Congratulations to April Serock, winner of our Kigo section and to Devika Menon, winner of our Free Format section!
September 2008 Results
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