February 2007 Kukai

Kigo Theme: 

Crocus

First Place -- 29 pts

crocus . . .

the balloon-man returns

to the park

Carol Raisfeld

(1,6,14) = 29 pts

** Like the oblique reference to the e.e. cummings poem.

** e. e. cummings territory. Perhaps it could have stopped at "returns."

Second Place -- 22 pts

first crocus

I make a promise

I can't keep

Tom Painting

(1,5,9) = 22 pts

** The special kind of ku that feels as though anybody could have written it, now that somebody has.

Third Place -- 20 pts

crocus

in grandmother's hand

spring again

Dany Fisher

(1,4,9) = 20 pts

** Nicely understated, even though "again" could be dispensed with.

Fourth Place -- 18 pts

budding crocus ~

the closed door

of my daughter's bedroom

Paul Hodder

(1,2,11) = 18 pts

** A perennial spring theme, deftly handled.

warm breeze

a white crocus

where the snowman was

RaV

(0,2,14) = 18 pts

** a fluid way to show the changing seasons.

Fifth Place -- 17 pts

first crocus . . .

so hard to be

original

Francine Banwarth

(0,4,9) = 17 pts

Sixth Place -- 16 pts

lonely crocus

a hole in the snow

just big enough

-me-

(1,5,3) = 16 pts

Seventh Place -- 15 pts

first crocus

a new spring

to my step

Susan Constable

(2,2,5) = 15 pts

crocus buds —

a neighbor's Christmas lights

still flashing

Dustin Neal

(1,3,6) = 15 pts

Eighth Place -- 14 pts

first crocus...

she leaks

my secret

ed markowski

(2,1,6) = 14 pts

sunny day...

first crocus in the garden

of a late neighbour

Rita Odeh

(1,1,9) = 14 pts

this crocus

like your friendship

still surprises

Beverley George

(0,4,6) = 14 pts

Ninth Place -- 13 pts

my first crocus

bobbing down the street

in a child's hand

Rose Marie Stutts, EdD

(0,3,7) = 13 pts

wild crocus

my finger touches

a saffron moon

Ron Moss

(0,4,5) = 13 pts

onions sprouting

in the pantry —

outside, a crocus

Barbara Snow

(0,5,3) = 13 pts

Tenth Place -- 12 pts

first crocus —

grandpa doesn't remember

his password

Israel López Balan

(0,3,6) = 12 pts

blue crocus . . .

the scented letter

returns unopened

Kathy Lippard Cobb

(0,2,8) = 12 pts

crocus buds

a new life stirring

in her belly

Karen Briggs

(0,2,8) = 12 pts

Eleventh Place -- 10 pts

One single crocus

Solitary survivor

Of a lost garden

Deirdre A. Godwin

(1,2,3) = 10 pts

our first crocus —

the neighbor's child

reaches to pick it

Mary Lee McClure

(1,2,3) = 10 pts

Twelfth Place -- 9 pts

crocus

in the old snow

glacier blue

Beth Powell

(2,0,3) = 9 pts

first crocus

what’s left of a snowdrift

beside the fence

DeVar

(1,1,4) = 9 pts

after her chemo...

the first blade

of a crocus

Joshua O Wikoff

(0,2,5) = 9 pts

crocuses on the snow

I am looking in

your sky-blue eyes

Piotr Mogri

(0,3,3) = 9 pts

** nice! This seemed very spiritual.

Thirteenth Place -- 8 pts

frozen ground

the crocus and i

wait for spring

Judi Honiker

(0,3,2) = 8 pts

first crocus

after recess soggy mittens

dot the playground

Edward

(0,2,4) = 8 pts

red crocus

she slowly removes

her rubber gloves

Petar Tchouhov

(0,1,6) = 8 pts

Fourteenth Place -- 7 pts

a crocus field —

the breeze plucks off one...

blue butterfly

Tom Maretic

(0,2,3) = 7 pts

yellow crocus

the class of children

burst into song

kjs

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

crocus bed:

outside the Buddhist Temple

a street beggar

-- ushi

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

mountain echo

the crocus never

come too soon

Collin Barber

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

Fifteenth Place -- 6 pts

first crocus —

my neighbor's pet pig

is missing

ito

(0,2,2) = 6 pts

dew spills

over the crocus lip

a groundhog's shadow

Pris Campbell

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

nursery crocus…

the half-open hands

of the napping baby

Keiko Izawa

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

in front of

the dryer vent

a sea of purple crocus

Michiko

(0,0,6) = 6 pts

Sixteenth Place -- 5 pts

another birthday —

crocuses in my garden

fade away again

Dorota Pyra

(1,1,0) = 5 pts

foolhardy —

early crocus

braves the snow

Geoff Sanderson

(0,2,1) = 5 pts

first crocus

a starling and I

have it to ourselves

Bill Kenney

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

now at dawn

the snowman becomes water —

white crocuses

Lech Szeglowski

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

starless night —

a white crocus opens

to the dawn

Nancy Smith

(0,0,5) = 5 pts

Seventeenth Place -- 4 pts

Crocus underfoot

I step toward the door

this time goodbye

Harvey Jenkins

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

the clouds break

crocuses fill

with an inner light

max verhart

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

this morning

in spite of the winter

a blue crocus

Jasminka Predojevic

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

victory garden

surrounding the crocus

young dandelions

Bill Hudson

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

morning twilight

saffron waits within

the crocus

Mark Hollingsworth

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

snow

on the crocuses

sunshine

oga

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

first crocus —

the new kid waves

goodbye

Roberta Beary

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

white crocus

in her old flower garden

the first sign

Magdalena Dale

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

a crocus

by the back door —

distant thunder

Ami

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

spring equinox

without fanfare —

the crocus

Jeannie Martin

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

Eighteenth Place -- 3 pts

crack

in the parched soil

first crocus

Sjs

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

first sunny day

after weeks of storms

yellow crocus

Bridget Cougar

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

From the wet soil

a bud appear —

the first crocus

miorita

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

in the charred ruins

of an old farmhouse . . .

white crocus flowers

-- Richard Kay

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

first crocus —

being watered by

the neighbour's dog

Pia Sousa

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

Purple crocus —

vibrant in her

sterile hospital room

Leslie Montgomery

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

along the river

two lines of light:

croci in bloom

Vasile Moldovan

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

Remembrance crocus

granddad planted in his time —

their burst of color

Zhanna P. Rader

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

crocuses bloom —

I stand up searching

for familiar birdsongs

Audrey Downey

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

Green crocus tips

Still frozen pond

I finger seed packets

yositaka

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

Free Format Theme:

Dreary

First Place -- 44 pts

dreary day —

only a gravedigger

whistling

Jacek

(4,8,16) = 44 pts

** Brings a smile, but there's real emotional complexity here.

** Happy and sad; I had to laugh. Well done!

Second Place -- 26 pts

dreary day . . .

he tells me all of it

again

Francine Banwarth

(3,1,15) = 26 pts

** One breath? More like one sigh.

Third Place -- 19 pts

dreary morning...

the taste and texture

of powdered eggs

ed markowski

(2,4,5) = 19 pts

Fourth Place -- 17 pts

dreary sunday

two magpies squabble

over a chip

Polona

(1,3,8) = 17 pts

Fifth Place -- 13 pts

dreary day

another phone call

offering condolences

Bill Hudson

(1,0,10) = 13 pts

** "another" says it all.

thick fog

the same

old news

Susan Constable

(0,4,5) = 13 pts

dreary morning —

I pull on the same socks

I wore yesterday

DeVar

(0,3,7) = 13 pts

dreary faces —

she plays the violin

in the subway

Jordi Climent

(0,1,11) = 13 pts

Sixth Place -- 12 pts

dreary day —

the rain gurgles

in the gutters

Angèle Lux

(0,2,8) = 12 pts

Seventh Place -- 11 pts

dreary day ~

the secrets

we keep

Paul Hodder

(1,2,4) = 11 pts

dreary alcove

between sips mother asks

my weight

Roberta Beary

(1,0,8) = 11 pts

Eighth Place -- 10 pts

the buzz of

florescent lights

deep winter

Michael Baribeau

(1,2,3) = 10 pts

dreary skies . . .

migrating geese struggle

to keep formation

Marie Summers

(0,2,6) = 10 pts

Ninth Place -- 9 pts

dreary winter morning

again the wail

of an ambulance

brephoenix

(1,1,4) = 9 pts

dreary light —

the withered bean plants

cling to their poles

max verhart

(0,2,5) = 9 pts

dreary day —

a second coat

of lip balm

Collin Barber

(0,1,7) = 9 pts

dreary weather —

the corner gargoyle's mouth

drips rainwater

Zhanna P. Rader

(0,1,7) = 9 pts

dreary day

I search for colour

in garden books

Beth Powell

(0,1,7) = 9 pts

dreary high tea —

a fly's long walk

over the host's cake

Ana Cadarin

(0,1,7) = 9 pts

Tenth Place -- 8 pts

how dreary!

these tiny bones

never left the nest

Joshua O Wikoff

(1,2,1) = 8 pts

** This one hit me in the gut-so sad!

** Well said!

dreary day —

he draws a stringless kite

on the room wall

Rita Odeh

(1,0,5) = 8 pts

dreary night

I look at the space

where the stars were

kjs

(0,1,6) = 8 pts

Eleventh Place -- 7 pts

dreary weather

no customers

at the car wash

Meredith Stern Cavalieri

(0,2,3) = 7 pts

so dreary

but listen!

a bird sings

miriam chaikin

(0,2,3) = 7 pts

dreary night

I google her name

for a hit

Tom Painting

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

** So modern, yet so common a moment!

dreary day —

their fight in the morning

still with them at dinner

Leslie Montgomery

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

dreary morning

the imprint on her pillow

already cool

RaV

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

Twelfth Place -- 6 pts

Look! A hummingbird

Sipping spring from the feeder

Dreary thoughts are gone

Deirdre A. Godwin

(1,1,1) = 6 pts

dreary thoughts

hot humid night in bed

trying to sleep

Michael Flack

(1,1,1) = 6 pts

dreary day

the meter man fumbles

for his flashlight

Earl Keener

(1,0,3) = 6 pts

dreary day —

an egret spreads its wings

to land

Ami

(1,0,3) = 6 pts

three nuns,

almost invisible...

dreary dreary day

Pris Campbell

(0,2,2) = 6 pts

dreary forecast —

stretched to the limit

a worm

George Hawkins

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

dreary day —

the empty coffee cup

still smells

Israel López Balan

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

Thirteenth Place -- 5 pts

Dreary clouds

my only blanket shrunk

with the last rain.

Harvey Jenkins

(1,0,2) = 5 pts

return after years

stairs of the old house

run to nowhere

Dorota Pyra

(1,0,2) = 5 pts

damp wool smell

in from the drizzle

fireplace cold

Ruth Powell

(0,2,1) = 5 pts

dreary morning

the cat peers out

thru runnels of rain

susan delphine delaney

(0,2,1) = 5 pts

dreary

all those ads for Viagra

in my email

Sue Stanford

(0,2,1) = 5 pts

dismal month —

now the shiki kukai

wants a dreary haiku

Jim Swift

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

** What a perfect irony!

February dawn —

dreary, bare branches moving

in a cold wind

P.O. Williams

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

chair by the window

a lamp on for reading

in afternoon light

Charles Hansmann

(0,0,5) = 5 pts

winter's long goodbye —

the dreariness

of freezing rain

Mike Montreuil

(0,0,5) = 5 pts

dreary day —

icicles melting

drip, drip, drip

Tristan Coleridge

(0,0,5) = 5 pts

Fourteenth Place -- 4 pts

dreary sky…

in kannon’s open arms

a still pigeon

Keiko Izawa

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

constant drizzle

at noon sparrows and wind chimes

still silent

Edward

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

life

so colourful and joyous

what is dreary

Pia Sosua

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

dreary morning —

the old women sings

her last hymn

Dustin Neal

(0,2,0) = 4 pts

dreary day

another planeload of bodies

home from the war

Karen Briggs

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

** Oh, yes...

dreary park

at the statue of Venus

two snails making love

Ginka Biliarska

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

dreary day

the snow fox’s shadow

grows fainter

martin

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

Between this and that

shadow and dust

dreary road

Ashi

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

this winter

a fresh new meaning

for dreary

Mary Lee McClure

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

Fifteenth Place -- 3 pts

dreary sky —

birds in the tree form

a leafy pattern

ito

(1,0,0) = 3 pts

dreary morn

unclear thoughts

too cold to think

Dr. Wm Fraenkel

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

blackish snow shrinks

off beer cans and wrappers

dreary clouds

gourdman

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

dreary

my husbands disposition

after doing the taxes

carmel lively westerman

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

fourth of July

unpacking the

muddy tent

Barbara Snow

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

on the highway

only the car's looming shadow —

Death Valley

Lech Szeglowski

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

midnight dreary —

clocks strike twelve

for hours

Anil Engin

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

dark and dreary . . .

the filthy child draws

a sunny day

Kathy Lippard Cobb

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

dreary afternoon —

turkeys wandering

in a village playground

Tom Maretic

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

dreary street

tinfoiled windows

blind to spring

Terry Ingram

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

another day

gray skies gray walls gray desk

colorless life

DJ

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

dreary sky —

from the yellow foliage

rain of light

Corneliu Traian Atanasiu

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

dreary afternoon

yesterday's snow

without a sparkle

Sandra Nickel

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

dreary night

cloud shadows

swallow the moon

soji

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

dreary summer day

the ice cream van's jingle

in the distance

Lynne Rees

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

candle-lit skin —

she laughs

at how dreary her day was

aom (tim)

(0,0,3) = 3 pts