November 2009 Kukai

Kigo Theme: 

Cold/Flu

First Place — 24 points

mid-winter thaw

even the snowman

has a runny nose

Elinor Pihl Huggett

(0,7,10) = 24 pts

Second Place — 23 pts

cold—

the aspen leaves

shake with me

Maria Tomczak

(0,6,11) = 23 pts

Third Place — 18 pts

autumn morning—

a street dog

also sneezes

Israel Lopez Balan

(1,4,7) = 18 pts

Fourth Place — 14 points

Indian summer

a fly keeps buzzing

near my headache

Harvey Jenkins

(0,3,8) = 14 pts

Fifth Place — 13 points

sneezing fit

the dog retires

to another room

Carmel Lively Westerman

(0,3,7) = 13 pts

I can see the dog and the room -- what a great scene! The word "retires" is very well chosen here.

Sixth Place — 12 points

first snow —

vitamin C added

to the grocery list

Mike Montreuil

(0,2,8) = 12 pts

Seventh Place — 11 points

city square —

startled by my sneeze

a dove takes wing

Gautam Nadkarni

(0,4,3) = 11 pts

I love the simplicity of this. A true observation -- no desk haiku could go like this!

a night of fever —

clouds brush the face of

a smouldering moon

jon davey

(0,3,5) = 11 pts

fever dream

the falling snow

swirls into stars

Catherine J.S. Lee

(0,1,9) = 11 pts

Eighth Place — 10 points

cold autumn —

the warm days move away

with the cough

Jordi Climent

(0,3,4) = 10 pts

the rolled-up sleeves

of the night shift

flu shots

Deborah P Kolodji

(0,1,8) = 10 pts

Ninth Place — 9 points

flu season...

even my car coughs

all the way

Jacek. M

(0,3,3) = 9 pts

flu season

the rush of heat

up the chimney

Tom Painting

(0,3,3) = 9 pts

Tenth Place — 8 points

frog chorus

in line

for the vaccine

Alan S. Bridges

(1,0,5) = 8 pts

Eleventh Place — 7 points

flu season

teaching grade one

the elbow cough

Beth Powell

(0,2,3) = 7 pts

Twelfth Place — 6 points

The old throat

A flu jumped in

Atchoo!

Anne Zooey Lind

(1,1,1) = 6 pts

snow moon

asking if the scarecrow

may catch a cold

Rita Odeh

(0,2,2) = 6 pts

finally

the world is as one ...

by flu

Tom Maretic

(0,2,2) = 6 pts

Thirteenth Place — 5 points

cold season -

the kindergarten classroom

still and quiet

freddy gier

(1,0,2) = 5 pts

By far the strongest of the bunch, I felt. I loved the punch it carries - the realization of "oh! no, a K classroom *shouldn't* be quiet..."

howl of dogs

and my nose running

into the moonless night

Sabine Tamarinda

(1,1,0) = 5 pts

floor tile

of my nun's cell

cold comfort

Donna Bauerly

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

flu symptoms

nothing seems to slow

the spin of a maple seed

Cindy Tebo

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

feverish —

the short walk to the doctor

so long

Isabelle Prondzynski

(0,0,5) = 5 pts

Fourteenth Place — 4 points

H1N1

the temperature

at the sun's centre

Garry Eaton

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

swine flu…

the dog ignores

my scratchy voice

Barbara A Taylor

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

a hot brick

tucked under the quilts —

Spanish flu

Janice Hornburg

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

rattle of dry leaves —

moonlight deepens

on the sickbed

Penny Harter

(0,0,4) = 4 pts

Fifteenth Place — 3 points

my brother

struggling to breathe —

swine flu

Harrison Mwangangi

(1,0,0) = 3 pts

I found this one very moving. So, so simple but such a real situation and emotion.

autumn mist

the frog jumps into the sneeze

martin

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

sneezing

down the aisle to the

cans of chicken soup

Washi

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

early dusk

the stifled cough

wins out

Ann K. Schwader

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

med school

lecture punctuated

with coughs

Nancy Smith

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

Sixteenth Place — 2 points

first one sneeze, then two

the cats and the dog all look

what? no gesundheit?

todd eddy

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

Mar’s launch . . .

a sneeze echoes back

from the canyon

Ron Moss

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

Intriguing verse.

dreary as the day

I lie in my bed and read

without much interest

Deirdre

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

stormy autumn night

he cuts an onion in two

against her earache

Ralf Broker, Germany

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

season greeting

with the mail

a sneeze

Ben Gieske

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

Charming.

crossing the street

to avoid a sneezing

pig

gourdman

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

black medicine

morning

begins to shine

shanna

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

dry cough

the crunch of cherry

drops

Terra Martin

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

november morning park

a group practising

aaahh chi

Jon Espen Vassbotn

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

The first line could be more compact, but I love the idea!

fevered night

between wheezing coughs

an erection

Carol Raisfeld

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

H1N1 pandemic

I choose to not panic

and write a poem instead

Stevie Strang

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

counting coughs

on the airplane

flu season

Terri L. French

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

I fly a lot and this really hits home!

Seventeenth Place — 1 point

Cough, sneeze and snuffle

Warm lemon-carob julep;

Lozenges and mints.

Tanja Cilia

swine flu alert...

the bride and the groom

wearing their masks

Keith A. Simmonds

my pig’s fluttering his ears —

i’m afraid it has

bird flu

Petru-Ioan Garda

waiting room —

almost everyone coughs

into their sleeves

Laurene

best type of flu —

though too sick to go to work

well enough to read

Elaine Riddell

Red noses gleaming,

brilliant beacons glowing,

winter cold gripping.

Jean Lewis

terrible cold —

a sneeze at the

tip of my nose

Narayanan Raghunathan

cold afternoon —

the rhythm of sneezing

in our classroom

Jedidah Nduku

paper walls

my neighbor’s cough

awakens me

Meredith Stern Cavalieri

No points this time, sorry.

sore biceps

yearly flu shot —

picking the last peas

if

Fit of sneezes

no winter allergy —

thinking of sex

R.K.Singh

Pain, achingly cold

Frozen hard

Bullets of ice

James Sawers

headache and sore throat.

body aches, chills, and the cough

human flu symptoms

purush

hysteria rises

as the needle pricks

flu season

Susan Sanchez-Barnett

writing unsparingly

to spare

my sore throat

A Dharma Bum

Was mass extinction

caused by the virus just found

in ancient ice ?

Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black

first thing grandma touches

my sleeping daughter's forehead

though I told her not to

John Thompson

head in hand

staring at dinner

my stomach turns over

Bill Hudson

Scholarly meeting

high in the snowy mountains

with flu absences

Horst Ludwig

forecast -

another fire/throat

begins the season

Merrill Ann Gonzales

your stormy sneeze —

hardly seen, hardly heard

migrating storks

oana posnaies

my throat a desert

raw with viral grit

i flood it with salt

mechaieh

Liquid eyes spill streams

Rivulets carve throat canyons

Kleenex, cough drops, hot tea, ahhhhh!

Pat Lammers

nonstop runny nose

in each room of the house

two boxes of tissues

Edward

mother's back turned

toddler's tongue catches

his nose drips

Diane Mayr

my dog and i

both shivering with cold -

autumn blues

natalia kuznetsova

Falling snow,

my nose feels the cold -

I must sneeze.

Trevor Camp

blocked nose —

just humming

We are the Champions

Krzysztof

he hawks a loogie

that splats on the street

and coughs on by

Eric

grandma stirs

hot lemon and honey

for my cough

Ruth Powell

long underwear

my second skin

guards against ah-choo!

Marilyn Hazelton

The chilly morning

coughs up a long line

for vaccination.

Beacon

rivulets of rain

cloud the windows—

a sore nose

Marylouise Knight

a sneezing student

wipes mucus with her hand --

quiet exam room

Stephen Macharia

sneezing aloud —

mucus drips into

my handkerchief

Elkana Mogaka

stinking handkerchief —

a student's nostril flooded

with mucus

Stephen Nzomo

chilly morning —

mucus flowing from

my sore nose

Kilunda

aromatic liniment —

my aunt dabs at her

swollen tonsils

Beryl Achieng

my grandmother

with a soaked handkerchief —

peeling nostrils

Vivian Adhiambo

my mother washing

a slippery handkerchief —

sniffs from a running nose

Erick Mwange

a drop of mucus

on my exam papers —

cold morning

Patrick Wafula

streaking snot

from elbow to wrist

the sniffling schoolboy

Terry O'Connor

winter colds

ongoing attempts to

dam head canals

Frances McCarthy

back and forth

from nose to mouth

a snotty finger

Dejan Pavlinovic

a damp cold —

honey and lemon

soothe the throat

DeVar

First snow fall —

I sneeze violent

and the cat throbs

Miorita

body shivers —

into the frozen ear

her hot words

Orbi

surgically masked

by the only free chair

at the clinic

andrea

General Comments:

A difficult choice this time. Interesting how the latest epidemics and the latest warnings have spilled into these haiku!

Free Format Theme:

Decorations

First Place — 22 pts

snow fills

the pumpkin’s grin

November

Ann K. Schwader

(1,6,7) = 22 pts

Second Place — 13 pts

enough,

just one orchid in

the bamboo vase

Narayanan Raghunathan

(2,2,3) = 13 pts

Minimalism in haiku. . . how effective.

The starkness of this haiku reflects perfectly the beauty of the one orchid in the bamboo vase. Enough -- well said!

hoarfrost

her embroidery needle

in and out

Terra Martin

(2,2,3) = 13 pts

I can see grandma's hand's moving and her contented face and feel the chill in the air.

Third Place — 12 pts

ah! the midnight moon

sprinkling sequins again

on the old pond

Anne Zooey Lind

(0,4,4) = 12 pts

Fourth Place — 11 points

New Year's Day

the homeless man decorates

a discarded Christmas tree

David Grayson

(1,1,6) = 11 pts

winter jays

decorate the one pine

left standing

Beth Powell

(0,3,5) = 11 pts

The image is startling, the sound beautifully alternating with harsh and soft.

Fifth Place — 10 points

holiday home

a bittersweet wreath

on the barracks door

Catherine J.S. Lee

(0,4,2) = 10 pts

I love the play on the word "bittersweet"

"bittersweet" is the right word in the right place; "barracks" a wrenching contrast with "holiday home"

surprise visitor

I place one more gourd

in the centerpiece

Harvey Jenkins

(0,2,6) = 10 pts

Quite warm and pleasant.

Sixth Place — 9 points

leaves gone

a tree's bare black limbs

decorate the sky

miriam chaikin

(1,2,2) = 9 pts

coffee table book

an opening at the end

of the universe

Garry Eaton

(1,1,4) = 9 pts

trick-or-treat

a spider finds

the spray-on web

Alan S. Bridges

(0,2,5) = 9 pts

Christmas morn

a flock of crows festoons

the old pine

Warren Gossett

(0,2,5) = 9 pts

deep frost —

the moon decorating

snow flakes

Petru-Ioan Garda

(0,3,3) = 9 pts

Seventh Place — 8 points

office party

a sprig of mistletoe

in her cleavage

Carol Raisfeld

(0,2,4) = 8 pts

smashed pumpkins

litter the street —

a biting wind

Marylouise Knight

(0,0,8) = 8 pts

Eighth Place — 7 points

a glint of tinsel

in a high corner web

epiphany

Barbara Snow

(1,0,4) = 7 pts

The inclusion of the kigo "Epiphany" greatly adds to the beauty of this haiku.

Green Beret

red roses decorate

the coffin

Carmel Lively Westerman

(0,2,3) = 7 pts

Grandma’s lacy shawl

decorates the empty

rocking chair

Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black

(0,1,5) = 7 pts

Ninth Place — 6 points

rotting jack-o-lantern

the menacing grin

now befuddled

Meredith Stern Cavalieri

(1,1,1) = 6 pts

Graphically and amusingly evocative.

the tree sways

from side to side

last piece of tinsel

Susan Sanchez-Barnett

(0,2,2) = 6 pts

hometown

garland trims

the parking meters

Tom Painting

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

student house

a tinselled traffic-cone

atop the tree

Terry O'Connor

(0,1,4) = 6 pts

Tenth Place — 5 points

old man's beard

adorns his tree —

the hermit

Ruth Powell

(1,1,0) = 5 pts

What a marvelous image and a great haiku.

childless at Christmas . . .

my love places an angel

on the tree

Ron Moss

(0,1,3) = 5 pts

Eleventh Place — 4 points

under mistletoe

the young girl waits hopefully

I sip my eggnog

Deirdre Godwin

(1,0,1) = 4 pts

decorations

strewn about —

the wedding's off!

Washi

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

thirty-year-old's

macaroni angel

still on grandma's tree

Diane Mayr

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

every fire truck out...

volunteer firemen hang

Christmas decorations

Elinor Pihl Huggett

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

breakfast pancakes —

the fridge is decorated

in toddler art

DeVar

(0,1,2) = 4 pts

Twelfth Place — 3 points

rustling

on a school poster

autumn leaves

Dejan Pavlinovic

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

the collage grows stronger

as the refrigerator

attracts another magnet

A Dharma Bum

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

Texas steakhouse

the rooftop Santa Claus

rings a dinner bell

Edward

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

christmas down under

snowflakes sprayed on the windows

under summer skies

Elaine Riddell

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

chopsticks and fork

Buddha illuminated

by Christmas lights

John Thompson

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

A lot of ingredients, but this one says a lot too.

greeting card garlands...

my own stack

of unsent letters

Deborah P Kolodji

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

christmas lights

dangling from the roof

another foreclosed home

Stevie Strang

(0,0,3) = 3 pts

Thirteenth Place — 2 points

High thin pointed hats

high class fashion long ago

now threat trick or treat

Horst Ludwig

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

rays of divine light

lead us to reach destined goals

decorating, thoughts

purush

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

big box store —

hob-goblins share a shelf

with Santa Claus

Janice Hornburg

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

another year

wiped away —

broken Christmas globe

oana posnaies

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

ribbons

entwine the sky

kites on a wind

Jacek M.

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

A novel approach to decorations.

birthday bash —

a blown-up blue balloon

suddenly bursts

Gautam Nadkarni

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

color-blind boy

paper turkeys

bright as peacocks

mechaieh

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

January chill —

a colourful wedding emerges

from the church

Isabelle Prondzynski

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

in an old oak

twinkling, fairy lights

midsummer night

Ellen Compton

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

in the attic —

christmas decorations and...

hidden memories

natalia kuznetsova

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

that anxious feeling

like grocery-store Christmas lights

earlier each year

freddy gier

(0,1,0) = 2 pts

empty nest

cornucopia spilling

memories

anonymous

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

late Friday night —

the thrown wine glass smashes

her favorite vase

Bruce H. Feingold

(0,0,2) = 2 pts

Fourteenth Place — 1 point

A friend's house

By the pumpkin's inner glow

Happy children

James Sawers

outdoor rice lights

multiplying rain

drop by drop by drop

Donna Bauerly shimenawa

tied to a grand cedar

in the park

Barbara A Taylor

LCD lit tree —

filling stockings

with nuts and oranges

Terri L. French

Autumn tines of trees

Raking the sky’s burnished leaves

Uncovering gray

Pat Lammers

day after halloween —

Christmas displays

at Walmart

Mike Montreuil

Late evening,

many bright stars shine —

Christmas lights.

Trevor Camp

Traditional scene,

old decorations dusted,

reused each Christmas.

Jean Lewis

ornamental gourds

arranged by the walkway

slowly blacken

gourdman

sex worker's autopsy —

the tatoo: "only for John"

over her symphisis

Tomislav

No points this time, sorry.

festive yule symbol

now just a tree with lights

day after Christmas

if

November first

candy corn sticks to the boy’s grin

martin

this year's Christmas tree

with last year's decorations...

thanks to the downturn

Keith A. Simmonds

green turkey

tiny hands with crayons

help to decorate

Bill Hudson

first almond biscuit ...

she stores away

a plastic pumpkin

Ralf Broker

soft moonbeams

asleep with lilies

dreaming into tomorrow

Ben Gieske

walking spiderman

past Christmas decorations

trick or treat

Tom Genovese

kaleidoscope

of orchard squash — too pretty

to eat

Merrill Ann Gonzales

christmas at grandma’s —

on the christmas tree still

the same decorations

Andrzej Dembonczyk

the cage door

is left open .. Wedding

Decorations

Rita Odeh

with sky for a

hat decorated by

airplanes

carol pearce-worthington

school children

look for pilgrims,

find santa

Laurene

cracks spreading

in the Easter egg —

the blue albumen

Penny Harter

i am sweet on

sugar tits and candied buns

her decorations

Eric

snowflakes fall gently to the earth

sparkling softly floating with the wind

-the best decorations in town

Jeanne Fiedler

that plastic camel

draws kids(and some adults)

to my cacti

Jon Vassbotn

To brave soldiers

a royal oak carved headstone

evenly split

Beacon

lizards struggling to

climb on a newly painted house —

sunny morning

Winslause Yamame

purple jacaranda blooms

decorate our lawns again —

the short rains

Patrick Wafula

baubles dazzle cheaply

yet child-eyes gleam

in wonder

Frances McCarthy

False fruits

decorations of beggar –

harvest home

Miorita

Thanksgiving turkey

to admire

Pine cone

Pipe cleaners

Paper

Mary E. Gray

her first pumpkin

now a snowman

andrea

annual tree trimming

the way the branches

change sizes

Judith Gorgone