The Shiki Monthly Kukai
October 2015 Kukai
Congratulations to ***Vinay Leo R.***, winner of our Kigo section and to ***Sanjuktaa Asopa***, winner of our Free Format section!
VOTERS' comments are indicated by "**"
POETS' comments are indicated by "^^"
Kigo Theme:
SCARECROW
----------------------------------
First Place - 41 Points
----------------------------------
full corn moon
a scarecrow guards
the emptiness
Vinay Leo R.
(3,7,18) = 41 pts
**"emptiness" opens this up in a very interesting way.
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Second Place - 33 Points
---------------------------------
returning home—
only the scarecrow
with open arms
Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy
Birmingham, UK
(1,9,12) = 33 pts
----------------------------------
Third Place - 23 Points
----------------------------------
sunset
the scarecrow's shadow
creeps across the field
Simon Hanson
(0,4,15) = 23 pts
----------------------------------
20 Points
----------------------------------
scarecrow -
the language
I cannot speak
Ana Drobot
(Bucharest, Romania)
(1,6,5) = 20 pts
**Perhaps "a" in place of "the" in line 1?
----------------------------------
19 Points
----------------------------------
scarecrow
the kids
wave back
Bill Kenney
(2,2,9) = 19 pts
----------------------------------
16 Points
----------------------------------
leaving me in stitches the scarecrow’s smile
Roberta Beary
(1,5,3) = 16 pts
----------------------------------
15 Points
----------------------------------
that border
between wild and tame
scarecrow
Michele L. Harvey
USA
(1,3,6) = 15 pts
----------------------------------
13 Points
----------------------------------
east wind --
the scarecrow’s sleeves
both point west
~ Isabelle Prondzynski
(Ireland)
(0,3,7) = 13 pts
----------------------------------
12 Points
----------------------------------
his old clothes
given a new life—
scarecrow
Carole MacRury
(1,2,5) = 12 pts
a drunkard
passing by the scarecrow
raises his hat
Tomislav
(0,3,6) = 12 pts
moving day
taking the scarecrow
with us
Paul Hodder
(0,1,10) = 12 pts
----------------------------------
11 Points
----------------------------------
final rites
the scarecrow's hat
askew in the rain
Anitha Varma,
Kerala, India.
(0,4,3) = 11 pts
the silence
between the scarecrow
and the crows
Dejan Pavlinović
Pula, Croatia
(0,2,7) = 11 pts
----------------------------------
10 Points
----------------------------------
dusk ...
a raven breaks its flight
on the scarecrow
Jayashree Maniyil
(0,1,8) = 10 pts
----------------------------------
8 Points
----------------------------------
tipsy
with moonlight
the vineyard
scarecrow
Anonymous
(0,2,4) = 8 pts
**Mostly, I like the "delay" effect the 4-line format allows.
unplowed field
last year's scarecrow
keeps on flapping
Adelaide B. Shaw
(0,1,6) = 8 pts
**In failing to notice that the world has gone on without him, the scarecrow sounds quite human.
----------------------------------
7 Points
----------------------------------
evening walk
alone, you too
scarecrow
oga
(0,2,3) = 7 pts
**Poignant...
fallen down
on the job again-
scarecrow
Gregory Longenecker
(0,2,3) = 7 pts
beneath the scarecrow
field mouse gathers straw
October dusk
--Diane Mayr
(0,2,3) = 7 pts
**It wasn't until the third time through that this little gem got my attention, almost like the mouse the scarecrow doesn't notice.
autumn moon
a scarecrow lost …
in the corn maze
Nancy Nitrio
(0,1,5) = 7 pts
coming home
the scarecrow's
outstretched arms
Kevin Knezevic
(0,1,5) = 7 pts
barren field
a scarecrow points to
the harvest moon
Kaiser K.
(0,0,7) = 7 pts
----------------------------------
6 Points
----------------------------------
homecoming ...
the scarecrow welcomes
with open arms
Arvinder kaur
Chandigarh, India
(1,1,1) = 6 pts
wheat chaff
harvest moon slips into
the scarecrow’s pocket
Harvey Jenkins
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
rice fields —
the scarecrow sways
to harvesters' song
Paresh
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
**Well, of course it's just the wind, but the imagination plays tricks, fortunately.
first snow
the old scarecrow
in deep meditation
Svend A. Doggfall
(0,0,6) = 6 pts
----------------------------------
5 Points
----------------------------------
slow-wave sleep
a scarecrow guards
the silence
Cyndi Lloyd
(1,0,2) = 5 pts
dense fog
today the scarecrow
without face
(Ramona)
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
**I like the "today"... which leaves me wondering whether it has a face on other days... nice sense of mystery there.
scarecrow...
now I need not wear
hand-me-downs
Vandana Parashar
India
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
Atlantic fog
the scarecrow's scarf
hanging loose
Michael McClintock
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
----------------------------------
4 Points
----------------------------------
silent as a gun
sparrows twitter from the brim
of a scarecrow's hat
Hansha Teki
(0,2,0) = 4 pts
empty fields
the scarecrow left
drooping straw
Beth Powell
(0,2,0) = 4 pts
garden scarecrow
a small fawn
nibbles at his leg
Edward
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
Heart entombed in chaff
Never to be understood
By those fleeing fools
Jim Thoune
Bowling Green, KY USA
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
on the narrow road
a shabby scarecrow
points to the left
L.Csilla
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
arm’s length
the scarecrow hosts
a murder of crows
Tom Painting
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
----------------------------------
3 Points
----------------------------------
harvest festival -
the scarecrows also having
their days off
Zhanna P. Rader
(1,0,0) = 3 pts
the scarecrow
straight teeth
crooked smile
Carol Raisfeld
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
across the highway
scarecrow watches condos rise
where corn used to grow
Deirdre Godwin
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
falling leaves . . .
the raggedy scarecrow's
faded red shirt
Catherine J.S. Lee
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
harvest time
the scarecrow's poker-face
on the pumpkin field
Rafał Zabratyński
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
scarecrows
differently dressed up
in a row
Yukiko Yamada
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
scarecrow
in a rainstorm
looking so sad
Barbara Campitelli
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
Longer nights...
wandering the fields
to see the scarecrow
~Devika
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
harvest moon-
the rising haystack
dwarfs the scarecrow
-Kashinath Karmakar
India
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
grape harvest -
some bunches in
scarecrow's pockets
Petru-Ioan Gârda
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
kale garden --
an old scarecrow bends
in the wind
~ Anthony Waswa (Kenya)
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
----------------------------------
2 Points
----------------------------------
a scarecrow
wears dad’s felt army hat
I blink back tears
Anonymous
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
windy moonlight--
scared by shadows
of the scarecrow
Bill Pauly
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
autumn dusk;
on a threadbare scarecrow
a heron alights
-manoj saranathan
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
his spine storm-snapped beheaded scarecrow still shelters a red ant army
krw
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
The Ravens gather
On the shoulders of
The SCAREcrow
MR PC
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
bullet train --
the scarecrow gets
a scare
Kumarendra Mallick Hyderabad India
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
scarecrow stand-up
with an audience
of smiling snowmen
Jon Espen Vassbotn
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
laughing scarecrow
the cornfield buddha
wearing only rags
todd eddy
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
veggie garden--
we stuff grandpa’s clothes
with straw
--Kirsty Karkow
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
blackbirds fight
for a spot
on the scarecrow
Anonymous
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
so many cornfields
so many scarecrows
unemployed
Ginny Hoyle
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
an old crow
merrily sitting on
a scarecrow
Munia Khan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
a squirrel waiting
for the scarecrow to go --
green farm
~ Sammy Kilonzo
(Kenya)
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
rain and wind
the scarecrow's sleeve
waves back
Sheila K. Barksdale
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
autumn wind
what's left
of the scarecrow's clothes
Tim Singleton
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
bushy maize farm --
a monkey tries to scare
a scarecrow
~ Lawrence Muema (Kenya)
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
a speeding sparrow
suddenly changes direction-
roadside scarecrow
~ Colfax Otieno (Kenya)
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
fallen scarecrow --
a crow lands
on his shoulder
James Dobson
Prudhoe, UK.
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
----------------------------------
One Point
----------------------------------
scarecrow waiving
crows cross their way to the hills
pumpkin patch saved
Neal Whitman
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
first Sunday--
a child dresses up
the scarecrow
Ernesto P. Santiago
Athens, Greece
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
all alone
with not even a bird friend -
scarecrow
Gillena Cox
St James, Trinidad
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
old scarecrow
sporting dad’s plaid shirt
lightning strike
Ignatius Fay
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
gentleman's farm
his scarecrow's little black dress
vintage Chanel
maxianne
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
who's who in distance?
my old clothes are her new clothes
the scarecrow is me
Daniela Bullas
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
incoming fog . . .
let's see what these scarecrows
can do
Ajaya Mahala
Pune, India
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
alone in the dark
our scarecrow
doesn't budge either
Barbara Snow
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
a lone erect squirrel
regarding a scarecrow --
fenced farm
~ Susan Wakini (Kenya)
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
game park fence --
a scarecrow stands guard
on a nearby farm
~ Michael Cosmas (Kenya)
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
night breeze ...
the undone clothes
of a scarecrow
Samar Ghose
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
whistling wheat fields -
wrapping another scarf
around the scarecrow
-Priscilla Cook
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
ragged scarecrow--
empty fields await
the first snow
Ruth Powell
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
a wooden scarecrow
sternly staring at me --
roadside garden
~ Sheila Induswe (Kenya)
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
moonless night --
a scarecrow's white jumper
shines in my flashlight
~ Collins Mugusi
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
autumn wind...
the cornfield scarecrow's
annual moan
S.E. Buffington
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
--------------------------------------
No Points This Time, Sorry.
---------------------------------------
Stuffed silly with straw -
angel of death
to crows on the wing.
Robert C. Howard
Belleville IL
undeterred by
rain or shine
guards the crop
purush-
Nolensville. Tn[usa]
scarecrow
no brooding angels
in the old apple tree
Oddbjørn Aardalen
A bold blackbird
singing boisterously
on a scarecrow’s head
Keith A. Simmonds
Rodez, FRANCE
trying a haiku
a crow lands on
a scarecrow
Israel López Balan
Mexico City, Mexico
looming in the field
a motionless scarecrow...
red supermoon rise
Natalia Kuznetsova
scarecrow contest
bride & groom zombies kill
the competition
Anonymous
the scarecrow
come rain or snow
his scarf still waves
Bernard Gieske
harvested field
leans into its own shadow
the scarecrow
Vishnu P Kapoor
Chennai, India
passing fields -
not a single scarecrow
for the cow corn
Laurene
winter sunset
the glow of robin red breast
warms a scarecrow
Garry Eaton
in the middle row
a scruffy scarecrow
guards rotten fruit
Barbara A. Taylor
Mountain Top, NSW
Australia
scarecrow --
the politician
on the dais
quamrul hassan
(bangladesh)
a hesitant monkey
stares at a scarecrow --
maize field
~ Hannah Kiruki
(Kenya)
cabbage garden --
a scarecrow wearing
rasta colour clothes
~ Anthony Joseph
(Kenya)
our maize field --
over the hedge a monkey
teases a scarecrow
~ Patrick Wafula
(Kenya)
the girl walks away
on the scarecrow’s shoulder
warmth of a crow
Anonymous
fall twilight
the baby scarecrow
a blue shadow
Alegria Imperial
mischief in the corn field
the scarecrow
now a cyclops
Bill Hudson
hands of a scarecrow
never reaching
the beer can
Anonymous
fledging raucous crows
will not scare
even for blue jays
Donna Bauerly
Dubuque, IA
scarecrow
never more
the family farm
jill
scarecrow's
thin bones freezing -
harvest moon
Juhani Tikkanen
sparrows peck
the tattered wedding dress
on standing scarecrow
Jone Rush MacCulloch
Portland, OR
roadside garden --
a dusty scarecrow
in tattered clothes
~ Margaret Wangui (Kenya)
an old scarecrow
balances on a fence --
rugged field
~ Kelvin Akidiva (Kenya)
relentless rain
even smiling scarecrow
a bit down
Anonymous
the old scarecrow
under the draconids
guarding earth
Anne Zooey Lind
***Secretary's comment: One of my favorites
man of straw
stuck in one place
work keeps you grounded
Frances O'Keeffe
naked scarecrow
no buttons to count
catch at a straw
Helvellyn Lewis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Comments:
**Some outstanding entries in this kukai. Thanks again for the invitation.
**#23, #75, and #104 repeated many words but #23 was clearly the best of them.
**"Why say everything?" Basho asked. Many of this month's less successful entries simply say too much, leaving the reader with little to do. Not a matter of "minimalism;" simply of knowing when to stop.
**Too much good ones to award more than a single vote...sigh
**I really enjoyed the scarecrows.
**I am sorry I didn't feel like giving the rest of the marks to any other..
**Very nice collection this, which I enjoyed reading and re-reading.
**Some great kigo ones here. Too bad some of them repeated the season. To narrow the strongest contenders I selected those haiku that moved away from cliché and presented a different perspective on scarecrows. It was very difficult awarding points.
**Enough to put the scare in us!
Free Format Theme:
SPARK
----------------------------------
First Place - 25 Points
----------------------------------
last sparks
from the dying embers...
my hand in his
sanjuktaa
India
(2,4,11) = 25 pts
**The dying beautifully portrayed. The tenderness is so palpable.
----------------------------------
Second Place - 24 Points
----------------------------------
the sparks
in a soldier's ashes -
all those dreams
Arvinder kaur
Chandigarh, India
(3,3,9) = 24 pts
----------------------------------
Third Place - 17 Points
----------------------------------
flare of sparks
...one potato tucked
into the ashes
--Diane
(0,3,11) = 17 pts
----------------------------------
16 Points
----------------------------------
between
voice and word
the sparks
Hansha Teki
(2,2,6) = 16 pts
night sky . . .
I entrust my heart
to a falling star
Paresh
(0,4,8) = 16 pts
----------------------------------
15 Points
----------------------------------
rising sparks
lost among the stars
shortest night
Ignatius Fay
ifay@vianet.ca
(1,3,6) = 15 pts
**Vast distances, brief moments, and a poet's imagination.
**Love the new getting lost in the old. Subtly melancholic and beautiful!
----------------------------------
14 Points
----------------------------------
flint
on steel;
starfall
Bill Pauly
(0,2,10) = 14 pts
----------------------------------
13 Points
----------------------------------
bonfire
the first spark sends us
to the moon
Tom Painting
(1,3,4) = 13 pts
dying embers---
her fingers shrink
from my touch
Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy
Birmingham, UK
(0,2,9) = 13 pts
----------------------------------
12 Points
----------------------------------
sparks in the maple autumn sun
S.E. Buffington
(2,1,4) = 12 pts
----------------------------------
10 Points
----------------------------------
the campfire ends
in a sigh of embers
starlit sky
Anitha Varma
Kerala, India.
(0,4,2) = 10 pts
**I'm not sure about "sigh of embers," but it reaches. One thing it does is to make the moment human.
last sparks
from the campfire
moonless sky
Ann K. Schwader
(0,2,6) = 10 pts
**No wasted words, and the last line closes things down strongly. Certainly, a sense of the end of something.
fireworks –
falling sparks among
the stars
Tomislav
(0,1,8) = 10 pts
**"falling" is what makes this work.
----------------------------------
9 Points
----------------------------------
autumn night
kindling and the spark
between us
jill
(0,3,3) = 9 pts
----------------------------------
8 Points
----------------------------------
maize roaster --
golden sparks fly
into the dusk
~ Isabelle Prondzynski
(Kenya)
(1,2,1) = 8 pts
bonfire night ...
a beggar struggles
with wet coal
Vinay Leo R.
(0,3,2) = 8 pts
----------------------------------
7 Points
----------------------------------
borrowed fire
Szymborska's spark
on the wind
Ginny Hoyle
(1,2,0) = 7 pts
**Had to Google Szymborska – glad I did – she’s a Polish poet who won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature (I’m so happy to have this opportunity to discover a new poet and read some of her poetry!). I’m having trouble with the phrase “borrowed fire.” Not sure how fire is borrowed – perhaps “shared” would be a better word choice? Otherwise a touching, lovely haiku.
middle age
the spark between us
still warming the years
Tim Singleton
(1,1,2) = 7 pts
----------------------------------
6 Points
----------------------------------
farewell bonfire
a stream of sparks
hits Orion
Rafał Zabratyński
(1,0,3) = 6 pts
her presence
the heart of an autumn leaf
sparkles
Svend A. Doggfall
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
**Beautiful and heartwarming!
sunrise
a spark
in the mornings eye
Oddbjørn Aardalen
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
just one
among many
wildfire spark
Gregory Longenecker
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
autumn chill;
a spark from the crackling fire
joins the milky way !
-manoj saranathan
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
**The exclamation point is a mistake, as it usually is.
of the children
only fireflies
in his blindness
Alegria Imperial
(0,2,2) = 6 pts
grandpa's ghost tales—
campfire sparks reflected
in the kids' wide eyes
Catherine J.S. Lee
(0,1,4) = 6 pts
a spark from the campfire
flits and dies
my mother was right
maxianne
(0,0,6) = 6 pts
picnic bonfire -
sparks fly into
the dry grass
Carmel Westerman
(0,0,6) = 6 pts
----------------------------------
5 Points
----------------------------------
that spark
when our hands meet . . .
my old friend
Bill Kenney
(1,0,2) = 5 pts
grinding sparks –
the fountain sculpture gets
an impish smile
(Ramona)
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
flatline—
the cricket starts up again
Samar Ghose
Australia
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
**I’m usually not a fan of two-line haiku, but this one is quite effective.
50 years at the anvil
the blacksmith's forearms
pitted with scars
Sheila K. Barksdale
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
alpine lake—
our campfire sparks
mingle with the stars
Carole MacRury
(0,1,3) = 5 pts
backyard fireworks
the neighbors quickly
water their lawns
Edward
(0,0,5) = 5 pts
----------------------------------
4 Points
----------------------------------
just in time
CPR delivers
a spark of life
Barbara A. Taylor
Mountin Top, NSW
Australia
(1,0,1) = 4 pts
a sudden spark too late I turn away
Donna Bauerly
Dubuque, IA
(1,0,1) = 4 pts
One line
acorn kindling
campfire sparks chase
shooting star
charlie smith
raleigh, nc
(0,2,0) = 4 pts
spark -
fir-trees hang on
to the sun
Ana Drobot
Bucharest, Romania
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
Her first kiss
under the cherry tree…
sparks in her eyes
Keith A. Simmonds
Rodez, FRANCE
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
catching her eye
as the campfire story drags on
orange sparks
Paul Hodder
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
unseen sparks
in her eyes --
morning glory
Kumarendra Mallick Hyderabad India
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
in the shadows
of an empty apple tree -
a tiny spark
-Priscilla Cook
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
sunset --
sparks from a welding machine
brighten my path
~ Wellington Mulima (Kenya)
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
flat soda
wet matches
starless sky
Jon Espen Vassbotn
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
**This trifold absence of spark - yes!
new moon
the spark
of hope
L.Csilla
(0,1,2) = 4 pts
moonless night
the spark in her eyes
lights my world
Vandana Parashar
India
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
sparks
in the eyes of a blacksmith...
she passes by
Dejan Pavlinović
Pula, Croatia
(0,0,4) = 4 pts
----------------------------------
3 Points
----------------------------------
Sipping cider together
A fire log sparks
in the October chill.
Robert C. Howard
Belleville IL
(1,0,0) = 3 pts
a surge current —
those deep dimples
of the young sparky
Jayashree Maniyil
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
lightning . . .
I walk on a river
in the dazzle
Ajaya Mahala,
Pune, India
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
the rain stops
in the flooded basement
stars tremble
Nancy Smith
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
static electricity
the spark at first touch
still there
Adelaide B. Shaw
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
keeping me company -
the sparks from the campfire
and the stars above.
dsnake1
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
a lone spark
lifts into the night--
my campfire
Ruth Powell
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
one lone spark -
thirty acres of dry brush
ablaze
Jane DeJonghe
(0,1,1) = 3 pts
wall to wall carpet
we feel a jolt
at every light switch
Harvey Jenkins
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
his abuse
makes her an anvil
without spark
Munia Khan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
**I felt the blow this one delivers. Oh my, this haiku has stayed with me.
comet days -
grandfather sharpens knives
at the grinder
Petru-Ioan Gârda
(0,0,3) = 3 pts
----------------------------------
2 Points
----------------------------------
listening to
poetryreincarnations...
the waxen sparks
--Kirsty Karkow
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
bonfire
a spark makes the two laugh
even louder
oga
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
I jump away
from the welder's glowing sparks --
car repairs
~ Cynthia Mberi (Kenya)
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
winter sparks --
the presence of
a fireside mat
James Dobson
Prudhoe, UK.
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
adorned with dew drops
rainbow-flashing in the sun -
a spider web
Anonymous
(0,1,0) = 2 pts
rising heat...
the repairman's touch
sets off a spark
~Devika
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
mating fireflies
tiny sparks in the picture
on her gravestone
Kaiser Kahn
(0,0,2) = 2 pts
----------------------------------
One Point
----------------------------------
strike after strike
before the match sparks -
frustration
Gillena Cox
St James, Trinidad
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
an ember
flames, dies…
midnight hour
Michele L. Harvey
USA
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
a spark
dazzling in her eyes
new found love.
purush-
NOLENSVILLE[USA]
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
sad eyes
beginning to spark --
the peek-a-boo game
Michael McClintock
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
when earth is shaking
a volcano coughs and sparks -
swallows migration
Daniela Bullas
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
on the cobblestones
spitting sparks from horseshoes
disturb the night
Bernard Gieske,
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
**Great imagery in this one!
bright sparks
from a welding shop --
twi-light
~ Hannah Kiruki (Kenya)
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
trying to fly
with Blaze Foley
the record skips
todd eddy
normal, il
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
yellow sparks
on lighting a brazier --
evening wind
~ Dorothy Syombua (Kenya)
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
two tango steps
spark
lifetime of passion
Jone Rush MacCulloch
Portland, Oregon
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
spark
the reason
you and I are together
Bill Hudson
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
refracted light
through the selenite crystal
my third eye sparks
Cyndi Lloyd
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
burning rubbish --
unable to count
erupting sparks
Mary Kamau (Kenya)
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
yet a bonfire spark
mingling with ten
thousand stars
Anne Zooey Lind
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
glint of life
the sparkling eyes of
the lame old codger
Frances O'Keeffe
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
sparks
in the eyes of
run over nightjar
Helvellyn Lewis
(0,0,1) = 1 pts
--------------------------------------
No Points This Time, Sorry.
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one high school teacher
said I would spark in college
summa cum laude
Neal Whitman
North Star--
the spark excites
my taste buds
Ernesto P. Santiago
Athens, Greece
sparkles of ice
decorate the dogwood tree ~
christmas is near
Pat Geyer
flintstones
the sparks lay dreaming
Simon Hanson
wandering lost trails
the forgotten spark
of my first love
hawktalk
sudden spark
in smouldering ashes
that look of the old flame
Vishnu P Kapoor
Chennai, India
a shower of sparks
rises from Hallowe’en’s fire
rivaling the stars
Deirdre Godwin
sun blasting sparks
October red sky morning
quaking crimson leaves
Susan Harman
a tall leafy tree
leaning on electric cables --
bright sparks
~ Michael Cosmas
the last fireworks
sparks fall
the summer ends
Yukiko Yamada
horde of sparks,
added some stovewood --
cold evening
Juhani Tikkanen
lights out...
but for a candle spark
in the hallway
~ Catherine Njeri Maina (Kenya)
three sparks appear
from a matchstick strike --
dark dormitory
~ Onyango Valary (Kenya)
windy night --
glittering sparks rising
from a burning log
~ Mary Mueni (Kenya)
Tiny spark
The mustard seed
Of the conflagration
Jim Thoune
Bowling Green, KY USA
everywhere sparks
flying around
those fireflies
Barbara Campitelli
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General Comments:
**Surprising amount of confusion re: "spark/sparkle" in this month's entries.
**It is a great pleasure to read and enjoy so many good haiku.
**Interesting haiku in this edition, but too many "campfires"?
**Not too many of these entries lit a fire within me. Sorry. Even some of these [that I voted for] were a stretch.
**With summer temperatures in now Spring, we are always alert and aware of the threat from sparks...Not looking forward to our Summer and the strong El Nino...
**I like very many haiku with the kigo of "scarecrow", but I hardly like any of the "sparks" haiku - they all sound plain to me, I am sorry to say. Sad smile emoticon
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Thank you for participating in the October 2015 Kukai!
We will announce the November 2015 Call for Submissions on Monday, November 2nd. See you then!
With much appreciation,
The Shiki Monthly Kukai Team