2004
HAIKU (Judge: George Swede)
First Place ($100)
old steeple
a turban of pigeons
unwinds the hour
Beverly A. Tift
Second Place ($50)
sunflowers
the tube of cadmium yellow
squeezed flat
D. Claire Gallagher
Third Place ($25)
spring rain
the chameleon busy
being green
Earnest J. Berry
Honorable Mentions (unranked)
road flares…
against the bent guardrail
an unknown flower
Scott Mason
late afternoon—
cows’ udders
graze the ground
Margaret Chula
SENRYU (Judge: Standord M. Forrester)
First Place ($100)
how heavy
the empty can
of Slim-Fast
Carlos Colôn
Honorable Mentions (unranked)
the waterfall—
a tourist can’t stop
talking
Evelyn H. Hermann
nursing home
my father
the way I left him
Tom Painting
carrying a pencil
into the zendo—
no point to it
Minna Lerman
practicing
her signature
the newlywed
Andrè Surridge
TANKA (Judge: Michael McClintock)
First Place ($100)
Dressing
for a meal I’ll eat
alone
I decide to let loose
my hair.
Pamela Miller Ness
Honorable Mentions (unranked)
outside
chrysanthemums
darken
the inner voice
I rarely hear
Jeanne Emrich
. . . you and I
in Vienna when the sky
split stars
and the Ferris wheel spun
out of control . . .
Pamella Miller Ness
gathering leaves
to make a necklace
I wonder, where is she now
the woman who told me
I have all the talent in the world
Jeanne Emrich
as I sit here
taking in the river view
I see my feelings for this life
quite like the trees
leaning slightly downstream
Tom Clausen
RENGAY
First Place ($100)
A Hint of Blue
gentle breezes
ruffle the ragged edges
of the iris Hortensia Anderson
the wild lilac shows
just a hint of blue Carole Macrury
by dyeing’s end,
the indigo vat takes on
a copper sheen Hortensia
chasing clouds
in a sapphire gin
a dash of bitters Carole
sweet and soulful—
the sax shifts to B minor Hortensia
navy uniform—
one last dance before
he ships out Carole
Second Place
Idlers in the Gallery
overflowing
its cut-glass vase
La Farge’s magnolia Pamela Miller Ness
Homer’s croquet player
hides a ball with her skirt Michael Dylan Welch
strewn across
her studio table
Nell Blaine’s turnips Pamela
the unused pencils …
Jacob Lawrence grins
in his self-portrait Michael
gathering hollyhocks
Frieseke’s woman in blue Pamela
to the porch born …
the precise signature
on Blum’s two idlers Michael
Third Place
more of her cleavage
fresh spring salad
a ladybug climbs out
of the tomato Carolyne Rohrig
at the dignitaries’ banquet
his debut as pastry chef Carolyn Hall
cello recital
with every higher note
more of her cleavage Carolyne
stand-up comic—
a gig on the Borscht Belt
just to get more exposure Carolyn
their Polaroid kiss
comes into view Carolyne
open chrysalis
a monarch
dries its wings Carolyn
First Honorable Mention
A Spider in the Words
chasing flies
with a pulp magazine—
Sunday noon Max Verhart
New York Times puzzle—
a spider in the words Betty Kaplan
reading in bed—
the irritating buzz-buzz
of a mosquito Max
love letters
hidden in the basement—
out comes a beetle Betty
world poetry anthology
the woodworm went through it all Max
evening hours
in the library—
a cockroach roams Betty
Second Honorable Mention
Ruby Lip Pring
hand-written letter
she signs her love
with a ruby lip print Carolyne Rohrig
snow angel wingtips
just barely touching Carolyn Hall
after last night—
“Marry Me?” etched
in the car’s frosted windshield Carolyne
border crossing
another exotic stamp
in their passports Carolyn
into the flower press
lady slippers side by side Carolyne
twins!
birth announcements embossed
with silver spoons Carolyn