Third Annual Poet's Choice Kukai

This year we have changed the awards around, too. We are pleased to announce that the first place awards are original sumi-e drawings by Olga Hooper and watercolour prints by Ron Moss, artists known for their award winning poetry as well as for their artwork. Both are members of the Shiki Monthly Kukai. We encourage you to visit their websites:

Olga Hooper http://www.livejournal.com/users/origa/

Ron Moss http://www.ronmoss.com/

Our second place awards are subscriptions to The Heron’s Nest, a quarterly journal and webzine most of us know and love and the rest of you will, too. Please browse through their current edition as well as the archives. There are many familiar names from the Kukai!

The Heron’s Nest, a quarterly journal and webzine: http://www.theheronsnest.com/

Third place awards are a treat, too! Gary Warner, our web host, friend and well-published poet will dip into his personal library and offer up something to treasure. And the third place winners get to choose, too.

Thank you, all of you, who have supported the kukai throughout this past year and so continue to make it a worthwhile experience.

We’ll be returning to our regular kukai format in November and look forward to your submissions!

Robert and Jennie

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

Third Annual Poets Choice Kukai Results
Kigo from Year 3	Free Format from Year 3
First Place -- 22 pts winter dusk – silently a snow owl changes trees Zhanna P. Rader (2,3,10) = 22 pts Second Place – 18 pts origami class a purple heron nests on every desk ~~~ ò¿ó Owen Burkhart - Third Place – 14 pts only the waterfall just as it was… second honeymoon ed markowski (1,2,7) = 14 pts moonlit swim . . . the galaxy moves around me Kathy Lippard Cobb (1,2,7) = 14 pts clear night – a lone pine points to the moon Ella W. (0,4,6) = 14 pts Fourth Place – 13 pts highway rest stop— a heron stretches its neck Laryalee Fraser (1,4,2) = 13 pts Fifth Place – 12 pts winter dusk into each furrow a darker crow Ian Daw (1,2,5) = 12 pts Sixth Place – 11 pts indian summer the old cat rubs against a pumpkin --ushi (1,3,2) = 11 pts the pine tree’s shadow slips into the pond -spring evening raven (1,2,4) = 11 pts down sunlit rocks pulling a river behind it the waterfall Bill Kenney (0,3,5) = 11 nightfall a firefly blinks its way toward Mars ed markowski (0,2,7) = 11 pts winter solstice a flight of geese interrupt the moon soji (0,2,7) = 11 pts Seventh Place – 10 pts first robins… still no letter from the front Zhanna P. Rader (2,0,4) = 10 pts moth I want in too William M. Gottlieb (1,2,3) = 10 pts after our swim the taste of salt on your body Bill Kenney (0,4,2) = 10 pts - Eighth Place – 9 pts - the widow’s gate clangs into the latch— winter dusk Beverley George (1,2,2) = 9 pts talk of separation we reach for the same pine cone sheila windsor (0,2,5) = 9 pts in the shop a moth and I selecting a wool sweater D.V.Rozic ((0,3,3) = 9 pts - Ninth Place – 8 pts - cement truck – apple blossoms speckle a worker’s boot Laryalee Fraser (1,1,3) = 8 pts Tenth Place – 7 pts polaris— a north wind levels the chimney smoke DeVar (1,2,0) = 7 pts glassy lake a sudden icy wind wrinkles the stars bmm (0,2,3) = 7 pts little league tryouts a robin in the outfield Mark Hollingsworth (0,1,5) = 7 pts mud puddle a child teaches the worm how to swim Owen Burkhart (0,1,5) = 7 pts Eleventh Place – 6 pts midnight swim— every move sparkles Mary Lee McClure (1,0,3) = 6 pts Mother’s Day— a bit of the sky in the robin’s nest George Hawkins (0,1,4) = 6 pts sunset— the waterfall on fire Mary Lee McClure (0,3,0) = 6 pts - Twelfth Place – 5 pts - spring rain— the pine cone caught in an eddy aom (tim) (1,1,0) = 5 pts red tide— a lone heron circles the lighthouse Kathy Lippard Cobb (0,2,1) = 5 pts morning twilight— wintering snow geese cloud the marsh bmm (0,1,3) = 5 pts --- Thirteenth Place – 4 pts ---- Indian summer moonshine slowly drips into a tin cup Edward (0,2,0) = 4 pts swim meet her eyes bluer than the water Earl Keener (0,1,2) = 4 pts a yellowed postcard falls from the book— indian summer Earl Keener (0,1,2) = 4 pts small town gossip— a pair of robins fly from tree to tree DeVar (0,0,4) = 4 pts first robin— a gift from the cat Dave Bacharach (0,0,4) = 4 pts Fourteenth Place – 3 pts magnolia blossoms a line of black cars follow the hearse Carmel C. Lively-Westerman (0,1,1) = 3 pts Indian summer – the cricket in the house gets louder Zhanna P. Rader (0,1,1) = 3 pts water’s edge – the goose touches its own beak susan bond (0,0,3) = 3 pts	First Place -- 25 pts sheep country – passing clouds graze the hilltop Lorin Ford (4,3,7) = 25 pts Second Place -- 23 pts sandpiper one footprint ahead of the wave Mark Hollingsworth (1,5,10) = 23 pts still water a dragonfly holds tightly to its reflection Linda Chambers (0,8,7) = 23 pts Third Place -- 19 pts autumn wake-- the widow's tremor in her coffee Ron Moss (1,6,4) = 19 pts Fourth Place -- 15 pts ten years drought-- he closes the barn door for the last time Laryalee Fraser (2,2,5) = 15 pts bread in the oven-- the baker opens his lunchbox max verhart (1,4,4) = 15 pts Fifth Place – 13 pts childhood lane strange people stare from familiar doors john tiong chunghoo (0,5,3) = 13 pts Sixth Place – 12 pts spring cleaning done . . . a window spider starts a new web Darrell Byrd (1,1,7) = 12 pts homesick— only the moon looks familiar Earl Keener (0,2,10) = 12 pts Seventh Place – 11 pts Mother’s Day: my son serves the takeout on china Irene Golas (1,1,6) = 11 pts full moon a white cat prowls the tennis court Laryalee Fraser (0,4,3) = 11 pts Eighth Place – 9 pts talking divorce he pours his coffee then mine roberta beary (2,1,1) = 9 pts scent of coffee… my cat opens one eye Marili Deandrea (0,2,5) = 9 pts post game interview the space between the goalie’s teeth ed markowski (0,1,7) = 9 pts summer heat I stop to yawn with the lions Marie Summers (0,1,7) = 9 pts Ninth Place – 7 pts watercolor class— everyone starts with blue Ami (0,3,1) = 7 pts unfinished chores – so many butterflies invade the garden brahman-narayanan (0,2,3) = 7 pts full moon I put the knife beside the round bread Petar Tchouhov (0,2,3) – 7 pts pizza delivery— opening the door to Orion Scott Mason (0,1,5) = 7 pts Tenth Place – 6 pts early spring hoof prints on the heifer’s shoulders Dave Bacharach (0,2,2) = 6 pts sick-room window slowly a butterfly opens its wings sheila windsor (0,1,4) = 6 pts storm clouds the tugboat moves deeper into each wave Owen Burkhart (0,1,4) = 6 pts baby flamingo— the toddler offers her bottle Kathy Lippard Cobb (0,0,6) = 6 pts Eleventh Place – 4 pts restaurant chatter— a child grins through the goldfish Kathy Lippard Cobb (0,1,2) = 4 pts forest pathway the tractor’s tyreprint full of tadpoles Flatline (0,1,2) = 4 pts morning rain. . . aftershocks in my coffee Marie Summers (0,1,2) = 4 pts low tide a sandpiper’s tracks in virgin sand Deborah P Kolodji (0,1,2) = 4 pts winter sun buffing the leaves of the jade plant w.f. owen (0,1,2) = 4 pts Twelfth Place – 3 pts biking to the park a new pitcher’s mitt on the handlebars Carol Raisfeld (1,0,0) = 3 pts midsummer’s eve thick clouds erase the moon Marie (0,1,1) = 3 pts new fishing rod – borrowing an old line he phones in sick Laryalee Fraser (0,0,3) = 3 pts morning sickness – he blames the red wine she didn’t drink --ushi (0,0,3) = 3 pts first hot day the splat of a water balloon Ed Markowski (0,0,3) = 3 scattered for the birds even bread is too heavy after her chemo Chandra Bales (0,0,3) = 3 pts Chinese takeout— once again she prefers my order Dave Bacharach (0,0,3) = 3 pts

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