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The Shiki Monthly Kukai

June 2008 Kukai

Dear Haiku Friends,

Here are the results for the June 2008 Kukai, wherein our Kigo subject was "Sand" and our Free Format theme was "Secrets".

Congratulations to Edward, winner of our Kigo section and to Tom Painting, winner 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.

Voters comments are in italics below the respective poems.

June 2008 Results
Kigo Theme:
Sand
Free Format Theme:
Secrets

First Place – 37 Points
sand sculptures
a mermaid slips back
into the sea

Edward
(7,2,12) = 37 Pts.

Well done!


Second Place – 25 Points
sandcastles...
her youngest daughter
calls me daddy

Colin Stewart Jones
(2,5,9) = 25 Pts.

Love it! There is a whole touching story in this.

A complex story most economically told.


Third Place – 23 Points
footprints...
from sandcastle
to sandcastle

Jacek M.
(1,6,8) = 23 Pts.


Fourth Place – Twenty-two Points
marking my place
in last summer's book —
beach sand

Shelley Krause
(0,5,12) = 22 Pts.

My favorite among the entries that took time as their theme. It's been years since I read on the beach, but this brings it all back.


Fifth Place – Eighteen Points
the soup spoons
begin to disappear
sandbox season

Ann K. Schwader
(2,1,10) = 18 Pts.

One of life’s many little mysteries. Well done.

sand castles . . .
she helps me fill
the empty hours

Francine Banwarth
(1,4,7) = 18 Pts.

cool sand ~
my footprint fills
with Pacific

Paul Hodder
(1,3,9) = 18 Pts.


Sixth Place – Seventeen Points
after all these years
sand still falls
from the shell

jean cully
(0,4,9) = 17 Pts.


Seventh Place – Fifteen Points
white sand
a child asks why
I'm wearing shoes

Bill Kenney
(1,3,6) = 15 Pts.


Eighth Place – Twelve Points
white sand —
the flip side
of the sunbather

Collin Barber
(1,0,9) = 12 Pts.

Funny!

old sandals
treading sand
back to the shore

Helen Buckingham
(2,2,2) = 12 Pts.

climbing the sand dunes
one step forward
two back

Meggy
(0,3,6) = 12 Pts.

An amusing observation of a situation most of us have experienced. Well done.

high summer . . .
sands from Mongolia
dust the vineyard

Michael McClintock
(1,2,5) = 12 Pts.


Ninth Place – Eleven Points
my footprints
disappear in the wet sand —
morning waves

Israel Lopez Balan
(1,2,4) = 11 Pts.

sand ripples
wave after wave
after wave

Melissa Spurr
(1,2,4) = 11 Pts.

What can I say? I tried to write this one and couldn't.


Tenth Place – Ten Points
end of summer
the ribs of fishing boat
half-buried in sand

Kirsty Karkow
(0,1,8) = 10 Pts.

last day —
waves take the sand
from under my feet

Joyce Clement
(1,0,7) = 10 Pts.

That's life... and death. Well done.

A great pairing of inevitabilities, the ocean's waves and the end of vacation.


Eleventh Place – Nine Points
a day off —
the ant carries another
grain of sand

Robert Naczas
(1,2,2) = 9 Pts.


Twelfth Place – Eighth Points
sand in her spinach . . .
again she dreams
of the pearl

Bill Pauly
(0,2,4) = 8 Pts.

under the broom
memories
of the beach

Bill Hudson
(1,1,3) = 8 Pts.

open window...
voices drift up
from the sandbox

Irene Golas
(1,1,3) = 8 Pts.


Thirteenth Place – Seven Points
sandy shallows
the sunlight ripples
on the bottom

RaV
(0,1,5) = 7 Pts.

looking back —
my footprints on the sand
disappear

Gosia Zamorska
(1,0,4) = 7 Pts.

beyond the boardwalk
ten thousand bird tracks
on the sand

Laurene
(0,2,3) = 7 Pts.

sand in my eyes...
the pearls I dreamt have sunk
back to sea bottom

jet57
(1,1,2) = 7 Pts.

A lovely metaphorical verse. I like it without quite seeing the seasonality, but still well done.

the grit of sand
between my toes . . .
his gnawing words

Mary Davila
(1,0,4) = 7 Pts.

tide is held
within sandcastle moat—
north star

ARW
(1,1,2) = 7 Pts.


Fourteenth Place – Six Points
On the Golden Sands
your toes trying to write
the first haiku

Adina Enachescu
(1,1,1) = 6 Pts.

simmering sand
the zigzag footprints
of a beachcomber

Audrey Downey
(0,1,4) = 6 Pts.

red roses
where
the white sands part

Ben Gieske
(0,2,2) = 6 Pts.

I liked this simple observation.

the wind from the sea
moves the sand
in my shadow

helge t.
(1,1,1) = 6 Pts.

Hourglass —
the last grain of sand
drops

Gautam Nadkarni
(1,1,1) = 6 Pts.

on the sand
a statue of the Buddha
and bullet holes

haikugeert
(0,2,2) = 6 Pts.

a grain of sand
in the oyster shell
seven year itch

Leah Ann Sullivan
(1,1,1) = 6 Pts.

feeling better
the truant shakes sand
from his shoes

LeRoy Gorman
(0,2,2) = 6 Pts.

drifting sand
erasing
where people were

Rose Marie Stutts
(1,0,3) = 6 Pts.

summer vacation
slipping through fingers like sand
the children growing

todd eddy
(0,0,6) = 6 Pts.


Fifteenth Place – Five Points
heat haze —
the fry cook looks out
over the boardwalk, over the sand

aom (tim)
(0,2,1) = 5 Pts.

I wanted to award this a point. But 'over the sand' sounds tacked onto a finished poem in order to qualify.

sand dollars
scattered by the tide
his leaving

Beth Powell
(0,0,5) = 5 Pts.

The natural world may seem to come ‘unglued’ with a relationship lost. Well done.

True summer sandwich:
Ziploc-warmed peanut butter
and jelly and sand

Conrad Sienkiewicz
(0,1,3) = 5 Pts.

This doesn't scan perfectly, but absolutely captures something worth capturing.

sandy beach —
the murmur of footprints
at sunset

Dejan Pavlinovic
(0,1,3) = 5 Pts.

wave demolishing
the sand castle –
the child's cry

miorita
(0,2,1) = 5 Pts.

sand clock...
to see the beauty
of each grain

Rita Odeh
(0,2,1) = 5 Pts.


Sixteenth Place – Four Points
short night~
the sand slips
through the hourglass

Apurva
(0,0,4) = 4 Pts.

beneath my bed
a zen garden in a box
spilled sand

bre
(0,2,0) = 4 Pts.

hiding from June sun
in dime-sized sand caves
1,000 new frogs

Bridget Cougar
(1,0,1) = 4 Pts.

ebb tide —
in the quiet of morning
sand fleas scurry on

Carol Raisfeld
(0,1,2) = 4 Pts.

Crowd on the sand —
above the ocean
only a seagull

Constantin Stroe
(0,1,2) = 4 Pts.

My mind's eye rising as I read down this haiku... nice.

morning mist —
sand crab digs
beneath the wet sand

fedelmia
(0,1,2) = 4 Pts.

ebb tide sand
the child jumps over
a crab hole

kala
(1,0,1) = 4 Pts.

lonely ramparts
in the sinking sun —
sand castle

Linda Papanicolaou
(1,0,1) = 4 Pts.

The best version of the sandcastle cliche.

two names in sand —
our romance swept away
by time and tide

Mary Lee McClure
(0,1,2) = 4 Pts.

child at beach fills pail
empties it, fills, empties
—zen mind

miriam chaikin
(1,0,1) = 4 Pts.

hungry,
with a handful of sand ...
the stars

og_a
(0,0,4) = 4 Pts.

The more I read it, the more I like it.

hurricane's eye
the crunch of sand
underfoot

soji
(0,1,2) = 4 Pts.


Seventeenth Place – Three Points
childhood sand beach
under the only tree
the day lingers

Bruce Ross
(0,1,1) = 3 Pts.

beach weather
from the washing machine
the sound of sand

frederick gier
(0,0,3) = 3 Pts.

left behind
in the back seat —
swimsuits and sand

LGD
(0,0,3) = 3 Pts.

a trail of sand
and bathing suits
the bedroom

Neil Muscott
(0,1,1) = 3 Pts.

powdered
to sand
~ a life span

Rebba
(0,0,3) = 3 Pts.

sunning on the beach
the sand sticks to her oiled skin
footprints by the chair

Rebecca S.
(0,1,1) = 3 Pts.

early summer —
stretching out in the sun
sand for my pillow

terrytip
(0,1,1) = 3 Pts.


Eighteenth Place – Two Points
Sand in her hair
waves of the ocean move
her eyes so full

Angelika Kolompar
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

caress of the tide
rolling on sun-heated sands
eternity's pulse

Deirdre Godwin
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

burning sun —
my footprints in the sand
fading away

Elena Naskova
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

blue lagoon
the sand in palms
stars sparkles

goblet
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

change
in the turtle shaped
sandbox

gourdman
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

sirocco wind
Sahara Desert sand moves
to another dune

Harvey Jenkins
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

summer craze
in rhythm of waves
sand on beach

john tiong chunghoo
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

after the beach
grains of sand
inside the bath

Jon Baldwin
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

My entry was a childhood memory. I remember this happening to me, too.

sands of time
glide down the hour-glass:
man the victim

Keith Simmonds
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

sand in the shoe
at work I'm counting
days to the vacation

Magdalena Banaszkiewicz
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

wet sand —
my feet sink
into foam

Marylouise Knight
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

last year's sand
in my swim trunks —
the long day

Robert Ertman
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

memories...
in the rolled pant legs —
grains of sand

Tanya Dikova
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

ocean of sand
amidst waves of dune
seagull's boat roll

Wojciech Wojnar
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.


Nineteenth Place – One Point
eroded cliff
beneath my sandy toes
an ammonite

andrea

I wonder if there's a trilobite in the cliff face.

sand castle contest
a carload of zealots
...but...no shovels

Barbara Snow

on his heels
trying to reach the ocean —
oh so hot sand!

Betty Kaplan

golf tournament
another ball lands
in the sand trap

anonymous

old argument
honeymoon beach sand
grits the sheets

Catherine J.S. Lee

murmur of the sea —
cliffs of the past times
between my toes

D.V. Rozic

waves on sand
what a silence
in the zen stone garden

Dorota Pyra

sand at the beach —
cumulus puffs above
shifting slowly

gillena

cleaning out basement
vial of pink sand falls from
Bermuda trip box

Hazel A. Witherspoon

silver smelts shimmer
above the ripple-marked sand
of the stream bottom

Ignatius Fay

founded in sand
your body form
from last year

ion untaru

grain of sand
annoys an oyster's flesh...
milk hardens to pearl

anonymous

at the ocean
I dye my hair a deep blue
sand in my shoes

Jeff Hanson

late afternoon light —
pebbles in the sand
shape-shift to blueberries

jill

summer diving...
my shadow
on the sand bottom

Li Ree

a swoop of white
where the sand becomes sea —
vanishing point

Lin Geary

her beach ball cannons
into her brother's castle
sand streaks their tears

mechaieh

natural hermit
the crab burrows
into the sand

Meredith Stern Cavalieri

midlife birthday —
sands of the hourglass shimmer
from the narrowing

anonymous

Nothing heard.
Less seen.
Head stuck in the sand

Tina Back

spray painted
on exposed sandstone
class of '08

tom painting

Now we meet.
The sand in the timer
running out.

Trevor Camp

Her pockets still full of sand
she remembers his wet kiss

yositaka

we help him drink
Coke through a straw—
Dad buried in sand

anonymous


Twentieth Place – Sorry, no points this time.
under the sheet
between his toes
the last sand

Aruna

spring flu
memories of sand
between my toes

Barbara Campitelli

sandcastles...
my handprint
on the closing door

Carol Pearce-Worthington

sand
in the hourglass
slipping away

Carolyn

human statues —
guarding a child's sandcastle
knights on horses

Daniela Bullas

growing from rock
to some lovely sand
takes centuries

emile molhuysen

through my hands
each flowing sand grain carries
big rock memories

Frances McCarthy

sunset at the beach
her body seems to dissolve
in the sand

fred flohr

empty sand martin holes
and paint ball stains
the art of the cave children

Garry Eaton

hands thrust deep
their bottoms in the air
kids' digging sand crabs

Greg Longenecker

Evening winds waving
light sands in my barefoot tracks.

Horst Ludwig

Burned by the sun
Yet loath to leave
The cooling sands

James Sawers

running sand —
sweet June turns
her time glass figure

Jon Espen Vassbotn

footprints in sand
the first wave
washes them all.

Kamal

black sands
living playfully
in volcano's shadow

Lorene

footprints fade;
out of its sand burrow —
the crab peeks

manoj saranathan

a perfect bottle
to put a message in —
on the warm sand

marian burke

Disney World lake —
my son runs on
old ocean sand

Mike Montreuil

stopping at the beach
to watch wind surfers —
now sand in my teeth

Paul O. Williams

empty bedroom —
within the hourglass
breathless sand

php

Two little crabs
Towards sea ~
hot sand

Reza

a summer sun —
barefoot on sands
I seek my shoes

Sunil Uniyal

At the end of time
Glaciers thaw, becoming seas,
Rocks erode to sand.

Tanja

gulf coast —
thunder storms & twisters
shifting sands

anonymous

midday heat
a parasol on the sands
- oasis of shade

Tomislav M.

desert dunes
hillocks of sand
stinging in the wind

usha

Earthquake —
a grain of sand seeking for
its hourglass

Vasile Moldovan


General Comments:

This was fun. Some very good haiku.

Many images will stay with me for a long time, wish I could have voted for more.


First Place – Twenty-nine Points
play therapy
the jump rope
in knots

tom painting
(4,3,11) = 29 Pts.

Well done to show us there is a secret instead of telling us. I saw that distinction as the key to what I wanted to vote for.


Second Place – Twenty-seven Points
spring thunder
I promise not to tell
her mother

Bill Kenney
(0,6,15) = 27 Pts.

An excellent haiku! And an intriguing/noteworthy juxtaposition of thunder and mother.


Third place – Twenty-three Points
just when
I'd almost forgotten
wild roses

Ann K. Schwader
(0,4,15) = 23 Pts.

Recalling nostalgically, from an 'age of wisdom’ the poet's youthful 'walk on the wild side? Well crafted and one of those few one-sentence haiku that succeed.


Fourth Place – Twenty-one Points
face down
on the end table
my wife's diary

Neil Muscott
(0,6,9) = 21 Pts.

“face down" really makes this powerful.

How much weaker this would have been in the third person. Question: If he reads her diary, will this be recorded in his diary?

The tension of this moment is heightened through careful word choice... "down" and "end" both quietly foreshadowing a not-so-happy outcome, at least for this reader.


Fifth Place – Fifteen Points
missing sandwich
the scent of onions
on the dog's breath

Melissa Spurr
(2,2,5) = 15 Pts.

Unusually successful for a one-sentence haiku, plus I'm a sucker for anything 'dog'.


Sixth Place – Fourteen Points
their wedding photo —
bride's eyes fixed on
the torn edge

Gosia Zamorska
(1,4,3) = 14 Pts.


Seventh Place – Thirteen Points
third postcard —
he says nothing
about her

jill
(2,0,7) = 13 Pts.

Of all the haiku focused on the secrets of omission, this one stayed in my mind the longest.


Eighth Place – Twelve Points
after her death
a shoebox full
of secrets

Meggy
(0,2,8) = 12 Pts.

3 a.m. darkness
he steps on the dog's
squeak toy

soji
(0,1,10) = 12 Pts.

Got my vote, but dropping the word "darkness" would have made it even better.


Ninth Place – Eleven Points
sweet sixteen
how cool the summer sand
at midnight

Laurene
(1,0,8) = 11 Pts.

my smile at him
while I write words
in the water

Li Ree
(0,2,7) = 11 Pts.

when the old gate
in the garden squeaks ...
she lifts her head

Tomislav M.
(0,3,5) = 11 Pts.


Tenth Place – Ten Points
eyelash moon ~
the way she
looks away

Paul Hodder
(0,2,6) = 10 Pts.


Eleventh Place – Nine Points
telling nobody
where we hid the firecrackers —
the cat and I

Zhanna P. Rader
(0,2,5) = 9 Pts.

whispered secrets
the dapple-grey pony
twitches her ear

sheila windsor
(1,1,4) = 9 Pts.

I can see this so clearly! And it’s nice to have secrets that aren't freighted with negative baggage.

schoolyard huddle
the facts of life
revealed

Meredith Stern Cavalieri
(1,3,0) = 9 Pts.

her secrets
lost in the fog –
autumn chill

Mary Davila
(0,3,3) =9 Pts.

peeking moon –
he washes away
her trace

Elena Naskova
(0,1,7) = 9 Pts.

So economical, and terrific use of "peeking".

wheat field —
only two ears reveal
the deer's location

cindy bene
(0,3,3) = 9 Pts.

A vision most of us have seen, at least in pictures, but well done.

quiet child
her whispers only
for teddy

Beth Powell
(0,2,5) = 9 Pts.

Having been one of those, I find this evocative.

An aspect of childhood precisely caught. I generally hate kiddie-ku.

This and #60 were very similar in concept and wording. The difference is that #59 shows us a child with a secret while #60 explicitly tells us that there is a secret-- even using the word.

her birthday —
a melted chocolate bar
in my pocket

Barbara Campitelli
(1,1,4) = 9 Pts.


Twelfth Place – Eighth Points
memoirs—
the childhood
never talked about

Carolyn
(0,1,6) = 8 Pts.

Who we used to be and who we've become. A trenchant social observation.

in my empty room
an unexpected gift —
the scent of her perfume

Jacek M.
(0,1,6) = 8 Pts.

when the cook
has left the kitchen . . .
cookies

Kirsty Karkow
(0,1,6) = 8 Pts.

This is maybe more about sneakiness than a secret, but it made me smile.

I wait
on the steps at dusk . . .
the wind in the trees

Marylouise Knight
(1,1,3) = 8 Pts.


Thirteenth Place – Seven Points
business trip
from the laundry falls
a used condom

andrea
(1,1,2) = 7 Pts.

The cell phone rings
her hand covers the number
deep intake of breathe

Angelika Kolompar
(1,1,2) = 7 Pts.

at his wake —
who is the gorgeous blond
in the big black hat?

Betty Kaplan
(0,2,3) = 7 Pts.

the depths of stars
all those nights
when mother was asleep

Collin Barber
(0,1,5) = 7 Pts.

Everyone's adolescence.

a stranger's letter
tucked under her family
recipe for moon cakes

Francine Banwarth
(0,1,5) = 7 Pts.

a shadow falls
across a backlit curtain
then another

gourdman
(0,2,3) = 7 Pts.

late spring moon —
my neighbours
turn off the lights

Israel Lopez Balan
(0,1,5) = 7 Pts.


Fourteenth Place – Six Points
missing candy –
a child-shaped lump
behind the drapes

Nancy Smith
(1,1,1) = 6 Pts.

Derivative from the kukai example, but with humorous wording to make up for it.

high tide hissing
                       in and out . . .
practicing his whispers

Bill Pauly
(0,2,2) = 6 Pts.

closed eyes
reading the night skies
with your fingertips

Jon Espen Vassbotn
(0,2,2) = 6 Pts.

NO GIRLS ALLOWED —
what goes on
behind the closed door?

yositaka
(0,1,4) = 6 Pts.


Fifteenth Place – Five Points
dawn —
on her pillow
a note

Jon Baldwin
(0,1,3) = 5 Pts.

father's day —
a tiny fistful
of something that still squeaks

Lin Geary
(0,1,3) = 5 Pts.

Ha! I don't even want to think about it!

light
spilling through the keyhole —
someone giggles

Linda Papanicolaou
(0,0,5) = 5 Pts.

pine cone...
distant memories crumble
in my pocket

manoj saranathan
(0,1,3) = 5 Pts.

bush cherries all gone —
and I never even saw
the birds

Paul O. Williams
(0,1,3) = 5 Pts.

graveyard - so many secrets buried

Robert Naczas
(0,1,3) = 5 Pts.


Sixteenth Place – Four Points
70th birthday
he buys himself
a motorcycle

Audrey Downey
(0,1,2) = 4 Pts.

first confession
she whispers her secret sin
to the priest

carmel lively westerman
(0,2,0) = 4 Pts.

class reunion —
his old room mate Phillip
now answers to Phyllis

Carol Raisfeld
(0,0,4) = 4 Pts.

our secret place —
the moment ruined
by a bee

Mary Lee McClure
(0,1,4) = 6 Pts.

for having secrets
you need a good memory
and that I don't have

emile molhuysen
(1,0,1) = 4 Pts.

in sleepless eyes
the shadow of recent tears;
"nothing" she says

frederick gier
(0,0,4) = 4 Pts.

after all these years
finding out daddy's real name —
the family secret

Hazel A. Witherspoon
(0,2,0) = 4 Pts.

watching Saturn
I remember that night
long long ago

Jeff Hanson
(0,1,2) = 4 Pts.

opening the book
to the page where she screamed ––
crushed spider

jet57
(0,0,4) = 4 Pts.

holes in my yard
in the next block
a man plants lavender roses

Rose Marie Stutts
(0,1,2) = 4 Pts.


Seventeenth Place – Three Points
between the pages
of the yard-sale romance
a ten dollar bill

Barbara Snow
(0,1,1) = 3 Pts.

my hushed tone
tightening her grip —
high-tide mark

Colin Stewart Jones
(1,0,0) = 3 Pts.

Once in a blue moon…
Cupid shooting an arrow
into a bowman's heart.

Daniela Bullas
(0,1,1) = 3 Pts.

high school parking lot
the new kid flips an ice pick
into the dumpster

Edward
(0,1,1) = 3 Pts.

lost diary key
I wish I could remember
what I wrote

Jo McInerney
(0,0,3) = 3 Pts.

stones skim with
big leaps on the lake
he has a secret

haikugeert
(0,0,3) = 3 Pts.

The first time I read this, I thought that the big leaps were the result of strong, emotion-fueled throws... thereby allowing the watcher to think about a secret underneath. Then I thought that maybe the secret is simply the secret to great stone skipping. I liked it both ways.

afterglow
the secrets she told me
waiting for the stars

RaV
(0,0,3) = 3 Pts.

young, teenage love
only the cottonwoods
whispering secrets

todd eddy
(0,0,3) = 3 Pts.


Eighteenth Place – Two Points
folding chairs
over the trapdoor
what they won't tell

carol pearce-worthington
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

Two young girls whisper
Beneath an umbrella to
Keep their secrets dry.

Conrad Sienkiewicz
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

she looks down
to shade her heart's thoughts
from his eyes

Frances McCarthy
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

cabinet shuffle —
I change the file names
on my illegal downloads

Garry Eaton
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

they whisper
in each other's ears
the lovelorn couple

Gautam Nadkarni
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

his favorite meal
she waits for the best time
to share her news

Harvey Jenkins
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

cathedral teas...
who invited
the wasp?

anonymous
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.

Fastidious fly
Wiping, wiping, your hands
But where have your feet been?

James Sawers
(0,0,2) = 2 Pts.

funeral rites . . .
she swears she got cigar
smell from him

anonymous
(0,1,0) = 2 Pts.


Nineteenth Place – One Point
second story window —
touches of pine
where he touched her

anonymous

life~
the seeds
of a sunflower

Apurva

full moon
the warmth of another hand
curled over mine

Aruna

This is a very pleasant and well crafted haiku, though I'm not sure I see the 'secret'. It seems too cozy for a clandestine affair.

winds caress
in starry night —
cactus blooms

anonymous

ghosts
old lovers
glimmering still

Ben Gieske

believing her
about synchronicity
I don't tell him

Bruce Ross

lovers' tryst
rambler roses overhang
the hidden gate

Catherine J.S. Lee

                 job application
have you ever been convicted of a
                    Felony?

ed markowski

I like the line arrangement and know the feeling. Personally I wouldn't capitalize 'felony' in a haiku and might class this more under 'temptation' than 'secret' but still it works well enough.

intensely aware
of the darkening city,
his need leads downtown

Ignatius Fay

every night
somebody steals
from my secrets

ion untaru

internet lover
she tells him to look
for her eye mole

john tiong chunghoo

my full closet—
all the presents for his
surprise party

LGD

twin girls —
in their crib, telling secrets
out loud!

Terrytip


Twentieth Place – Sorry, no points this time.
secrets
wondering
what's been gift wrapped

Bill Hudson

whispers
behind her fan
secret dreams shared

bre

secret of a bird
secret of a flower
remains secret

D.V. Rozic

An egg in her purse
it is not the egg removed
won't you hatch young bird?

Dave Miss

I will hold this close
and cherish my hidden dreams
they are mine alone

Deirdre Godwin

stifled talking
a bunch of laughing partners
passing by

fred flohr

his twinkling eyes
index finger touch his lips —
candles for a cake

gillena

eyes stick
on crystal ball
the heart dies

goblet

her twelfth birthday
grandma gives a diary
to treasure secrets

Greg Longenecker

My friendly good-bye
having paid with another
fake one-hundred bill

Horst Ludwig

young sweethearts
gazing at the stars:
secrets of love

Keith Simmonds

book beneath lipstick
she swats the fly
with a Wall St. Journal

mechaieh

the secret Law of Holes: put away the spade, quit digging

Michael McClintock

a cell phone rings —
a hushed voice says
it's the wrong time to call

Mike Montreuil

at dusk –
in the statue's bail
a fly buzzing

miorita

my mind fits not
in an unconscious slot
the cosmos mocks

Rebba

Bus stop ~
trying to guess kid
unfinished poem

Reza

last year's sand
in her swimsuit —
the short night

Robert Ertman

hushed morning —
old gardeners kneeling,
trading secrets

anonymous

Ocean cries salt tears
Hiding the shipwreck's secret
Only time will tell.

Tanja

alone at home
with mum's dress- still long
on high heels—little feet

Tanya Dikova

jogger's path —
detouring through
9-11 monument

anonymous

Parenthood.
Rolling stone
grows no moss.

Tina Back

She explains!
Her recent weight gain
what baby?

Trevor Camp

floating on the air
ghost-like
forms in your ear

Usha


General Comments:

Intriguing topic. I have been introduced to a new aspect of haiku.

There were a lot of good senryu here, but I had to stop and think, because many were evocative private memories and not really of the universal way we keep secrets.

I may have misread or misunderstood the concept here, but any of the haiku that had the word "secret/s" was automatically nixed. It certainly made the selection process easier. #38 got my 3 pt vote for humor, originality, and according to a story my Mom used to tell, I got caught with green onions on my breath when I was about 3 or 4 years old. I'd been playing outside in the garden. When she called me in and started washing me up she said, "Gary, you've been eating onions!" I said, utterly surprised, "How did you know?" Moms know everything.


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