(0,2,6) = 10 Pts

This brought back fond memories.

Sixteenth Place – Nine Points

endless night —

between the stepping stones

the other half of the moon

Elena Naskova

(0,2,5) = 9 Pts

Often the best haiku/senryu captures a common experience that lies just under the conscious. It's like pulling up a plant to see the roots we know are there. This is one of those poems.

civil war marker

a tour bus

re-loads

Roberta Beary

(0,0,9) = 9 Pts

Seventeenth Place – Eight Points

on the fridge

the to-do list

you left me

Roberta Beary

(1,0,5) = 8 Pts

This one is biting, without being obvious. No words tell the seething beneath, but still we can feel it.

play therapy

the jump rope

in knots

tom painting

(0,2,4) = 8 Pts

gardenias ...

a summer dance

so long ago

Nancy Nitrio

(0,1,6) = 8 Pts

Eighteenth Place – Seven Points

spring thunder

I promise not to tell

her mother

Bill Kenney

(1,0,4) = 7 Pts

divorce papers

the envelope

surprisingly light

Neil Muscott

(1,0,4) = 7 Pts

Nineteenth Place – Six Points

waning year

the cheese ball

changes shape

George Hawkins

(1,1,1) = 6 Pts

winter day the candle burned flat

w.f. owen

(0,1,4) = 6 Pts

Twentieth Place – Five Points

new design

the moon rises

in an antique mirror

ed markowski

(1,0,2) = 5 Pts

Beautiful!

nightlife district

a star falls

unnoticed

Elena Naskova

(1,0,2) = 5 Pts

cold rain

a wrinkled hand traces drops

on the window

Warren Gossett

(0,1,3) = 5 Pts

Sad--I can picture that hand and the loneliness of the rain drop tracer.

new moon

the distant curve

of highway markers

Susan Constable

(0,0,5) = 5 Pts

scattering ashes

only this granite ledge

as a marker

Cherie Hunter Day

(0,0,5) = 5 Pts

divorce over —

she changes the cheese

in the mousetrap

Petar Tchouhov

(0,0,5) = 5 Pts

Twenty-first Place – Four Points

a cold night —

stuffing the gap between

the walls and the roof

David Caleb Mutua

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

root canal —

staring at the dentist's

graduation certificate

Paul Hodder

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

Seen it and done it!

full moon —

so many vines

on the banyan tree

Judith Gorgone

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

Twenty-second Place – Three Points

nightlife...

removing

his wedding ring

Carol Pearce-Worthington

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

autumn rain —

a tattooed man sells

permanent markers

Israel Lopez Balan

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

Twenty-third Place – Two Points

winter moon

i carve a wedge

of camembert

Beth Powell

(0,0,2) = 2 Pts

Twenty-fourth Place – One Point

back-country road

the stone mile marker

splotched with lichen

Catherine J.S. Lee

(0,0,1) = 1 Pt

new moon

filling a crack

in the skylight

Melissa Spurr

(0,0,1) = 1 Pt

General Comments:

A real joy to return to so many powerful poems and great to see them recognised in this way.

I had a hard time choosing among the free format entries, there tend to be more senryu and many were playful, a few quite biting or melancholic and most done skillfully enough not to seem contrived. Nicely done!

Once again, such a difficult decision. I love them all!

Enjoyed voting and love Devika’s “drought year” and Sherry’s “harp song”. They stay with me long after I've read them and I appreciate their beauty and the way they let me see the world in a new way.