December 2009 Kukai

Kigo Theme: 

Wintering Animals

First Place – 43 points

icy moon

coyote cries

crack the silence

Melissa Spurr

(3,11,12) = 43 pts

Very sharp visuals, sounds, and mood in this haiku.

Second Place – 24 points

migrating birds -

a line of traffic lights

turns green

Israel Lopez Balan

(0,6,12) = 24 pts

Third Place – 17 points

last leaf

on the dogwood

chrysalis

Barbara Snow

(2,3,5) = 17 pts

Fourth Place – 16 points

christmas mosquito

I guess you too are the last

of your generation

John Thompson

(1,3,7) = 16 pts

Fifth Place – 14 points

the year ends with the long tail of a squirrel’s shadow

martin

(1,3,5) = 14 pts

I like the resonance of the tail and year's end the year ends with the long tail of a squirrel’s shadow.

winter thaw

the stray cat moves

closer

Earl Keener

(1,3,5) = 14 pts

The different readings of the first and last lines are lovely.

Sixth Place – 13 points

withered grasses...

a field mouse

slips into the pantry

Irene Golas

(0,3,7) = 13 pts

Clever mouse! Love the touch of humor.

Seventh Place – 12 points

longest night of the year — 

between the owl's hoots

silence deepens

Leslie Montgomery

(0,0,12) = 12 pts

Eighth Place – 11 points

two-foot drifts

my poodle looks at me

then pees on the porch

Terri French

(1,2,4) = 11 pts

frozen lake

some seagulls huddle

along a crack

Kathleen O’Toole

(0,4,3) = 11 pts

Ninth Place – 10 points

overwintering

the bats

in mother's attic

Tom Painting

(1,0,7) = 10 pts

frozen fields —

a flock of goldfinches

on the thistle

Tomislav M

(0,2,6) = 10 pts

A clear visual, with lovely sounds and rhythm.

Tenth Place – 9 points

Ice hole —

a deer drinks from the pond

the moon and some stars

Adina Enachescu

(0,2,5) = 9 pts

bare branches

wind slices through

the fawn's carcass

Alan S. Bridges

(0,0,9) = 9 pts

Again I like the resonance here bareness and carcass.

Great use of senses in this haiku.

Eleventh Place – 8 points

standing tall

battling wind and sleet

proud penguin papa

Washi

(1,1,3) = 8 pts

(You could drop "proud", He's already standing there, Tall?? Maybe also drop "and sleet" ??) Like it very much, though!

almost Christmas

a juvenile gull mewling

over our dumpster

andrea

(1,1,3) = 8 pts

winter drizzle

stray cat takes shelter

under my car

Jacek M.

(1,1,3) = 8 pts

Frost at noon —

on the sledge a Teddy Bear

covered with a scarf

Oprica Padeanu

(0,3,2) = 8 pts

moonlit sky —

a polar bear rests on

seamless ice

Narayanan Raghunathan

(0,2,4) = 8 pts

granite sky

the lynx’s snow-prints

across the ledge

Catherine J.S. Lee

(0,1,6) = 8 pts

I like the contrast between the hard/soft and dark/light.

Twelfth Place – 7 points

first snow

feasting on ash berries

robins

natalia kuznetsova

(1,1,2) = 7 pts

fresh snow

with a strutting swagger

the crow adds his tracks

Edward

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

I like the contrast of colour and the detail in the description of the motion.

Thirteenth Place – 6 points

the farmyard —

a white sheet

with foxtrot diagrams

Jon Espen Vassbotn

(1,1,1) = 6 pts

leathers and furs

in the coat closet

christmas guests

Carlos Gesmundo

(0,2,2) = 6 pts

sun at last

a squirrel scampers snow

off the fence

Ann K. Schwader

(0,2,2) = 6 pts

'at last' here made me gasp or breath I truly empathized with the writer in this one.

winter evening

a pigeon returns

to the dunged sill

Dorota Pyra

(0,2,2) = 6 pts

the mist rising

from a crowded feedlot

the bawls of the calves

Garry Eaton

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

trembling branch

the eagle has landed

shedding snow

Ben Gieske

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

winter afternoon

a cat and a plush dalmatian

doze together

Walter Franceschi

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

white stillness

suddenly turning orange —

a passing fox

oana posnaies

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

orange leaves

on pines' branches —

wintering butterflies

Iga

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

Fourteenth Place – 5 points

Prolonged howl...

in the wake of the pack

a lone wolf

Vasile Moldovan

(1,1,0) = 5 pts

five inches last night

horses rolling in fresh snow

make monster angels

F.J. Bergmann

(0,2,1) = 5 pts

in and out of

snow covered hedges -

chirping chickadees

Mike Montreuil

(0,2,1) = 5 pts

misty morning...

a lonely goose flies into

early snowfall

Keith A. Simmonds

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

gray flannel blanket —

sprinkles of migrating birds

on dull winter sky

sandy friedlander

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

Fifteenth Place – 4 points

hibernating bear —

inside the cave echoes of

my rapid heartbeat

Daniela Bullas, UK

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

a pile of brown leaves

even after he's pointed them out—

unblinking peahens

Sheila K. Barksdale

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

The horses breath

blows warmth on my hand

Yositaka (0,1,2) = 4 pts

greenstone den —

the new cub nestles into

his mother's warmth

Nancy Smith

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

winter thaw

a drowsy hedgehog

pauses at the spring

Tore Sverredal

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

gradually

the snow hides the deer's hoof prints —

recalling my life...

Zhanna P. Rader

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

silent birch trees

color of wolves' eyes

add to the white

Harvey Jenkins

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

snow plowed roads

whitetail deer

leap the drifts

DeVar

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

snowy evening

a dog tied up outside

starbucks

Roberta Beary

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

Sixteenth Place – 3 points

Ducks on ice

cold cold feet

South, dumb ducks! Fly south!

Geoffrey A. Landis

(1,0,0) = 3 pts

the squirrel digs

through snow for a nut

. . . pecan pie cooling

Warren Gossett

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

black swans blur

in the snow storm—

candles lit against war

Ron Moss

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

starlit night

wintering animals

around the manger

Elaine RIddell

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

a new snow in the graveyard

filling in the possum's tracks

Cindy Tebo

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

winter woods

young deer and old men

turned grey

Steve Rojcewicz

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

lakeside inn

wild ducks clamour

for bread pieces

_kala

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

Seventeenth Place – 2 points

deadly cold

a struggle of wills captured

by wing beats in snow

marco b

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

tiny chipmunk prints

cross the snowy porch

dripping icicles

if

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

black fox

crosses my path so lightly --

winter dawn

Ruth Powell

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

the last mallard

trapped in pond ice...

blue norther

Janice Hornburg

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

christmas eve

he hangs grapes on the tree

for the birds

Judith Gorgone

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

swirling snow

a spider family wintering

in the garage

Carol Raisfeld

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

full wolf moon—

mouse's snow tunnel

between the stone walls

Diane Mayr

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

In the zoo

a young polar bear

fears the ice

Ralf Broker

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

Winter night —

a hungry fox at the coop

where the dog sleeps

Miorita

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

Eighteenth Place – 1 point

sleeping in the warmth

of home is the only wish

of foreclosure dogs

Jennifer Stefanow

Moonlit patch on mounds

Crossing over the stripped vines

A skunk with full coat

Leslie Brockway

crackling fireplace

cricket vacates log home

for a cooler climate

Elinor Pihl Huggett

fly, my paper crane

spread your wings and fly away,

a Christmas tree waits

Tom Conally

snowy owl-so still—

full of origami life

made from cold paper

James Dobson

early morning drive

pooches and mommy sporting

matching plaid sweaters

Hazel

No more protected

the timberwolves howling long

in these icy lands

Horst Ludwig

bits of bread

on crusted snow —

a cardinal!

Laurene

No points this time. Sorry

under disguise

in snow-covered eaves

an ermine hides

Barbara A Taylor

Shrouded in ice

The sentry

Dreams of home...

James Sawers

tracks in the snow

next to the pine tree

squilroy was here!

Erik Boye

sweet polaroid images

gray and white blurs flit flitting

the snowbirds are back

dragonfly

The buck shakes

his antlers amidst the

snow covered red ferns

Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black

fresh fallen snow

cardinal's compete

at the bird feeder

anonymous

soup kitchen day

the homeless eat inside

feral cats eat in the snow

Rose Marie Stutts

increase in golf fees

just for the wintering

snowbirds

Bill Hudson

derelict barn

cobwebs dust and bats sleeping

the winter away

Frances McCarthy

coming down the hill

a pair of seasoned squirrels

frolicking about

Tom Burgess

polar bears

in my bedroom only

because of TV

gillena cox

Bird feeder,

three song sparrows - full.

Cheerful thanks.

Trevor Camp

full bird feeder—

wintering animals

plan the attack

Bill Gunter

owl …

oiling door with

shaking hand

Reza

Radiators hissing

As Cat melts into mousy dreams

Warm safe winter naps

Pat Lammers

winter mist

sparrows that sing

sweet, sweet Canada, Canada

jennie townsend

cold weather sets in

robins pause on migration

for a berry-feast

Deirdre Godwin

red-tailed hawk circling

rabbits and field mice

scurrying

todd eddy

head cocked

at snowbirds packing the beach

florida seagull

Pris Campbell

blizzard winds—

the snow piles up

where do squirrels go?

Marylouise Knight

penguins

sliding on their bellies

the telly

og_a

camouflaged by snow

an albino deer

mocks the hunter

Dharma Bum

The tiny bear:

mom, freeze the winter,

i'm not tired yet

Petru-Ioan Garda

dungenese crab sale

in season

out of season

Stella

warm december

a gray squirrel's coat

turning white

J Blain

snowball thrown

at a cat lurking under

the bird feeder

gourdman

stray cat's food bowl—

puff-feathered blue jay

opportunist

jill

coyote

crosses the ice

to prey on our island

Beth Powell

Early morning

Rabbit freezes

Brown patch on snow

Mary E. Gray

blue jays fighting

over the last peanut

the seventh day of snow

Stevie Strang

the hare in my heart

waiting for change

turns grey

theodora

Free Format Theme:

Breakfast

First Place — 24 points

tea steam

the east window

brightens

Ann K. Schwader

(2,6,6) = 24 pts

Ordinary images of an ordinary day, I settle right in as I read it.

Second Place — 22 pts

Christmas brunch

a place at the table

for her new doll

Catherine J.S. Lee

(0,9,4) = 22 pts

I love the mood of indulgence in this haiku.

This seems to reflect the spirit of the season, by showing the love and joy of a little girl.

Third Place — 20 pts

vapors

rising from the lake...

morning coffee

Janice Hornburg

(1,4,9) = 20 pts

Nice light unfettered, contemplative piece. I like the juxtaposition.

Lovely imagery, with a lot of warmth and subtle shifts of meaning.

thick fog —

four brightly colored pills

beside her oatmeal

Susan Constable

(0,4,12) = 20 pts

Fourth Place – 19 points

toast crumb

balanced just so

on the ant's back

Paul Hodder

(2,4,5) = 19 pts

This one made me smile. I could see that little guy diligently trudging along!

Fifth Place – 14 points

Breakfast —

in the stork's beak

the first frog

Vasile Moldovan

(1,3,5) = 14 pts

Sixth Place – 13 points

snow day ::

the dog gets her share

of cold toast

jennie townsend

(2,1,5) = 13 pts

breakfast in bed

gently taking off a crumb

from grandma's cheek

Dorota Pyra

(1,3,4) = 13 pts

Seventh Place – 12 points

five days of rain

he asks for eggs

sunny-side up

Terri French

(0,3,6) = 12 pts

A little bit of humor and a lot of truth!

Eighth Place – 11 points

scrambled . . .

she talks about the sunrise

I missed

Bill Kenney

(1,0,8) = 11 pts

breakfast

the heavy silence

from last night

Carol Raisfeld

(0,3,5) = 11 pts

Ninth Place – 10 points

third shift

the broken yolk

of my sunny side

Alan S. Bridges

(2,1,2) = 10 pts

This one says so much. My dad worked 3rd shift as I was growing up. His "sunny side" was often broken!

breakfast trickles

through her IV tube

we wait

Pris Campbell

(0,3,4) = 10 pts

Tenth Place – 9 points

the same aria

sung each time he froths the milk —

north beach barista

John Thompson

(1,0,6) = 9 pts

Eleventh Place – 8 points

dusky dawn

the swirling snow

reflects in my tea

Tore Sverredal

(0,3,2) = 8 pts

I have lots of versions on this one...shorter ones.. but I like it! Be proud!

butter melting

on hot breakfast scones —

your smile

Ruth Powell

(0,2,4) = 8 pts

Lovely juxtaposition. This one really touched me.

garden breakfast

my son mixes cornflakes

with plum petals

Jacek M

(0,1,6) = 8 pts

Twelfth Place – 7 points

Hiroshima Day

to break an egg

will sicken me

Earl Keener

(2,0,1) = 7 pts

Often Hiroshima Day is used to elicit an emotional state the haiku is too weak to carry but this is almost brilliant. Simply stated reaction to the poet's (our) awakening to the day, realization, and response.

coffee and toast

knees touching lightly

first morning after

Frances McCarthy

(0,2,3) = 7 pts

garden breakfast —

yellow butterflies

among lotuses

Narayanan Raghunathan

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

Thirteenth Place – 6 points

note to self:

send e-mails _after_

caffeine reaches brain

F.J. Bergmann

(2,0,0) = 6 pts

insomnia

finding sleep

in the kettle's whistle

Beth Powell

(1,0,3) = 6 pts

the morning after...

a cup of black coffee

double bitter

natalia kuznetsova

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

hard boiled opinions

scrambled editorials

breakfast a la print

Tom Conally

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

between storms

the sun comes out—

a Sunday croissant

Marylouise Knight

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

we share coffee

and red mountains —

Sedona breakfast

jill

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

Fourteenth Place – 5 points

school bus —

some scrambled eggs with ketchup

left on the plate

Laurene

(0,2,1) = 5 pts

grandma's house

we eat oatmeal

again

Carmel Lively Westerman

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

morning chill

mom keeps her coat on

until the coffee arrives

Cindy Tebo

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

anniversary

with a flourish he pours

the cornflakes

Roberta Beary

(0,0,5) = 5 pts

another foot of snow

butter cascading down

the stack of pancakes

Stevie Strang

(0,0,5) = 5 pts

Fifteenth Place – 4 points

breakfast

the day he leaves for Iraq —

her tears in his coffee

Aalix Roake

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

Breakfast in many traditions is held as the most important meal of the day; teamed up with the urgency of duty and patronage this haiku tells a sad and compelling tale.

rice krispies whispers

snap-crackle-pop conversations

morning gently begins

Jeanne Fiedler

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

homeless shelter

snow melts from his shoulders

while fresh coffee brews

Harvey Jenkins

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

Here, the theme of humanity tells us that all is not loss in the today's world.

al fresco

a bluebottle fly

finds the bacon

Barbara A Taylor

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

from the kitchen

a scent of coffee overtakes

the alarm clock

Orbi

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

Appealing to the senses both sound and smell at the same time. This is for sure an aha moment.

Sixteenth Place – 3 points

Rivers of warm syrup

flow past islands of butter

Yositaka (1,0,0) = 3 pts

peanut butter, banana,

and bacon sandwich

having Elvis for breakfast

Bill Hudson

(1,0,0) = 3 pts

Snowflakes melt like tears

Watching it while she pours tea

One cup, this mourning

Jennifer Stefanow

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

rain

tea for one

this morning, too

og_a

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

blended family

our children contend

for the Lucky Charms

Tom Painting

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

Morning —

another hotel

cereal again?

Bill Gunter

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

can top pops...

the only time the cat

visibly loves me

Diane Mayr

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

golden waffles —

maple butter eases

square by square

Nancy Smith

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

There is an unhurried ease implied which intimates an enjoyable meal, makes my mouth water.

Seventeenth Place – 2 points

dawn call echoes

drizzling honey over

tahini - bliss

anonymous

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

bell attached

cheerios on a string

breakfast with the birds

Ben Gieske

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

breakfast for supper

too heavy for the morning

bacon and fried eggs

Deirdre Godwin

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

Tuscany morning

crescendos

a road side fig tree

Stella

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

Snowed in.

Slow breakfast,

good tea.

Horst Ludwig

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

it's already a late noon —

forgotten breakfast

is now my lunch

Juhani Tikkanen

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

dawn

I wake… I rise

I brew new tea

marco b

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

early breakfast —

my cat sits in a chair

and wants me to share

Mike Montreuil

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

outside swirling snow

inside stirring the oatmeal

whirling white

Bridget Cougar

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

racket in the pantry

a mouse

having my breakfast

Dharma Bum

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

morning breeze

sun-touched clouds

in our plates

Tanya Dikova

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

motel breakfast

a scouting party of

ducks make the rounds

J Blain

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

snowdrops and crocus

Kathleen O’Toole

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

Eighteenth Place – 1 point

cornflakes and juice at the crack of dawn

Keith A. Simmonds

Hot and bitter

A cup of tea

Begins the day

James Sawers

table set for one

red grapefruit on bone china

—whistling garbage man

if

tepid milk

over sugary cheerios

slam of a door

Garry Eaton

eggs milk sugar spice

orange squash stir batter fry

pumpkin pancakes...yum

dragonfly

deep winter...

suddenly looking forward

to porridge!

anonymous

school day

hungry children rush

to the cafeteria for breakfast

Rose Marie Stutts

new egg poacher

eating my oatmeal

I glare at my old dog

Edward

sticky from laughter

we peel back the skin

of another orange

Ron Moss

two coffee

for breakfast …

all alone

Reza

creaming coffee —

a dash of vanilla

added for panache

gillena cox

Streams of steam

Waving so languidly up

Warm tea for breakfast

Pat Lammers

the dim sun breaks through

spreads out

a marmalade morning

Jon Espen Vassbotn

tray for his sleepy wife —

fruit, toast and eggs

newborn wakes yet again

Leslie Montgomery

fading memories

a Christmas tree in

my latte

Elena Naskova

pancake breakfast —

the maple syrup

glows in the sun

anonymous

crack! go gathered nuts

stored blueberries thaw

in fresh yoghurt

gourdman

power cut —

such a yearning

for tea

anonymous

potpourri breakfast

on the plate lavender

and anise cookies

Walter Franceschi

No points this time, sorry

break —

fast on water as

the newly chicks ate my toast

Daniela Bullas, UK

the same breakfast

the globetrotter eats

unknown pleasures

Erik Boye

Eggs fry in skillet

Elegant graceful flip — oops

That one's for the dog.

Geoffrey A. Landis

I smile as butter

and maple syrup melt

into the pancakes

Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black

late for breakfast he breezes through the doors

_kala

yellow octopus

in grandson's cereal bowl...

sliced banana

Elinor Pihl Huggett

a vicious waking

but breakfast aroma helps

mmm what a morning

matt behan

leftover chicken:

breakfast for the weary, cold

fingerfood, hot tea

Sandy Friedlander

Each morning

a pure yellow feast.

Bananas.

Trevor Camp

A cup of morning coffee

steaming

into a brooding face

bushra naqi

first thought

hot coffee or a stiff drink

what I did last night

Judith Gorgone

Early morning

black coffee

and a pill

Ralf Broker, Germany

toast and hot chocolate

a little melted butter

floats on the surface

DeVar

morning sun —

a child billowing smoke from

a tinsel tea cup

Yamame

sugarless tea

my brother keeps off —

a cold morning

Antony Njoroge

raspberry syrup

on Mickey Mouse pancakes

breakfast alone

Barbara Snow

poached or boiled, my dear ?

for a change, fried please.

poached or boiled, my darling ?

James Dobson

Christmas holiday

sweet bread and black coffee-

breakfast for two

oana posnaies

Big family at breakfast —

around the table

12 angry men

Petru-Ioan Garda

Winter daybreak —

the black tomcat eating

a titmouse

Miorita

Shiny new kettle:

Lizard doing his morning press-ups

ponders his image

Sheila K. Barskdale

weekend morning

french toast, sausage and coffee

erase jangled nerves

Hazel

thumping winter rain —

steaming oatmeal,

warm coat and gloves

John Hubbard