The Shiki Monthly Kukai

January 2010 Kukai

Here are the results for the January 2010 Kukai, wherein our Kigo subject was "First Things" and our Free Format subject was "Love".

Congratulations to Pia So'Sua, winner of our Kigo section and to Melissa Spurr, winner of our Free Format section!

Those who were given less than three points and who requested anonymity in such a case are so noted.

(214 = 12) would indicate that the poem above received two 3-point votes, one 2-point vote, and four 1-point votes.

Voters comments are in italics below the respective poems.

January 2010 Results
Kigo Theme: First Things	Free Format Theme: Love
First Place — 29 Points high up in a tree the crow changes colour — first sunrise Pia So'Sua (5,3,8) = 29 pts Second Place — 17 Points first love my best friend's bike at her house Garry Eaton (1,2,10) = 17 pts Awww, I feel the little guy’s heart breaking from the betrayal. Yes, such a grinding feeling! first day back the religion teacher pregnant again Terry O'Connor (0,4,9) = 17 pts Third Place — 16 Points first sun — beside the front door an old coin Israel Lopez Balan (1,4,5) = 16 pts Fourth Place — 15 Points first snowfall she spreads a new quilt over the bed Janice Hornburg (1,2,8) = 15 pts I think the juxtaposition works well here . . . the snow and quilt as covers for two kinds of beds. Despite the cold, there's so much warmth in this lovely haiku! Fifth Place — 13 Points first crow's cry... the limb's icy glaze shatters Diane Mayr (0,4,5) = 13 pts first kiss... yet the band plays Auld Lang Syne Earl Keener (0,4,5) = 13 pts Sixth Place — 12 Points leaping in midair a kitten loses the path of the first snowflake Cindy Tebo (0,5,2) = 12 pts new year his same old song and dance Tom Painting (0,4,4) = 12 pts This one made me smile, very clever! Seventh Place — 11 Points first dawn snow-clad mountains erupt in sparrows' songs Narayanan Raghunathan (0,4,3) = 11 pts new year's morning her thousandth paper crane as perfect as her first Kate Creighton (0,3,5) = 11 pts before the first snow the white mum Donna Bauerly (0,3,5) = 11 pts first toast the circle of loved ones grows smaller Irene Golas (0,0,11) = 11 pts Eighth Place — 10 Points first raven cry spilling Basho's shadow across fresh snow Kurt R. W. (1,1,5) = 10 pts first cry all I hear is "It's a boy!" Edward (0,1,8) = 10 pts Ninth Place — 8 Points in the first snow only my footprints the morning after Kilah C. (1,0,5) = 8 pts first visit — my prayers are growing longer Barbara A Taylor (0,3,2) = 8 pts I love the simplicity of this one. january 1 a different look in his eye Roberta Beary (0,3,2) = 8 pts first night :: one deer wanders across the snow timothy russell (0,3,2) = 8 pts I like the purity of this observation, a very simple statement and a perfect picture for the mind's eye. first sun painting the white ridge pink og_a (0,3,2) = 8 pts blue moon the first dream of the year remains a dream Audrey Downey (0,2,4) = 8 pts Year of the Tiger I have my hair cropped down to the white Jan O'Loughlin (0,2,4) = 8 pts As I have recently "gone natural" I can relate to this "passage" haiku. The feeling of enjoying your own skin, warts and all. first blush of dawn — things look rosier this new year Nancy Nitrio (0,1,6) = 8 pts Tenth Place — 7 Points first snow - the black kitten pounces at falling flakes Andrew Shimield (0,2,3) = 7 pts An adorable capture of that 'first' feeling. Also a striking color contrast of purity/decay. pale moonlight first raven pecking the snowman's eye Boris Nazansky (0,2,3) = 7 pts first walk — the freezing fog hides the horizon Isabelle Prondzynski (0,2,3) = 7 pts Eleventh Place — 6 Points New Year's Eve party noise from the house boat rises with the tide Harvey Jenkins (1,1,1) = 6 pts first raven cry — all of my friends are growing old Nancy Smith (1,0,3) = 6 pts first date the porch light off now on Terri L. French (0,2,2) = 6 pts first sun light from old stars fading Beth Powell (0,1,4) = 6 pts first kiss — out of the elevator she looks for a mirror Quamrul Hassan (0,1,4) = 6 pts Twelfth Place — 5 Points first morning a grey bird traverses the grey sky polona (1,1,0) = 5 pts first email "Happy New Year — and Goodbye! andrea (1,1,0) = 5 pts New Year starts — a snowdrop blooming in my garden Miorita (1,1,0) = 5 pts morning after — first broken fingernail of the new year Laurene (1,1,0) = 5 pts first kiss... I touch peach petals Gosia Zamorska (1,0,2) = 5 pts his first cruise, carrying only a backpack and guitar Chandra Bales (0,2,1) = 5 pts This really struck a chord with me - a couple of years ago my son went off moving around the continent (i.e. Europe) for a few months, carrying only a backpack and a guitar - the backpack was actually smaller than the guitar case. ice moon the new year begins with a thaw Francine Banwarth (0,1,3) = 5 pts Thirteenth Place — 4 Points Painted dragon's head And a hundred slippered feet Dance the new year in Geoffrey A. Landis (1,0,1) = 4 pts fingers stained with holiday colors her first painting gerry (1,0,1) = 4 pts stepping from his bath, my son declines my help for the first time Shelley Krause (1,0,1) = 4 pts shadows of the past gliding over the hills... first things first Keith A. Simmonds (0,2,0) = 4 pts first, things matter less than people — this year's resolution Jo McInerney (0,2,0) = 4 pts first dream — someone's still out to get me Horst Ludwig (0,1,2) = 4 pts dawn snow — in my headlight beam a set of tyre tracks offa (0,1,2) = 4 pts the juice from seventeen prunes . . . my first haiku Mary Davila (0,1,2) = 4 pts first raven on my chimneypot steals the light Ruth Powell (0,1,2) = 4 pts “amore” his smile lights up at my first Italian word Meredith Stern Cavalieri (0,1,2) = 4 pts Fourteenth Place — 3 Points a single rib began man's submission, first woman Tom Conally (1,0,0) = 3 pts first dream — the cash register tapes in a tangle Susan Constable (0,1,1) = 3 pts Very well executed and suggesting either a portent of the soon to arrive credit card statement from generous Christmas spending or maybe the just past rush of waiting on customers. first love the red wine of her kiss goes to my head Andre Surridge (0,1,1) = 3 pts first grandchild first time on her lap itching breasts max verhart (0,1,1) = 3 pts the snow in last year’s footprints first sky Ann K. Schwader (0,1,1) = 3 pts First New Year without him emptiness Mary E. Gray (0,1,1) = 3 pts incoming geese — the new moon is tip-toeing on the lighthouse Jon Espen Vassbotn (0,1,1) = 3 pts first day already the blackened hills turning green Sjs Stevie Strang (0,0,3) = 3 pts new year's dawn she tells me I'm her first Bill Kenney (0,0,3) = 3 pts New Year’s Day deleting their names from my address book Lynda True (0,0,3) = 3 pts first scream... silencing the firecrackers a newborn baby Dejan Pavlinovic (0,0,3) = 3 pts Fifteenth Place — 2 Points Locked between my bed and quilt New Year's chill R.K. Singh (0,1,0) = 2 pts how hard it is to be sidewalk ice first sun anonymous (0,1,0) = 2 pts first New Year’s toast too many bubbles in the champagne Elena Naskova (0,1,0) = 2 pts New Year's morning — last night's champagne filling the bowl Brenda J. Gannam (0,1,0) = 2 pts first dream no gunfire in starry night Reza (0,1,0) = 2 pts snow white, this first page in my new diary oh pen! why so shy? Anne Zooey Lind (0,1,0) = 2 pts bright red stars! pomegranates open on the bush New Year morning Rose Marie Stutts (0,0,2) = 2 pts bleached deer antlers among the new ferns —harsh winter if (0,0,2) = 2 pts first calligraphy — amidst fireworks the eraser of the moon Kaiser (0,0,2) = 2 pts first Morning the kettle whistles and the sleepy cups lineup fereshteh panahi (0,0,2) = 2 pts first streetcar — passengers wish each other a Happy New Year Tomislav (0,0,2) = 2 pts proofreading my new year's haiku — first things first Caleb David Mutua (0,0,2) = 2 pts first flakes of snow — suddenly faces of children at windows Virginia Popescu (0,0,2) = 2 pts The kitten pounces on the first fallen blossom cherry trees weeping Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black (0,0,2) = 2 pts Sixteenth Place — 1 Point first game of Go planning strategies in a new year A Dharma Bum first day new resolution to break anonymous new book pack ...rolling over the ballerina's toes carol pearce-worthington seeing the world with new eyes our first EVA t_san first drips from an icicle dint the snow James Dobson the big bang of sky tower fireworks expanding new year Elaine Riddell first things finished the swing set 3 screws leftover Terra Martin jogging the forest path first hawk sighting this year — exhilaration Leslie Montgomery first dream — a set of handmade books with one missing Marylouise Knight first high jump — my clothes are blown upward by the wind Anne Wairimu first student — tying a tie like a rope Eric Mwange first sunrise — in unison the beach crowd lifts up their heads Carmen Sterba first city visit — a traffic policeman assists me to cross the street Alex Wanambisi first thaw — neighbor cat rolls on warm cement anonymous first morning old glitter wiped clean from the box Jennifer Corpe No points this time, sorry. Hot zooni sizzles, sharing camaraderie and first day soup. Jean Lewis new year blizzard the first shadow within a stranger’s hood martin gottlieb cohen first new year’s challenge completed waking up sober Bill Hudson turn of the year my neighbour plys me with my favourite cigar Ralf Broker Jar of pennies cold star lite sky price of New Years wishes Jenn McSweeney first sunrise reflects from snow knocked from split wood first fire gourdman first day cleaning last year's resolution holds onto the wall Nana Fredua-Agyeman earthquake southwest visitor’s stumble from their condo anonymous her first I do all the places I never knew Ben Gieske First kiss New Year's ball ten cheers away Carlos Gesmundo A first bath, bed and breakfast for a homeless — Does his pet get a dog house? Daniela Bullas returning crows caw on garbage day collections twice a week selections Mr PC illuminated sky toasting his grandson first New Year Marlene Buitelaar cultural exchange my sister makes temari for next year's Christmas Deirdre Godwin First things first, she said; So she fried bacon and eggs... And then she left home. Tanja Cilia wake up call on silver birch blackbird hails new year Frances McCarthy first date — rushing into an exhibition to pick a dress Beryl Achieng first trip to the city — waiting for the traffic to ease Kelvin Muchiri magnolia blossoms a sixties song from my teens rambles through my brain John Thompson the year’s first moon is it brighter than yesterday? soji New Year's in the park first bread for the ducks Barbara Snow New tulips deer tracks in the snow fresh food now. Trevor Camp naughts fade — rooster's first crowing awakens hungry tiger John Hubbard first walk with grandma — solar eclipse Mary Wambui first cock crow — I get up for my morning devotion Vivian Adhiambo first day the pink sun rises over the old earth April Serock headwaters in her cupped hand to baptize the boy Bill Pauly the first sunrise — the appearance of long shadows and a brown cat Juhani Tikkanen new year's task — dirty storage room to my office where do I begin.... Hazel A. Witherspoon clinking wine glasses celebrating our daughter's first period Hans Jongman First Things in the new year — sleep and dreams then dreams and plans Petru-Ioan Garda first kiss or already in bloom cherries? Goblet	First Place — 26 Points autumn love letting him feel my scar Melissa Spurr (3,4,9) = 26 pts This one is full of trust and vulnerability. It is an awesome thing to let someone really know you. Second Place — 25 Points we sleep curved into each other... old spoons Jo McInerney (1,8,6) = 25 pts Simply sweet. Impressive picture with a sepia character. My favourite as it evokes a peaceful scene and I imagine an elderly married couple happy and comfortable with each other. Wonderful how this plays on the concept of spooning. Third Place — 21 Points winter night she stirs the embers before bed Tom Painting (1,5,8) = 21 pts Even though this might not be read as a love poem, the possibility is there . . . the winter of a couple's lives, the stirring of passion, and the 'togetherness' of the image all combine very nicely. a year later still leaving the porch light on Terra Martin (1,4,10) = 21 pts Of all the submitted poems, I think this one most clearly shows love, rather than telling us about it . . . or assuming we'll figure it out because of the 'assigned' topic. Whether the loved one has moved away or died, both the habit and the love remain. my grandparents stand at the end of the dock casting one shadow Edward (0,5,11) = 21 pts I like how the poet brings the intangibles together, showing us how close this couple has become after a lifetime in each other's company. Fourth Place — 19 Points midnight moon my son's shoes missing from the porch Roberta Beary (2,3,7) = 19 pts Double love here -- the parent's for the son, who is off under the midnight moon, and (perhaps?) the son's for whomever he has gone to see... And the word "missing" shows a little bit of heartache too... thank you for a lovely picture. Fifth Place — 14 Points forty years later giving me the bigger slice of pie still Sjs Stevie Strang (0,3,8) = 14 pts This one is so touching. It truly is the little things. . . Very touching - chivalry is not dead... Sixth Place — 13 Points relaxed together the river slips past without words Elaine Riddell (1,4,2) = 13 pts lying hand in hand together we conceive snow angels A Dharma Bum (0,3,7) = 13 pts Seventh Place — 12 Points she whispers are you awake . . . rain at the window Bill Kenney (1,1,7) = 12 pts Eighth Place — 11 Points yellow moon — my neighbours turn off the lights early Israel Lopez Balan (0,4,3) = 11 pts one by one into the open drawer kitty drops her brood Barbara A Taylor (0,3,5) = 11 pts at the end of an ordinary day . . . chocolates Susan Constable (0,3,5) = 11 pts bedtime he hides the puppy under his quilt Carmel Lively Westerman (0,2,7) = 11 pts Ninth Place — 10 Points phoning him how her voice changes Walter Franceschi (0,2,6) = 10 pts nodding off . . . the taste of her night cream on my lips Andrew Shimield (0,2,6) = 10 pts I'm guessing these two have been together for awhile. A little bit of humor, which is lovely, and probably a lot of truth. I want to say that any happily married man can identify with this. Anyway, this happily married man can. his head in my lap explaining a broken heart to the spaniel polona (0,2,6) = 10 pts a beaten path between two homes binds daughter to mother Kilah C. (0,1,8) = 10 pts This one stood out, one of the few that spoke of the mother/daughter bond. Tenth Place — 9 Points even now we move together in the dark Ruth Powell (1,1,4) = 9 pts winter twilight old man and his woman feed the doves Narayanan Raghunathan (0,2,5) = 9 pts snow on the roof . . . we sink into the heart-shaped tub Brenda J. Gannam (0,2,5) = 9 pts Eleventh Place -- 8 Points afternoon tryst the chili sauce hotter than usual Meredith Stern Cavalieri (0,2,4) = 8 pts The humor in the juxtaposition is delightful. A hot romance, indeed! Twelfth Place — 7 Points cold snap our hands touch reaching for a log Harvey Jenkins (1,1,2) = 7 pts holding hands in the park children play amidst our silence Bill Hudson (0,2,3) = 7 pts my love I bring new flowers ... on your grave Andrzej Dembonczyk (0,2,3) = 7 pts The beggar and his dog — everybody loves somebody Petru Ioan Garda (0,2,3) = 7 pts blind love -— every stranger has his eyes Gosia Zamorska (0,1,5) = 7 pts Thirteenth Place — 6 Points grandma knits yet another single mitten Diane Mayr (1,1,1) = 6 pts comforted by his snoring this must be love Terri L. French (0,1,4) = 6 pts humid hours picking rice in the paddies for her children t_san (0,1,4) = 6 pts newborn dad learns to cradle Beth Powell (0,1,4) = 6 pts Fourteenth Place — 5 Points alone at home — whistling tea pot is missing you Juhani Tikkanen (1,1,0) = 5 pts grasps one finger in her minute hand my innards clench andrea (1,1,0) = 5 pts That amazing moment when you get to be a mom for the first time. The love between parent and newborns is visceral. walking you through the wintery forest ... how warm it is Ralf Broker (0,2,1) = 5 pts an old couple throws snowballs at the blue sky martin gottlieb cohen (0,2,1) = 5 pts reconnecting — the zig zag of footprints in the sand Mary Davila (0,1,3) = 5 pts Fifteenth Place — 4 Points hand in hand in the afterglow the old couple laughing og_a (1,0,1) = 4 pts north wind taking your love along carol pearce-worthington (0,1,2) = 4 pts with just a touch our long slow dance begins a song within a song gerry (0,1,2) = 4 pts love at first sight toddler meets puppy Frances McCarthy (0,1,2) = 4 pts fireplace — our hands move closer to the fire Goblet (0,1,2) = 4 pts autumn woodlands — in privacy an elk nuzzles her calf Carmen Sterba (0,1,2) = 4 pts Calm dusk — a bunch of red roses for my mother Miorita (0,1,2) = 4 pts I dream of when we were young February thaw Janice Hornburg (0,0,4) = 4 pts Sixteenth Place — 3 Points after the lovemaking the reflection of the moon in her eyes Jacek M. (0,1,1) = 3 pts after his coma... the light in father's eyes when he sees me Irene Golas (0,1,1) = 3 pts a new calf's bawl — she heats his cocoa at three a.m. Barbara Snow (0,1,1) = 3 pts A great picture of love... and a very real scene! covered bridge in our flashlights the outline of a heart Cindy Tebo (0,0,3) = 3 pts all the cracks patched we leave our house hand in hand Elena Naskova (0,0,3) = 3 pts on the park bench an old couple holding hands... cherries in blossom! natalia kuznetsova (0,0,3) = 3 pts visiting, he leaves dirt clods from his parents’ graves on my kitchen floor Donna Bauerly (0,0,3) = 3 pts allotment gardens lovers cheek to cheek between carrot leaves Hans Jongman (0,0,3) = 3 pts Seventeenth Place — 2 Points two hearts throbbing with strains of Auld Lang Syne... promises of love Keith A. Simmonds (0,1,0) = 2 pts slippery slop we walk as one with four legs anonymous (0,1,0) = 2 pts Heart drawn in the snow walking towards their future- two sets of footprints Jenn McSweeney (0,1,0) = 2 pts a young couple walks by hand in hand we smile soji (0,1,0) = 2 pts a shower of cherry petals lovers caress Jan O'Loughlin (0,1,0) = 2 pts the safe silence with cool breezes from the first storm Jon Espen Vassbotn (0,1,0) = 2 pts piglet runt needing milk and love — forgotten James Dobson (0,0,2) = 2 pts anniversary — spoon by spoon and slurp by slurp... udon noodle soup Earl Keener (0,0,2) = 2 pts just a kiss goodbye mile after mile of untouched snow Francine Banwarth (0,0,2) = 2 pts Morning You are gone The sun Is large on me fereshteh panahi (0,0,2) = 2 pts expectant and alone she shares her love sickness with the autumn moon Garry Eaton (0,0,2) = 2 pts first hot day — out with his new love the old neighbour Isabelle Prondzynski (0,0,2) = 2 pts This is quite moving - exploring the dynamics of life and love, how both evolve, often in unexpected directions. first date gone well he takes the long way home April Serock (0,0,2) = 2 pts Eighteenth Place — 1 Point A thin moon on her neck hides love in silk gauge R.K. Singh empty bottle . . . the jagged aftertaste of love anonymous able to spell love he watches under grey clouds — not the spell gourdman A granite boulder A narrow crack — That's how you broke my heart Geoffrey A. Landis proposal — the snowflakes make instant a bride dress Kaiser watching the moon rise I cannot feel the cold frost with you in my arms Deirdre Godwin bright icicles sparkle from above angels on high Jeanne Fiedler wine cups red rose forgets on table Reza parking for lovers — many crocuses between the tire tracks Tomislav blind date and miracle! — love at first sight Virginia Popescu nothing much but she is crying — her cat climbs onto her lap jill trapped in the house for three blizzard-hushed days — how happy we were! Shelley Krause A lonely swan call for her lost mate, love hurts Tom Conally No points this time, sorry. my student's students teach haiku love of poetry goes on Rose Marie Stutts Warming grandma's heart, you shine like the summer sun, bringing love again Jean Lewis a huge crucifix lots of family and friends merry wedding march Horst Ludwig cold wind whistles — she calls long-distance closer than the miles if a red ribbon round life's bundle the sweet shared silence miriam chaikin amongst demolished ruins one pillar still stood it's red graffiti heart Terry O'Connor words and promises budded and blossomed echoes of springlike years Ben Gieske sunset walk gulls soaring overhead heavenly! Washi the moon after yule~ his kisses her favorite way to fall asleep Kate Creighton June vows chicken noodle from scratch Carlos Gesmundo back to school — pupil dilatation and heart palpitation seeing him Daniela Bullas a buzzard's call all the way he carries her skates marlene buitelaar love is .... LOVE IS Mr PC empty bottle your endless love... decree absolute Andre Surridge A four-letter word That has a million meanings — But not one I like. Tanja Cilia l'il red rubber boots splash through mud puddles she calls chocolate for feet John Thompson a clear-out my favorite sweater goes in the box Marylouise Knight high dose of morphine ends the pain forever- this is also love Leslie Montgomery cool evening — two people sharing ideas about love Marion Masinde Up on the hill the cherry blossoms guarded by your sight Oprica Padeanu from your lips the first words of love — autumn snail Orbi happy for her cold nose on my bare feet — puppy's love Chandra Bales Loving thoughts a small granddaughter, big grandson. Trevor Camp New Year hangover... wiped out in the snow yesterday's heart Dejan Pavlinovic Facebook chat email pas de deux — cyber love John Hubbard yo my two great-grannies side by side, cheerfully seeking old beaus on facebook Anne Zooey Lind she helps the stutterer struggling to get out "I love . . . " Bill Pauly best friend's birthday soon — making her favorite cheesecake during machine rebuilds Hazel A. Witherspoon moonlit laughter the richest cream anonymous open cage — red-faced lovebirds taken with each other Iga a lure and bobber entwined in the tree prom day Jennifer Corpe Love spirals love lifts the living breath shares grief or bliss forevermore Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black

Thank you for participating in the January 2010 Kukai! We will announce the February Call for Submissions on Sunday, January 31, 2010. See you then!

With much appreciation,

Robert and George

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