The Shiki Monthly Kukai

May 2009 Kukai

Here are the results for the May 2009 Kukai, wherein our Kigo subject was "Berry" and our Free Format subject was "Umbrella".

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

May 2009 Results
Kigo Theme: Berry	Free Format Theme: Umbrella
First Place — 34 points raspberry patch the neighbor boy red-handed tom painting (3,7,11) = 34 pts Second Place — 26 points the taste of the dewdrop before I bite blueberry Dorota Pyra (2,4,12) = 26 pts Third Place — 24 points touring the farms the sun sets in a glass of elderberry wine Garry Eaton (4,3,6) = 24 pts Fourth Place – 23 points eye to eye an ant on a blackberry in my spoon Barbara Snow (2,6,5) = 23 pts Fifth Place — 17 points two mouths — just a strawberry between Virginia Popescu (1,4,6) = 17 pts Sixth Place — 15 points midnight sun a handful of cloudberries Jon Espen Vassbotn (1,2,8) = 15 pts Seventh Place — 14 points first green fruit on the strawberry plant next week's exam andrea (1,3,5) = 14 pts I like the juxtaposition of this one — so very like the wandering of my thoughts! And as the green fruit will probably turn red, the exam will probably lead to success and certification. This entry marks a beginning and an end, something to look forward to and something to dread. All realized at this moment of seeing the new fruit. In the case of the strawberries, there is a sure reward for enduring the passing time. Let's hope the exam also had a sweet ending. strawberry festival — a swarm of bees circles the garbage can Laurene Post (1,3,5) = 14 pts Eighth Place — 11 points wasted berries . . . a nurse unclips dad's photograph from the wall Ron Moss (1,2,4) = 11 pts wild strawberries tumbling me headlong into summer Ruth Powell (1,1,6) = 11 pts Ninth Place — 10 points red berries all the lies they told me Ella Wagemakers (0,2,6) = 10 pts Tenth Place — 9 points elderberry flowers bees buzz my wine Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black (1,2,2) = 9 pts from under the fence the wild strawberries spread I butter my toast Eddie Merkel (1,2,2) = 9 pts first strawberries trying not to remember the taste of his kiss polona (1,1,4) = 9 pts strawberry — his pink cheeked face with freckles Gautam Nadkarni (0,2,5) = 9 pts Eleventh Place — 7 points blueberry pie just like mother never made Roberta Beary (1,1,2) = 7 pts silent forgiveness — washing the mud off the ripe strawberry Elena Naskova (0,2,3) = 7 pts Twelfth Place — 6 points under twig arches a blueberry in his beak the bowerbird stalks Barbara A. Taylor (1,1,1) = 6 pts Wild strawberries... on her visage after the kiss Vasile Moldovan (1,1,1) = 6 pts a tuft of fur in the strawberry patch . . . open gate Susan Constable (0,2,2) = 6 pts frozen promise last summers sun berry-shaped Erling Larsen (0,2,2) = 6 pts escape artist the fox stares at the blackberry brambles Edward (0,2,2) = 6 pts Green berries — she crushes lunch in the doll's kitchen Ralf Broker (0,1,4) = 6 pts strawberry stains on our hands the empty sugar bowl Mike Montreuil (0,1,4) = 6 pts last night storm- the black berry tree spreads its mauve carpet vishnu kapoor (0,1,4) = 6 pts a ripe strawberry- the toddler's lips just before a kiss DeVar (0,1,4) = 6 pts barefoot child strawberries creep between her toes Beth Powell (0,1,4) = 6 pts waning moon below the blackberry bush fine footprints Lech Szeglowski (0,1,4) = 6 pts Thirteenth Place — 5 points Blackberry parfait So luscious and so tempting; Antidote to stress! Tanja Cilia (1,1,0) = 5 pts new rose trellis a scrawny blackberry peeks through Brenda Roberts (0,2,1) = 5 pts past midnight — a dishwasher rinses away strawberry stains aom (tim) (0,2,1) = 5 pts a country road another rocky field burnt for blueberries Bruce Ross (0,1,3) = 5 pts strawberry hearts — the sweet caramel bubbles in a saucepan Gillena (0,1,3) = 5 pts family picnic daughter's first lipstick — raspberry red Boris Nazansky (0,1,3) = 5 pts bumblebees buzzin' in the strawberry patch an empty basket John Daleiden (0,1,3) = 5 pts love memories... today's strawberries are tasteless Nelson (0,0,5) = 5 pts Fourteenth Place - 4 points summer sun, blackberry bush drinks the coolness of the mountain stream Stella (0,2,0) = 4 pts cranberry bogs drizzle, then more drizzle — Cape Cod sunshine Stephen Rojcewicz (0,1,2) = 4 pts heat wave ... ants in the blackberry bush welcome the shade Carol Raisfeld (0,1,2) = 4 pts in the back of the freezer the last bag of berries April Serock (0,1,2) = 4 pts rising moon blackberry blossoms brighten the forest clearing Jacek M (0,1,2) = 4 pts the end of the day a bucketful of blueberries a thrush serenades Erik Boye (0,1,2) = 4 pts the curve in a shadow — the red strawberry ARW (0,1,2) = 4 pts Fifteenth Place — 3 points birds chirping the blueberry patch blooming by my dream cabin Audrey Downey (0,1,1) = 3 pts Strawberry harvest, bounteous gift of summer, feel taste buds tingle Jean M. Lewis (0,1,1) = 3 pts a sparrow pecking holes in the ripened fruit strawberry patch Sjs (Stevie) (0,1,1) = 3 pts in the strawberry patch red in the bluejay's eye Ben Gieske (0,1,1) = 3 pts tropical berries scent of the Islands on my cereal John Healey (0,1,1) = 3 pts sun melting the frost: one red, another still white — dogrose berry Tomislav (0,1,1) = 3 pts among blackberries again the morning sun casts a look Ioan Marinescu-Puiu (0,0,3) = 3 pts strawberries and cream — another temptation i cannot resist natalia kuznetsova (0,0,3) = 3 pts bumble berry pie my teenage son trips on the kitchen floor Harvey Jenkins (0,0,3) = 3 pts Sixteenth Place — 2 points blackberry the flavor lost in diminishing stocks Bill Hudson (0,1,0) = 2 pts the kid who stuffed himself on unripe berries: who dares utter Serves him right!? Sheila K. Barksdale (0,1,0) = 2 pts wonder tree only the berries and a host of birds Elaine Riddell (0,1,0) = 2 pts a busy street — little girl on a roadside sells berries Andrzej Dembonczyk (0,1,0) = 2 pts gnats and gooseberry pie planning the family picnic carol pearce-worthington (0,1,0) = 2 pts stealing a few under the netting blueberry moon Joyce Clement (0,1,0) = 2 pts summer morning — on the bed sheets last night's strawberries John Holt tori inu (0,0,2) = 2 pts night sky betelgeuse strawberry red Jon Baldwin (0,0,2) = 2 pts early warm morning a barefoot bride picks blackberries for her wedding feast Leslie Montgomery (0,0,2) = 2 pts bitter berry — another go at the bush Lex Joy (0,0,2) = 2 pts Seventeenth Place — 1 point smallhold harvest for breakfast three strawberries anonymous fruit plate- how delicious is the mulberry on that branch! Rita Odeh a sweet berry blushing in the sunlight... birds pondering Keith A. Simmonds the girl picking raspberries a lovebite on her neck Andre Surridge raspberry vines grown tall enough to clip to the laundry line John Thompson berry picking summertime at paw paw lake Judi Honiker purple finger tips elderberry pie tomorrow Carolyn Coit Dancy still obsessed — picking lingonberries from last year Li Ree red planet — a bowl of strawberries far from Earth lucindab Eighteenth Place - No points this time, sorry pick-your-own berries filling six-quart baskets and our faces if you-pick-strawberries making an appearance signs of summer gerry bravi Half eaten berries strewn all over monkeys' mess? Purush walk through forest picking berries my hands red ion untaru stained shirt tears fill her eyes — blackberries Max Zontini looking for wild berries the stains on the children's mouths and hands john tiong chunghoo sweet Mulberry dyed my white teeth memory of tomboy Motoko Satoh a berry clings to the twig I tear it from almost too sweet ~ mechaieh strawberries pop up early on my lawn so white rabbit can feed alice dragonfly nosing around... blackberry flower between bee and nostrils Dejan Pavlinovic 401(k) planting 14 kinds of berries gourdman stabbing thorns worth it for blackberry wine Deirdre Godwin getting dark the greenness of raspberries repeat on me anonymous Front window, strawberry ice cream. Quick clean up. Trevor Camp elderflower blooms wave fragrantly foretelling berries Frances McCarthy summer picnic — kids get their hands scratched hunting wild berries Sunil Uniyal a grizzled skipper lingering just long enough wild strawberries anonymous ring around the blooming Mulberry bush... children at play A. Dharma Bum falling hackberries onto my path meow the last raspberry on the botanical garden — raining cats and dogs Miorita chuck berry’s rock and roll music moves my soul eric strawberry planter empty waiting to be filled Jeff Hanson blueberry footprints from the pie and back to bed Hermione	First Place — 27 points sudden rain — umbrellas mushroom on the street Gautam Nadkarni (1,6,12) = 27 pts A very apt verb Second Place — 25 points paper parasol a soft rain of cherry blossoms Nancy Nitrio (1,3,16) = 25 pts Love it! Kawaii! Third Place — 16 points the magic of rain under one large umbrella three strangers gerry bravi (1,1,11) = 16 pts lightning — her grip on his umbrella tightens Zhanna P. Rader (0,4,8) = 16 pts Delightful! Describes the mood very well. It's so gripping. Haiku renders feeling sans hashing it out. And wordless showing of her coming to grips with her fear (and/or fascination?) just before the bang. The woman also has a good grip of their coming noisy thunder situation. But silence lasts — not sure how long. Fourth Place - 14 points cherry tree umbrella petals in her hair Terry O'Connor (1,3,5) = 14 pts umbrellas a total eclipse of the beach Garry Eaton (0,2,10) = 14 pts I was a bit slow in getting the joke, here. Fifth Place — 12 points sudden cloudburst. a weeping willow my umbrella A. Dharma Bum (0,2,8) = 12 pts Any tree might have fit the poet's need for protection, but here is a nice use of the shape of this species of tree to conjure the umbrella. And I love weeping willows anyway. Sixth Place - 10 points sudden drizzle — the divorced couple go under one umbrella Rita Odeh (1,2,3) = 10 pts watched through umbrella silk raindrop trails Paul Hodder (1,1,5) = 10 pts setting sun — from under the beach umbrella red feet John Holt tori inu (0,4,2) = 10 pts spring rain umbrellas drip in the waiting room Beth Powell (0,2,6) = 10 pts A very good image. one umbrella our heart-to-heart inside the drip line tom painting (0,1,8) = 10 pts Nicely visual implication of intimacy. Seventh Place - 9 points after goodbye her silver umbrella flows into the night Jacek M. (1,3,0) = 9 pts Not quite flawless perhaps but for me the poetic imagery in lines 2 and 3 make this the 'pick of the litter' this month. spring drizzle a profusion of blooms on her umbrella Susan Constable (1,2,2) = 9 pts Eighth Place - 8 points spring squall tulips and umbrella inside out Andre Surridge (1,0,5) = 8 pts sharing the umbrella an excuse to hold his arm- first date Leslie Montgomery (0,3,2) = 8 pts rust stains on an old umbrella - family quarrel Laurene Post (0,3,2) = 8 pts May rain — an old man repairs an old umbrella ~ Felister Peacock (0,2,4) = 8 pts I like the repeat of 'old.' And also the back story suggested here — old as in too poor to get a new one, old as in brought up in times when thrift was taught, old as in there may be no point in buying a new one at his age. beach umbrella — just enough shade for the dogs ARW (0,2,4) = 8 pts pouring rain — the statues in the public garden without umbrella Constantin Stroe (0,1,6) = 8 pts eulogy ends our umbrella grows heavy as the rain begins Harvey Jenkins (0,1,6) = 8 pts Ninth Place - 7 points rain showers — a drop on the umbrella makes a baby smile ~ Mourine Peacock (1,1,2) = 7 pts All of the haiku submissions were really good. The most memorable one is the baby laughing at the raindrop reminds me of my son. Congratulations to all the winners. the black umbrella tears roll down her face anyway Sjs (Stevie) (1,0,4) = 7 pts for a while sharing an umbrella with her shadow Lech Szeglowski (0,3,1) = 7 pts under the umbrella a shower of shade Bill Hudson (0,1,5) = 7 pts Tenth Place - 6 points fresh day — a discarded umbrella gleams in the sun ~ Isabelle Prondzynski (1,0,3) = 6 pts cloudburst — no newspaper for an umbrella aom (tim) (0,2,2) = 6 pts spring training a pale legged jogger runs under an umbrella Audrey Downey (0,2,2) = 6 pts Eleventh Place — 5 points endless rain — one rainbow umbrella after another Nelson (1,0,2) = 5 pts public meeting — people under umbrellas in the hot sun ~ Khadija Rajab (0,2,1) = 5 pts lost in thought ... step by step my umbrella becomes a parasol Tomislav (0,1,3) = 5 pts I like how the passage of time is marked by the wording. umbrella — wind from the sea captures the shadow Iga (0,1,3) = 5 pts school bus stop — all the crayon-colored umbrellas Carol Raisfeld (0,1,3) = 5 pts Twelfth Place — 4 points tightrope walker the frail lady's umbrella proceeds her Brenda Roberts (0,2,0) = 4 pts my umbrella next to his in the stand< - has he noticed? miriam chaikin (0,1,2) = 4 pts sudden showers — he struggles to open his old umbrella Sunil Uniyal (0,1,2) = 4 pts London shower newspapers quickly become bus stop umbrellas Edward (0,1,2) = 4 pts school girls waving umbrellas — kaleidoscope Max Zontini (0,0,4) = 4 pts on the beach woman with parasol - the sea in her eyes Virginia Popescu (0,0,4) = 4 pts Two young girls whisper beneath an umbrella to keep their secrets dry. Conrad Sienkiewicz (0,0,4) = 4 pts Thirteenth Place - 3 points thunder blast — two lovers jealously each another under the same umbrella Vasile Moldovan (1,0,0) = 3 pts tatty brolly propped on scarecrow flapping wings mechaieh (1,0,0) = 3 pts Heavy rain, broken parasol. Wet chipmunk Trevor Camp (1,0,0) = 3 pts couple in the rain their umbrellas prevent closeness If (0,1,1) = 3 pts homebound... new black umbrella never opened Roberta Beary (0,1,1) = 3 pts under the umbrella tree shades of your embrace Ben Gieske (0,1,1) = 3 pts wicked wind turning up umbrellas turning up collars Jenn McSweeney (0,0,3) = 3 pts Gracefully formed with the use of alliteration and repetition of line pattern. an umbrella blowing in the wind... spring downpour Keith A. Simmonds (0,0,3) = 3 pts on a coat stand jacket and umbrella forgotten Dejan Pavlinovic (0,0,3) = 3 pts Great image. We are left wondering, what happened to the owner/s of the items? How long have the items been left there? I think the key word here is "forgotten". sun shower umbrellas fold unfold h. gene murtha (0,0,3) = 3 pts spring rain — between black umbrellas a yellow one Israel Lopez Balan (0,0,3) = 3 pts my umbrella lasts for a hailstone or two — time to run — LGD (0,0,3) = 3 pts father and son walking under one umbrella — rainy day ~Maxwell George Onsembe (0,0,3) = 3 pts my thoughts find shelter in the bluebell΄s umbrella Filip Fairytale (0,0,3) = 3 pts Fourteenth Place — 2 points Patterned parasols line sunkissed golden beaches. Summer liaison Jean M. Lewis (0,1,0) = 2 pts pollen painted air umbrellas and parasols stroll rib tip to tip anonymous (0,1,0) = 2 pts beach umbrella sound of gulls over the waves John Healey (0,1,0) = 2 pts no rain. kissing under the red umbrella carol pearce-worthington (0,1,0) = 2 pts sudden storm — beach umbrella high on a wave anonymous (0,1,0) = 2 pts scrubbing the sticky mud off the umbrella tip — shoe shiner watches ~ Anthony Njoroge (0,1,0) = 2 pts Rain of autumn — in the old umbrella a new hole just now Ioan Marinescu-Puiu (0,0,2) = 2 pts almond blossoms Hong Kong granny under the big umbrella andrea (0,0,2) = 2 pts An entry with images that are different from so many of the others. beach umbrella shielding us from moonlight Barbara Snow (0,0,2) = 2 pts spring is in the air but beneath the umbrella I am still alone Deirdre (0,0,2) = 2 pts a wind shift umbrellas sailing into the sea Judi Honiker (0,0,2) = 2 pts An interesting picture with no unnecessary words or thoughts to distract. sunshower - she hugs the new umbrella under her coat anonymous (0,0,2) = 2 pts radiant sunrise — two lovers shading under a red umbrella ~ Duncan Omoto (0,0,2) = 2 pts a man and his sheep sheltering under an umbrella — heavy rain ~ Kelvine Muchiri (0,0,2) = 2 pts shower — the children making umbrellas from the butterbur leaves Miorita (0,0,2) = 2 pts Fifteenth Place — 1 point heavy rain outside umbrella and I alone, to feel the delight Purush The thunder rumbles Billowing clouds forecast rain; Take your umbrella! Tanja Cilia Mary Poppins child tells umbrella to fly her home john tiong chunghoo walking quickly our umbrellas tangle - two coffees ordered Mike Montreuil drizzly morning — a mother and baby under their umbrella ~ Johnson Malombe rainy afternoon — four students sheltering under one umbrella ~ Kevin Wanjala unpredicted cardboard box umbrella in the downpour gourdman rains — under the umbrella unseen rainbow vishnu kapoor striped umbrellas bobbing by the school gate — warm rain Ruth Powell floating umbrellas in Hiroshima, the river used to cool the burns Erik Boye summer rain dancing on umbrellas- our heartbeats dsnake1 May drizzle — the lame old umbrella leaks water ~ Rhoda Muteu rainy monday black umbrellas down the street Li Ree oh the rain — clouds from his smoke under the umbrella DeVar umbrellas in all 64 colors daylong rain Joyce Clement end of summer under the sun umbrella not even a shadow Dorota Pyra the long rains... umbrellas now go for double price ~Patrick Wafula stella by starlight her umbrella blocks moonburn eric all that beauty hides under an umbrella- the ocean beach John Daleiden Sixteenth Place - no points this time, sorry silver moths squished between spines in my brolly Barbara A Taylor twirling umbrella pandas dance splashing rain anonymous rain pours as we run I just make sure she's covered lone umbrella eddie merkel a sunny day discovered under the back seat forgotten umbrella Bruce Ross outdoor supper — suddenly umbrellas spring under the night's moon gillena Handle the umbrella she unfold its shield spring rain ashi raindrops flying from twirled umbrellas: two old biddies stand gossiping Sheila K. Barksdale spring parasol folding scattering its beams scent of the earth Motoko Satoh World Savings Day — my umbrella was a giveaway. Ralf Broker rainy morning — a bright stream of umbrellas along downtown streets natalia kuznetsova everywhere water the sigh of Noah and no umbrella in sight Erling Larsen above the locking eyes a red umbrella... meow Silent St. — out of the grayness a red umbrella Elena Naskova Sun bakes down On us - Open that parasol! anonymous spring drizzle under the umbrella I cough out the cold Jon Baldwin Rainy, street-lit-car-lit Neon-strafed city streets Umbrella kisses James Sawers city heatwave the juggler's umbrella spinning in sky ron moss violent storm downtown the rubbish bins full of umbrellas Elaine Riddell wire sculpture umbrella surrenders to summer storm Frances McCarthy rhythmic raindrops — passionate lovers under an old umbrella ~ Hussein Haji Wind takes the purple parasol as it flies high to shield the earth's rains. Pamela M. King baby's shield against hostile sunlight — parasol ~ James Bundi windy rain — a man chases after a destroyed umbrella ~ Emily Wanga rainy afternoon — students fighting over one umbrella ~ Stephen Macharia the long rains — umbrellas for sale and hire ~ Isaac Ndirangu april umbrellas colored spring green open to may apples for us dragonfly hot sun — a bald-headed man shelters under his umbrella ~ Periz Achieng clinic waiting room expecting lab reports — few wet umbrellas Boris Nazansky umbrella fording the avenue river anonymous soaking wet we kiss softly and shiver no umbrella Jeff Hanson morning drizzle suddenly opened colour umbrellas oana posnaies beaming bride and bridegroom sharing a pink umbrella a suspension bridge Stella General Comments: To presenters: I can't fault the topics this month, yet strangely contestants seem to have found 'berries' strangely uninspiring. Free format poems this month were the best ever! This month produced a wonderful offering of kigo poems! I enjoyed them.

Thank you for participating in the May 2009 Kukai! We will be posting the June Call for Submissions on Monday, June 1st. See you then!

With much appreciation,

The Shiki Kukai Team

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