The Shiki Monthly Kukai

October 2008 6th Annual Poets' Choice Kukai

Thank you for making a success out of our 6th Annual Poets' Choice Kukai. Voter turnout was excellent as were the many included comments. We are grateful to all of you who participated and also to all of you who enjoy reading the monthly results!

First Place winners of the Sixth Annual Kukai will receive a subscription for Volume X of The Herons Nest expected out in April 2009, along with a signed copy of Roberta Beary’s The Unworn Necklace.

Second Place winners will receive publications from Jim Kacian and The Red Moon Press.

Third Place winners will receive a woodcut print inked with their respective haiku.

Each of you will be contacted for arrangements.

We feel fortunate to be able to present these awards and hope all of you will visit their web sites:

The Heron's Nest --http://www.theheronsnest.com/

Red Moon Press -- http://redmoonpress.com/index.html

You can find Roberta's book here at Amazon

We will be contacting all the winners no later than November 1.

Remember as you look at the votes below that EACH of these poems has already been declared a winner during the past year. Congratulations again to all of them!!

(2,1,4 = 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.

6th Annual Poets' Choice Kukai Results
Kigo Poems	Free Format Poems
First Place – 48 Points autumn the sky grows bigger by one leaf April Serock (3,11,17) = 48 Pts An original perception. Ying / yang. The loss of one thing is a gain of something else. Pure haiku. Second Place – Thirty-three Points early spring all night the pond ice shifts its weight tom painting (1,10,10) = 33 Pts The image is of "in the beginning was the Word" - the very, very beginning of something momentous. sand sculptures a mermaid slips back into the sea Edward (1,8,14) = 33 Pts How effortless it seems! Great work! widow's cottage — every spider has a name Paul Hodder (1,7,16) = 33 Pts Sad without being sentimental. Wabi (or is it sabi?) Haunting! Third Place -- Twenty-seven Points a field of faceless pumpkins... Autumn begins ed markowski (0,5,17) = 27 Pts The word "faceless" turns on the energy field of this poem. Nice alliteration, along with a kind of zen perception of what is not there... but is to come. The first part is sad/lonely; then the second part evokes the feelings of excitement and anticipation of the season. On a deeper level, there's a kind of mystery to this poem: It's the beginning of the end. It has a distant reverb back to Basho's monkey mask haiku. Fourth Place – Twenty-five Points firefly —the night finds its way in miriam chaikin (2,4,11) = 25 Pts A kind of an inverse, photographic negative of the usual patter of perception. Beautiful! Well done! Fifth Place – Twenty-four Points spring night the astronomer finds a hole in his sock Petar Tchouhov (1,6,9) = 24 Pts How many levels are there in this one? The shape of the hole? The astronomer making a discovery? A "tear" in space? The possibilities are as infinite as the sky. Sixth Place – Twenty-three Points ink brush so many ways to draw a plum blossom Audrey Downey (1,6,8) = 23 Pts sandcastles... her youngest daughter calls me daddy Colin Stewart Jones (1,4,12) = 23 Pts Touching beyond words. Wonderfully portrays the feelings of tenderness, fragility, hope, expectations, the feeling of being at the beginning of something bigger than ourselves. Seventh Place – Twenty-two Points early spring green at the heart of an onion j. cully (2,5,6) = 22 Pts I love this! Sometimes nature is so secretive and sneaks up on us unawares, in places where we least expect. Eighth Place – Twenty Points attic window a spider spreads his web on the moon Jacek M. (1,3,11) = 20 Pts Ninth Place – Eighteen Points gathering thyme... the thoughts that come when I'm on my knees Francine Banwarth (2,1,10) = 18 Pts When read over and over it seems to provoke an expansive perception of time and meaning by this brilliant combination of words. Though perhaps not intentional, the use of the word "thyme" (time) was poignant. Tenth Place – Seventeen Points migrating birds — the waving field of narcissus Israel Lopez Balan (4,2,1) = 17 Pts (please see footnote below) first firefly the electrician shuts his toolbox ed markowski (1,4,6) = 17 Pts A simple image with profound resonance. Eleventh Place – Fifteen Points awkwardly I carve the turkey in dad's place Karen Briggs (3,2,2) = 15 Pts This expresses a nice paradoxical feeling of nothingness and everythingness. Leaves a lump in the throat. I have experienced something similar with my grandfather's passing. Twelfth Place – Twelve points near dusk — a tadpole surfacing bursts the moon P. O. Williams (2,2,2) = 12 Pts on the front porch knitting beside grandmother the spider Bill Hudson (1,2,5) = 12 Pts mossy bank the doe nuzzles her swollen belly Susan Constable (1,2,5) = 12 Pts I don't remember the topic for this one, but the image touched me so deeply at the time that even out of context, I still feel it. footprints... from sandcastle to sandcastle Jacek M. (1,2,5) = 12 Pts old farmhouse the weaving loom filled with spider silk Melissa Spurr (0,2,8) = 12 Pts Thirteenth Place – Eleven Points autumn breeze a dragonfly skims sunlight off the pond Keiko Izawa (0,2,7) = 11 Pts autumn chill — the church fills with the smell of mothballs Jacek M. (0,1,9) = 11 Pts Fourteenth Place – Ten Points narcissus... stars turning to snow Francine Banwarth (3,0,1) = 10 Pts autumn... a spider takes over the watering can sheila Windsor (1,1,5) = 10 Pts Fifteenth Place – Nine Points ikebana just a lily and a lily max verhart (2,0,3) = 9 Pts into the water, into itself: narcissus josh wikoff (0,3,3) = 9 Pts Fun allusion, brings a smile to everyone who knows the John Wills original. moon in the lilies she asks me to stay the night Francine Banwarth (0,2,5) = 9 Pts Sixteenth Place – Eight Points new snow... her footprints lead to the narcissus Susan Constable (1,1,3) = 8 Pts mind empty a firefly fills it Francine Banwarth (1,1,3) = 8 Pts Seventeenth Place – Seven Points moonlit field the cows knee-deep in comfrey larisa (0,2,3) = 7 Pts turkey dinner three generations bickering Beth Richards (0,2,3) = 7 Pts Eighteenth Place – Six Points late november — the turkey's shadow suddenly shorter Mary Davila (1,0,3) = 6 Pts What a delightful detail we our shown! receding clouds a spider mends its net polona (0,2,2) = 6 Pts lavender — even the old stems fragrant jill (0,2,2) = 6 Pts early spring her wrinkled fingers sort seed packets Yositaka (0,1,4) = 6 Pts Great contrast and connections between the new seeds and old hands. Nineteenth Place – Five Points tax day — a bit of parsley in his smile josh wikoff (0,1,3) = 5 Pts heat wave a child waters the fire lily Collin Barber (0,1,3) = 5 Pts Twentieth Place – Four Points plum pudding an old friend warms a cold night Jo McInerney (0,1,2) = 4 Pts A feel good poem where inner truth manifests itself. Even just reading this haiku is warming, both physically and spiritually. into winter — the empty plum tree and I Paul Hodder (0,0,4) = 4 Pts Twenty-first Place – Three Points nap time — hand print turkeys line the classroom window tim (0,1,1) = 3 Pts turkey calls the urge to reply Audrey Downey (0,1,1) = 3 Pts Twenty-second Place – Two Points autumn morning strutting behind his shadow the old turkey Rita Odeh (0,1,0) = 2 Pts late Autumn sun — a turkey tries to fly Paul Hodder (0,0,2) = 2 Pts Twenty-third Place – One Point the first snow... dad and the butcher talk turkey Dejan Pavlinovic (0,0,1) = 1 Pt General Comments: As far as I'm concerned, it's 44 winners out of 44. Best I could do was to select three that appealed to me very strongly (for quite subjective reasons, no doubt) and in three different ways. It's easy to see why this selection of haiku earned a place among the top three this past year. A number of them are as good as haiku I've read in anthologies. So hard to choose a few from these haiku riches. What a wonderful group of haiku! It is so hard to decide the best!! These haiku stay with me long, long after I've read them. Feel totally connected with the beautiful unfolding of Susan Constable’s “mossy bank”, love the surprise elements of “mossy bank” and Mr. Williams’ “near dusk”. Love the image of the child in Collin Barber’s “heat wave” and I love the beautiful images in each of these haiku. On both sides of this month's Kukai, there were so many haiku I found worthy, I could only award one point to each, or else leave out some I wanted to vote for! Footnote: migrating birds — the waving field of narcissus Israel Lopez Balan Not to be confused with Kristen Deming’s fine haiku: migrating birds-- fields of pampas grass show the way Kristen Deming 1st Mainichi Haiku Contest, Japan, 1997	First Place – 60 Points old piano — from every key the same silence Gosia Zamorska (6,10,22) = 60 Pts A rare senryu without people, although they are implied. Very subtle alliteration in "same silence." Plus a good fit for my sensibility of hearing-by-not-hearing. This is the essence of wabi & sabi. Inverted, the poem would be about a new piano, each key making a different sound. It would conjure up images of the person playing the piano, and the people listening, dancing, and/or singing along. This poem depicts the absence of all of that. Has the owner died? Or has the piano fallen into disrepair? Increasing the sense of isolation is the mention of the keys as individual, instead of acting in harmony as a chord. Second Place – Thirty-five Points rejection letter folding another paper crane Melissa Spurr (2,6,17) = 35 Pts An object of beauty from something saddening. It’s funny and poignant. So lighthearted! This shows a way to "accept rejection" and turn a "no" into a "yes" - playfully, peacefully, gracefully. Third Place – Thirty-three Points drought year — only the shape of water on the stones Devika (2,8,11) = 33 Pts Pure haiku. Of all 88 poems, this one was my favorite. It is about what is absent, and I enjoy the elemental images, the shapes, and the textures. Fourth Place – Thirty Points night sky the rusted tin roof leaking moonlight Melissa Spurr (3,5,11) = 30 Pts A beauty, no doubt! afternoon tea dusk settling softly into corners Frances McCarthy (0,7,16) = 30 Pts I think this is a perfect haiku, the words echoing the feeling of a winter afternoon. Such a gentle haiku. I love the use of the word "softly" here. Ah, this one is so delicate and subtle. Fifth Place – Twenty-nine Points crushed between two nights — winter day Dejan Pavlinovic (2,5,13) = 29 Pts There is something very poignant about this. Sixth Place – Twenty-five Points winter day — the paperboy one house ahead of dusk Irene Golas (2,3,13) = 25 Pts This haiku has a nostalgic feel, as one so seldom see paper boys anymore. This is a delight of the imagination. Seventh Place – Nineteen Points rusted pickup on the edge of town — prairie wind Beth Powell (2,1,11) = 19 Pts Wonderfully evocative - in a few words you can imagine cold prairie winter winds, and the life of a farm pick-up truck. Eighth Place – Eighteen Points just when I'd almost forgotten wild roses Ann K. Schwader (1,3,9) = 18 Pts Ninth Place – Seventeen Points full moon the call girl calls me angel Petar Tchouhov (0,3,11) = 17 Pts Funny, yet touching in a way. The poet, rooted in earth (it's hard to get earthier than a call girl), with his head in sky (moon). Becomes an angel. Tenth Place – Fifteen Points winter beach my rough hands choose the smoother stones Jan O'Loughlin (1,1,10) = 15 Pts Most poignant! bullet holes rust bleeds down the old sign Neil Muscott (1,0,12) = 15 Pts birth certificate: the name of the father he never knew Catherine J.S. Lee (0,3,9) = 15 Pts …and the many interpretations. Eleventh Place – Fourteen Points our marriage falling apart he patches the roof Carolyn Coit Dancy (2,3,2) = 14 Pts I could have written this one! Twelfth Place – Thirteen points harp song rain crosses a pond Sherry Weaver Smith (1,4,2) = 13 Pts Beautifully aural and visual...gives me a pleasant shiver. Thirteenth Place – Twelve Points evening a mockingbird returns the song of my flute Rose Marie Stutts (0,3,6) = 12 Pts where the barn's tin roof  rusted      through         Mars ed markowski (0,1,10) = 12 Pts Fourteenth Place – Eleven Points will writing... a lawn mower strikes a rock Alice Frampton (1,2,4) = 11 Pts family dog the weight of the stones upon his grave Melissa Spurr (0,4,3) = 11 Pts This one has stuck in my mind. I have buried many a beloved pet, the weight on the heart mirrors the stones weight on the grave. yard sale — the faded diploma of a country doc Carmen Sterba (0,2,7) = 11 Pts Fifteenth Place – Ten Points new sunroom the dog claims his spot Frances McCarthy (0,2,6) = 10 Pts This brought back fond memories. Sixteenth Place – Nine Points endless night — between the stepping stones the other half of the moon Elena Naskova (0,2,5) = 9 Pts Often the best haiku/senryu captures a common experience that lies just under the conscious. It's like pulling up a plant to see the roots we know are there. This is one of those poems. civil war marker a tour bus re-loads Roberta Beary (0,0,9) = 9 Pts Seventeenth Place – Eight Points on the fridge the to-do list you left me Roberta Beary (1,0,5) = 8 Pts This one is biting, without being obvious. No words tell the seething beneath, but still we can feel it. play therapy the jump rope in knots tom painting (0,2,4) = 8 Pts gardenias ... a summer dance so long ago Nancy Nitrio (0,1,6) = 8 Pts Eighteenth Place – Seven Points spring thunder I promise not to tell her mother Bill Kenney (1,0,4) = 7 Pts divorce papers the envelope surprisingly light Neil Muscott (1,0,4) = 7 Pts Nineteenth Place – Six Points waning year the cheese ball changes shape George Hawkins (1,1,1) = 6 Pts winter day the candle burned flat w.f. owen (0,1,4) = 6 Pts Twentieth Place – Five Points new design the moon rises in an antique mirror ed markowski (1,0,2) = 5 Pts Beautiful! nightlife district a star falls unnoticed Elena Naskova (1,0,2) = 5 Pts cold rain a wrinkled hand traces drops on the window Warren Gossett (0,1,3) = 5 Pts Sad--I can picture that hand and the loneliness of the rain drop tracer. new moon the distant curve of highway markers Susan Constable (0,0,5) = 5 Pts scattering ashes only this granite ledge as a marker Cherie Hunter Day (0,0,5) = 5 Pts divorce over — she changes the cheese in the mousetrap Petar Tchouhov (0,0,5) = 5 Pts Twenty-first Place – Four Points a cold night — stuffing the gap between the walls and the roof David Caleb Mutua (0,1,2) = 4 Pts root canal — staring at the dentist's graduation certificate Paul Hodder (0,1,2) = 4 Pts Seen it and done it! full moon — so many vines on the banyan tree Judith Gorgone (0,0,4) = 4 Pts Twenty-second Place – Three Points nightlife... removing his wedding ring Carol Pearce-Worthington (0,1,1) = 3 Pts autumn rain — a tattooed man sells permanent markers Israel Lopez Balan (0,0,3) = 3 Pts Twenty-third Place – Two Points winter moon i carve a wedge of camembert Beth Powell (0,0,2) = 2 Pts Twenty-fourth Place – One Point back-country road the stone mile marker splotched with lichen Catherine J.S. Lee (0,0,1) = 1 Pt new moon filling a crack in the skylight Melissa Spurr (0,0,1) = 1 Pt General Comments: A real joy to return to so many powerful poems and great to see them recognised in this way. I had a hard time choosing among the free format entries, there tend to be more senryu and many were playful, a few quite biting or melancholic and most done skillfully enough not to seem contrived. Nicely done! Once again, such a difficult decision. I love them all! Enjoyed voting and love Devika’s “drought year” and Sherry’s “harp song”. They stay with me long after I've read them and I appreciate their beauty and the way they let me see the world in a new way.

Thanks to all of you for participating throughout the year. We appreciate it. Please look for the release of the next Call for Submissions on or about Monday, November 3rd.

With much appreciation,

Gary, Jennie & Robert

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