Bill Kenney — Touchstone Distinguished Books Award Winner 2021

Bill Kenney is the recipient of a Touchstone Distinguished Books Award for 2021 for his volume keep walking (Winchester VA: Red Moon Press, 2021).

Commentary from the Panel:

In this fine collection Bill Kenney demonstrates a clear eye, a kindly temperament, and a cunning haiku voice.

Much of that cunning results from this poet’s masterful sense of when he has said just enough. Few who practice this already-compressed poetry can suggest so much with so few words.

heron
the time
it takes

butterfly
circling me twice
then moving on

His eye discerns not just what others might overlook, but also — with keen if bemused insight — revealing aspects of who those others are.

observation tower
the tour guide tells us
what to observe

driving north
our grandchildren
explain autumn

Kenney began his haiku journey seventeen years ago, a month shy of his 72^nd birthday. A frequent subject is his life stage or state of health, though often seasoned with gentle irony . . .

snow softly falling
the way the oncologist
says “we”

the nurse asks
if there’s anything I want —
chemo suite

. . . or leavened with self-depreciating humor . . .

too quick
for my hand
winter fly

87
going on 88
I tell the child

Time and again, this collection proves to be life-affirming in its grace notes . . .

tiny sips
to make it last
autumn twilight

. . . and inspiring in its author’s fortitude . . .

steady rain
might as well
keep walking

We feel welcome and privileged to tag along.

See the complete list of winners of both Individual Poem Awards and Distinguished Books Awards in the Touchstone Archives.