Last Chance to Vote in the April 2022 THF Monthly Kukai
This month’s theme:
rain
Voting closes for The Haiku Foundation Monthly Kukai tonight (the 24th) at midnight (east coast time). So make those final decisions and let us know whom you think did the best work this month.
Voting for The Haiku Foundation Monthly Kukai
Shortly after the conclusion of the submission period, an anonymous ballot comprising all submitted poems on that month’s theme will be posted to Troutswirl (The Haiku Foundation blog) on the THF site. Any reader of this ballot is eligible to vote for their favorite poems at this time. A voter may vote for up to five (5) poems per theme. A top vote will receive 5 points, a second-place vote 4 points, a third-place vote 3 points, a fourth-place vote 2 points, and a fifth-place vote 1 point.
Please use the Kukai voting form below to enter your selections, and then press Submit to cast your votes. No other votes will be recognized or honored. All votes must be signed (that is, no “anonymous” votes will be accepted, and the Submit button will not be available until both Name and Email fields are filled in), and no poet may vote for his or her own work. No commentary upon the poems will be accepted or published. Votes will be accepted from the appearance of the ballot on the 18th of that month through midnight of the 24th of that month. Readers may vote only once per ballot. Administrators of the kukai are ineligible to vote.
Note: Anonymity is an essential part of any kukai. If you know who wrote the poem then that entry is no longer anonymous. Please respect the Kukai and do not vote for that entry.
The Ballot
1 | a lone chirping among the pine branches . . . spitting rain | |
2 | acid rain how your words corrode my self-worth | |
3 | after a morning rain under the pavilion feet in the grass | |
4 | after so long the first refugees’ shower spring rain | |
5 | after the rainbow our young daughter’s wet footprints evaporating | |
6 | After the rains a haunting silence nothing left to say | |
7 | afternoon rain — silk umbrellas wave in unison | |
8 | Ah, spring rain . . . who will I lean to for love? | |
9 | All day rain Joins the river Joins the sea | |
10 | annual holiday oh the joy of camping in the rain | |
11 | April rain’s Pitter-patter, Wets tin roof. | |
12 | April shower at the edge of my dream the blow of the wind | |
13 | April showers Sobs of a Discontent child | |
14 | arid fields in spring — plants watered by rain in black bomb holes | |
15 | autumn rain raindrops on my glasses permission for my tears | |
16 | autumn rain . . . the last trip of yellow leaves | |
17 | awakening of the bear and the rain spilled red in the spring | |
18 | big dipper he stopped for a while on yesterday’s puddle | |
19 | blind tastes the sound of rain drops | |
20 | breaking drought the river finds its voice | |
21 | car wash a quick trip through the rainbow | |
22 | caught in a downpour the cat doesn’t wait to be petted | |
23 | ceaseless rain . . . the new willow leaves touch the sky | |
24 | child’s belief umbrella unfurls rainbow | |
25 | closing the umbrella at last the spring rain gets through to me | |
26 | cloudy again weeds in the rusted watering can | |
27 | cold spring rain offering her seat to the old lady | |
28 | coming ready or not rain | |
29 | corrugated torrent off the verandah roof frogs sound happy | |
30 | crowded park a sudden shower fast-forwards the plot | |
31 | crystal rain the hidden tears of a statue | |
32 | dark cloud little colorful umbrellas jump in the rain | |
33 | Day after day Frogs sing to a rain drop beat Ephemeral pond | |
34 | deaf man dancing in the rain | |
35 | declining to go rain washes away my guilt | |
36 | diagnosis forecasters name the coming storm | |
37 | downpour how easy for words to drop | |
38 | downpour umbrellas in the street mushrooming | |
39 | drawing on the steamy train window felt like a stowaway | |
40 | Drenched jilted lover, hides rain soaked tears. | |
41 | drip drop — into my brain the emptiness | |
42 | dripping from leaf to leaf raindrops | |
43 | dripping gutter the things I wish I hadn’t said | |
44 | droplets chase me indoors flowers rejoice, remain | |
45 | drought child rain or no rain the moss rose | |
46 | dry spell a peacock’s call rents the sky | |
47 | dry stones when wet footprints fade | |
48 | dust devils chasing tumbleweeds tall tales of rain | |
49 | empty room . . . rain against the window | |
50 | Eyes meet how much did you get old competitors | |
51 | fine, soft rain a few fern fronds open their fists unfurling of spring | |
52 | fire rain in the crumbling hospital a newborn’s cry | |
53 | first date — in the mood for love under the rain umbrella | |
54 | first hyacinths three blue spikes rain for a frozen heart | |
55 | first light rain — the pitter-patter of children’s feet | |
56 | first March rain even the dog has a new coat | |
57 | [Poem withdrawn.] | |
58 | first rain — the pond filled with muse of Basho’s frogs | |
59 | Flooding — water takes shortcuts drop by drop | |
60 | freezing rain our confessions in free fall | |
61 | frogsong in a midnight rain easter bunny | |
62 | front of car disappears in rain Gulf Coast | |
63 | funeral day . . . our new life reveals itself drip by drip | |
64 | funeral day the quiet fall of rain all night | |
65 | funeral procession the birds disappear into the rain | |
66 | Gathering in grey clouds Descending through damp skies Racing down the window | |
67 | gazing outside . . . the wind sweeps the rain across my face | |
68 | gentle patter we’re talking about summer the plumber and I | |
69 | heat lightning — taunting us with hope of rain | |
70 | heavy raining — cherry blossoms uncover the empty bullets | |
71 | her new typewriter clacking out a love letter the sound of spring rain | |
72 | her small hands cupped to collect raindrops for her potted daisy | |
73 | her tears mingle with the mist spring showers | |
74 | him in silence she in silence . . . meanwhile the rain | |
75 | home at dawn rain-soaked and laughing teenagers | |
76 | homesick she misses the many different kinds of rain | |
77 | how softly chimes the summer rain . . . ghungroo bells (ghungroo – small metallic bells strung together as an anklet worn usually by Indian classical dancers) | |
78 | I soak my sorrows in rains | |
79 | in the birdbath droplets of rain stippled waters | |
80 | in the rain all cats are wet | |
81 | inhaling the petrichor after the drought | |
82 | Is it rain or shine? don’t want to be wet or hot flowers wanting both | |
83 | It rained When my Dad died. My heart wept | |
84 | It’s pouring feelings They will come no matter what Happy thoughts, sad thoughts | |
85 | it’s summer morning showers beat the paper boats | |
86 | junkyard each drop a different sound | |
87 | kids splish-splash the sidewalk’s rain puddles — laughing all the time | |
88 | life saving rain children cup their hands beneath rubble | |
89 | light droplets of rain first sweet kiss on the greedy mouth of the parched earth | |
90 | light rain . . . water profile on cornflowers | |
91 | lockdown only the raindrops fill the swings | |
92 | meditation inhaling and exhaling in the rhythm of the rain | |
93 | monsoon she learns to write in italics | |
94 | morning sounds the rooster crying a little bit of rain | |
95 | my last sound the rain of her teardrops Mariupol | |
96 | non-stop throughout frog’s croak only silence | |
97 | not enough now too much rain | |
98 | not every flower lives to be a fruit — mango showers | |
99 | Old weepy willow Whips slant in sloshing wind, sway like this backslash rain | |
100 | On the way just me and the rainbow. It rains again. | |
101 | only a drizzle on the bombed-out village | |
102 | open umbrellas — my dear wife and her rain dance | |
103 | outside the movies multiple hues of gum dropped raining teenage angst | |
104 | overnight rain — stomping on her reflection yellow boots | |
105 | pastel rain a bed of tulips in watercolor | |
106 | pink rain . . . peach tree petals wrap up the snail | |
107 | placing her teacup beneath a hole in the roof to gather raindrops | |
108 | pleasure of forgetting . . . the rain forms a curtain in front of our house | |
109 | plundering spring rain robs the banks of winter | |
110 | rain after — scents in bloom | |
111 | rain clattering eyes closed a distant lullaby | |
112 | rain clouds . . . always a bride’s maid never a bride | |
113 | Rain draws a dark blind down the windowpane. I don’t know a thing that’s true. | |
114 | rain drops from caress to caress forgiveness | |
115 | rain flickers flames funeral candles | |
116 | rain — footprints of the sky | |
117 | rain gauge mid night percussion in my downpipes | |
118 | rain ignores public opinion needed or not | |
119 | rain in the lost-and-found puddles | |
120 | rain is for lovers earth mother in balance now planet peace arrives | |
121 | rain on a tin roof birdsong nothing but opening beaks | |
122 | rain puddle — the star in the sky is brighter than its reflection | |
123 | rain puddles boots! | |
124 | rain, rain went away tears remain | |
125 | rain shadow — i brush the ashfall off the windshield | |
126 | rain shower a spreading speck of father’s dust | |
127 | rain shower I remove my glasses to see | |
128 | rain . . . washing off the smell of gunpowder | |
129 | rain-drenched she repeats again it´s all her fault | |
130 | raindrops falling on pink blossoms — sound of silence | |
131 | raindrops speckle the sidewalk a big clunk of mail | |
132 | rainy afternoon my grandson and I practice the laughing Buddha | |
133 | rainy day . . . sipping tea In earthen cuppa | |
134 | rainy day the bright colors of finger paint cats | |
135 | rainy day the oppressive weight of her words | |
136 | rainy farmer’s market — I carry home lettuce and a slug | |
137 | rainy moment — a seagull steals her sandwich with bang bang sauce | |
138 | r…e.f…r….e..s….h..i……n……..g r……a..i….n | |
139 | rippled puddles the rising scent notes of monsoon | |
140 | rising Dnieper she sits on the bank and waits | |
141 | saving the frog from the love of the child — warm summer rain | |
142 | sharing the rain with an unknown — I’ve given her name of rose | |
143 | shimmered puddles a line of school buses drop off rainbows | |
144 | slowly & slowly deleting her name — rain in my memory | |
145 | so little rides on the rusted wheelbarrow wetted by rain | |
146 | so many rain songs life awash in memory its scents and sounds | |
147 | sound of rain . . . his urn forgotten in a hotel room | |
148 | sound of rain I hear myself living | |
149 | spring burn off in the horses’ eyes rain | |
150 | spring night rain she combs her long hair . . . again . . . and again | |
151 | spring rains a puddle of petals under the magnolia | |
152 | spring rains — the memory of her death washes from my dreams | |
153 | spring shower . . . every leaf washed greener | |
154 | spring shower . . . the blackbird can’t help it! | |
155 | spring shower willow branches shifting in the stream | |
156 | spring showers cleaned my window crystal clear vision . . . | |
157 | spring storm a hole in the wall has its own cat | |
158 | still raining a pink rose painted by the wind | |
159 | still raining her eye lids after storm | |
160 | storm clouds pass — suns trembling at the tips of pine needles | |
161 | sudden shower the drenched man wipes his motorcycle’s dials | |
162 | Sudden thunderstorm Watching the lightning flash Before bedtime | |
163 | summer downpour the hummingbird fans monarda dry | |
164 | summer rain the petrichor of our marriage vows | |
165 | summer rain — trying to wash off my sins | |
166 | sun shower baby’s first steps | |
167 | teary moon all the raindrops I can gather | |
168 | the march of troops the sound of the rain drowns out the sound of their heels | |
169 | The moon cries twilight Tears drizzling magic glitter On midnight meadows. | |
170 | the roses so grateful for last month’s rain | |
171 | The sky doesn’t care that I planned to fix that leak: rain pounds the roof | |
172 | the spring rain so hard moon crescent garbled in my garden pond | |
173 | the steady notes of a baby crib bells spring rain | |
174 | the umbrella of a flowering cherry — spring rain | |
175 | through rain-streaked window my flower garden becomes Giverny | |
176 | thunder rain replay of gunshots in war news | |
177 | toadstools in the pot plants — I am a child again | |
178 | truant rains — the w e i g h t of unopened umbrellas | |
179 | umbrella in my purse the weight of pessimism | |
180 | waiting every time it rains in the darkest silence | |
181 | waiting out a daylong drizzle gray cocoon | |
182 | walking barefoot . . . the sidewalk steams with August rain | |
183 | war clouds — the morning news damp with grief | |
184 | warm rains our last night fight drops its weight | |
185 | watercolor rain even the summer blues grow softer | |
186 | way to hospital the rain is hiding her tears | |
187 | weeping cherry tree full of open pink blossoms old washed away nest | |
188 | widespread rain ambient drone denotes the day | |
189 | winter rain no one to come home to | |
190 | writing in the rain processing my thoughts in ink blots | |
191 | your laugh lines small ripples raindrops on the lake | |
192 | your touch how spring rain seeps through the soil |
Kukai Results
On the first day of the following month, results of the tally of the kukai will be announced. The top vote-getters as voted by readers will be posted, along with the number of points each poem tallied, and each poem’s authorship will be revealed at this time. Winners will be invited to select from a list of prizes provided by The Haiku Foundation. The theme for the new month will be announced at the same time, and the process repeated. Poems remain the copyrighted property of their authors, but The Haiku Foundation reserves the right to publish, display and archive all submitted poems for this and other purposes at its discretion.
Congratulations to all our participants!
