2005
HAIKU (Judge: Christopher Herold)
First Place ($100)
autumn dusk—
a word that will do
for the one I can’t find
Carolyn Hall
Second Place ($50)
contractions—
the darkness
between stars
Earnest J. Berry
Third Place ($25)
a rack of antlers
nailed to the gatepost
lingering heat
Carolyn Hall
Honorable Mentions
gone to bed angry
the din
of summer insects
paul m.
winter night
one ear listening
to the pillow
John Stevenson
unexpected visit
from an old friend—
flowers on the bramble
D. Claire Gallagher
spading the garden—
each earthworm half
goes its own way
Anne LB Davidson
SENRYU (Judge: Tom Clausen)
First Place ($100)
honeymoon dinner
nothing to talk about
until the tip
Bill Pauly
Honorable Mentions
coughing, the exterminator
assures me
his work is safe
Bill Pauly
polite conversation
I try to extract
the last cookie
Scott Mason
reunion dance—
this time she lets him
crush her corsage
Bill Pauly
his cluttered house—
sorting through books
on chaos theory
Minna Lerman
embarrassed
by the lavish praise
I imagine getting
John Stevens
continental divide
I look for the place
to pee
D. Claire Gallagher
TANKA (Judge: Jane Reichhold)
First Place ($100)
how long has it been
since we parted?
the snow has come
and I’m learning from geese
how to fall from the sky
Jeanne Emrich
Honorable Mention
inherited—
long thornless rows
of raspberries
sweet thoughts flow to her
as every basket fills
Kristy Karkow
Winter sun
on the doorstep a pigeon
stands on one leg
… the way before dying
Mother folded her arm.
Pamella Miller Ness
butterflies alight
and easily blend in
by folding their wings
the flashes of blue reserved
for leaving
Cherie Hunter Day
RENGAY (Judges: Ebba Story and John Thompson)
First Place ($100)
Inside Passage
morning stillness—
the ferry turns
through a patch of sunlight Michael Dylan Welch
the tug’s bow rope
tightens and slackens Dejah Léger
uncle’s fresh catch—
the wood worn
beside the oarlock Michael
the whale’s hump
smoothes back into ocean—
my kayak rocking Dejah
a clanging of masts
from the distant marina Michael
first birthday—
he floats his boat
along the carpet Dejah
Second Place
Paper
paper lanterns
strung across the pagoda—
orange glow Ariel Lambert
stuck on a gumdrop
playing Candy Land Stanford M. Forrester
house of cards
makes it six levels—
under-the-door draft Ariel
NYC postcards—
the space where
the Twin Towers were Stanford
wildflower bookmark
colors the page Ariel
old woodblock print—
with a kiss the geisha
seals the letter Stanford
Third Place
Prairie Wind
white wind turbines
against a dark sky—
the screen door slams Vicki McCullough
the 4-H flag
tangled in its rope Alice Frampton
driving rain—
the shopkeeper brings in
the kites for sale Michael Dylan Welch
panties from the line
caught on the neighbour’s fence Vicki
U-pick strawberries—
the sign says
on one hinge Alice
the algae-stained keel
of the upturned boat Michael
Honorable Mention
a tempo
curling my hair—
the showerhead drips
a rhythm to tap to Joann Klontz
the upstairs neighbor’s fondness
for Sousa marches! Carolyn Hall
out to check the mail
as the 12:15
whistles through town Joann
just as long as
the blips on his monitor
stay steady … Carolyn
each teen at the bun stop
sways to her Walkman Joann
summer’s end—
the pulsing of cicadas
at dusk Carolyn
Learned by Heart
heirloom jade
in a rose-gold setting—
she’s forgotten the story Carolyn Hall
her third wedding ring
fairly tales learned by heart Billie Wilson
blank spaces
in the family tree—
leather-bound Bible Carolyn
a full moon tonight—
mayflowers pressed
in granddad’s journal Billie
Remembrance Day
the poppies blow … row on row Carolyn
how softly the zephyr
ripples the willows—
recalling his touch Billie
will-o-the-wisp
before the lecture
he calmly pockets his pipe—
wisp of smoke Zane Parks
a corridor of birds
ride the thermals Kathy Earsman
young dog
pressing her nose
into the wind Gino Peregrini
leaving Las Vegas
a dust devil Zane
innocence
behind the shelter-shed—
cigarettes Kathy
clear autumn morning
her breath fogs the mirror Gino