2023 Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems — Short List
The Haiku Foundation is pleased to announce the Short List for the 2023 Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems. The Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems recognize excellence and innovation in English-language haiku and senryu published in juried public venues during each calendar year.
In this second round, the panel selected their top choices from the Long List. This list reflects the 29 highest-scoring poems tallied from the collective voting. In the final round, the panel will select the haiku and senryu from the Short List that will be recognized as the Awarded poems for 2023.
Many thanks to our distinguished panelists: Roberta Beary, Gregory Longenecker, Marianne Paul, Agnes Eva Savich, Dan Schwerin, and Shloka Shankar.
The Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems final results will be announced on April 17, as part of The Haiku Foundation’s celebration of International Haiku Poetry Day.
Please join us in cheering on these fine poets!
Robin Smith,
Coordinator, Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems
hunger moon
a mother swaddles
her silent infant
—Farah Ali, Suspect Device #11
the mother my summer died
—Susan Antolin, Mariposa 49
spring cleaning
we sweep a war
under the rug
—Marilyn Ashbaugh, haikuKATHA, Issue 16, Feb 2023
while(the clouds turn into rain)the lily blooms
—Norma Bradley, whiptail: journal of the single-line poem, Issue 7; while the lily blooms, Yavanika Press (2023)
forest walk
the phoenix stirring
within me
—Antoinette Cheung, Wales Haiku Journal, Summer 2023
early phone call
I watch grief claim
my mother’s face
—Marion Clarke, Under the Basho, November 5, 2023
coastal walk
the tumult of the sea
in my son’s eyes
—Adele Evershed, Wales Haiku Journal, Spring 2023
proxy war chills at Netflix
—Tazeen Fatma, Prune Juice Journal, Issue 39
breaking waves
we talk with our children
about our ashes
—Bruce Feingold, tinywords, Issue 23.1, May 17, 2023
bone white winter moon breath of a snow hare
—Joan C. Fingon, whiptail: journal of the single-line poem, Issue 6
cocooned
feeling my wings
become
—Mark Gilbert, Stardust Haiku, Issue #73 January 2023
cathedral vaulting
the centuries
of whale fall
—Laurie Greer, Kingfisher #7
infant funeral
the hush of snow falling
into an ocean
—John Hawkhead, Asahi Haikuist Network, November 3, 2023
should you clip my rorschach’s wings
—Jonathan Humphrey, Prune Juice, Issue 41
six spruces where astral rhymes are scent
—Jonathan Humphrey, whiptail: journal of the single-line poem, Issue 8
THiRD PLaNET FROm THE SUN an antHILL
—Julie Bloss Kelsey, tsuri-dōrō, Issue 17, Sept/Oct 2023
hospice invoice:
date of arrival
date of departure
—Ellen Kom, Prune Juice Journal, Issue 39
father’s war journal…
an ocean without
a shore
—Kathryn Liebowitz, Kingfisher #8
until it’s a noun garden
—Matthew Markworth, Modern Haiku, 54.2
inexperienced moonlight in the bed of lilies
—Mary McCormack, Kingfisher, Issue 8, October 2023
robin songs
an immigrant’s child
translates for grandpa
—Joe McKeon, Robert Spiess Haiku Contest 2023
and i
the fine slackline
and i
and i
—Kati Mohr, Marlene Mountain Memorial Contest 2023
beam by beam
the old barn taken down
to sky
—Peter Newton, The Heron’s Nest, Volume 25, June 2023
laughing daughters somewhere sunflowers
—John Pappas, FreshOut Magazine, July 2, 2023
advice for my son —
the tissue paper
protecting each pear
—Chad Lee Robinson, The Heron’s Nest, Volume 25, March 2023
folding towels
my mother’s way
with the past
—Michele Root-Bernstein, The Heron’s Nest, Volume 25, March 2023
broken rice bowl-
I never stopped
to be a daughter
—Maria Teresa Sisti, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Friday, June 16, 2023; KM100NZ International Haiku Competition 2023
all the notes I’ll never reach birdsong
—Jennifer Sutherland, Modern Haiku, 54.3, Autumn 2023
summer
sliding into autumn
slow trombone jazz
—Tony Williams, Haiku in Action, Week 72
Comments (16)
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Congratulations to all. I wish all of these outstanding poems could win! :-)
shine on,
Debbie
all the notes I’ll never reach birdsong
—Jennifer Sutherland, Modern Haiku, 54.3, Autumn 2023
:-) Way to go, Jen!
best wishes from me.
I am so honored to make the Touchstone Short List! Wonderful poems by many talented people. Much appreciated. Many thanks to the panel judges.
I am honored to be included in the Short List with a terrific range of haiku! Thanks to the panel & Robin for their efforts. Congratulations to all!
Such wonderful news- thank you Robin and all the panel. Congratulations to all the poets- I’m honored to be in your company!
An astonishment and an honor to find my haiku shortlisted alongside such work of imagination and vision. A bow of gratitude to Robin and the Touchstone panelists.
Wow! What fantastic news. Good luck and congratulations to all the finalists – and thanks for all your efforts to the judges!
It’s an honor to be included on the short list with such fine poets and poems! My thanks to the Touchstone panelists.
It’s an honor to have my haiku on the short list. My thanks to the panelists, and congrats to the other poets!
Huge congratulations to all the selected poets. Best wishes!
Warm regards,
Richa Sharma
Richa, I really enjoyed your stork poem. It is so visual! Really moved me.
Thank you so much, Julie :) Your work is exceptional and I was certain to see it on the shortlist.
Warm regards,
Richa
Deep bow of gratitude to Robin and the distinguished panelists. Eternal gratitude to Kala Ramesh, founder, and the entire Triveni community for all the encouragement and support.
Congratulations to all the poets!
Rich, I loved the movement in your poem and the phrasing of “deer quiet dawn” which gave extra readings to the words.
Thanks! Congrats on the making the shortlist and hope yours makes it all the way.