September 2007 Kukai Dear Haiku Friends, Here are the results for the September 2007 Kukai, wherein our Kigo subject was "MORNING GLORIES" and our Free Format word was "RAINBOW". Congratulations to Laurene, winner of our Kigo section; and to Laura Orabone AND Carole MacRury, winners of our Free Format section! The haiku are listed in order of total points received from voters. The numbers reflect the number of voters who gave the haiku either three points, two points, or one point -- followed by the total points for all votes. Those who were given less than three points and who requested anonymity in such a case are so noted. 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 points 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. September 2007 Results Kigo Theme: Morning Glories Free Format Theme: Rainbow First Place -- 28 points new neighbors — blue morning glories in the weed pile Laurene (1,5,15) = 28 pts An effective, simple way to show how people differ. First impressions. And, if I think of the morning glories as the neighbors, what's the weed pile? Second Place -- 26 points summer's end the morning glories enter the mailbox RaV (1,6,11) = 26 pts Third Place -- 24 points morning glories in the chain link fence an inmate's finger Josh Wikoff (0,5,14) = 24 pts Unusual image and it conveys the isolation nicely. Fourth Place -- 17 points leaning together beside her grave morning glories Neil Muscott (2,2,7) = 17 pts monastery ruins an old trellis supports morning glories tom painting (1,4,6) = 17 pts The things that last . . . I liked this poem’s richness of texture. On one level, the phrases “monastery ruins” and “old trellis” evoke a sense of rustic beauty. On another level, the contrast of a monastery’s weighty stonework against the light frame of a trellis makes the image of trellis and morning glories seem all the more delicate. On a deeper level, the old trellis supporting morning glories can be seen as a metaphor for how a monastery supports spiritual growth. On yet another level, the poem speaks of how something old and abandoned, such as an ancient ruins, can still support life and still have aesthetic value for those sensitive and poetic enough to see it. Reymond B. Fifth Place -- 14 points hunting cabin — morning glories cover the outhouse -- LGD (0,4,6) = 14 pts A bow to Basho's contrast of high and low. Sixth Place -- 12 points morning glories closed tightly against the night Beth Powell (0,5,2) = 12 pts wind tunnel . . . a hummingbird fans the morning glory Kala Ramesh (0,3,6) = 12 pts wild morning glory binds a thistle to a thistle Mark Hollingsworth (0,2,8) = 12 pts Seventh Place -- 11 points morning glories continue to climb toward the full moon Harvey Jenkins (1,0,8) = 11 pts again I survive dying in a dream . . . morning glories Collin Barber (0,3,5) = 11 pts Eighth Place -- 10 points the last guest — morning glories fading to almost white Cherie Hunter Day (1,2,3) = 10 pts Ninth Place -- 9 points the old wall — hiding its holes morning glory Maria (0,2,5) = 9 pts I know how the old wall feels, and I envy the quality of its cover. The dash at the end of line 1 could be dispensed with. garden wedding — morning glories trumpet the bride's arrival Tristan Coleridge (0,2,5) = 9 pts children laughing near the school entrance morning glories gillena (0,0,9) = 9 pts Tenth Place -- 8 points morning glories — what can I say of them that Issa hasn't Mary Lee McClure (1,0,5) = 8 pts stillborn morning glories taken by an early frost Karen Briggs (1,0,5) = 8 pts shaking moth balls from our frayed blue quilt — morning glories Beverley George (0,2,4) = 8 pts outside pre-school — morning glories all lined up Paul Hodder (0,2,4) = 8 pts I enjoyed the comparison of the children to the flowers. morning glories last night’s jazz blares in my mind eddybacher (0,2,4) = 8 pts I like the way the flare and the blare of these two are juxtaposed. Eleventh Place -- 7 points immigration raid kudzu and morning glories strangle their garden Carmel Lively Westerman (1,1,2) = 7 pts morning glories the bone trees twined with stars Laura Orabone (1,1,2) = 7 pts another day with no dog barking — morning glories Israel Lopez Balan (0,2,3) = 7 pts just five seeds and the morning glories rule the garden Glen Keener (0,2,3) = 7 pts coastal fog — the morning glories unopened Dejah Leger (0,0,7) = 7 pts A nice observation. Twelfth Place -- 6 pts morning glories stone still and deadly the mantis waits Edward (1,1,1) = 6 pts This juxtaposition of one of nature’s most efficient killers (the praying mantis) against delicate flowers effectively summaries the dichotomy of nature, for that is what nature is - something beautiful and deadly, something to be admired and respected. We think of ourselves as being separate from nature, but in fact mankind too is a living expression of nature; mankind too is capable of creating great beauty and great destruction. We are, perhaps, the most glorious and most terrible manifestation of nature’s dichotomy. Reymond B. the shadow of a late bee sunlit morning glory Carole (1,0,3) = 6 pts the old shed — don't let it fall morning glories Ann K. Schwader (1,0,3) = 6 pts too late for the morning glories — autumn wedding Carol Pearce-Worthington (0,1,4) = 6 pts Having been married a couple times I know what it's like trying to find in season flowers you like for the bridal bouquet. Thirteenth Place -- 5 points sunrise — the morning glories and I wake up together Betty (1,1,0) = 5 pts in the park — morning glories idling on a mango tree ~ Bilha Wanjiko (1,0,2) = 5 pts I just love "idling". a damselfly in the morning glories dying breeze Susan Constable (1,0,2) = 5 pts blue morning glories bask in the remaining heat — with them my old cat jill (0,2,1) = 5 pts Sensual images; nice juxtaposition of the flowers and cat; effective use of "remaining heat" to suggest the change of season. mourning doves among the morning glories — infinite blues --Lorene (0,1,3) = 5 pts neighbours peep through the fence morning glories Tanya Dikova (0,1,3) = 5 pts I couldn't resist the potential cheekiness. last date — morning glories in his eyes Ivana Vanja Nikovic (0,1,3) = 5 pts camouflaged in the morning glories Bindweed gourdman (0,1,3) = 5 pts indian summer morning glories twine 'round the pumpkin patch ~fedelmia (0,1,3) = 5 pts Good seasonal images. dewdrops on the morning glory scattered sun Tom Maretic (0,1,3) = 5 pts steel town dawn . . . a glow of morning glories through the smog Nancy Smith (0,1,3) = 5 pts morning glories — no space for me to jump over the fence ~ Catherine Maina (0,0,5) = 5 pts This echoes the essence of a classic. Fourteenth Place -- 4 points Grampa disapproved of Gramma’s morning glories they wasted water Deirdre Godwin (1,0,1) = 4 pts She brushes the hair from her eyes trails of morning glories Glenn Laundre (0,1,2) = 4 pts morning glory on the old paling — the smile of grandma miorita (0,1,2) = 4 pts A lovely metaphor. A break in the clouds; suddenly in the spotlight: morning glories Rey Barreto (0,0,4) = 4 pts colonial town on a simple white fence morning glories Bruce Ross (0,0,4) = 4 pts windy evening — morning glories curve inwards ~ Anne Wairimu (0,0,4) = 4 pts Seeing what's there, and letting it speak. war telegram — morning glories in cold glass Ron Moss (0,0,4) = 4 pts old garden the hoe's handle winded with morning glories Dorota Pyra (0,0,4) = 4 pts first kiss morning glories by the door Meredith Stern Cavalieri (0,0,4) = 4 pts A perfectly captured moment. Fifteenth Place -- 3 pts sunlit morning glories traffic slows Allen McGill (0,1,1) = 3 pts first sunbeam through the knothole bud of a morning glory ---Jacek M. (0,1,1) = 3 pts first frost tangle of morning glory vines still green Jeanne Jorgensen (0,1,1) = 3 pts Grandma's house — Morning glories twine over faded paint -- Leena Halych (0,1,1) = 3 pts Heavenly Blue — flashbacks of morning glories --Autumn Moon (0,0,3) = 3 pts school bus coming on a cloudless day morning glories Bill Kenney (0,0,3) = 3 pts chanting our prayers in vacation bible school morning glory Pris Campbell (0,0,3) = 3 pts morning glories my granny replays a Satchmo record Petar Tchouhov (0,0,3) = 3 pts morning glories — the seed of yet another haiku -- Richard Kay (0,0,3) = 3 pts summer's end — sapphire morning glories curl around bronze mums Hazel A. Witherspoon (0,0,3) = 3 pts General Comments: There are getting to be so many poems each month that it is quite a task to sort them out. Lots of good morning glory poems, though. First Place -- 21 pts sudden downpour bleeding on a concrete sky the chalk rainbow Laura Orabone (3,1,10) = 21 pts rainbow's end. . . the trawler's gillnet drawn tight Carole MacRury (2,3,9) = 21 pts Second Place -- 19 pts the arc of his line at sunrise rainbow trout Susan Constable (2,3,7) = 19 pts The peacefulness of early morning fishing well-depicted. Almost too poetic but firmly grounded in the real. after a storm the rainbow bending over what's left Bill Kenney (1,4,8) = 19 pts Third Place -- 16 pts double rainbow her second wish a small one --Irene Golas (2,2,6) = 16 pts Were it in my power, I'd grant her a big one. She sounds like the sort of person who ought to write haiku. autumn stillness — rainbow trout bump my waders John Healey (0,5,6) = 16 pts For me, the bump only deepens the stillness. Fourth Place -- 15 pts tisk tisk of sprinklers — over suburban lawns look-a-like rainbows Neil Muscott (3,2,2) = 15 pts Nice use of sound in this one. Reminds me of that old song about ticky-tacky. Light satirical touch. greens and browns — the painted rainbow of the bullied child Paul Hodder (2,3,3) = 15 pts Very astute and tender observation. Fifth Place -- 14 pts fast train... trying to catch the rainbow Carol Pearce-Worthington (0,2,10) = 14 pts Sixth Place -- 13 pts rainbow a dragonfly visits the lily Earl Keener (1,2,6) = 13 pts in a dew drop on the white rose a rainbow Peter Macrow (0,3,7) = 13 pts A white rose is a lovely, romantic image all by itself. Add to it a rainbow in a dew drop and it becomes all the more enchanting. An exquisite demonstration of poetic alchemy. Seventh Place -- 11 pts salmon run just where they must leap rainbow Bruce Ross (1,3,2) = 11 pts The imagery of this dynamic haiku is so vivid; I could clearly see the salmon leaping across the rainbow created by sunlight hitting the spray of water. So much action packed in so few words – well done! sudden rainbow — the bus arrives almost empty Israel Lopez Balan (1,1,6) = 11 pts I wanted to give this one a point because of the two mysteries: the 'sudden' rainbow and the 'almost empty' bus and how they interact. Together they help build a sense of waiting and the boredom and entertainment that gets noticed therein. Something exciting in the rainbow unexpected, something disappointing in the bus, probably empty of the one waited for. Eighth Place -- 10 pts brief rainbow a dragonfly lingers Ann K. Schwader (0,3,4) = 10 pts A nice haiku moment of transition. sunny morning — a new spider web shines with rainbow colors Zhanna P. Rader (0,3,4) = 10 pts double rainbow the unopened letter on her desk Sjs (Stevie) (0,0,10) = 10 pts Ninth Place -- 9 pts on the wall of her doll house she paints a rainbow Betty (1,2,2) = 9 pts A tender moment of a child's rendering of the reality. an old printer all colours of the rainbow on his hands --Jacek M (0,2,5) = 9 pts Tenth Place -- 8 pts a rainbow arcs the summer sky — blunted crayons Collin Barber (1,1,3) = 8 pts I love this image!! The description is exactly like it always feels for me, now painted in words. tracing a rainbow across the sand a peacock Pris Campbell (0,2,4) = 8 pts water sprinkler counting the splashes to the next rainbow Juliusz Wnorowski (0,2,4) = 8 pts urban day camp a rainbow of children spill down the hill Elizabeth Fanto (0,1,6) = 8 pts Eleventh Place -- 7 pts sleet on the window — my niece's rainbow on the fridge Keith Heiberg (1,0,4) = 7 pts lollipop her rainbow tongue Beverley George (0,1,5) = 7 pts rainbow — somehow the magic still there Mary Lee McClure (0,0,7) = 7 pts Twelfth Place -- 6 pts rainbow . . . Dad's fish a 'catch and release' Alice Frampton (1,0,3) = 6 pts such a long journey from the primordial ooze to the rainbow’s end Deirdre Godwin (1,1,1) = 6 pts long rainy day ~ he depicts a rainbow I don't see Ana Cadarin (1,1,1) = 6 pts this rainbow like me . . . just dust in the wind -- Richard Kay (1,0,3) = 6 pts for a moment — painting the sky ...rainbow maria (1,0,3) = 6 pts It is the line “for a moment” that makes this poem resonate, for it is the transient nature of rainbows that makes their beauty poignant and magical. If they lasted years they would not be so special. But no, rainbows in the sky appear infrequently and disappear too quickly. The lives of great men and woman are the same. Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe, Luciano Pavarotti, and Martin Luther King, Jr., they came and went, painting our world with their glorious colorful lives and dis appeared too quickly from our sight. But, just as rainbows are unforgettable, so are they. “For a moment” we see rainbows but for a lifetime we remember them. Of course some rainbows, like Martin Luther King, Jr., never truly disappear because of how profoundly they touched our lives. falling leaves each tree sheds a rainbow Karen Briggs (0,2,2) = 6 pts Indian summer — faded into the rocks, the rainbow trout Dejah Leger (0,1,4) = 6 pts posing just under the rainbow Beth Powell (0,1,4) = 6 pts afternoon showers — a plane droning across the rainbow ~ Vivian Adhiambo (0,1,4) = 6 pts special child . . . a rainbow breaks open her smile Ron Moss (0,1,4) = 6 pts Misty September a rainbow connects the two islands Angelika Coloma Bygott (0,0,6) = 6 pts Thirteenth Place -- 5 pts rainbow arching above the mud where soldiers lie Leslie Montgomery (0,2,1) = 5 pts fading rainbow pouring all of its colors into hot air balloon Kurt R. W. (0,2,1) = 5 pts fading rainbow nobody touches her wet hair Petar Tchouhov (0,2,1) = 5 pts last farewell the highway's end turns up into a rainbow Lech Szeglowski (0,2,1) = 5 pts night rainbow far away on a hill the temple lamps Kala Ramesh (0,1,3) = 5pts kindergarten a student paints a rainbow on her dress Carmel Lively Westerman (0,0,5) = 5 pts rusty Ford in a puddle rainbow gourdman (0,0,5) = 5 pts anniversary crystal necklace a rainbow on her chin andrea (0,0,5) = 5 pts in the splash from the car wheel, a little rainbow Tom Maretic (0,0,5) = 5 pts Fourteenth Place -- 4 pts rainbow haiku — I earnestly gaze at the sky ~ Catherine Maina (1,0,1) = 4 pts deep into summer storm clouds pause for the rainbow a dance with no lead Harvey Jenkins (1,0,1) = 4 pts prism's rainbow — classroom eyes on the bright playground - Munzar (1,0,1) = 4 pts see the rainbow all the colors of the crayons — daughter tells us jill (1,0,1) = 4 pts Yes, kids do say the darnedest things, don’t they? That was a dandy. oil slick children stare at the rainbow Allen McGill (0,1,2) = 4 pts double rainbow ... I need a new pair of lenses Ella W. (0,1,2) = 4 pts wet shoes — street musician is looking at the rainbow Ivana Vanja Nikovic (0,1,2) = 4 pts violent prairie storm he tells his little sister it leaves rainbows too Edward (0,1,2) = 4 pts I find kiddie ku ludicrously easy to resist, but this one tells its story elegantly and economically. harbor seal — motor oil rainbows spin in the boat's wake aom (tim) (0,1,2) = 4 pts Rainbow Bridge... even this river not filling the sea George Hawkins (0,0,4) = 4 pts thruway north — a mile of apple trees before the rainbow Ami (0,0,4) = 4 pts Fifteenth Place -- 3 pts gay pride — a parade of rainbow flags dancing past ~ Isabelle Prondzynski (1,0,0) = 3 pts Of the two parade poems in the list, I like this one because of the exuberance it shows, a real celebration of identity comes out in the word 'dancing'. summer cleaning a rainbow above the manure spreader Janice (0,1,1) = 3 pts Her scarf — a rainbow of flowers moving in the sky --R.K.SINGH (0,1,1) = 3 pts deep hammock complete with a rainbow Scott Mason (0,1,1) = 3 pts Beneath the rainbow lost in morning fog drifts ghost trees walking LaVerna B. Johnson (0,1,1) = 3 pts love parade — everywhere colors of the rainbow -- Derwisz (0,1,1) = 3 pts 'Love parade' is a little abstract, but I like the sense of feeling that saturates the poem with the word 'everywhere', it seems to instantly cause the mind to look around and confirm that all around happiness that might occur at such a parade. acrobatic feats — the kitten wildly pouncing sun-catcher rainbows ~fedelmia (0,1,1) = 3 pts now running free beyond the Rainbow Bridge the dog I put to sleep yesterday angelee deodhar (0,1,1) = 3 pts in the fountain on the hand organ's music rainbows dance max verhart (0,0,3) = 3 pts horizon and rainbow in the mist Cornelia (0,0,3) = 3 pts a rainbow splashes the seawall yawning seals eddybacher (0,0,3) = 3 pts General Comments: Once again it's quite difficult to cut out haiku that I like. Somehow I didn't respond to most of the rainbow poems--even mine deserved only 4 or 5 points :) Thank you for participating in the September kukai! We will be posting October's Annual Poets' Choice Call for Votes on Monday, October 8th. We look forward to receiving your votes then. With much appreciation, Robert and Jennie, co-secretaries Gary Warner, web host Participate in the Shiki Monthly Kukai by choosing a link below How it Works Most Recent Results Current Kukai Topics Kukai Archives An explanation of how the kukai functions. The results of our most recent month! Click here to learn about THIS month's kukai. Previous month's results.