September 2008 Kukai

Kigo Theme: 

Autumn

First Place – Twenty-eight Points

autumn

the sky grows bigger

by one leaf

April Serock

(2,5,12) = 28 Pts

A beauty. Something we've all experienced but this makes me feel that I'm seeing it for the first time.

A nice shift of perspective.

Second Place – Twenty-four Points

autumn . . .

a spider takes over

the watering can

sheila windsor

(1,5,11) = 24 Pts

Third Place – Nineteen Points

autumn chill —

the church fills

with the smell of mothballs

Jacek M

(2,2,9) = 19 Pts

autumn breeze 

a dragonfly skims sunlight

off the pond

Keiko Izawa

(1,5,6) = 19 Pts

a field

of faceless pumpkins...

Autumn begins

ed markowski

(0,3,13) = 19 Pts

I like that phrase, 'faceless pumpkins', for Jack O' Lanterns-to-be.

Fourth Place – Seventeen Points

autumn dusk

an old man bends

to the earth

Melissa Spurr

(0,5,7) = 17 Pts

Fifth Place – Sixteen Points

autumn

trees undressing

leaf by leaf

Frances McCarthy

(0,5,6) = 16 Pts

An interesting reversal.

Sixth Place – Fourteen Points

autumn evening

a phone call from the friend

who lives alone

Bill Kenney

(0,2,10) = 14 Pts

Simultaneously brings to mind the coziness of friendship and the cool shiver of loneliness.

Seventh Place – Twelve Points

late autumn

a lone aspen leaf

resists the wind

Warren Gossett

(0,3,6) = 12 Pts

I like the word resist used here.

Eighth Place – Eleven Points

leaves raked

a boy jumps

into autumn

Roberta Beary

(1,1,6) = 11 Pts

I love this image. It's full of life - a timeless story, beautifully told.

So well crafted... just seven words yet rich in image and motion.

lazy river

a few poplar leaves drift

toward autumn

polona

(0,2,7) = 11 Pts

A beauty. Something we've all experienced but this makes me feel that I'm seeing it for the first time.

Ah . . . such a gentle poem. Lazy and drift . . . wonderful.

Ninth Place – Ten Points

autumn dawn

a chimney belches

its swifts

Barbara Snow

(1,3,1) = 10 Pts

a granddaughter

leads her through the corn maze

autumn deepens

tom painting

(0,3,4) = 10 Pts

autumn rain —

a tattooed man sells

permanent markers

Israel Lopez Balan

(0,3,4) = 10 Pts

autumn lingers

my father's coat still smells

like him

Earl Keener

(0,3,4) = 10 Pts

Tenth Place – Nine Points

crisp autumn morning

a deer sips at the blue lake —

artist paint is dry

Rebecca S.

(1,2,2) = 9 Pts

morning fog and

faint light from the bakery

early autumn

Boris Nazansky

(1,2,2) = 9 Pts

autumn fields

a few wisps of mist

in the stubble

Jan O'Loughlin

(0,1,7) = 9 Pts

autumn night

we lose ourselves

in the corn maze

Beth Powell

(0,1,7) = 9 Pts

Hadn't heard of 'corn maze' before. Interesting concept and a well formed haiku.

Autumn evening

the hoot owl tires

of answering me

Terri L. French

(0,0,9) = 9 Pts

Serene, almost teased sentiment, making the best of the last few moments of summer.

The dependable call-and-response breaking down... feels very autumnal.

Eleventh Place – Eight Points

Dad's wedding ring

begins to loosen . . . 

autumn rain

Alice Frampton

(0,2,4) = 8 Pts

autumn sunshine:

she finds a dime

in the grass

Raquel Bailey

(0,2,4) = 8 Pts

early autumn rain

the darkening beach

all mine

Jon Baldwin

(0,1,6) = 8 Pts

autumn air

the koi fish rise

in my shadow

Harvey Jenkins

(0,1,6) = 8 Pts

Twelfth Place – Seven Points

like an autumn leaf

first night in my new flat

even the moon has moved

Hermione

(1,2,0) = 7 Pts

I love this unusual comparison.

for a pinch of grain

koi splatter the pond

in autumn colors

Michael McClintock

(0,2,3) = 7 Pts

more rain 

and a kitchen cricket —

autumn songs

Shelley Krause

(0,2,3) = 7 Pts

There is something cozy about these sounds.

Love the combination of sounds in this one and the contrast of the wet/dry imagery.

autumn walk —

in a colourful forest

a grey couple

max verhart

(0,0,7) = 7 Pts

long autumn evening

the musty smell

of old book

Dorota Pyra

(0,0,7) = 7 Pts

Thirteenth Place – Six Points

the bell buoy

barely a silhouette —

august fog

Carol Raisfeld

(0,2,2) = 6 Pts

You can feel the ocean cool.

I opened the door

and autumn

blew rain in my face

helge t.

(0,2,2) = 6 Pts

no autumn yet

this autumn

Robert Ertman

(0,1,4) = 6 Pts

This one was the one I felt compelled to read aloud to my partner, and the one that stayed with me all week.

words unspoken

in the chillness of the evening

autumn leaves

Fred Flohr

(0,1,4,) = 6 Pts

Autumn rain —

the smell of trees

turning

Marylouise Knight

(0,1,4) = 6 Pts

autumn equinox —

we agree to split

the child support

Mauree Pendergrast

(0,1,4) = 6 Pts

Fourteenth Place – Five Points

ripe peaches

and six geese overhead

...autumn rising

Jeff Hanson

(0,2,1) = 5 Pts

these autumn mountains —

even a ghost

would leave prints...

Kurt R. W.

(0,1,3) = 5 Pts

unfolding autumn —

a stray cat quietly sits

at the front door

Origa

(0,1,3) = 5 Pts

autumn equinox

shadows slant from the trees

at new angles

Catherine J.S. Lee

(0,1,3) = 5 Pts

Fifteenth Place – Four Points

a long drive —

autumn leaves 

in hot pursuit

Sunil Uniyal

(0,2,0) = 4 Pts

now in a small box

the ring that hugged my finger —

Autumn came too soon

Betty Kaplan

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

tumbling down

the mountainside

tie-dye autumn

Darrell Lindsey

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

Autumn passing —

Last leaf on a bare tree

Captured by the wind

James Sawers

(0,2,0) = 4 Pts

autumn wind —

the lower clouds outrun

the higher ones

Isabelle Prondzynski

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

autumn sun

a rainbow ...

no, two

og_a

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

A perfectly caught moment.

another argument ~

a dry autumn leaf

rolled up tight

Paul Hodder

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

The spirit becomes weary of conflict. We close ourselves off even when doing so might portend a sort of psychic falling and death, what the alchemists call negredo. In the long run closing off may also lead to spring, a psychic rebirth.

turkey feathers

on grandma's hat

autumn funeral

Meggy

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

so much season

in the reedy voice

of the cricket

Paul O. Williams

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

waltzing golden birch

in autumn evening dress

starry night jewels

Jon Espen Vassbotn

(1,0,1) = 4 Pts

in the space

between summer and autumn

purple flowers

carol pearce-worthington

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

morning haze

a seaplane lifts

into autumn

Susan Constable

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

the silence

in the shadows

autumn dusk

Sjs

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

autumn dampness

the deep-fried scent

of the tavern

Jennifer Corpe

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

autumn freight

cold rails groan louder

in the dark

ruthanne

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

Autumn

fading colors of leaves

nothing but naked trees

Watpliwy

(1,0,1) = 4 Pts

Sixteenth Place – Three Points

autumn colours —

do you remember

our first kiss?

Daniela Bullas

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

Autumn is my life.

Not quite spring, not quite summer.

But never winter.

Tanja Cilia

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

Autumn rain

picking colors from the tree

I color my hair

Ben Gieske

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

I feel autumn

even in the kiss: a cold nose

and warm lips

Tomislav M.

(1,0,0) = 3 Pts

All is dwindling

Shorter days...and years

Autumn closes in

Mary E. Gray

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

autistic woman . . .

autumn comes hard

in spite of her song

Bill Pauly

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

autumn morn

a loon calls across

the placid lake

Meredith Cavalieri

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

autumn chill

the young geese try out

running on water

Marlène Buitelaar

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

deep into autumn

browsing through online albums

to keep the room warm

Cristian Mocanu

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

doe prints

where she stopped

for an autumn wind

Dan Schwerin

(1,0,0) = 3 Pts

Free Format Theme:

Rock or Stone

First Place – Twenty-five Points

drought year —

only the shape of water

on the stones

Devika

(0,7,11) = 25 Pts

Nicely captures the way we seek water ceaselessly during a drought.

Second Place – Twenty-two Points

family dog

the weight of the stones

upon his grave

Melissa Spurr

(1,5,9) = 22 Pts

Simply stated, but says all that it needs to.

Third Place – Eighteen Points

endless night —

between the stepping stones

the other half of the moon

Elena Naskova

(3,3,3) = 18 Pts

A bit of a puzzle as to exactly what I'm seeing, but the atmosphere wins my vote.

Fourth Place – Fifteen Points

graveside

the comfort of

a smooth pebble

Paul Hodder

(0,3,9) = 15 Pts

Fifth Place – Thirteen Points

worn soft

by the movement of time

the heart of stone

Bill Hudson

(1,4,2) = 13 Pts

Sixth Place – Twelve Points

filling the hole in my path a stepping stone

Josh Wikoff

(1,2,5) = 12 Pts

Seventh Place – Eleven Points

mountain brook —

a wagtail advances

stone by stone

Isabelle Prondzynski

(1,1,6) = 11 Pts

tinder and flint stone

all I have under the moon

and this loneliness...

Cristian Mocanu

(0,4,3) = 11 Pts

Eighth Place – Ten Points

foggy night

a new opal

on my finger

Meggy

(1,3,1) = 10 Pts

weathered granite —

just a few

letters

Dorota Pyra

(0,3,4) = 10 Pts

Imbued with both the certainty and mystery of death.

country road

deep in the deep leaves

old headstones

Bruce Ross

(0,2,6) = 10 Pts

dry river bed

a fawn licks the color

from a rock

Susan Constable

(0,2,6) = 10 Pts

Ninth Place – Nine Points

limestone cave

our hands reach out to

stalactites

andrea

(1,1,4) = 9 Pts

moonless night

the sound of a skipping stone

sinking

ed markowski

(0,3,3) = 9 Pts

Tenth Place – Eight Points

pine tree standing tall

how many rocks did you crush

reaching for the sky

todd eddy

(2,1,0) = 8 Pts

summer's end —

driveway stones

no longer sharp

Shelley Krause

(1,0,5) = 8 Pts

Barefoot days perfectly defined. autumn wind —

the marble buddha

so quiet

Israel Lopez Balan

(0,1,6) = 8 Pts

still palm warm

the beach pebble

you gave me

Jon Baldwin

(0,1,6) = 8 Pts

Eleventh Place – Seven Points

Here I am standing

between a rock and the sea;

Will I climb or swim?

Tanja

(0,2,3) = 7 Pts

new headstone

a ragged gentleman

sharing his moonshine

selwyn

(0,1,5) = 7 Pts

forevermore

two spiders cavort

in amber

Meredith Cavalieri

(0,1,5) = 7 Pts

summer drought —

the river rocks

that holed our canoe

Mike Montreuil

(0,1,5) = 7 Pts

This rueful realization conjures up a whole scene.

Twelfth Place – Six Points

hidden in limestone 

leopards lurk in shadows

of a ruby —

ARW

(2,0,0) = 6 Pts

my grandfather

rubbing his feet with a stone —

evening bath

Paul Omondi

(0,2,2) = 6 Pts

a beach pebble

only for a moment

in a little hand

Dejan Pavlinovic

(0,2,2) = 6 Pts

still pond

our skipped stones ripple

into sunset

Catherine J.S. Lee

(0,2,2) = 6 Pts

crushed gravel —

his mother-in-law's voice

over the phone

DeVar

(0,1,4) = 6 Pts

Although I think this would be stronger in first person, it's still very evocative.

alone in a field

the great stone

made of moonlight

Neil Moylan

(0,0,6) = 6 Pts

I liked the contrast of mass and light here.

among the crows

a scattering

of apricot stones

Warren Gossett

(0,0,6) = 6 Pts

Thirteenth Place – Five Points

"John + Brad"

nothing is in stone

any more

Origa

(1,0,2) = 5 Pts

Saddened by its death

the child makes a grave with stones

for the butterfly.

Laurie A. Szpot

(1,1,0) = 5 Pts

Entering

the brotherhood of boulders

I put on a green cape

Jon Espen Vassbotn

(1,1,0) = 5 Pts

Lovely in illustrating the process of 'going to the pine to learn about the pine'. We stop rolling and hunker down relating to the boulders beneath their moss.

a pebble thrown

into the mountain lake

circles of the sky

Tomislav M.

(0,2,1) = 5 Pts

funeral evening

her rose-quartz angel

plays with the light

sheila windsor

(0,1,3) = 5 Pts

fall classic

a boy throws stones

through the tire swing

tom painting

(0,0,5) = 5 Pts

Love the double resonance of "classic" here & the visual of the boy's throwing.

flash flood

the agate resumes its journey

to the sea

Edward

(0,0,5) = 5 Pts

Fourteenth Place – Four Points

skipping stones 

father and son 

bonding

Betty Kaplan

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

third try

his stone skips farther

than mine

Roberta Beary

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

I picture a father with his son, who is growing up much too fast.

rapid stream —

we cross holding hands

stone after stone

Jeff Hanson

(0,2,0) = 4 Pts

the poet's choice...

to skim a stone

or throw a rock

Laurene Post

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

long day —

a fishing rod attached

to a stone

Kelvin Mukoselo

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

breakwater

bird droppings cover

the jagged rocks

Carmel Lively Westerman

(0,2,0) = 4 Pts

His sharpening stone

an anchor for cobwebs

Yositaka (0,2,0) = 4 Pts

I really admire the imagery in this haiku and it's very tight construction. The word 'anchor' for me symbolizes the stability of the world which remains in 'his' absence (for whatever reason) and which clearly (if also ephemerally) attaches the world of man to the broader world of nature.

scotch over rocks

songs by the stones

good times gone

cire

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

I appreciated seeing a different kind of rock, and it has a mellow, autumnal feeling to me.

meditation stone —

to crickets

I am just another obstacle

jt

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

staring at us

from the rock

two round spots of a butterfly

john tiong chunghoo

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

meadow orchids

on a limestone bed

an ancient road

Marlène

(0,1,2) = 4 Pts

This image stayed in my mind.

anniversary —

finding a heart-shaped stone

on my path

Pia Sosua

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

first ray of light

behind the stone cottage —

a rooster raises his head

jill

(0,0,4) = 4 Pts

a stone

on the edge of rock

hides an avalanche

Iga

(1,0,1) = 4 Pts

Fifteenth Place – Three Points

house of salvation

colorful stained glass windows

shaped like old gravestones

if

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

The child is soft

and smells warm —

he is a stone in my arms

Aalix

(1,0,0) = 3 Pts

a cricket chirps —

September equinox

at Stonehenge

Daniela Bullas

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

mountain pass

a crumbling rock cradles

fossil shells

polona

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

night waves storm

the stillness

of barnacled rocks

Frances McCarthy

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

the stone is

of natures grey —

the name is yours

Tina

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

ornamental stone

the car salesman

continues to smile

Harvey Jenkins

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

alone again

at a picnic table

of stone

Alice Frampton

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

his name etched

on a black

granite wall

1bodhisattva

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

So cold, so dark, so strong, so brave, so fragile, so final.

my mother cooking

on three-stone hearth —

sooty chicken

Lucy Nyambura

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

I would have preferred "on a three-stone hearth" for natural rhythm; otherwise, loved it.

Lovely - I think this haiku is full of heart and soul.

spring!

in the rock garden

even the stone blooms

Magdalena Banaszkiewicz

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

pressed into the mud

frond of an ancient palm tree

fossilized in time

Deirdre Godwin

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

megalith tomb

boulders deeply immersed

in memory

max verhart

(1,0,0) = 3 Pts

ferocious heat —

now the orange and white

swirled in this rock

Paul O. Williams

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

dry river

a new pebble

to my stone garden

Jacek M.

(0,1,1) = 3 pts

museum stop —

a green flint cuts

through time

Earl Keener

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts

dry creek bed . . .

priest leading the boy

down to the millstone

Bill Pauly

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts water

over rocks

unsung melody

renaye lo

(0,1,1) = 3 Pts

after his death

coral and turquoise litter

his workbench

Gene Doty

(0,0,3) = 3 Pts