2010
HAIKU (Judge: Marco Fraticelli)
First Place
rhubarb leaves
how they soften
the pelting rain
Michael McClintock
Second Place
zen garden
in the raked furrows
pine needles gather
Garry Gay
Third Place
pieces of sky
in the forest canopy -
summer's end
Linda Galloway
Honorable Mentions (in ranked order)
the honking
of geese heading south -
our wordless smiles
Linda Galloway
longest day
the stallion drinks
straight from the hose
Melissa Spurr
a few leaves
still on the trees. . .
the train's faint call
Jeanne Cook
Judge's comment:
It is almost mandatory for a judge to state how difficult it was to select the winning haiku, however, in my case, I can say that this was very true.
After six or seven readings of all the submissions, I was still left with over thirty haiku which were worthy of selection as winners.
Why then these final three?
I have always felt that the haiku that effect me the most are those that are the most difficult for me to justify.
Certainly, there were many haiku that were very well written, very clever, or very touching.
But although I appreciated these, what I admired in them was the craft of the poet, rather than the haiku itself.
So why choose a haiku about a small hole in the forest canopy or a few pine needles in the furrows?
I suppose that if you have stood listening to the sound of rain on rhubarb leaves, you will know why.
Congratulations to the winners!
SENRYU (Judge: Ferris Gilli)
First Place ($100)
Dead Sea Scrolls
my mother still has
my baby teeth
Garry Gay
Second Place
family chapel
my ancestors' patina
on the seats
Ernest Berry
Third Place
cyber problem
i borrow my neighbour's
9-year-old
Ernest Berry
Honorable Mentions (no ranked order)
after the funeral
we get into
our comfortable clothes
Francine Banwarth
men's retreat--
toilet seats left
down
Bruce Feingold
secular guest -
thankful no one feels the need
to say grace
Seren Fargo
transit lounge
the toppled suitcase
left that way
John Stevenson
funeral day
family feuds
not laid to rest
Carolyn Hall
autumn leaves . . .
learning
I'm dispensable
Francine Banwarth
Judge's Comment
This was one of the hardest competitions I've ever judged, because of the large number of outstanding entries. After finding my first short list of twenty, then my next one of nine (no easy task!), I was still compelled to go through the whole batch again and again, so afraid I'd miss something special. It was especially difficult choosing the First Place poem, because the top three are so close in quality and appeal. I feel
confident that readers will find"Dead Sea Scrolls" accessible, evocative, and appealing on several levels, as I do. "family chapel" is current, yet with the feel of history while containing subtle insights. And "cyber problem" is such a
delightful sign of the times. Each honorable-mention poem has special
appeal, and I could easily add ten more to the list.
Thank you for the opportunity to closely study so many crackerjack senryu. My congratulations to the winners, and a bow to all who submitted entries.
TANKA (Judge: John Stevenson)
First Place ($100)
unbuttoning
a cuff
loosening
a sleeve
the cool evening
Michael McClintock
The simplicity of the words perfectly reflects the small moment of release at the end of a day in which the formality of buttoned cuffs is giving way to evening. This is the product of effective craftsmanship. The “uh, uh, uh” of “unbuttoning a cuff” works with the “oo” of “loose” and “cool” and the partial rhyme of “sleeve” and “evening” without seeming the least bit forced. And the line structure supports a sense of slowing down, looking around, and focusing: action / upon a thing / other action / upon another thing / taking in one’s surroundings. The image is sensual in various ways, depending upon whether we imagine loosening our own clothing or having it done for us by someone else.
Second Place
we hear grunion
outside the cottage at night
swarming the beach -
little abominations
perishing in moonlight
Michael McClintock
A very good set up. And a smashing finish!
Third Place
dense fog
covers the highway
this morning -
so hard to tell
when I cross the line
John Soules
While the metaphor tends to be more prominent than the literal in this poem, I can attest to the resonance of the literal experience. At one time my commuting route included a place where the fog was sometimes so thick that I had to open the window and look down at the lines on the road in order to avoid crossing to the wrong side of the road or driving into a ditch. The tension of this dangerous experience, fed back into the metaphor, reveals its full potency.
Honorable Mentions (no ranked order)
I’m re-invented
with two heads and three mouths
by my Cubist friend
who explains how my eyes
became a school of fish
Michael McClintock
sitting out
the tractor square dance
at the fair
a green John Deere
with two left tires
John Soules
what to do
with this body now
you are gone . . .
a glove puppet left
on the airport shuttle
Andre Surridge
RENGAY (Judge: Paul Watsky)
First Place
Cherie Hunter Day (Cupertino, CA)
Christopher Patchel (Mettawa, IL)
Pulse
reunion
the smell of new clothes
in a hug Cherie
ladies choice
her cha-cha hips Christopher
sharing an umbrella
our steps
in and out of sync Cherie
third attempt
by the chiropractor
gets a crack Christopher
the eye roll
as security frisks her Cherie
a seatmate’s baby
cradled in my arms…
his pulsing fontanel Christopher
Second Place
John Thompson (Santa Rosa, CA)
Renée Owen (Sebastopol, CA)
Hits of Blue
a moment’s coupling
above the marsh reeds
blue dragonflies John
in the half-light of dawn
a kingfisher flashes past Renée
skinny dippers—
their rumpled jeans
on the opposite shore John
a peacock preens
for his reflection
still summer pond Renée
a hand-tied fly
the pale tint of grandma’s hair John
bluegills sizzle—
a gibbous moon rises
through the pines Renée
Third Place
Michael Dylan Welch (Sammamish, WA)
Billie Dee (San Diego, CA)
Tanya McDonald (Woodinville, WA)
Swapping Shells
shell gathering—
our toes sinking
down to the wet Michael
abandoned camper shell
columbine in the shadows Billie
sea glass—
she caresses
the shell of his ear Tanya
the idle hooker
reading Shelley Michael
by moonlight
a hermit crab
swapping shells Billie
the band shell darkened
he gives my hand a squeeze
Tanya
Honorable Mention
John Thompson (Santa Rosa, CA)
Garry Gay (Windsor, CA)
Bottoms Up
beach house
a stack of whodunits
read final page first John
high in the sky
the kite in the puddle Garry
head stand
the yoga class filled
with wavering feet John
upside down pail
sand castle crumbles
into the moat Garry
overturned crab
treads only air John
shaking out
the last drop of soda
summer sun Garry
Judge’s Comment
The dynamic First Place rengay well exemplifies the potential of this form. "Pulse" is wonderfully cohesive, especially thanks to how well the verse rhythm supports the poem's theme. The images vividly evoke physicality—living bodies in motion and in uncomfortably endured stasis. "Pulse's" diction is lively and economical: no slack links, awkwardness, or wasted words.
"Hints of Blue," the Second Place poem, tells its tale of a fishing trip with grace and inventiveness, consistently but unobtrusively presenting the thematic color. The reader's eye is effectively led from image to image—no chaos in the motion, but rather a fine sense of fullness and variety.
Third Place goes to "Swapping Shells," a showcase of alliteration, rich as well with tactile, auditory, and visual effects.