Congratulations to Tom Painting, winner of our Kigo section and to Gautam Nadkarni, winner of our Free Format section!
May 2009 Results
Kigo Theme:
Berry
First Place — 34 points
raspberry patch
the neighbor boy
red-handed
tom painting
(3,7,11) = 34 pts
Second Place — 26 points
the taste of the dewdrop
before I bite
blueberry
Dorota Pyra
(2,4,12) = 26 pts
Third Place — 24 points
touring the farms
the sun sets in a glass
of elderberry wine
Garry Eaton
(4,3,6) = 24 pts
Fourth Place – 23 points
eye to eye
an ant on a blackberry
in my spoon
Barbara Snow
(2,6,5) = 23 pts
Fifth Place — 17 points
two mouths —
just a strawberry
between
Virginia Popescu
(1,4,6) = 17 pts
Sixth Place — 15 points
midnight sun
a handful
of cloudberries
Jon Espen Vassbotn
(1,2,8) = 15 pts
Seventh Place — 14 points
first green fruit
on the strawberry plant
next week's exam
andrea
(1,3,5) = 14 pts
I like the juxtaposition of this one — so very like the wandering of my thoughts! And as the green fruit will probably turn red, the exam will probably lead to success and certification.
This entry marks a beginning and an end, something to look forward to and something to dread. All realized at this moment of seeing the new fruit. In the case of the strawberries, there is a sure reward for enduring the passing time. Let's hope the exam also had a sweet ending.
strawberry festival —
a swarm of bees
circles the garbage can
Laurene Post
(1,3,5) = 14 pts
Eighth Place — 11 points
wasted berries . . .
a nurse unclips dad's photograph
from the wall
Ron Moss
(1,2,4) = 11 pts
wild strawberries
tumbling me headlong
into summer
Ruth Powell
(1,1,6) = 11 pts
Ninth Place — 10 points
red berries
all the lies
they told me
Ella Wagemakers
(0,2,6) = 10 pts
Tenth Place — 9 points
elderberry flowers
bees buzz
my wine
Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black
(1,2,2) = 9 pts
from under the fence
the wild strawberries spread
I butter my toast
Eddie Merkel
(1,2,2) = 9 pts
first strawberries
trying not to remember
the taste of his kiss
polona
(1,1,4) = 9 pts
strawberry —
his pink cheeked face
with freckles
Gautam Nadkarni
(0,2,5) = 9 pts
Eleventh Place — 7 points
blueberry pie
just like mother
never made
Roberta Beary
(1,1,2) = 7 pts
silent forgiveness —
washing the mud off
the ripe strawberry
Elena Naskova
(0,2,3) = 7 pts
Twelfth Place — 6 points
under twig arches
a blueberry in his beak
the bowerbird stalks
Barbara A. Taylor
(1,1,1) = 6 pts
Wild strawberries...
on her visage
after the kiss
Vasile Moldovan
(1,1,1) = 6 pts
a tuft of fur
in the strawberry patch
. . . open gate
Susan Constable
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
frozen promise
last summers sun
berry-shaped
Erling Larsen
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
escape artist
the fox stares at the
blackberry brambles
Edward
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
Green berries —
she crushes lunch
in the doll's kitchen
Ralf Broker
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
strawberry stains
on our hands
the empty sugar bowl
Mike Montreuil
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
last night storm-
the black berry tree spreads
its mauve carpet
vishnu kapoor
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
a ripe strawberry-
the toddler's lips
just before a kiss
DeVar
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
barefoot child
strawberries creep
between her toes
Beth Powell
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
waning moon
below the blackberry bush
fine footprints
Lech Szeglowski
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
Thirteenth Place — 5 points
Blackberry parfait
So luscious and so tempting;
Antidote to stress!
Tanja Cilia
(1,1,0) = 5 pts
new rose trellis
a scrawny blackberry
peeks through
Brenda Roberts
(0,2,1) = 5 pts
past midnight —
a dishwasher rinses away
strawberry stains
aom (tim)
(0,2,1) = 5 pts
a country road
another rocky field burnt
for blueberries
Bruce Ross
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
strawberry hearts —
the sweet caramel bubbles
in a saucepan
Gillena
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
family picnic
daughter's first lipstick —
raspberry red
Boris Nazansky
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
bumblebees buzzin'
in the strawberry patch
an empty basket
John Daleiden
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
love memories...
today's strawberries
are tasteless
Nelson
(0,0,5) = 5 pts
Fourteenth Place - 4 points
summer sun, blackberry bush
drinks the coolness
of the mountain stream
Stella
(0,2,0) = 4 pts
cranberry bogs
drizzle, then more drizzle —
Cape Cod sunshine
Stephen Rojcewicz
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
heat wave ...
ants in the blackberry bush
welcome the shade
Carol Raisfeld
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
in the back of the freezer
the last bag
of berries
April Serock
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
rising moon
blackberry blossoms brighten
the forest clearing
Jacek M
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
the end of the day
a bucketful of blueberries
a thrush serenades
Erik Boye
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
the curve
in a shadow —
the red strawberry
ARW
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
Fifteenth Place — 3 points
birds chirping
the blueberry patch blooming
by my dream cabin
Audrey Downey
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
Strawberry harvest,
bounteous gift of summer,
feel taste buds tingle
Jean M. Lewis
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
a sparrow
pecking holes in the ripened fruit
strawberry patch
Sjs (Stevie)
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
in the strawberry patch
red
in the bluejay's eye
Ben Gieske
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
tropical berries
scent of the Islands
on my cereal
John Healey
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
sun melting the frost:
one red, another still white —
dogrose berry
Tomislav
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
among blackberries
again the morning sun
casts a look
Ioan Marinescu-Puiu
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
strawberries and cream —
another temptation
i cannot resist
natalia kuznetsova
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
bumble berry pie
my teenage son trips
on the kitchen floor
Harvey Jenkins
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
Free Format Theme:
Umbrella
First Place — 27 points
sudden rain —
umbrellas mushroom
on the street
Gautam Nadkarni
(1,6,12) = 27 pts
A very apt verb
Second Place — 25 points
paper parasol
a soft rain
of cherry blossoms
Nancy Nitrio
(1,3,16) = 25 pts
Love it!
Kawaii!
Third Place — 16 points
the magic of rain
under one large umbrella
three strangers
gerry bravi
(1,1,11) = 16 pts
lightning —
her grip on his umbrella
tightens
Zhanna P. Rader
(0,4,8) = 16 pts
Delightful! Describes the mood very well.
It's so gripping. Haiku renders feeling sans hashing it out. And wordless showing of her coming to grips with her fear (and/or fascination?) just before the bang. The woman also has a good grip of their coming noisy thunder situation. But silence lasts — not sure how long.
Fourth Place - 14 points
cherry tree umbrella petals in her hair
Terry O'Connor
(1,3,5) = 14 pts
umbrellas
a total eclipse
of the beach
Garry Eaton
(0,2,10) = 14 pts
I was a bit slow in getting the joke, here.
Fifth Place — 12 points
sudden cloudburst.
a weeping willow
my umbrella
A. Dharma Bum
(0,2,8) = 12 pts
Any tree might have fit the poet's need for protection, but here is a nice use of the shape of this species of tree to conjure the umbrella. And I love weeping willows anyway.
Sixth Place - 10 points
sudden drizzle —
the divorced couple go
under one umbrella
Rita Odeh
(1,2,3) = 10 pts
watched
through umbrella silk
raindrop trails
Paul Hodder
(1,1,5) = 10 pts
setting sun —
from under the beach umbrella
red feet
John Holt tori inu
(0,4,2) = 10 pts
spring rain
umbrellas drip
in the waiting room
Beth Powell
(0,2,6) = 10 pts
A very good image.
one umbrella
our heart-to-heart
inside the drip line
tom painting
(0,1,8) = 10 pts
Nicely visual implication of intimacy.
Seventh Place - 9 points
after goodbye
her silver umbrella flows
into the night
Jacek M.
(1,3,0) = 9 pts
Not quite flawless perhaps but for me the poetic imagery in lines 2 and 3 make this the 'pick of the litter' this month.
spring drizzle
a profusion of blooms
on her umbrella
Susan Constable
(1,2,2) = 9 pts
Eighth Place - 8 points
spring squall
tulips and umbrella
inside out
Andre Surridge
(1,0,5) = 8 pts
sharing the umbrella
an excuse to hold his arm-
first date
Leslie Montgomery
(0,3,2) = 8 pts
rust stains
on an old umbrella -
family quarrel
Laurene Post
(0,3,2) = 8 pts
May rain —
an old man repairs
an old umbrella
~ Felister Peacock
(0,2,4) = 8 pts
I like the repeat of 'old.' And also the back story suggested here — old as in too poor to get a new one, old as in brought up in times when thrift was taught, old as in there may be no point in buying a new one at his age.
beach umbrella —
just enough shade
for the dogs
ARW
(0,2,4) = 8 pts
pouring rain —
the statues in the public garden
without umbrella
Constantin Stroe
(0,1,6) = 8 pts
eulogy ends
our umbrella grows heavy
as the rain begins
Harvey Jenkins
(0,1,6) = 8 pts
Ninth Place - 7 points
rain showers —
a drop on the umbrella makes
a baby smile
~ Mourine Peacock
(1,1,2) = 7 pts
All of the haiku submissions were really good. The most memorable one is the baby laughing at the raindrop reminds me of my son. Congratulations to all the winners.
the black umbrella
tears roll down her face
anyway
Sjs (Stevie)
(1,0,4) = 7 pts
for a while
sharing an umbrella
with her shadow
Lech Szeglowski
(0,3,1) = 7 pts
under the umbrella
a shower
of shade
Bill Hudson
(0,1,5) = 7 pts
Tenth Place - 6 points
fresh day —
a discarded umbrella
gleams in the sun
~ Isabelle Prondzynski
(1,0,3) = 6 pts
cloudburst —
no newspaper
for an umbrella
aom (tim)
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
spring training
a pale legged jogger runs
under an umbrella
Audrey Downey
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
Eleventh Place — 5 points
endless rain —
one rainbow umbrella
after another
Nelson
(1,0,2) = 5 pts
public meeting —
people under umbrellas
in the hot sun
~ Khadija Rajab
(0,2,1) = 5 pts
lost in thought ...
step by step my umbrella
becomes a parasol
Tomislav
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
I like how the passage of time is marked by the wording.
umbrella —
wind from the sea
captures the shadow
Iga
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
school bus stop —
all the crayon-colored
umbrellas
Carol Raisfeld
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
Twelfth Place — 4 points
tightrope walker
the frail lady's umbrella
proceeds her
Brenda Roberts
(0,2,0) = 4 pts
my umbrella
next to his
in the stand<
- has he noticed?
miriam chaikin
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
sudden showers —
he struggles to open
his old umbrella
Sunil Uniyal
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
London shower
newspapers quickly become
bus stop umbrellas
Edward
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
school girls
waving umbrellas —
kaleidoscope
Max Zontini
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
on the beach
woman with parasol -
the sea in her eyes
Virginia Popescu
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
Two young girls whisper
beneath an umbrella to
keep their secrets dry.
Conrad Sienkiewicz
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
Thirteenth Place - 3 points
thunder blast —
two lovers jealously each another
under the same umbrella
Vasile Moldovan
(1,0,0) = 3 pts
tatty brolly
propped on scarecrow
flapping wings
mechaieh
(1,0,0) = 3 pts
Heavy rain,
broken parasol.
Wet chipmunk
Trevor Camp
(1,0,0) = 3 pts
couple in the rain
their umbrellas
prevent closeness
If
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
homebound...
new black umbrella
never opened
Roberta Beary
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
under the umbrella tree
shades
of your embrace
Ben Gieske
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
wicked wind
turning up umbrellas
turning up collars
Jenn McSweeney
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
Gracefully formed with the use of alliteration and repetition of line pattern.
an umbrella
blowing in the wind...
spring downpour
Keith A. Simmonds
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
on a coat stand
jacket and umbrella
forgotten
Dejan Pavlinovic
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
Great image. We are left wondering, what happened to the owner/s of the items? How long have the items been left there? I think the key word here is "forgotten".
sun shower
umbrellas fold
unfold
h. gene murtha
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
spring rain —
between black umbrellas
a yellow one
Israel Lopez Balan
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
my umbrella lasts
for a hailstone or two —
time to run
— LGD
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
father and son
walking under one umbrella —
rainy day
~Maxwell George Onsembe
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
my thoughts find shelter
in the bluebell´s
umbrella
Filip Fairytale
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
General Comments:
To presenters: I can't fault the topics this month, yet strangely contestants seem to have found 'berries' strangely uninspiring.
Free format poems this month were the best ever!
This month produced a wonderful offering of kigo poems! I enjoyed them.