In the listing below, after each poem the author is listed, and then a three digit code revealing how many 3-point, 2-point, and 1-point votes were cast for this poem by the other participating poets. (214 = 12) would indicate that the poem above received two 3-point votes, one 2-point vote, and four 1-point votes.

2nd Annual Poets' Choice Kukai
Kigo from Monthly Winners
Free from Monthly Winners
First Place -- 22 Points

heat lightning--
ice cubes crack
in the lemonade

aom
(2,6,4) = 22

Second Place -- 21 Points

old pond --
the speckled stone
becomes a frog

Carol Raisfeld
(1,7,4) = 21

Third Place -- 18 Points

dog days
the old fence leans towards
its shadow

Sue Stanford
(2,3,6) = 18

Fourth Place -- 16 Points

distant thunder
the spent log collapses
in the fireplace

Allen McGill
(3,1,5) = 16

Fifth Place -- 15 Points

winter branch
the sparrow's roundness
in the wind

Martin Cohen
(2,2,5) = 15

Sixth Place -- 11 Points

deepening dusk -
an owl adds its voice
to the campfire song

Zhanna P. Rader
(0,3,5) = 11

Seventh Place -- 10 Points

tomatoes on sale
a blind man selects one
for me

Kylie Hooklyn
(2,0,4) = 10

peace rally
red leaves
cover the river

Tore Sverredal
(1,3,1) = 10

distant lightning…
the feel
of a scar

Paul Pfleuger, Jr.
(1,2,3) = 10

winter--
sipping tea
alone

oga
(0,4,2) = 10

Eighth Place -- 9 Points

distant thunder
counting the minutes
during labour

ushi
(0,2,5) = 9

first snow
a hopping sparrow
prints arrows

Grzegorz Sionkowski
(0,2,5) = 9

Ninth Place -- 8 Points

lightning flash
the suckling baby
curls his toes

Aruna
(0,1,6) = 8

Tenth Place -- 7 Points

first snow
on the rusted pump
sunset

Larry Gross
(1,1,2) = 7

spring field
the crow pecks
at its shadow

martin
(0,2,3) = 7

dog days
a copperhead slithers
out of its skin

Robert
(1,0,4) = 7

Eleventh Place -- 6 Points

garden party
a red beetle lands
on her hat

Audrey Downey
(1,0,3) = 6

red leaves
the house for sale
still sits vacant

Joann
(0,1,4) = 6

spring field --
the snowman's broom
on the ground

Flatline
(0,2,2) = 6

campfire
the occasional hiss
of snowflakes

soji
(0,1,4) = 6

afternoon calm--
a bullfrog leaps into
its reflection

Kathy Lippard Cobb
(0,2,2) = 6

dog days--
a fly in the lemonade
rests now and then

DeVar
(1,0,3) = 6

Twelfth Place -- 5 Points

lightning …
a flash of your photograph
at my bedside

Mark Hollingsworth
(0,2,1) = 5

midnight thunder …
a shaft of moonlight
strikes the pine

Robert Bauer
(0,2,1) = 5

campfire
brass rivets sparkle
in her jeans

Darrell Byrd
(0,1,3) = 5

rumble of thunder
a tomato falls
from the vine

Robert Bauer
(0,2,1) = 5

soup line--
a tattered child makes
the first snow angel

Kathy Lippard Cobb
(0,2,1) = 5

Thirteenth Place -- 4 Points

first snow
already yellow--
neighbor's dog

oino sakai
(0,1,2) = 4

summer solstice
the first ripe tomato
cut in half

sheila windsor
(0,0,4) = 4

cloudless sky -
ladder against the garage
anchored in red leaves

Debi Faulkner
(0,2,0) = 4

full moon
a beetle carves some light
from a lily

Paul Pfleuger, Jr.
(0,2,0) = 4
First Place -- 31 Points

sunset
the skin of the orange
still warm

sheila windsor
(4,6,7) = 31

Second Place -- 16 Points

prairie sunset
the glow of the cattleman's
branding iron

Ed Markowski
(2,3,4) = 16

Third Place -- 13 Points

hotel check-in
the pool boy
filters the moonlight

roberta beary
(1,4,2) = 13

Fourth Place -- 12 Points

the Japanese gardens -
friends taking pictures of
friends taking pictures

Brenda Roberts
(2,1,4) = 12

Fifth Place -- 11 Points

morning dew--
so many suns
on the spider's web

susan bond
(1,2,4) = 11

Sixth Place -- 10 Points

filling pools
all over town
harvest moon

Aruna
(0,3,4) = 10

tidal pool--
another cloud
passes

Mary Lee McClure
(0,4,2) = 10

cold night air
the leaves in my teacup
settling.

Zaida Lysle
(1,2,3) = 10

photograph album
no one left to tell
their stories

Carmel C. Lively
(0,4,2) = 10

Seventh Place -- 9 Points

hot air balloon
the landing field
is full of cows

ushi
(0,2,5) = 9

day moon
a tray of cookies cools
on the window sill

Sue
(1,3,0) = 9

sunset
no one
looks east

Grzegorz Sionkowski
(0,3,3) = 9

home office
each child's height marked
on the door frame

Carol Raisfeld
(1,1,4) = 9

Eighth Place -- 8 Points

wanting to write
a haiku about cookies,
I eat the whole jar

Zhanna P. Rader
(0,1,6) = 8

pool party
two shades of lipstick
on one glass

Flatline
(0,2,4) = 8

sunset
my shadow grows
with each step

Origa
(1,1,3) = 8

Ninth Place -- 7 Points

desert air
behind the veil
blue eyes

Paula Fisher
(0,2,3) = 7

casual Friday :
the office temp's
purple Mohawk

ushi
(1,1,2) = 7

wedding day
grandmother's gown
walks again

Kylie Hooklyn
(0,0,7) = 7

four generations
of the same nose--
family pictures

DeVar
(1,1,2) = 7

Tenth Place -- 6 Points

the station cat
asleep in the shadow
of my luggage

aom
(0,1,4) = 6

curtains flutter -
the feel of the air through
half-closed eyes

Carol Raisfeld
(0,3,0) = 6

direct flight --
our luggage takes
the scenic route

Laryalee Fraser
(0,2,2) = 6

fisherman's lunch…
a hawk follows
the bend of the river

Ed Markowski
(0,3,0) = 6

fog on the bridge--
a flicker of headlights
from the other side

Kathy Lippard Cobb
(1,1,1) = 6

Eleventh Place -- 5 Points

sermon over --
on a back pew
cookie crumbs

Laryalee Fraser
(0,1,3) = 5

sleepless night --
counting the headlights
on the wall

Flatline
(0,1,3) = 5

attic dust
bronze baby shoes
and a purple heart

Carol Raisfeld
(0,1,3) = 5

lunch hour
waiters share
a cigarette

aom
(0,1,3) = 5
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