Here are the results for the May 2015 Kukai, wherein our Kigo subject was RAINY SEASON, and our Free Format subject was RETURNING HOME If you find any errors, please let me know so I can correct them online.
Congratulations to ***Ramona Linke***, winner of our Kigo section and to ***John Soules***, winner of our Free Format section!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The haiku are listed in order of total points received from voters. The numbers reflect the number of voters who gave the haiku either three points, two points, or one point -- followed by the total points for all votes.
Those who were given less than three points and who requested anonymity in such a case are so noted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the listing below, after each poem the author is listed, and then a three digit code revealing how many 3-point, 2-point, and 1-point points were cast for this poem by the other participating poets.
(2,1,4 = 12) would indicate that the poem above received two 3-point votes, one 2-point vote, and four 1-point votes.
VOTERS' comments are indicated by "**"
POETS' comments are indicated by "^^"
May 2015 Results
Kigo Theme:
RAINY SEASON
----------------------------------
First Place - 23 Points
----------------------------------
walking in the rain
the old bamboo grove
whispers
Ramona Linke
(3,3,8) = 23 pts
----------------------------------
Second Place - 21 Points
----------------------------------
sound of rain-
i fold her last love letter
into a paper boat
-- Kashinath Karmakar
India
(3,2,8) = 21 pts
**Using the signifier of sound in the first line gets us to hear the sound of the letter being folded, albeit quietly, several times to make a boat. This has so much resonance, and would start an amazing scene in a film; novel; or short story.
----------------------------------
Third Place - 20 Points
----------------------------------
rainy season
the stream
changes its tune
Michele L. Harvey
New York, USA
(0,5,10) = 20 pts
**deceptively simple with (for this reader) some ominous undertones>
**Good ear.
----------------------------------
19 Points
----------------------------------
first rain...
the silence fades
croak by croak
Vinay Leo R.
(2,0,13) = 19 pts
**"fades" is just a bit off, but in a rather interesting way.
----------------------------------
18 Points
----------------------------------
rainy season--
in his upturned hat five coins
and half-a-cup of sky
Alegria Imperial
(2,3,6) = 18 pts
**Really liked this one though I felt the preposition of ‘in’ starting off the second line wasn’t needed.
scent of rain...
the street darkens
umbrella by umbrella
Anonymous
(0,3,12) = 18 pts
**Although my first reaction, after loving this haiku, was to wonder about switching the last two lines around, I feel the writer has made the right decision. But either order of the lines would still make this a stunning
haiku.
** This would be more effective without the explicit reference to rain.
----------------------------------
17 Points
----------------------------------
the different paths
we take
raindrops on the window
Paul Hodder
(2,3,5) = 17 pts
----------------------------------
16 Points
----------------------------------
rainy spring
the dog bowl fills
with snails
Collin Barber
(1,1,11) = 16 pts
**Sublime, and so very haiku. I feel joy every time I read this one!
**Line 3 is pleasantly unexpected, and it captures a phenomenon of the season.
spring rain---
all the things
I didn't plant
John Soules
(0,5,6) = 16 pts
----------------------------------
14 Points
----------------------------------
soft drizzle--
the car park full
of pink petals
Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy
Birmingham, UK
(1,2,7) = 14 pts
**A lovely picture, which shows so well how a haiku poet can find beauty in the ordinary scenes of life.
rainy season
the smell
of immovable horses
Oddbjørn Aardalen
(0,3,8) = 14 pts
**They can be immovable and combination of that feature and the rain pouring down, and the smell of the horses makes this a memorable haiku. I had run
out of points, so I hope this garners points from others.
----------------------------------
13 Points
----------------------------------
summer rain
a toy boat bobs
in a pot-hole
Beverley George
(0,2,9) = 13 pts
**Wonderfully unexpected. I felt this was one of those haiku that could easily start a novel or a short story, a feature that I often look for in a haiku. I had run out of points, so I hope this garners points from others.
----------------------------------
12 Points
----------------------------------
spring rain
the children kneel
before the worms
Ginny Hoyle
(1,2,5) = 12 pts
**A brilliant haiku because it has so many levels that can be read into this. Simple, deep, stunning.
rainy season
upriver a gypsy wagon
tied to a tree
Michael McClintock
(0,1,10) = 12 pts
**I really liked this one though felt squeezing in ‘upriver’ was one too
many things. I felt that the last two lines were good enough as “a gypsy wagon/tied to a tree”
**The rain has stopped even the Gypsies from wandering? I believe the word "Gypsy" has become borderline politically incorrect.
----------------------------------
11 Points
----------------------------------
in the silence
after mid night rain
jasmine scent
Binnoo
India
(0,4,3) = 11 pts
**I like the play of the senses, but "midnight rain" is well short of a season.
**I like the way this uses the senses of both sound and smell -- very nice contrast.
----------------------------------
10 Points
----------------------------------
spring shower -
a young girl barefoot...
singing
Natalia Kuznetsova
Russia
(2,1,2) = 10 pts
rainy season —
no longer able to rely
on my cycles
polona
(2,1,2) = 10 pts
**Maybe a bit wordy, but it catches the mysterious ways of inner and outer weather.
rainy season
a swallow’s mud nest
under the eaves
Tom Painting
(0,3,4) = 10 pts
----------------------------------
9 Points
----------------------------------
a flooded village –
sky from both sides
of the bridge
Tomislav
(2,0,3) = 9 pts
three days of rain
the cat parts
the vertical blinds
DeVar
(0,1,7) = 9 pts
**Although not sure about two definite articles, I don’t think you could say “a cat/the vertical blinds” or “the cat/a vertical blind”. It’s brilliant, full of haiku humor that the old Haijinx magazine would
publish.
----------------------------------
8 Points
----------------------------------
rainy season
each tree an umbrella
that won't open
starbear
(1,1,3) = 8 pts
after rain
bending to earth-scent
onion stems
Sheila K. Barksdale
(0,2,4) = 8 pts
rainy season
the silence seems to have
its own sound
Angèle Lux
Canada
(0,2,4) = 8 pts
----------------------------------
7 Points
----------------------------------
monsoon season raindrops dot the dust
Bill Kenney
(0,0,7) = 7 pts
----------------------------------
6 Points
----------------------------------
rainy season -
her pearls
dancing
Priscilla Cook
(0,3,0) = 6 pts
rippling wind
the mallard rounds
second base
Earl Keener
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
** A bit over the top? Anyway, funny, and achieves its effect without using either "rain" or "season."
season of rains
snowy egrets fishing
a dip in the road
-Garry Eaton
(0,0,6) = 6 pts
----------------------------------
5 Points
----------------------------------
orgasm—
how this incessant rain reaches
different peaks
Ajaya Mahala
Pune, India
(1,1,0) = 5 pts
late night garden --
the splash of raindrops
distant and close
~ Isabelle Prondzynski
(1,0,2) = 5 pts
sudden downpour --
the child shifts his umbrella
over a beggar
Kumarendra Mallick
Hyderabad India
(0,0,5) = 5 pts
**The interaction of ‘sudden’ and ‘shifts’ makes this a magical haiku full of heart, as well as sound and sensation and movement.
a kid goat hides
under its mother --
thunderstorm
~ Lydia Waithera
(0,0,5) = 5 pts
----------------------------------
4 Points
----------------------------------
radish leaves
a sullen yellow --
rainy season
mechaieh
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
rainy season ~
my prayers
are fragmented
Ernesto P. Santiago
Solano, Philippines
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
rain washed...
looking at the world
in a new light
Yesha Shah
Surat, India
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
my daughter and I
missing raindrops missing moons:
the speckled terrace
Kala Ramesh
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
**it takes a bit of a stretch to find compliance with the kigo but i can't help liking it
rainy season –
a frog on a lotus leaf
the lead vocalist
Svend A. Doggfall
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
rainy season -
ducks duck
beneath the bridge
John McDonald
Edinburgh Scotland
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
rainy season ...
the centre courtyard
fills with laughter
Jayashree Maniyil
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
windscreen wiper…
I lose the world
strand by strand
Anitha Varma
Kerala, India.
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
----------------------------------
3 Points
----------------------------------
rainy season
the museum closed
for repair
Roberta Beary
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
**Simple but highly evocative. A writer brave enough not to over pack their haiku for effect. I do get a lot from this one. I had run out of points, so I hope this garners points from others.
from sky to sky
child's bare feet -
spring puddles
Norsto
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
shaking off the last squall
. . . the duckling
wades into clouds
Samar Ghose
Australia
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
rainy season -
sharing between us
the wilderness
Yiu Lian
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
rainy season...
another dust storm rolls
'cross the plain
S.E. Buffington
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
rainy season
one of my paper towns
gains a wrinkle
Alan Summers
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
**can't say i fully understand this one but it's strange enough to draw my attention
darkened skies
the taste of first rain
in my soup
Gautam Nadkarni
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
heavy rain --
a piglet wallowing
in thick mud
~ Antony Joseph
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
all day rain
the hedgerow pulsates
with sparrows' complaints
--Diane Mayr
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
rainy season
my wellingtons wet
inside and out
Ruth Powell
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
rains begin
the earth accepts
each drop
Beth Powell
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
----------------------------------
2 Points
----------------------------------
monsoon weather
the meercats surface
wet and grumpy
Kirsty Karkow
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
a gathering sound -
the rain from the ripe plums drops
on my UnBrella*
Daniela Bullas
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
*^^Upside Down Umbrella
inverted umbrella
while walking in windy rain
thinking of skirts
eric p
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
Frustrated once more,
The farmer reads the cloud-banks.
No planting today!
Robert C. Howard
Belleville IL
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
sound of the rain…
unfinished canvas
a yellow rose
Steliana Cristina Voicu
(Ploiesti, Romania)
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
early summer rain
small beetle on a blade of grass
once up once down
Marta Chocilowska
(Warsaw, Poland)
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
rainy season
on the table land ...
i hold clouds
Ramesh Anand
Bangalore, India
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
rainy season
trudging through the mud
with my suitcase
Edward
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
desert drought -
we bow our heads
and pray for rain
Anonymous
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
the robin
bathes in a puddle
Earth Day
Anonymous
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
rainy season--
the ark has room
for two more
James Dobson,
Prudhoe, UK.
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
in the fern forest
gurgle of sweet water--
child’s cupped hands
Doris
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
two weeks of cold rain
somewhere a trumpet playing
"sketches of spain"
Jon Espen Vassbotn
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
Rainy season -
Mom knits the second sweater
with brighter threads.
Anonymous
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
rainy season
her strong arguments
against chemo
Kaiser K.
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
----------------------------------
1 Point
----------------------------------
rains again
on her prom dress
blurred tear stains
Ignatius Fay
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
**The contrast between rain outside, and the rain inside of a human in the form of tears is very poignant, especially on such a vital defining time of a young woman’s life. I had run out of points, so I hope this garners points from others.
rainy season
“you are my sunshine”
from the shower
oga
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
too hot May morning--
is the rainy season done?
the creek is still dry
Bridget Cougar
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
umbrella weather:
tiny rainboots weave
from puddle to puddle
-- Chitra Rajappa
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
up before dawn
newspaper already soaked
rainy season
Harvey Jenkins
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
the plum
shedding its tears...
May rain
Rita Odeh
Haifa, Israel
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
rainy season
cow bells sound
well in advance
Purush
Nolensville-TnUSA
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
first lightning storm
midnight snack
entertainment
Bill Hudson
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
flooding rain
walking up the driveway
dodging earthworms
Bernard Gieske
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
rain stops
in a puddle mirror
hydrangeas
Yukiko Yamada
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
rains…
chrysanthemums
awake
D W Skrivseth
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
downpour--
leaning into each others ears
to speak again
Anonymous
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
after the storm -
the oak on my house;
no roots in the ground
Bre
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
rainy season
finding an anthill
full of grains
Billy Antonio
Laoac, Philippines
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
chilly wet spring day
birdsong echoing in rain
remembering love
Sandy Friedlander
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
it droppeth as
oh yes
it do
Donna Bauerly
Dubuque, IA
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
on his little red wagon
the plunk, plunk, plunk
of raindrops
Jane DeJonghe
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
spring showers
the rain barrel
empty
Stevie Strang
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
drowning lawn
an earthworm
showering
Juhani Tikkanen
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
downpour
kneedeep in the mud
smelling memories
Gabriele Brunsch
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
**Should "kneedeep" be "kneeling"? I like line 3 without the explicit reference to rain.
the wind bebopping
to the drumming on our roof
ol' rainy season jazz
Anne Zooey Lind
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
broken umbrella
spin floats down the gutter
lost dreams
Meredith Cavalieri
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
--------------------------------------
No Points This Time, Sorry.
---------------------------------------
every night
the sweet sound of rain drops
sleep comes easy
Tom Conally
Gibsonville, NC
Crack!
The clouds cry-
for the tree is no more.
Jenn McSweeney
Dawn along the shore
and the river's still rising
more thick summer rain
Horst Ludwig
rainy season
Nature's last horrah
before the summer drought
rose marie Stutts
breach of the peace...
I dress your raincoat
and I stroll the beach
Lavana kray
Romania
i await the first sighting
of rolled caladium leaves -
sign of rains
--gillena cox
St James, Trinidad and Tobago
bands of heavy rain
play music in the night...
moonflowers dance
dragonfly (Pat Geyer)
rainy season
he is talking looking after
our orchard
Jacek Kielich
Poland
rainy season -
the psychoanalyst finds childhood trauma
in my dream of floods
Ana Drobot
Bucharest, Romania
not one day's mercy
for the broken ribs
of my umbrella
--Barbara Snow
rainy season --
my ex's wife throws
a garden party
maxianne
snow clings to the shade ~
along the path spring rain
drips from daffodils
Gerry Bravi
(Canada)
rainy season
a leaky rubber boot
squelch again
Gabriel Sawicki
thunderheads building
heralding the August storms
sultry heat will break
Deirdre Godwin
spring rain...
whole world joining
one rhythm
Tuvshinzaya Nergui
Tsetserleg Mongolia
tendrils of hair
dripping down my face
been raining all month
Frances O'Keeffe
scent of wet soil --
a mother hen clucking
over an earthworm
~ Patrick Wafula
heavy downpour --
I change from my heels
into flat sneakers
~ Catherine Njeri Maina
ink dark sky
and pelting rain--
wisteria clusters
jill
morning inspection --
will the school principal
spot my muddy shoes?
~ Sheila Imali
dry-mouthed, holding
the wrinkled newborn . . .
rainy season
Bill Pauly
rainy season –
the garden is full
of snails
Miorita
rainy season-
dancing frogs rest
near her father’s grave
Munia Khan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
so badly needed -
half a million tents
before Nepal's rainy season
Miriam Borne
NYC
leaves shiny with rain -
I count the seconds
between flash and thunder
deanna tiefenthal
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Comments:
** Many fine kigo entries this time!
**Rain does not a rainy season make. Here are my votes in the May kigo category.
** General: Given the drought conditions in many areas, I'm surprised we didn't see more about rainy seasons without rain.
** I only considered those haiku which mentioned "rainy season" or similar (a specific season in certain parts of the world), and not those that just referred to heavy or occasional rain.
**Some pretty good haiku in this batch! Thanks again for this chance to read and be read, to vote and be voted on.
Free Format Theme:
RETURNING HOME
----------------------------------
First Place - 43 Points
----------------------------------
sunrise the sound of your key
John Soules
(5,5,18) = 43 pts
**An offbeat point of view, and write your own story – or novel.
** i fell in love with this one for what is implied rather than stated out...
----------------------------------
Second Place - 39 Points
----------------------------------
returning home—
the three sharp corners
of a folded flag
Michele L. Harvey
New York, USA
(3,10,10) = 39 pts
**Simple but profoundly deep and poignant. It has continued to resonate in me from the first day these haiku were sent out.
**This one has its own sharp corners. Specifying the number three is a masterstroke.
----------------------------------
Third Place - 23 Points
----------------------------------
returning home
the familiarity
of old arguments
Paul Hodder
(1,2,16) = 23 pts
----------------------------------
20 Points
----------------------------------
returning home -
the wind
that left with me
john McDonald
Edinburgh Scotland
(1,5,7) = 20 pts
----------------------------------
18 Points
----------------------------------
last mile home
only the wind
familiar
Ann K. Schwader
(1,3,9) = 18 pts
----------------------------------
15 Points
----------------------------------
returning home –
my childhood kingdom
now so small!
Tomislav
(2,3,3) = 15 pts
----------------------------------
13 Points
----------------------------------
returning home -
my gps says
I am elsewhere
Ana Drobot
Bucharest, Romania
(0,3,7) = 13 pts
returning home
only the neighbor’s dog
to greet me
Beverley George
(0,1,11) = 13 pts
----------------------------------
12 Points
----------------------------------
returning home
the blind soldier kneels
among crocuses
Kaiser K.
(0,4,4) = 12 pts
----------------------------------
11 Points
----------------------------------
returning home –
my mother's garden
is full of weeds
Miorita
(0,2,7) = 11 pts
----------------------------------
10 Points
----------------------------------
childhood home—
picking up fragments
of the moon
Gautam Nadkarni
(0,2,6) = 10 pts
**What a glorious concluding two lines! This contains magic in spades, and would make for a fantastic opening scene in a film or book.
**I'm not sure I know what is going on here, but I rather enjoy the mystery.
returning home-
the sky today
a shade bluer
--Kashinath Karmakar
India
(0,1,8) = 10 pts
----------------------------------
8 Points
----------------------------------
at home again -
still the same scent
of forget-me-nots
Norsto
(1,1,3) = 8 pts
returning home
a falling star
crossing the way
Gabriel Sawicki
(1,0,5) = 8 pts
spring rains
water begins the long trip
to the ocean
Tom Conally
Gibsonville, NC
(0,3,2) = 8 pts
long drive home...
the colours of clouds
toward nightfall
polona
(0,3,2) = 8 pts
**The things you notice on a long drive, and the juxtaposition adds layers to the clouds and shades to the nightfall.
**Lovely one. I can imagine this scene so well.
----------------------------------
7 Points
----------------------------------
returning home late--
the welcome mat
has two eyes
James Dobson,
Prudhoe, UK.
(1,1,2) = 7 pts
returning home
so much weight
the leaf to the ant
Bill Hudson
(1,0,4) = 7 pts
home again
the old dog also
an orphan
Roberta Beary
(0,3,1) = 7 pts
returning home...
Dad stops to re-adjust
his rear view mirror
S.E. Buffington
(0,2,3) = 7 pts
passing through
the place where I was born
shadows in moonlight
Bill Kenney
(0,1,5) = 7 pts
returning home
a sudden breeze
rings the chimes
Bernard Gieske
(0,1,5) = 7 pts
going back...
noticing how the old names
no longer fit
Anitha Varma,
Kerala, India.
(0,1,5) = 7 pts
**This is another fine haiku within this kukai series. Sometimes adding a visual punctuation marker, especially an ellipsis, can seem posturing. Not here! It hits hard, on the button, on the nail, going back, whereever it is, or what it is. I’m already tensing up wondering what happens next. I’m not disappointed. Although there are no concrete images in the entire poem, there is, between the spaces and the silences, in the white space. Another one that could start a film; novel; or short story.
----------------------------------
6 Points
----------------------------------
the country lane leads
to a warm barn, hay and oats...
clip-clop, clip-clop,
Kirsty Karkow
(1,1,1) = 6 pts
overcast skies -
on the tarmac the caskets draped in flags.
dsnake1
(1,1,1) = 6 pts
dust web...
laughter swings
on creaky hinges
Yesha Shah
Surat, India
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
returning home
on the rusted gate
a rusted padlock
Billy Antonio
Laoac, Philippines
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
**Reversing the order of lines 2 and 3 and dropping the second "rusted," would raise this a couple of notches.
returning home --
the chiming cowbells fill
the evening
Kumarendra Mallick
Hyderabad India
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
----------------------------------
5 Points
----------------------------------
never to return
to its gaudy castle
conch in my soup
Garry Eaton
(1,1,0) = 5 pts
returning home...
in a drop of rain
a drop of me
Vinay Leo R.
(0,2,1) = 5 pts
returning home-
a crow mother finds fur
in her empty nest
Munia Khan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
(0,2,1) = 5 pts
**a poignant and scary image.
still in the old shed
my art masterpieces
from prep school
Barbara A. Taylor
Mountain Top, NSW
Australia
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
returning home-
a raven perches on the
Separation Wall
Rita Odeh
Haifa, Israel
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
class reunion--
going home
to no home
jill
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
returning home -
my dog fetches
his dish
Priscilla Cook
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
returning home -
the little boy tries his daddy's
military helmet
Steliana Cristina Voicu
(Ploiesti, Romania)
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
sailing home
before I see them
harbour lights
Beth Powell
(0,0,5) = 5 pts
----------------------------------
4 Points
----------------------------------
after work
at the cemetery
the long way home
(Ramona)
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
childhood trees
my son hugs the actors
in his bedtime stories
Kala Ramesh
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
**There is an amazing warmth between the two closely connected sections of the haiku. What I’d call high tension words, make this zing with power: childhood; hugs; and bedtime stories: All finely joined together seamlessly.
returning home…
crickets chirping
a welcome
D W Skrivseth
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
**In section c ("third line"), I would have preferred "their" over "a", also for onomatopoeic reasons.
returning home--
my flinch
is second nature
aom (tim)
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
returning home
the flowering chestnut
gone
Ruth Powell
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
unkempt lawn
and wildflowers...
my path back home
Anonymous
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
starry night
the abandoned dog
returns home thin
Ramesh Anand
Bangalore, India
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
**A starry night conjures up a fine evening full of safety and comfort, but also the tragic artist of Van Gogh. How would someone know an abandoned dog returns thin, and returns to a home? I actually like the inconsistency that I personally experience. This may be both literal and allegorical, and where the prodigal son doesn’t come back to a successful life.
returning home
the downpour
of longing
Oddbjørn Aardalen
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
wet day--
the homebound train
groans forward
Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy
Birmingham, UK
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
long time no see
counting your steps
up to the door
Gabriele Brunsch
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
----------------------------------
3 Points
----------------------------------
dewed grass -
the song of the crickets
guides me back home
Yiu Lian
(1,0,0) = 3 pts
another cool dawn
traveling with my long-lost home
locked up in my chest
Horst Ludwig
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
from Georgia red clay
to black loam of Iowa
I kiss the earth
Donna Bauerly
Dubuque, IA
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
trip home
the ball field
now a trailer park
Ignatius Fay
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
**Of the many variations on this theme (you can't go home again) this month, I like this one for its directness.
returning home my thirst ended
Ernesto P. Santiago
Solano, Philippines
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
**quenched might have been more suitable than ended
decades later
only the dog runs up
to meet him
Alegria Imperial
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
----------------------------------
2 Points
----------------------------------
Missing mom
no returning home --
for Mother's Day
Rose Marie Stutts, EdD
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
returning home -
nobody but a plastic bag
moving now and there
Lavana kray
Romania
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
walking home
light from the kitchen window
a beacon in the dark
Ginny Hoyle
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
returning home—
I can’t wait to get back
to the job I hate
Anonymous
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
returning home--
the old ball field is
Walmart's parking lot
Edward
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
drunken sailor
from his roaring forties
returning home
Juhani Tikkanen
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
home in darkness
porch light
welcoming
Frances O'Keeffe
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
returning home . . .
on the sagging garden gate
the ghost of a scruffy kid
Samar Ghose
Australia
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
turn of the key
cobwebs on my hand
the faded welcome mat
Jenn McSweeney
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
homecoming
the hollowed house
receives me
Earl Keener
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
seaside town
longing to walk
on clouds again
Carmen Sterba
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
**I don’t mind the gerund here. I immediately get so much from this, and walking perhaps on wet glistening sand at different times and stages of outgoing and incoming tides, which reflect the clouds.
mother says
she's on her way home
hospice
Stevie
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
----------------------------------
1 Point
----------------------------------
pallbearer
with a sole purpose
returning home
Tom Painting
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
the useless old hosepipe
greeted with hugs by the child
of migrant pickers
Anonymous
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
the fog drifts in
haloes around the taillights
leading me home
Ellen Compton
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
welcomed home
taken to the magnolia
carved with our names
Michael McClintock
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
returning home --
what to bring
to the parents?
mechaieh
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
miles of country roads
I take a wrong turn
returning home
Harvey Jenkins
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
**I like the irony. Might be better without "miles of."
the old neighborhood
full of childhood memories
you can't go home
-sakyu-
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
vernal dawn
our prodigal cat comes home...
exhausted
Natalia Kuznetsova
Russia
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
down a prairie road ~
full of dust and memories
the old homestead
Gerry Bravi
(Canada)
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
reaching home
eager to touch the shore first
the ripples and I
Ajaya Mahala,
Pune, India
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
fifteen years later
the empty lot where
my home stood
Bre
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
Old Home Day
chairs on the bandstand
unoccupied
--Diane Mayr
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
home from work --
I count five more puddles
on my way
~ Catherine Njeri Maina
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
home again--
the same smell right
at the front door
DeVar
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
--------------------------------------
No Points This Time, Sorry.
---------------------------------------
returning home
remembered dreams pass
on a rail journey
Alan Summers
a wrong step
stumbles
home
Anonymous
down from
the mountains
home town lights
up the sky
oga
kaeru moves
across the water...
returns to home
Pat Geyer
red dragonflies at
the graves of my ancestors -
back at my home town
Daniela Bullas
returning home
from the market for ribs
jiggity jig!
--Barbara Snow
returning home
the smell of jasmines
writes large smiles.
Purush
NolensvileTN[USA]
she cuts chives
knock knock knock
I'm coming home
Marta Chocilowska
Warsaw, Poland
a high rise
where stood my ancestral house
parking in courtyard
Binnoo
India
returning home―
parents' pace
much slower
Yukiko Yamada
on the road
a homesick cat
... soulless
Svend A. Doggfall
traffic exhaustion
jammed bronte to burlingtion
home at last
eric p
My pulse quickens
two more hills and a quick left
how patient my hearth!
Robert C. Howard
every minute
of every day
your absence
breaks my heart
Jane DeJonghe
returning home -
it looks so old and sad
like myself
Anonymous
returning home
houses, streets, trees, dogs..everything has shrunk
even my shrink
Jon Espen Vassbotn
the old red oak
scarred by lightning
soldier's homecoming
Anonymous
gone a lifetime . . .
coming back home
to the ocean
Bill Pauly
turning him down-
on her doorstep
shards of a broken mirror
.Miriam Borne
NYC
college homecoming reunion –
on the Quad
grey squirrels cracking nuts
deanna tiefenthal
returning home
the scent of her jasmine
traces my breath
Jayashree Maniyil
the world! - and then
its most precious key
still under the doormat
Anne Zooey Lind
Returning home
from my deployment -
tight, teary hugs.
Anonymous
returning home ~
the soft moaning wind
whispers of rain
Anonymous
guard let down
old ways embraced
guest no more
Meredith Cavalieri
a sailor comes home
his one year old son
hides his face
hesitative
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Comments:
**The poems in this section are so good that it is very hard to evaluate. Every poem in a gem. However, I shall be guilty if I do not send my voting points.
**Ran out of points this month. I hate it when that happens, but it's an indication of the strength of the entries.
**Thank you once more for organising these fine collections!
**Wish I had more votes to spare. A really great bunch!!
**I found many of these to be filled with sadness and loss.
Thanks again, for your time and the opportunity
**This month raised many entries, as we are now at the end of the "long rains" season (March to May).
**this turned out to be more difficult for the students. They had only just returned to school from their Easter holidays and did not have the time to focus on both.
**Here is my offering for May's kigo, ( and we can only hope for rain to put out some of the local forest fires)
**I'm happy to participate again in this kukai. Thanks again for the invitation!
**This is, to me, a fascinating theme. I'm eager to see what participants do with it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for participating in the May 2015 Kukai!
With much appreciation,
The Shiki Monthly Kukai Team