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Last Chance to Vote in the May 2022 THF Monthly Kukai

This month’s theme:
blossoms

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 blossomed twig
taps against the window . . .
mom still in coma

2

a few of them
drifting toward the delta
magnolia petals

3

a late frost, tulips
(and other aspirations)
nipped in the bud

4

a rose blooms
my son laughs
in the morning

5

a shower
shaped from petals
spring breeze

6

abandoned garden
magnolia blossoms fill
the missile crater

7

after he left
his bouquet of red roses
in silence

8

after winter ice
flowers blossom —
bombs don’t melt

9

afternoon heat . . .
the air flavored
in lavender

10

against
the decaying apple —
blossoms

11

all this
ridiculous industry
tangle of wisteria

12

always
beyond beauty
hanami

13

apple blossom
supplanted for mischief
bomb makers

14

apple blossom breeze
moonlight
trickles
down

15

apple blossoms . . .
could anyone really
blame them

16

apple blossoms
near the stone chapel
my father’s grave

17

April
cherry blossoms
await wakeup call

18

April first
four-inch turkish weed towel
covers the lawn

19

as cherry petals fall
the moonlit river
blossoms pink

20

as if it could hurt
even a little
cherry blossom

21

as the rain starts
falling the cherry blossoms
start falling

22

at the window
a soundless pink knock
dogwood blossoms

23

at the window
an apple blossom breeze
whispering sweet nothings

24

balmy night
heady scent of jasmine
braiding her hair

25

beetles eat the moonflower all day long

26

birdfoot violets . . .
striving to tread
lightly on this Earth

27

bitter spring
peace talks scattered
with the blossom

28

blossom beauty
ends on the street

29

blossom
but no cherries
maiden aunt

30

blossomed wild cherry
between the lines of the letter
mother’s perfume

31

blossoming cherry tree
beyond words

32

blossoms gone
thirty pounds of honey
for the winter

33

blossoms
my first thoughts
about you

34

blossoms
the distant hum
of a birthday song

35

blue poppies
her birthstone
was sapphire

36

bonsai blossoms all in one white-ish line

37

Brazilian summer . . .
petals of my verses
her floral robe

38

bud
buds buds buds
crocuses

39

buds swell and,
splitting, release their
larger selves

40

Chartreuse winks and pops —
Spring on her tiptoes pushes
her bud green blooms out!

41

cherry blossoms
i count the seconds in
the radium room

42

cherry blossoms
linked to my heart
that giddy feeling

43

cherry blossoms pink
yellow-gold sun on green grass
tree of state mauled

44

cherry
goose
blossoms
poop

45

comatose trees
colour bursts of life seen
eyes now Open

46

dark blossoms . . .
the words marked
in yellow

47

death threat
the nectarine produces
its first bud

48

Delicate Blossoms,
frozen in icy winter,
Bitter old age.

49

dogwood blossoms
a plastic bag of crap
makes me laugh

50

drifting blossom
the smooth surface
of a child’s hand

51

dust settles
on the bouquets . . .
silver wedding

52

early evening
the first few blossoms
land in my lap

53

elegant petals
beneath the tropical sun
smile at cloudy sky

54

end of war —
cherries in the cemetery
all bloomed

55

every fragility
in full light . . .
poppies

56

fading blossom
when her answer
was just a smile

57

falling
almond blossoms
a little more sky

58

falling leaves, falling blossoms, and so on and so forth

59

falling too quickly
cherry blossoms
crushed in the rubble

60

family photo . . .
among wilted blooms
fresh blossom

61

far from war . . .
a keenly unique birdsong
among the blossoms

62

fertilizing minds
in a silicone valley
ideas blossom

63

finally silence
on both sides of the bridge
wives with flowers

64

first blossoms
my baby voices
mama

65

first lilac bloom
our teenager tells us
she’s turning goth

66

first pregnancy
time for her
to blossom

67

First the smell
Then the weeping cherry blooms
Then the bees

68

first time
trying makeup,
spring blossom

69

flower moon
in the tree’s silhouette
a Magnolia blossom

70

forever right now
a twirling petal drifts in
cherry blossom time

71

forgetting who I am you call me blossom

72

girl’s eyes
among the blossoms
orchard in Donbas

73

head
over heels
blossoms

74

hearing
rape of the bud for ages
courtroom

75

her gifted blossoms . . .
now i seek the company
of thorns

76

Hopes spring eternal
Each year cherry blossoms
April winds and they’re gone

77

How lucky you are
in your consciousness without
thinking and ego!

78

how soft
your head on my chest
lavender blossoms

79

illuminating
the paper lantern . . .
white cherry blossoms

80

imaginary you
this void divided
by cherry blossoms

81

impatient crocus
breaking too soon from the gate
winter bides its time

82

intoxicated
my head drops over the scent
of dead rose petals

83

late spring frivolity
exposed bosoms caressed
by
falling
blossoms

84

life blossoms
loving each other —
no to wars

85

light ruffled petals
in lavender and shell pink
spiny gnarled branches

86

lilac blossoms
longing for the little girl
she once was

87

lilies bloom —
through a tilted window
Moonlight

88

Looking blossomful
gnarly appletrees stand still
for one more snowstorm

89

lupin
small roundness of the buzz
of the bluff rattler

90

magnolia blossom
the daughter I never had

91

may breeze —
under the huge blue sky
yellow scent

92

Mayday
the blackthorn’s sullied
and may not yet out

93

moon blossoms
his scent on me
the morning after

94

moonrise
the cherry blossoms’ silence
deepens

95

no mud, no lotus
thich’s peace planet
in pain, let’s
love more than ever

96

Not many to admire
the wild blossoms
with sweet unique fragrance . . .

97

now that I’m older
I have no words to describe
the blossoms

98

nursery blossoms
— for every child
a different nurturing

99

old blossom tree
childhood memories
gets into my room

100

one bee forages
where white blossoms had been
snows of yesteryear

101

one little kiss
now her mother too
smells like a flower

102

opening to life
a bud in the sun
first kiss

103

orange blossoms
memories of youth
waft back

104

Outside beckoning
Waiting until the right time
The flower unfurls

105

park blossoms . . .
my phone poised
for the best flurry

106

peach blossoms
a new voice
in the church choir

107

peach blossoms
bearing fruit
how sweet success

108

peach blossoms
still rowing
toward paradise

109

Pink magnolia’s
stunning blossoms,
Nature’s remedy.

110

plum blossom —
she learns the virtue of
perseverance

111

plum trees
last year’s and next year’s
blossom with today’s

112

quince blossoms
my mother takes off
her silk headscarf

113

remembering
mom’s wedding dress
plum blossoms

114

scattered
blossom petals tell
rainy winds tales

115

Scent of warm musk rose
Lingers on evening’s half light
Transient joy

116

seeing deeply
into the wild violets
the universe

117

snowflakes in springtime
single softly to the ground
cherry blossoms

118

soft and strong
against spring rain —
wild plum blossoms!

119

soft light . . .
an unfolding bud
rocking with song thrush

120

spent blossoms falling softly out of love

121

spring blooming —
blossoming buds
budding blossoms

122

spring blossoms . . .
young doves coo
amid war sirens

123

spring
honeysuckle welcome
in my back yard

124

spring in kindergartens
blinks blossom from winter blues
digging in garden

125

Spring still holds its breath.
Like us, the budding twig-ends
yearn to be blossoms

126

spring . . .
the past blossoms
time and again

127

Spring’s beauty blooming
in ambiguous
circumstance

128

spring’s bloom
basketful of shades
her colored flavours

129

squash blossoms uncurling sunshine

130

sunday marmalade
discontent blossoms into
memories of ma

131

tattoo fever —
one more plum blossom
around her navel

132

temple bells
. . . the scattering
of cherry blossoms

133

the aftertaste of a remorse neem blossoms

134

the blossom thief
blows the scent of heaven
around

135

the fragrance
of a shattered moon
cherry blossoms

136

the kamikaze
a single blossom lets go
twirling as it falls

137

The serendipity
of a lush pink magnolia.
Dead end street.

138

The sky is covered
by pulsating stars — in a dream
cherry blossoms

139

the squeal
of a peel out
spring blossoms

140

The sun-kissed
Gulmohar blossoms —
Soul’s delight.

141

this graveyard in May
thrusting from the greening ground
gray headstones blossom

142

through
cherry blossoms
the tinkle of her anklet

143

Tulips a-bloom:
Riotous colors shouting
LOOK HERE! . . . oh, look here

144

Ukraine —
may apple trees blossom
in peace this month

145

under a calm sky
plenty of dandelions on
the graves by the road

146

underfoot
the sweet smelling muck
of cherry blossoms

147

war debris . . .
a softer broom
for cherry blossoms

148

white blossoms
fill the river valley
wild plums

149

wild flowers
refugee girls
spins hula hoops

150

wildflowers —
the life we live
without excuses

151

winter
my head putting pink
in the trees

152

With friends
In the springtime canyons of the southwest
He blossoms

153

within petals of a blooming bud
I am nectar
unseen and untouched

 

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!

 

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