The Shiki Monthly Kukai

April 2007 Kukai

Here are the results for the April 2007 Kukai, wherein our Kigo subject was "Spring Dusk" and our Free Format subject was "Bridge".

Congratulations to Mary Lee McClure, winner of our Kigo section and to Kala Ramesh, 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.

April 2007 Results
Kigo Theme: Spring Dusk	Free Format Theme: Bridge
First Place -- 29 pts spring dusk  — the earth's fragrance after the plow Mary Lee McClure (2,6,11) = 29 pts "fragrance" makes me uneasy, but "after" really works. Second Place -- 26 pts spring dusk she would have stopped here to smell the lilac RaV (0,8,10) = 26 pts Very haunting. Third Place -- 23 pts spring dusk scratching the first mosquito bite Bill Hudson (2,3,10) = 23 pts Painfully true. Fourth Place -- 19 pts spring dusk  — the silence after her voice... Israel López Balan (1,5,6) = 19 pts Fifth Place -- 18 pts spring dusk a flock of seagulls fade into tomorrow Keiko (1,3,8) = 18 pts Sixth Place -- 17 pts spring dusk our voices softer too Barbara Snow (0,2,13) = 17 pts Seventh Place -- 16 pts spring dusk  — grandma sews on the button in a different color Dorota Pyra (1,2,9) = 16 pts An old woman continues to do what she can for loved ones despite failing eyesight. Eighth Place -- 14 pts spring dusk  — close enough to touch his new antlers -- LGD (1,2,7) = 14 pts Says just enough to suggest much more. They'd have to be very new and small, so very close. Ninth Place -- 13 pts Spring dusk ~ the tom cat yawns and heads out Paul Hodder (0,4,5) = 13 pts The tom cat of (this haiku) quite walked off the page and into the list of votes -- fully alive. Congratulations! Seasonally correct, and so very true. Tenth Place -- 12 pts fingertips brush the lilacs spring dusk Ann K. Schwader (1,3,3) = 12 pts ** Delicacy in every line of this poem. Eleventh Place -- 11 pts deep in a lily two fireflies pulse  — spring dusk Nancy Smith (2,1,3) = 11 pts A lovely allusion to The Fire Quest - Japanese Folktale: "The Firefly Queen lay safe in her lotus, wrapped in the arms of her beloved" Twelfth Place -- 10 pts spring dusk  — dandelion seeds separate from the stars Dustin Neal (1,1,5) = 10 pts spring dusk  — the quiet of a white azalea --Devika (0,2,6) = 10 pts Thirteenth Place -- 9 pts the old couple hand in hand spring dusk Bill Kenney (1,1,4) = 9 pts For me the implication here is that the same love exists for this couple as they had for one another when it was young and new. spring dusk the new puppy startles at every shadow Yositaka (1,0,6) = 9 pts spring dusk in the wheelbarrow some of the rain Francine Banwarth (0,2,5) = 9 pts This is exquisite and simple, lovely. spring dusk... the silence of street lights carol pearce (0,2,5) = 9 pts spring dusk  — the bell of a bicycle on the wooded path Sanjukta (0,1,7) = 9 pts Fourteenth Place -- 8 pts spring dusk meeting the eyes of a fox Beth Powell (1,1,3) = 8 pts Yes! Been there. Just the right moment for such a special encounter. a swing slows to the sounds of dinner  — spring dusk Ron Moss (0,3,2) = 8 pts spring dusk a hazy moon's glow behind the trees Bruce Ross (0,3,2) = 8 pts spring dusk the nun adds more sugar to her tea Petar Tchouhov (0,3,2) = 8 pts What an evocative image and poignant. I can relate. The nun has given up earthly love in the romantic or physical sense but the concrete sweetness of sugar is still allowed. river of birds in a rainbow sky spring dusk Terra Martin (0,2,4) = 8 pts This is rather 'poetic' for haiku yet I get a very clear and beautiful picture painted with its words. spring dusk  — catching the last fly ball David Grayson (0,2,4) = 8 pts spring dusk sounds of a backyard onion between my teeth Thomas Heffernan (0,1,6) = 8 pts spring dusk a toddler whispers butterfly Rita Odeh (0,1,6) = 8 pts spring dusk . . . the colt looks back at its mother Carol Raisfeld (0,1,6) = 8 pts Fifteenth Place -- 7 pts spring dusk frogs sing up to the moon Deirdre A. Godwin (1,1,2) = 7 pts her child's grave in the spring dusk the dark rose Lech Szeglowski (1,1,2) = 7 pts spring dusk the hummingbird savors one more sip Sjs (0,2,3) = 7 pts Sixteenth Place -- 6 pts spring dusk  — only my shadow without colour Ana Cadarin (1,1,1) = 6 pts spring dusk, waiting for the moonlight open windows Dany Fisher (1,1,1) = 6 pts Exquisite: the open freshness of spring; the closing of the day; the mysterious, spacious sense of receiving; all wonderfully invoked, with precision and concision, with no person there—but a feeling voice very present. Three cheers -one for every line. spring dusk... the bird on a wire still can see the sun o0o O (0,2,2) = 6 pts leaves too small to cup rainwater . . . spring dusk Marie Summers (0,1,4) = 6 pts spring dusk  — a shard of glass catches the last sunrays ~ Isabelle Prondzynski (0,1,4) = 6 pts spring dusk  — the fog rises above the lake Mary Chapman (0,1,4) = 6 pts Seventeenth Place -- 5 pts spring dusk  — the bunch of pussy willow arranges itself Ami (1,0,2) = 5 pts Been there, gave up trying that. Good observation, as the buds swell they shift. spring dusk the pain in my knuckles Martin (0,2,1) = 5 pts spring dusk... faintly a cicada ed markowski (0,1,3) = 5 pts spring dusk the tree top kite reaches for the moon Audrey Downey (0,1,3) = 5 pts in the spring dusk a wayward yellow kite makes its escape - frederick gier (0,1,3) = 5 pts spring dusk the birds still sing Grzegorz Sionkowski (0,1,3) = 5 pts a new tremor in his left hand ... spring dusk Roberta Beary (0,1,3) = 5 pts the whiteness of courting swans... spring dusk Polona (0,1,3) = 5 pts Extra pristine for mating season, dusk contrast. a spider dangling at the window  — spring dusk carol bleichert (0,1,3) = 5 pts just off the gravel road the soft green earth spring dusk April Serock (0,0,5) = 5 pts spring dusk  — water rushes over the weir Andrew S (0,0,5) = 5 pts spring dusk purple light seeps into plum tree leaves Sherry Weaver Smith (0,0,5) = 5 pts spring dusk  — even the egret in the sky is turning black max verhart (0,0,5) = 5 pts spring dusk  — a birch trunk chops the sun in two Corneliu Traian Atanasiu (0,0,5) = 5 pts Eighteenth Place -- 4 pts gathering spring dusk as shore birds huddle in clumps  — a low, gauzy moon P. O. Williams (1,0,1) = 4 pts spring dusk gently goes away  — a shadow on window Maria (1,0,1) = 4 pts Spring dusk gathering In the twilight of nature Blossoms shimmering Keith A. SIMMONDS (1,0,1) = 4 pts spring dusk brightened by bursting blooms fifth year of war Bell Gale Chevigny (0,2,0) = 4 pts spring dusk playing on for the final out tom painting ((0,2,0) = 4 pts spring dusk the ruby-throated hummer's last feed for the night Jim Swift (0,2,0) = 4 pts spring dusk the twittering of baby sparrows Karen Briggs (0,1,2) = 4 pts peepers pump it up spring dusk Gourdman (0,1,2) = 4 pts a prickly pear blooms in the canyon  — spring dusk Melanie Alberts (0,1,2) = 4 pts spring dusk the elderberry bush shines with flowers Jacek (0,1,2) = 4 pts Spring dusk  — a willow shoot and a viola Miorita (0,1,2) = 4 pts a newspaper page tailing the wind spring dusk Collin Barber (0,0,4) = 4 pts spring dusk  — not having to say goodbye Mike Montreuil (0,0,4) = 4 pts I see two ways a reader might take this evocative verse. Perhaps we see a young couple newly married or one which has been separated but is united again. Or it might be taken as the reflections of an older person having lost a loved one but looking back on a time when lose by death was hardly a considered possibility. a sickle moon thinning the spring dusk yellow crocus Origa (0,0,4) = 4 pts Nineteenth Place -- 3 pts I remove the bed sheets from the clothes line smelling spring dusk Harvey Jenkins (1,0,0) = 3 pts spring day assures you, "won't be needing that sweater." "we'll see!" smiles spring dusk. Kwatz (1,0,0) = 3 pts spring dusk the farmer’s new crop a distant green RD McManes (0,1,1) = 3 pts spring dusk  — the chirping gone too d.v. rozic (0,1,1) = 3 pts "too" gets the sensory imagination going. all these scents in full romp spring dusk Mark Hollingsworth (0,1,1) = 3 pts Spring Dusk  — Strolling Some Bees Among Violets Reza Aerabi (0,1,1) = 3 pts apple blossoms fading into green spring dusk ~fedelmia (0,1,1) = 3 pts spring dusk  — leo crouching in the eastern sky Tristan Coleridge (0,1,1) = 3 pts echoes of frog song under the covered bridge spring dusk Elizabeth Fanto (0,0,3) = 3 pts Sounding box of the bridge, and covered both topics! spring dusk the fading cry of a gull Susan Constable (0,0,3) = 3 pts spring dusk shadows stretch between the trees Neil Muscott (0,0,3) = 3 pts Twentieth Place -- 2 pts two chickens escaped on the road in spring dusk, I honk --Ed Higgins (0,1,0) = 2 pts the Wiffle ball's hundred-and-sixty-fifth flight-- spring dusk Dana D. (0,1,0) = 2 pts Chilly wind birds seek shelter spring dusk Ashi (0,1,0) = 2 pts a dog stakes his claim on a fire hydrant spring dusk anonymous (0,1,0) = 2 pts spring dusk the sky grows darker  — the blossoms whiter Gary Serock (0,1,0) = 2 pts Spring dusk. The personal death notice from the war zone. Horst Ludwig (0,1,0) = 2 pts no sign of the geese settling on the silent pond spring dusk arkady elterman (0,1,0) = 2 pts spring dusk the alligator bellows for its mate Meredith Stern Cavalieri (0,1,0) = 2 pts leaving the chapel different eyes, yet sill the same look at the spring dusk Cristian Mocanu (0,1,0) = 2 pts spring dusk  — he throws to first again Joshua Wikhoff (0,0,2) = 2 pts spring dusk houses like fireflies begin to watch Ben Gieske (0,0,2) = 2 pts spring dusk boat clings to the dock filled with sponges Judi Honiker (0,0,2) = 2 pts volcano's plume stretches the bay's length spring dusk Jan O'Loughlin (0,0,2) = 2 pts spring dusk  — dark shapes flit overhead in silence -- Richard Kay (0,0,2) = 2 pts spring dusk the call of a whip-poor-will reaches the ridge top Edward (0,0,2) = 2 pts the basketball's bounce after the dinner bell spring dusk Sabine Miller (0,0,2) = 2 pts spring dusk she stares at the black phone that never rang Victor P. Gendrano (0,0,2) = 2 pts spring dusk  — new leaves learn the last light William M. Gottlieb (0,0,2) = 2 pts quiet garden lake  — the stone mermaid melts into spring dusk Zhanna P. Rader (0,0,2) = 2 pts I'm reminded here of "The Little Mermaid" who sacrificed her voice for the love of her prince, but even this did not win her heart's desire. spring dusk... a red ball lost in a heap of bougainvillea petals - Kameshwara Rao (0,0,2) = 2 pts  — spring dusk  — the sound of a blind man's stick -Rita Gray (0,0,2) = 2 pts Twenty-first Place -- 1 pts the sky outdoes itself performing - spring dusk Miriam Chaikin spring dusk the rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker a nok-a-nok-nok on the door Mr PC spring dawn the aroma of hot cross buns doris kasson spring dusk seducing scent of orange blossoms Tanya Dikova spring dusk at the campus pond koi sleep -- ushi A gentle sight for a gentle season and time of day. spring dusk peering through the drizzle  — a glimpse of his train Daniela into the shades the lighthouse contemplates the spring dusk Jordi Climent spring dusk  — holding hands silently awaiting stars Bridget Cougar spring dusk  — even the darker moths on the silver birch Sue Stanford a bluebonnet teased by snow spring dusk Darrell Lindsey spring dusk, anew light waves in his eyes Magdalena Dale dark spring dusk moon behind bare trees how lonely! Trevor Camp spring dusk clearing the last of last years leaves Paul R Twenty-second Place -- no points this time, sorry created from the quick fog of a spring dusk a web of frozen jewels Gary Blankenship Spring dusk... a golden moon peers over the horizon Martin Hunt the last dab of blue spring dusk lays down his brushes on the taboret Tish Davis spring dusk . . . a stoned dog leap-twists into a whining stoop anonymous spring dusk lost in the snow scarborough faire bre spring dusk new moon rising the fox finds a colored egg Leslie Montgomery Nose unblocked itself It is already spring dusk When I woke up Huiloyeh after school in old clothes she tills the garden spring dusk Assu spring dusk undertones of dog poop scent his shoe anonymous spring dusk black birds splashing in a silvery puddle marlène buitelaar The Spring dusk brings out blue in your eyes and also in me Angelika Kolompar Bygott the oak tree glows pink later these days spring dusk anonymous spring dusk desk lamp brighter than stars Piotr Mogri spring dusk chimney swallows fly home to nest Ruth Powell Head, Hand, Mouth Trigger Caught by love -but was it love? It was his spring dusk -Yoshi spring dusk the last sunbeam gambols along fresh furrows Boris Nazansky spring dusk an array of stuffed toys at the fair gillena cox spring dusk the mist holding fragrance of night blooms Shanna on her knees she shrouds the plants in burlap  — spring dusk Marylouise Knight spring dusk on TV  — photos of young soldiers killed today in Iraq Janet Brof a robin calls from the top of each tree spring dusk DeVar spring dusk a drifting seed winks out George Hawkins General Comments: A lot of strong entries this month. Any of the six I've chosen might have deserved more than one point, but I couldn't bring myself to drop one from the list, especially after the trouble I had getting down to the final six. This was difficult, so many good poems. Hard cut to the end, since I liked so many. I tried to choose those that really needed spring for the poem to work. First mosquito bite needs spring. Lilacs and puss willows require spring. The koi and the elderly couple are noticed because they've been hidden all winter -- or the observer had been.	First Place -- 32 pts mountain bridge  — I pass through the clouds Kala Ramesh (1,9,11) = 32 pts Second Place -- 19 pts hanging bridge... only the stars from side to side Dorota Pyra (0,7,5) = 19 pts Third Place -- 16 pts old man on the bridge  — his still face in the flowing water Gosia Zamorska (1,3,7) = 16 pts narrow bridge ~ the distance between us Paul Hodder (0,4,6) = 16 pts Fourth Place -- 15 pts barefoot on a wooden bridge summer Bill Kenney (1,5,2) = 15 pts I feel the heat and am right there! suspension bridge her test comes back positive Sjs (1,4,4) = 15 pts unfinished bridge the sun sets on the other side Collin Barber (0,4,7) = 15 pts "the other side" an is eloquent phrase in this context, and there's a wabi-sabi quality to the whole. Fifth Place -- 14 pts suicide bridge i keep to the middle lane Roberta Beary (2,2,4) = 14 pts hometown bridge the girl’s small shadow crosses mine Keiko (2,0,8) = 14 pts bridge  — the river never knowing… William M. Gottlieb (0,6,2) = 14 pts covered bridge... i tell her i love her under my breath ed markowski (0,2,10) = 14 pts A nice juxtaposition of the bridge being sheltered and also the poet's tender feeling. under the bridge pigeons nest above the graffiti Neil Muscott (0,2,10) = 14 pts A vivid image with nice contrasts. Every now and then, we have to look "under," and sometimes we discover an "above" even there. no bridge across a mountain stream scent of daffodils Polona (0,2,10) = 14 pts Sixth Place -- 13 pts dark bridge  — if I cross the river the moon, too Israel López Balan (1,1,10) = 13 pts Seventh Place -- 12 pts moon bridge  — the old man splits an orange Dustin Neal (0,2,8) = 12 pts A rare and delicate allusion. Again the roundness of the bridge and reflection compared with the roundness of the fruit. There's also the straight edge comparison of the bridge at the waterline and the cut through the orange. The moon bridge arches so high that at water level it joins its reflection as a full circle. That circle being split like the old man's orange. Might the man in the moon see earth as a pale plum perhaps. Eighth Place -- 11 pts cherry blossoms float under the old stone bridge your death still raw Angelika Kolompar Bygott (0,2,7) = 11 pts Ninth Place -- 10 pts crossing over  — her handwritten note found on the bridge. Karen Briggs (1,2,3) = 10 pts footbridge my face lost in a swirl of koi --Irene Golas (1,1,5) = 10 pts This haiku creates a vivid picture. The fact that it is a bridge for feet rather than automobiles or trains nicely compliments the loss of persona in the swirl of life from the depths. "a swirl of koi" is wonderfully dynamic, and "lost" is exactly the right choice. high noon  — dozens of bats dangle under the bridge -- Richard Kay (0,2,6) = 10 pts Eighth Place -- 9 pts Grandma’s bridge bright pink and white in Waterford glass Elizabeth Fanto (0,3,3) = 9 pts below the bridge sunken moon dancing with city lights Dsnake1 (0,2,5) = 9 pts Tenth Place -- 8 pts listening to The sound of her footstep  — The old bridge Maria (2,0,2) = 8 pts Peace Bridge traffic at a halt for inspection tom painting (0,3,2) = 8 pts Eleventh Place -- 7 pts April rain  — the floods carry away the bridge ~ Lazarus Ogembo (1,1,2) = 7 pts swinging bridge  — just enough wind to make me feel weak Ana Cadarin (0,3,1) = 7 pts ancient bridge  — april flowers flutter against its stone Nancy Smith (0,3,1) = 7 pts bridge in the fog just to the middle of the river Grzegorz Sionkowski (0,2,3) = 7 pts This would look great with a black & white photo of an iron bridge. clouds of dreams drifting apart we build our bridges Ben Gieske (0,2,3) = 7 pts the drawbridge too has its ups and downs doris kasson (0,2,3) = 7 pts I find this haiku almost joyously light in the comparison it draws (not pun intended) between the mechanical workings of a bridge and the emotional fluctuations of a human. Chinese garden  — Pooh sticks with granny on every bridge -- ushi (0,2,3) = 7 pts I admit to Googling this to know what it meant, and it gets a vote for the many times I played this game with my brothers and sister. Even though we didn't know about Pooh Bear. above and below this slippery log bridge the moon Josh Wikhoff (0,1,5) = 7 pts On reflection, great movement and humour. a temple path  — the small bridge vanishes into a duckweed Origa (0,1,5) = 7 pts This is a beautiful evocative haiku which, to my mind, would have been even finer without the two "a". Twelfth Place -- 6 pts between winter brown and spring green- the yellow forsythia arch April Serock (1,1,1) = 6 pts Nice and subtle. riverside hike; a fallen pine extends our journey Dana D. (0,2,2) = 6 pts a school of minnows swims under the bridge long weekend DeVar (0,1,4) = 6 pts Thirteenth Place -- 5 pts slow, green river sunshine crossing over the bridge d.v.rozic (1,1,0) = 5 pts I stop on this bridge trolls rolling beneath my feet wet banks oozing mud Harvey Jenkins (1,1,0) = 5 pts old plank bridge unsteady under my feet balancing act Deirdre A. Godwin (1,1,0) = 5 pts bridge between my mind and hands ~ lump of clay ~fedelmia (1,1,0) = 5 pts rippled sunlight a flash of ducklings below the bridge Susan Constable (1,1,0) = 5 pts a way to nowhere melted snow is slipping down the old broken bridge Piotr Mogri (1,1,0) = 5 pts alone on our bridge  — an echo of memory the sound of her steps Jim Swift (0,2,1) = 5 pts the bridge from teller to listeners "...trip trap trip trap" Barbara Snow (0,1,3) = 5 pts railway bridge another clickety-clack pierces the night RaV (0,1,3) = 5 pts rope bridge the chasm bearing its shadow Lech Szeglowski (0,1,3) = 5 pts Fragility of the bridge borne by it's shadow. Nice word pun using 'bearing'' the weight of the shadow. an evening walk end of the drawbridge among the stars Jacek (0,0,5) = 5 pts Fourteenth Place -- 4 pts Hogan's Bridge: one golfer heads for the green the other for the woods -- LGD (1,0,1) = 4 pts At last, a sport ku I can understand. ashes scattered into the wind covered bridge Judi Honiker (0,2,0) = 4 pts blue tarp the hobo’s home under a bridge RD McManes Is the wanderer also 'blue' at being homeless or does he know some joy in his freedom from worldly possessions and ties? pine bough grown over the bridge pruned Gourdman (0,1,2) = 4 pts ripples spread below the bridge... all cares gone. Martin W. Hunt (0,1,2) = 4 pts striped caterpillar crossing the Monarch bridge Tish Davis (0,1,2) = 4 pts narrow bridge five flower covered crosses wired to the railing Edward (0,1,2) = 4 pts Very tender; unfortunately we see this all too often. spring crossing early morning yawn of a lift bridge Mary Davila (0,1,2) = 4 pts A dull commute where surroundings match the mood. heavy mist a bridge to the other side Shanna (0,1,2) = 4 pts new bridge a smile crosses my dentist's face arkady elterman (0,0,4) = 4 pts Fifteenth Place -- 3 pts half-moon bridge the evoked memories make me blush Audrey Downey (0,1,1) = 3 pts Manhattan Bridge the d train's seat flashes from the gum foil Martin (0,1,1) = 3 pts wind on the river  — traffic passing silently over the bridge Andrew S (0,1,1) = 3 pts sunshowers... beyond the Harbour Bridge a rainbow Sue Stanford (0,1,1) = 3 pts full day moon . . . a bridge rises out of the fog Marie Summers (0,1,1) = 3 pts pedestrian bridge  — memories of the madman who lived here ~ Isabelle Prondzynski (0,1,1) = 3 pts Tallahatchie catfish jumping under the bridge Beth Powell (0,1,1) = 3 pts her warm smile immediately bridges the language gap Meredith Stern Cavalieri (0,1,1) = 3 pts spring thaw  — horses crossing a bridge upriver Ami (0,1,1) = 3 pts suspension bridge our shadows cross on the water Paul R (0,1,1) = 3 pts on the bridge stops a child from crying a butterfly Mirko Varga (0,1,1) = 3 pt long bridge... a new couple drives straight to the full moon Rita Odeh (0,0,3) = 3 pts barefoot bridge  — a boy tiptoes on a log across the stream -- Anne Nechesa (0,0,3) = 3 pts rope footbridge  — in its swinging shadow, little trout jump Zhanna P. Rader (0,0,3) = 3 pts This haiku is both musically rhythmic and lively. The 'darkness' is not 'fixed' but sways while charming life leaps from deep water. swampy terrain a bison becomes the bridge for an egret gillena cox (0,0,3) = 3 pts hot midday the skipping stone goes under the bridge Petar Tchouhov (0,0,3) = 3 pts open bridge  — tail lights melt into fog carol pearce (0,0,3) = 3 pts Sixteenth Place -- 2 pts night fishing  — the bridge sways under southern stars Ron Moss (0,0,2) = 2 pts Three goats playing bridge Knocking on my roof - I Hide! I am not a Troll -YOSHI (0,1,0) = 2 pts last snow the new wood bridge beneath my feet Bruce Ross (0,1,0) = 2 pts grandfather builds a bridge through time Bill Hudson (0,1,0) = 2 pts on a bridge over the pond a glimpse of a koi Mr PC (0,1,1) = 2 pts Plop  — On mosses' bridge Few frogs Reza Aerabi (0,1,1) = 2 pts side by side the cormorant matches my speed crossing the bridge marlène buitelaar (0,1,0) = 2 pts Looking in and out, no bridge arcs from Was to When. Just don't slip off Now. Kwatz (0,0,2) = 2 pts frog croak, frog, train whistle, frog Bridget Cougar (0,0,2) = 2 pts moon bridge below the snow glimpses of koi bre :^) (0,0,2) = 2 pts More koi come out to play as with one in the kigo kukai. But here the focus is on the roundness of the bridge and its reflection and the roundness of the fish's bellies. pagoda bridge between the planks a far-off river anonymous (0,0,2) = 2 pts moonlight . . . the narrow footbridge holds all of our weight Francine Banwarth (0,0,2) = 2 pts broken bridge  — in the sky the cackle of passing geese max verhart (0,0,2) = 2 pts after dark  — the bridge across the marsh disappears Marylouise Knight (0,0,2) = 2 pts springtime in venice  — a stolen kiss beneath a bridge Tristan Coleridge (0,0,2) = 2 pts Seventeenth Place -- 1 point streaks of grey snow linger along the empty driveway Gary Blankenship returning pupil tiptoes over slatted bridge ...train screams underneath anonymous tilting wings, rising on a wind elevator over the bridge top P.O. Williams lazy canoe trip down an unknown stream  — the old Bailey bridge Mike Montreuil bridges all broke down-- who shall build them up my fair ladies? Janet Brof spring break boys on the bridge overpass toss eggs on passing cars anonymous motley rugs drying on the bridge Easter comes Tanya Dikova concrete bridge a passing flash of mallard Ann K. Schwader beyond the bridge wildflowers await poetry lovers Victor P. Gendrano noonday heat  — ants welcome the shade under the bridge anonymous A long winding bridge Hangs over raging waters: Love unrequited Keith A. SIMMONDS salvation  — my only bridge to heaven ~ Francis Mwangangi It rushes louder where the bridge is destroyed  — Lean on nothing. Horst Ludwig flooded bridge  — the vagabond shivers under cardboards Jordi Climent tall ships sailing into the bay . . . bridging our differences Missy across the bridge  — my first novel in high school Patrick sunshine and shadow tied by a ribbon... the rickety bridge Sanjukta dawn wind  — holding you on the bridge to waking George Hawkins Eighteenth Place -- no points this time, sorry from plate to mouth a kind of bridge - chopsticks miriam chaikin over the bridge one truck faster than the other anonymous three rainbow bridges arch between low islands a message perhaps about us? Yositaka under Golden Gate Bridge gulls passing seaward colliding clouds above --Ed Higgins abandoned bridge vultures search for death … for life Mark Hollingsworth education  — the only bridge to a better life today ~ Brian Mwangi Henia where is the bridge between this warm seder and families in Palestine? Bell Gale Chevigny over a chasm, ancient redwood bridge of two worlds Terra Martin Step stone Across Water Bridge between two Worlds. Ashi risky during peak hours thieves hiding along bridges passers-by harassed -- Gladys Kathini we shall arise above poverty and discrimination  — bridge between rich and poor -- Esther Keyombe walking the famed golden bridge our cold hands clasped will you marry me he asked Leslie Montgomery Waves against white sand Sunshine over the bridge, Hermit crab crawls, dream. Michael Frey puna breaking the wood bridge  — the snow melt Miorita fat bamboo shoots launch themselves skyward oak bridges crumble Assu circumcision  — the only bridge to adulthood James Kimani Macharia April rain  — birds take shelter under the bridge Mrs Mande greeting from east, greeting from west  — united by a bridge Kevin Safari scared child points at the still water under the bridge Cyprian Awino Brief cease to shoe noise  — Seen from a wooden footbridge, wing-tip wakes of ducks. -Stephen Koritta thunder on the mountain  — all the water under the bridge run away to sea Daniela flood waters arrive, the survivors leave via the rainbow bridge o0o O blizzard of petals shaken by the wind  — kids skulked under the bridge Corneliu Traian Atanasiu barely a gnat's breath between mast top and bridge damp jeans anonymous deep, dark gorge suspension bridge swings bare feet run Ruth Powell under the bridge a beggar counts his coins, up this fancy ball Magdalena Dale swollen stream slow moving goldfish wooden bridge Trevor Camp fearing to tread  — a pear tree shed its blossoms on the makeshift bridge... Cristian Mocanu Under the bridge  — the rustle of leaves beneath a warm body Mary Chapman Anonymous Comments: I know that we can be a more loose with our haiku in the Free Form section. In the kukai there were some haiku dealing with political issues, grief, disease, love and other aspects of the human condition. These topics are very difficult to pull off in haiku if not handled with subtlety as more often than not they bring the author and his/her thoughts and feelings as the focus of the poem (the opposite of what a haiku should do). There were also quite a few poems this month that were metaphorical, and/or that did not present a concrete or clear image. These poems may convey the emotional impact intended by the poet and may be beautiful in their message or words, yet they tend to sacrifice what is often called "the haiku spirit". I realize that there are reform, conservative and orthodox schools of haiku and that I probably fall into an ultra-orthodox sect. You may or may not agree with me and I honor that and your love of this form of poetry. "The rules" of haiku (there are many resourses online with the basics including here on haikuworld), there are so many, and though some can be bent, they are what makes a haiku a haiku. A simple concrete (nature) image can convey the emotion, depth, even catharsis of the poet since that image is seen through the poet . Don't just write about your emotional baggage, write through it. If your heart is full, your spirit soaring, let me see what you see so I can feel that way too.

Thank you all for participating in the Shiki Monthly Kukai. We will open the April kukai to submissions on Monday, April 30th. See you then!

With much appreciation,

Robert and Jennie, co-secretaries
Gary Warner, web host

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