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The Shiki Monthly Kukai

July 2009 Kukai

Here are the results for the July 2009 Kukai, wherein our Kigo subject was Mold/Mildew and our Free Format subject was Boat/Ship.

Congratulations to Rafal Zabratynski, winner of our Kigo section and to Karen J. McClintock, 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.

July 2009 Results
Kigo Theme: Mold/Mildew	Free Format Theme: Boat/Ship
First Place -- 24 points abandoned house mold adds its pattern to the wallpaper Rafal Zabratynski (1,4,13) = 24 pts Such a common occurrence in old houses! A good observation, clearly and simply written. Second Place -- 23 points garden path the old-forest fragrance of leaf mold Catherine J.S. Lee (2,3,11) = 23 pts thrift store painting a pony dappled with mildew Melissa Spurr (0,7,9) = 23 pts Although I'd be tempted to change the line order and breaks, I love this dappled pony. Third Place -- 22 points summer house— the calligraphy of mildew j cully (2,4,8) = 22 pts Fourth Place -- 21 points morning sun- the delicate peaks of bread mold Agnes Eva Savich (2,4,7) = 21 pts L1 & 2 set this up beautifully, without feeling at all contrived. And mold, especially under a microscope, is incredibly beautiful! Fifth Place -- 19 points moldy cheese - a full moon glows in the fog Darrell (1,5,6) = 19 pts Sixth Place -- 18 points trial separation I dust her roses for powdery mildew Tom Painting (3,1,7) = 18 pts Seventh Place -- 15 points monsoons¬ a row of mold-speckled shoes at the entrance Barbara A Taylor (0,5,5) = 15 pts August vacation the forgotten peaches mold in silence Edward (0,5,5) = 15 pts Eighth Place -- 14 points the mildew stain on the ceiling wedding night Roberta Beary (1,3,5) = 14 pts A haiku so full of so many layers of meaning... of sadness too... but we don't know how the story ends. The third line comes as a real shock. So well composed! cedar shingle mildew the same shade of grey on her hair Audrey Downey (0,5,4) = 14 pts bookbinder’s workshop he brushes a speck of mold from my old Shakespeare Patricia Prime (0,3,8) = 14 pts I like the use of the word speck, to resonate attention to detail. Ninth Place -- 13 points wartime diary the smell of mildew of all my youth Dorota Pyra (1,1,8) = 13 pts Tenth Place -- 12 points hard times cutting the mold off the cheese gourdman (1,0,9) = 12 pts A succinct statement; a direct no nonsense haiku. first argument ~ on the bedroom ceiling a blossom of mold Paul Hodder (0,3,6) = 12 pts Not a good way to end the evening, but I think the juxtaposition is well worth it! Eleventh Place -- 11 points his love for her only the love letters grew old and moldy Bill Hudson (0,3,5) = 11 pts family bible— mildew wafts from the pages my father once turned Penny Harter (0,2,7) = 11 pts Twelfth Place -- 10 points alone now mold on the dishes in the sink Robert Ertman (0,3,4) = 10 pts setting moon . . . white mold dwindles the old potato Mary Davila (0,2,6) = 10 pts Thirteenth Place -- 9 points mildew- those shoes I always threatened to wear Barbara Campitelli (1,1,4) = 9 pts Fourteenth Place -- 8 points chilly dawn golden fungi rising through the leaf mold Elaine Riddell (0,3,2) = 8 pts midlife the rose leaves touched by mildew Beth Powell (0,3,2) = 8 pts leaving the hospital the scent of mildew on the bus seats Diane Mayr (0,2,4) = 8 pts All-Star Game . . . my glove from the cellar musty with mildew Bill Pauly (0,2,4) = 8 pts Spanning time and awakening senses; presenting memories and memorabilia; a good reminiscing haiku. Fifteenth Place -- 7 points Guacamole she tells her mother-in-law — the moldy tortilla Karen J. McClintock (1,1,2) = 7 pts years have passed mold has grown on the lovers' hearts todd eddy (1,0,4) = 7 pts the scent of leaf mold deep in the forest a twig snaps Jennifer Corpe (0,2,3) = 7 pts Nice appeal to the senses; the word 'deep' adds intrigue. Sixteenth Place -- 6 points mildew in the bathhouse scent of chlorine doris Kasson (0,2,2) = 6 pts Seventeenth Place -- 5 points slow mold in the bank- My billfold of ideas grows fat and lazy. C Johanson (1,1,0) = 5 pts Southern hospitality mildew in my shoe Carolyn Coit Dancy (1,0,2) = 5 pts garbage can — the stray dog wolfs the moldy meat Gautam Nadkarni (0,2,1) = 5 pts the foxing on an old print bearded lady Barbara Snow (0,2,1) = 5 pts sixtieth birthday a little mildew forming on the shower tiles Tom Genovese (0,1,3) = 5 pts musty smell from the mildewed pages- I read the book anyway Ellen Romano (0,1,3) = 5 pts table for two- besides a strong espresso a mildew rose oana posnaies (0,1,3) = 5 pts turned daily the ripening wheel of Stilton blue Alan S. Bridges (0,1,3) = 5 pts St. Patrick's Day... a green coat of mold at the back of the fridge Elinor Pihl Huggett (0,0,5) = 5 pts Eighteenth Place -- 4 points sunny memories gawk through a toothless smile of a pale moldy photo Nalini Hebbar (1,0,1) = 4 pts grief stricken hunger dug hand deep rain soaked garbage blossomed musty mould Rajgiri Hebbar (1,0,1) = 4 pts a live kitten . . . the dead soldier's mildewed boot Michael McClintock (0,2,0) = 4 pts camp out we pick the mold off the bread carmel lively westerman (0,1,2) = 4 pts apple molds in blue and gray the academy Garry Eaton (0,1,2) = 4 pts front stoop mildew creeps up the stairs Meggy (0,0,4) = 4 pts summer rain last year's moldy gourds even softer Robin Beshers (0,0,4) = 4 pts Nineteenth Place -- 3 points By my garden gate a whole forest of mold, shadow on gingerbread. mechaieh (0,1,1) = 3 pts Wet and moldy Babbling ditchwater serves As my only companion James Sawers (0,1,1) = 3 pts jungle outpost - the last soldier, mildew in his boots A. Dharma Bum (0,1,1) = 3 pts after the rain - a crack in the moldy wall pushes out a weed gillena (0,1,1) = 3 pts under the banyan mildew in the shape of buttocks Nancy Smith (0,1,1) = 3 pts mildew - the sound in the night of a mosquito ARW (0,1,1) = 3 pts farmer's angst: acres of vineyards in downy mildew Keith A. Simmonds (0,0,3) = 3 pts This line 1 is a winner. summer house mildew and silverfish run riot Ruth Powell (0,0,3) = 3 pts the ex-wives— he scrapes some mold off the cheese DeVar (0,0,3) = 3 pts beach resort— a mold-shaped mouse on the gluetrap anonymous	First Place -- 32 pts in the shipwreck a china doll with open eyes Karen J. McClintock (3,5,13) = 32 pts I like the surprise in Line 3. A doll is skillfully used here to help us imagine the fear onboard. Good job! This one is extraordinary: resonant, evocative, minimal to good effect. The haunting image lingers in my mind. Second Place -- 29 pts show and tell for the AA meeting — ship in a bottle — andrea (4,3,9) = 27 pts This gave me a chuckle. Third Place -- 24 pts evening hush a kayak parts the duckweed Susan Constable (2,4,10) = 24 pts Fourth Place -- 20 pts moonlit marina the boats lightly rub against each other Rafal Zabratynski (0,5,10) = 20 pts Fifth Place -- 19 pts unzipping the world in two a ship's wake Dejan Pavlinovic (1,5,6) = 19 pts Sixth Place -- 18 pts my rowboat adrift in the blues summer's end Tom Painting (1,4,7) = 18 pts Seventh Place -- 17 pts after Katrina a pirogue weaves down Bourbon Street Alan S. Bridges (1,3,8) = 17 pts Eighth Place -- 16 pts going home all the gulls follow the fishing boat Bruce Ross (1,2,9) = 16 pts Ninth Place -- 15 pts the silence after stowing oars- boat in mist Agnes Eva Savich (0,3,9) = 15 pts Tenth Place -- 14 pts hauled into the boat the slap slap slap of a salmon Andre Surridge (1,4,3) = 14 pts I like the alliteration in this one. autumn sea . . . a sail sways among the whitecaps Darrell (1,2,7) = 14 pts her name on a moored boat summer ends Petar Tchouhov (0,2,10) = 14 pts Ah . . . perhaps not just the summer has ended. The touch of mystery is interesting. Eleventh Place -- 12 pts summer night a freighter’s horn lengthens through the fog Catherine J.S. Lee (1,2,5) = 12 pts L2 with 'lengthens' at the end helps us hear what the poet heard. Twelfth Place -- 11 pts leaky boat - just you and me and the river Marianna Monaco (1,2,4) = 11 pts a fishing boat rambling upon the sea towed by the moon Keith A. Simmonds (0,4,3) = 11 pts Thirteenth Place -- 10 pts the ferry’s wake amidst a swirl of city lights her scribbled number John Thompson (0,2,6) = 10 pts Fourteenth Place -- 9 pts beach panhandler the ribs of a wrecked ship jut from the sand Melissa Spurr (0,2,5) = 9 pts goodbyes said . . . tasting salt in the boat's wake Ellen Compton (0,2,5) = 9 pts Fifteenth Place -- 8 pts a lone white sail breaching the horizon . . . . then another Ed Higgins (1,1,3) = 8 pts slipknot the red rowboat carried out by the tide Meredith Cavalieri (0,1,6) = 8 pts Sixteenth Place -- 7 pts ...when our ship comes in... a family built on decades of hope Merrill Ann Gonzales (2,0,1) = 7 pts I thought this was philosophical, abiding, and interestingly written. calla lilies a crone rows a skiff around the lake Carolyn Hall (1,0,4) = 7 pts waving goodbye ~ the ship's widening wake Paul Hodder (0,2,3) = 7 pts A very well observed scene, which also brings out the feelings of sadness as one watches others leave on a ship. summer still-life she colors the rusted boat purple Devika (0,2,3) = 7 pts alone on the beach watching a ship disappear into nothingness natalia kuznetsova (0,1,5) = 7 pts waterline . . . boats tilting toward open sea Patrick M. Pilarski (0,1,5) = 7 pts Seventeenth Place -- 6 pts rippling pond paddle boats swish by the water lily Frances McCarthy (1,0,3) = 6 pts crashing waves- the warship now a coral reef A. Dharma Bum (0,0,6) = 6 pts Eighteenth Place -- 5 pts boating dock - the anchor holds broken rope Alexander "Lex" Joy (0,1,3) = 5 pts overturned boat, drawn high on the shore – drumming of rain Tomislav (0,1,3) = 5 pts A lovely watery haiku. I particularly like the word "drumming" here, as it shows how ample the rainfall is. a boat rides on a river – hitchhiking on my shoulder a butterfly Daniela Bullas (0,0,5) = 5 pts shimmering moonlight tethered boats rocking with the stars Ben Gieske (0,0,5) = 5 pts waiting for the wind- the next paper boat sails into the sunset Jacek M. (0,0,5) = 5 pts morning mist a departing boat betrayed by its mast Tom Genovese (0,0,5) = 5 pts Nineteenth Place -- 4 pts Cape Cod June— in the sun all the boats are new Marylouise Knight (1,0,1) = 4 pts laughter— tiny boats float in the kiddie pool Meggy (0,1,2) = 4 pts origami ship drifts downstream crescent moon Terra Martin (0,1,2) = 4 pts a red kayak dipping into the rapids water ouzel Barbara Snow (0,1,2) = 4 pts Nile wind fills the felucca’s sail time travel Ann K. Schwader (0,1,2) = 4 pts Charred boats on the shore. I, too, have to continue my journey. Horst Ludwig (0,0,4) = 4 pts rock pool reflections of rippled light inside the shipwreck Elaine RIddell (0,0,4) = 4 pts Twentieth Place -- 3 pts we say, "I do" in the cruse ship chapel gardenia scent John Daleiden (1,0,0) = 3 pts there is no-one but footprints on the beach from the ship wreck Washi (0,1,1) = 3 pts iron jaws open to swallow the next ship... Soo Locks Elinor Pihl Huggett (0,1,1) = 3 pts after the storm an empty boat floats towards the beach D.V. Rozic (0,1,1) = 3 pts fireworks ended — red and green lights return to the harbor Deanna Tiefenthal (0,1,1) = 3 pts goose bumps . . . a pirate ship drifts in the shallows Jennifer Corpe (0,1,1) = 3 pts ocean voyage- the ship heading for a double rainbow Barbara Campitelli (0,0,3) = 3 pts sailing halfway down the drainpipe his toy boat doris kasson (0,0,3) = 3 pts sail boats line up to enter the harbour - we leave with the sun Mike Montreuil (0,0,3) = 3 pts his new boat the “Swan Song” Carolyn Coit Dancy (0,0,3) = 3 pts howling night winds. . . a catamaran arrives on a wave _kala (0,0,3) = 3 pts We're left to fill in the story for ourselves: did the boat come in with, or without, its passengers onboard? Nicely done. canoe moves slowly in circles she doesn't get it Diane Mayr (0,0,3) = 3 pts shipwreck - on the waves only a bottle Virginia Popescu (0,0,3) = 3 pts General Comments: This is always fun, thank you! As usual the haiku were very difficult to pick from. They are all so well written and evoke lasting impressions. A hard choice this time, made only slightly easier by ruling out the haiku which did not use "mold" or "mildew" as a genuine kigo. This theme seemed to produce a fair number of desk haiku and some picture book scenes a bit too twee for haiku. There still remained excellent haiku to take the points!

Thank you for participating in the July 2009 Kukai! We will be posting the August Call for Submissions on Sunday, August 2. See you then!

With much appreciation,

The Shiki Kukai Team

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