Fourth Annual Poet's Choice Kukai

Thank you for making such a success out of our fourth year and fourth Annual kukai. We had good voter turnout and many of you were kind enough to offer comments, thank you!

First Place winners of the Annual Poets' Choice 2006 will receive original haiga donated by Ion Codrescu and Jerry Dreesen.

Second Place winners will receive a subscription to either The Heron's Nest, Bottle Rockets, or Acorn; three respected haiku publications.

Third Place winners will receive Japanese wall scrolls created by Debra Bauer.

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

Ion Codrescu -- http://nc-haiku.org/galleries/codrescu/gallery2_0.htm

Jerry Dreesen -- http://www.jerrydreesen.blogspot.com/

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

Bottle Rockets -- http://www.geocities.com/bottlerockets_99/index.html

Acorn -- http://home.earthlink.net/~missias/Acorn.html

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!!

Thanks to all of you for participating throughout the year. We appreciate it. Please look for the release of November's Call for Submissions on or about Monday, the 6th of November.

Robert and Jennie, Co-secretaries

Gary Warner, Web Host

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

Fourth Annual Poets' Choice Kukai
Kigo from Year 4	Free Format from Year 4
First Place -- 29 pts quiet evening the weight of snow before the snow j. blain (4,3,11) = 29 pts Comments: I’ve never seen snow in my life as yet but I could “feel’ this haiku from within. Its like a human emotion – we feel its weight weighing us from within much before we give expression to it by action?! Good work! A numinous moment perfectly expressed! A favorite experience, difficult to describe, the anticipation felt before a snowfall does feel like a physical weight, perhaps enhanced by windless humidity or other atmospheric conditions. The repetition of the word 'snow' emphasizes the anticipation. And the possibility of the unstated pun with 'wait' is delicious. Does a great job of capturing a mood and feeling. Second Place -- 27 pts falling apple -- the branch sweeps into a new balance max verhart (3,4,10) = 27 pts Comments: This is really an exceptional haiku. The kigo word is well used as seasonal. L2 & L3 are like an illustration but fresh and sensory. I have never read anything like it before. Just beautiful- shows how accommodating nature is. Humans have much to learn from nature. I hear the swish and the thump. I catch my breath, regain my balance. summer's end the pale circle on the ring finger RaV (3,3,12) = 27 pts Third Place -- 25 pts early thaw-- the earth tugging at my footsteps Bill Kenney (2,3,13) = 25 pts Fourth Place -- 24 pts summer's end-- the swimming hole fills with stars aom (tim) (1,6,9) = 24 pts Comments: A beautifully clear image that really puts you right there! Vivid and poignant, lovely! There is a lovely juxtaposition in 'summer's end'. The contrast between what was once a swimming hole sparkling with children, to one that now sparkles with stars does indeed show the end of summer. Fifth Place -- 23 pts out of the haze the dog brings back the wrong stick max verhart (3,3,8) = 23 pts Comments: It was that last line that got me! Also this haiku is full of immediacy and I see the scene unfold in front of me as if it happened today. I can 'see' this one. Sixth Place -- 20 pts humid night only the cat's tail stirs the curtains Warren Gossett (3,2,7) = 20 pts Comment: A lovely surprise in the 3rd line -- and a clear picture in my mind. Seventh Place -- 19 pts February wind wanting to believe the crocus Bill Kenney (2,3,7) = 19 pts Comments: I love the longing in this haiku. The skillful juxtaposition of the kigo, February wind, to the almost superstitious reluctance to accept the message of the crocus, deepens the loneliness found in this haiku. The smallness of the verse, just 7 words, works for it as well. Winter weariness has taken all but the most necessary words. My favorite haiku of the year. Eighth Place -- 18 pts rotting crab apples two old women bicker over this and that Kathy Lippard Cobb (2,3,6) = 18 pts Ninth Place -- 17 pts shooting stars-- we flick our ashes into snow Earl Keener (3,2,4) = 17 pts midwinter-- the empty bird nest full of snow Audrey Downey (1,4,6) = 17 pts Comments: A graphic illustration of the kigo word. A memorable image of seasonal change. humid night the ice cream vendor pulls back her hair Tom Painting (1,5,4) = 17 pts Comment: The immediacy of that last night combined with 'humid night' and 'the ice cream vendor' makes me see the scene materialize in front of me. Tenth Place -- 16 pts long day-- she washes tomorrow's rice in the dark Scott Metz (1,6,1) = 16 pts Comments: The act of washing/preparing tomorrow's food in the night of the previous day is so evocative, and paired with the 'long day' is quietly marvelous. An exquisite poem which says so much with so few words.... Eleventh Place -- 15 pts your coat on my shoulders-- summer's end Ana Cadarin (3,0,6) = 15 pts long day the dog's chain wrapped around the tree Earl Keener (1,1,10) = 15 pts Twelfth Place -- 14 pts autumn wind-- the teapot begins to whistle Darrell Byrd (1,2,7) = 14 pts Comment: The chill in the air, the need for warmth, the sound and movement of wind and steam... This simple juxtaposition conveys the rich interconnectedness of ordinary daily experience. Autumn wind, leaves room for the reader to insert his or her own experiences to this sensory moment. There is the coolness of autumn with the sound and warmth of steam from a kettle. humid night - the old dog runs in his sleep sheila windsor (1,2,7) = 14 pts Comments: This haiku is immediately familiar. Living in Florida, I know the weight of the air on a humid night; how it clings and saps the strength right out of you. The old dog lying on the floor has succumbed to the heat. He only has enough energy to chase who-knows-what in his dreams; while the haijin, unable to sleep, is left to sweat and to watch his pet's twitching paws. My dog does this every night...Wish it against a hollow door :( Thirteenth Place -- 13 pts early thaw-- walking the long way home to hear the brook angelee deodhar (1,1,8) = 13 pts Fourteenth Place -- 11 pts snowy night a passing train tunnels into silence Laryalee Fraser (1,0,9) = 12 pts Comment: This is a very haunting image that contrasts hard and soft images and feelings goat path the wild violets nibbled by shadows Darrell Lindsey (0,4,4) = 12 pts Comments: In 'goat path', I loved the surprise of shadows creeping up on the wild violets, after being introduced with a setting that suggests 'goats'. This is my favorite....what wonderful color, vivid images, it made me smile completely. Delightful all together! midwinter-- undoing an old sweater to knit a new one max verhart (0,3,6) = 12 pts Fifteenth Place -- 11 pts mother-in-law he adjusts the sprinkler for the fourth time Laryalee Fraser (2,1,3) = 11 pts midwinter the wood pile half gone Linda Chambers (1,1,6) = 11 pts Comments: L1 and L3 enhance each other, creating the clear mood of transience in the ku. The wood pile is like "the winter clock", which measures time with logs and spills rather than hours and seconds. A charming image! This is the poem I most wish I had written. early thaw the hedge alive with twitter oga (0,1,9) = 11 pts rooftop garden she collects the rain in saucepans Tom Painting (0,0,11) = 11 pts Comment: A fresh and vivid way of appreciating the kigo through it's effect on a walker. Sixteenth Place -- 10 pts bordering the road not taken wildflowers Tom Painting (1,2,3) = 10 pts Seventeenth Place -- 9 pts autumn wind-- the cemetery fringed with thistles Andrew Riutta (0,3,3) = 9 pts Eighteenth Place -- 8 pts marsh marigolds-- a turtle going somewhere Ami (0,2,4) = 8 pts Comment: Marsh marigolds are low growing wetland wildflowers, just dense enough to conceal a turtle, while at the same time revealing its passage by their movement. I love the ambiguity of "somewhere", which could refer to the inexactness of both the turtle's destination as well as its present location. This is a keen observation of nature, written with spare elegance to convey an immediate experience of an unseen creature, inspiring a sense of wonder. Nineteenth Place -- 7 pts morning haze- a woodpecker drums for the rising sun Audrey Downey (2,0,1) = 7 pts Comment: I enjoy the picture depicted by this kukai. First line connects one with the past & a blurry day: "morning haze" The second line with the present & coming back to one's senses: "woodpecker drums". We can hear it! From the woodpecker's point of view it may be just a way to get its own breakfast, but for the Observer it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the beats announce the ''rising sun"... Therefore, the third line is about future & clarity: in the sky and in one's mind. It's a wonderful poem which takes you not just traveling in time, but also has you enjoying the ride! September sunset... a taste of the apple's bruise Collin Barber (1,1,2) = 7 pts Twentieth Place -- 5 pts urban jungle. . . wildflowers thrive among the graffiti Kathy Lippard Cobb (1,1,0) = 5 pts daylight savings poppies still open after supper Mark Hollingsworth (0,1,3) = 5 pts long day - grandma takes a second nap Zhanna P. Rader (0,1,3) = 5 pts Twenty-first Place -- 4 pts high tea... a broken sprinkler waters the sun Kathy Lippard Cobb (0,1,2) = 4 pts Comment: Good use of kigo- High tea sets a specific time and has a social meaning too; a very good way to place the broken sprinkler in the world. The visuals of sparkling water are vivid as is the juxtaposition of the water and tea. So much is implied by the combination of the ineffective watering, and the ritual of high tea. I enjoyed mulling this one over (no pun intended). Twenty-second Place -- 2 pts drought restrictions a bowl of dishwater for her begonias --ushi (0,0,2) = 2 pts autumn wind in the neighbor's yard my maple leaves Jean Jackson (0,0,2) = 2 pts Lent ... the judas tree a haze of red Nancy Smith (0,0,2) = 2 pts Kigo Section General Comments: This was so difficult; there were so many wonderful haiku to choose from. I wish I had more points to hand out! "I have become more satisfied lately with haiku that suggest as well as show the image, leaving something for the reader to discover. Of the haiku I chose, 'summer's end', 'goat's path' and 'autumn wind', all three offered a certain mood that resonates in the mind."	First Place -- 40 pts morning sun- the long shadows of little stones Israel López Balan (1,9,19) = 40 pts Comments: On the concrete level this paints of day's beginning. On the metaphorical one is minded of coming out of sleep (or a long night without) where dream or imaged fears are made small by daylight, even while the emotion of them made large remains. The capturing of a beautifully moment! Atmosphere, loneliness, power, hope, serenity...so much in little stones. Love this! And so we wake to something small looking bigger than it is, perhaps reminding us of something about ourselves. A bit of ambiguity here, but a very clear haiku image. Second Place -- 30 pts her first date at each window a family member miriam chaikin (3,5,11) = 30 pts Comment: Dating in India is generally done on a sly – so this haiku amuses me!! Third Place -- 25 pts midnight moon the coldness of a stone bench Laryalee Fraser (3,2,12) = 25 pts Comments: This distant moon and cold stone – translates into myriad feelings of frustration – loneliness. Well expressed! The coldness in this one drove right into my bones. The fragment sets the uneasy mood of the ku. The phrase multiplies the ambience by the overwhelming feeling of loneliness. A sharp observation! Elegant in its simplicity-- the juxtaposition of gray is effective- not to mention another moon juxtaposition implied by sitting. Just kidding. The mind soars with this one. Fourth Place -- 21 pts yellowed letters-- a rubber band still keeps the friendship together max verhart (2,2,11) = 21 pts Comment: I really liked this, but would have been happy for 'still' to be dropped as I get more resonance without it: a case of less is more. But a common experience shared by all those who store correspondence. cloudy night I make a wish anyway RaV (2,3,9) = 21 pts Fifth Place -- 20 pts another first date... I fail again to be myself Collin Barber (4,0,8) = 20 pts temple gate-- a blind beggar's pail fills with blossoms Kala Ramesh (1,4,9) = 20 pts Comment: A beautiful melding of nature and imagery. Sixth Place -- 19 pts day's end a bunch of daisies in his bait pail Tom Painting (2,2,9) = 19 pts campfire chili a loon's call stirs the darkness Laryalee Fraser (0,6,7) = 19 pts Comment: This one......so evocative, absolutely wonderful. Seventh Place -- 18 pts sand pail. . . the toddler scoops the sea with a teaspoon Kathy Lippard Cobb (0,3,12) = 18 pts Comments: For me this one is bittersweet. I see in intentness of a toddler who has tackled an impossible job. It also reminds me of the death of my son who suffered from bipolar and alcoholism (a sort of drowning). I love the wild lunatic feeling of this. Eighth Place -- 17 pts farmer's market -- the sour old woman selling honey --Irene Golas (1,5,4) = 17 pts Comment: Very clever juxtaposition of sweet and sour. Ninth Place -- 16 pts not noticing the tiny flowers on the rock until the butterfly Tom Maretic (0,4,8) = 16 pts Comment: Love the surprise element – and I’ve a weakness for butterflies!! Tenth Place -- 13 pts home... I forget the pebble in my shoe citygirl (2,1,5) = 13 pts Eleventh Place --12 pts winter sky - a bleached turtle shell full of leaves Chris Eichenberger (1,2,5) = 12 pts monsoon ... rising from the mud a buffalo's horns Ella Wagemakers (1,1,7) = 12 pts Comment: India is a land of buffaloes and cows. I’ve seen this scene many times over! full moon she answers the door in a mud mask Marie Summers (0,2,8) = 12 pts Comments: I just find this very funny! It brings to mind a few old movies that used this as a sight gag. Wonderful way to explore frustration! Twelfth Place -- 11 pts sunlight... a wasp taps at the window Darrell Byrd (1,3,2) = 11 pts breaking wave winter sunlight curls into itself martin (1,3,2) = 11 pts swollen stream-- my friend talks about the cancer gary steinberg (1,3,2) = 11 pts Comments: A very strong haiku, and probably a lot of people won't vote for this, but it deserves to be counted. It's very difficult to read emotionally, even for me, who has never had a close friend suffer from cancer. A quietly brave haiku. The juxtaposition here is very deep, as a stream is deep, so is this moment a friend unburdens themselves with their fears. There is a sense of 'spilling' here for both stream and friend that I find very poignant. Thirteenth Place -- 10 pts beach date how softly she breathes... the milky way Keiko (1,2,3) = 10 pts Comments: I can visualize her complete happiness and oneness with life. I truly loved this one...I just found such beauty in it. old calendar my birthday marked by my ex-wife Petar Tchouhov (0,4,2) = 10 pts Comment: Very funny, and moving, all in one. Fourteenth Place -- 9 pts old turtle lagging behind its shadow Petar Tchouhov (1,2,2) = 9 pts Comment: This would be perfect for me if “old” was removed (all turtles look old - it makes me wonder how the author knows it‘s an old turtle- bringing attention to the author and away from the scene). This is so good though-- so much meaning and feeling can be derived from a turtle with the sun behind its back endlessly following its shadow (including age ;), and your wording couldn’t have shown it better. It sets a vivid scene and is meaningful on many levels. Well Done! between bait bucket and fisherman the egret's long neck doris kasson (0,1,7) = 9 pts cold morning two stray cats in the doghouse Petar Tchouhov (0,3,3) = 9 pts Fifteenth Place -- 8 pts daddy's knees jolt the table --mud pies and tea doris kasson (1,1,3) = 8 pts show and tell-- his box turtle won't come out aom(tim) (0,2,4) = 8 pts Comment: A very touching moment contrasting the macro and the mini. icy windshield a Santa scrapes off the parking ticket Dave (0,1,6) = 8 pts Sixteenth Place -- 7 pts friendship quilt-- soft voices circle above the squares Laryalee Fraser (1,0,4) = 7 pts doorbell she opens the window Grainne (0,2,3) = 7 pts Seventeenth Place -- 6 pts morning walk- with each step her shadow overlaps mine Marie Summers (0,2,2) = 6 pts Eighteenth Place -- 5 pts custody battle two magpies squabble over a french fry Warren Gossett (0,2*,1) = 5 pts Nineteenth Place -- 4 pts first date the belly rumble breaks the silence RaV (0,1,2) = 4 pts Twentieth Place -- 3 pts fading sunlight-- he takes off his wedding ring Laryalee Fraser (0,1,1) = 3 pts blue berries -- my children compare their tongues in the mirror Zhanna P. Rader (0,1,1) = 3 pts late date... only the sound of the old wooden clock Karen Cesar (0,1,1) = 3 pts Comment: The tick of the clock creates tension in this haiku. Is someone waiting up for someone? Or, maybe it's a comforting rhythmic sound that puts one to sleep. I like not knowing what's really going on here. It's simply a moment filled with the ticking of an old clock. The words "late date", takes my mind for a spin down memory lane. And just as I was 'uncertain' then, I am uncertain here. I like a haiku that makes me feel something without requiring a detailed translation. mexican village the old woman sips soup from a turtle shell Denise Lizarraga (0,1,1) = 3 pts Comment: This one is so full of concrete imagery it paints a picture far more vivid than its few words. Twenty-first Place -- 2 or less points egret in flight-- she forgets her muddy shoe Karen Cesar (0,1,0) = 2 pts first date-- porch light interrupts the goodnight kiss Tristan Coleridge (0,0,1) = 1 pt on the last page of the calendar, a cat looking back Keiko Izawa (0,0,1) = 1 pt Free Format General Comment: It seems like such a shame to give only one point to each of these fine haiku. All of these are really the cream of the crop.

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