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Last Chance to Vote in the May 2023 THF Monthly Kukai

This month’s theme:
flower

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 camellia
withers in the vase
coronation over

2

      A flower mentored
every encounter with
tenderness

3

      a rose
at the mailbox
lifting its flag

4

      a tea rose fading
sun restless as the day wanes
one brown petal blown

5

      abounded garden
the daffodils don’t care

6

      acacia on bloom
the smell of memories
on a May evening

7

      African violets
sent to sage our broken hearts
have yet to flower

8

      all the hues
of hydrangeas
spring dawn

9

      an apple blossom to shape the Universe

10

      an empty lot
littered with wildflowers
urban renewal

11

      an orchid
among wildflowers . . .
did I marry wrong?

12

      another summer without her wildflowers

13

      baby drawing
each petal showing
different colours

14

      bachelor buttons
learning to leave
well enough alone

15

      beyond the eye
blades of green —
lone dandelion

16

      black and white
X-ray image —
flowers outside the window

17

      blaze of early morning sun
hostage tulip
fire engine red

18

      bluebells and violets
perfectly arranged
in her hair

19

      bridal bouquet
thrown into the air
a big blue sky

20

      by the withered flower
the artificial roses
of my stepmother

21

      carefully chosen
flowers, a bouquet
of messages

22

carrying poetry
in each petal
daffodils

23

      cherry-blossoms — spring
exploding in pink and white
on gray city streets

24

childhood posy
carefully arranging
her weeds

25

      church bell
deep
in forget-me-nots

26

      climate change —
a bee toils
from flower to flower

27

      cosmos
the whole universe
in a flower

28

      cyclamens
I reopen the drawer
of mementos

29

      daisies I pick her casket

30

daisies open through day
white petals, yellow hearts gift
pollen — until dark

31

      daisies . . .
their tiny eyes
shut tight at night

32

      daisy barrettes
pin back wisps of her hair
school bus stop

33

      daisy nectar . . .
not a day passes
without love

34

      daybreak . . .
a gust of wind brings
a peony

35

deep inside the red rose a thorn I dream

36

      dewdrops . . .
drooling on
the flower catalog

37

      Discoloured flower
preserved between torn pages
your frail memory

38

door slam
the petals from his roses
fall onto the table

39

      each time i think
of my priorities
the banana blossoms

40

      eggplant fritters . . .

the flowers
looked so orchid

41

      Faded petals cling
Beautiful yet so fragile
Fall into stillness

42

      first breath
first cry
a flower blossoming

43

      first snowdrop searching for spring

44

      flirting with my wife
a sprig of lilac

45

      flower by flower
also gathering light
an old plum tree

46

      Flower
edged with pearls
drops from heaven

47

flower garden
the one he likes least
closer to his wall

48

      flower
in a cold corner
all the thorns facing inward

49

      flowering —
her graduation hat
higher and higher

50

      flowering plum . . .
the delicate hands
of my mother

51

      forsythias blooming
my thoughts turn
to lawn care

52

      fuchsia geranium blossoms
stain the white tiles red
a story of survival

53

garden sunrise
shadows creep closer
to the tulips

54

garden wedding
the bearded iris lavender
bridesmaid

55

girasol
following the sun
merry-go-round

56

      golden petals meld
kings into bloom, stain
empire blue

57

      hazy gibbous
nestled in the branches
moonflowers

58

      heartsease the scent of disinfectant

59

      her hands
full of daisies
chained

60

      her secret garden . . .
the plum blossoms
against the rain

61

      her turn
to drop a flower
white roses

62

      I keep the dying
in a vase — ravishing
rose blooms

63

      I like butter
the flower said but
I don’t

64

      I send flowers
all the time . . . pink
emoji

65

in front of the drugstore —
the wind puts lime blossoms
into my bag

66

In moonlight
fragrance of jasmine flowers
I wake up in spring dawn

67

      in the dark
of another day . . .
evening primrose

68

incipience
greening into
daffodils and dandelions

69

jasmine greets moon
fragrance awakens
windows open to stars

70

      jasmine petals in her hair
tones from a symphony
on and on without pause

71

      late frost
yellow flag
at half mast

72

      late spring
resting butterfly
on a dandelion

73

lavender flower —
memories resurface
between my wrinkles

74

      librarian by day
DJ by night
moonflower

75

Lilac festival —
Dog noses deep and forgets
all the other dogs

76

      lilac flowers
the dizzying scent
of existence

77

      lilies in line
welcoming the
house guests

78

      lone flower in vase
blooms in fleeting existence
now my soul will leave

79

lonely person
the pollen in the flower
a nugget

80

      long after spring
a faded rose
scents my diary

81

mango blooms
the smell of childhood
in hidden corners

82

      Milkweeds are dying
A butterfly’s nourishment
Don’t go extinct please

83

      moringa flowers . . .
you say maybe it’s not
too late yet

84

      mother’s day . . .
her bleeding-hearts
now overgrown

85

      Mother’s Day
the fake grave flowers
have already faded

86

      Mother’s fragile petals strewn among Tagore’s poems

87

      newlyweds
a preference for flowers
not flour

88

      old vase
doesn’t remember
all its flowers

89

      on my birthday
color, fragrance, love
one in a flower

90

one plucked flower
the only survivor of
the meadow fire

91

      one thistle among the buttercups
my teenage years

92

orchids
darken
dropping
out
of
time

93

      origami lotus
how many blintz folds
to unfold

94

      paper flowers . . .
just an illusion
of spring

95

      parade
treads on the petals
no regrets

96

      peach blossoms —
a new tenor
in the church choir

97

      pink peony
dabbing on
the nappy cream

98

      pink petals
landing in a soft pile
on the hard wood

99

      plump clusters of wisteria the purple evening

100

Prickly gorse explodes
Decked in sulphurous yellow
Coconut scented

101

      promises to keep flower moon

102

      puff of mild air
with a scent so rare
none know this wild bloom . . .

103

      red roofs
draped with jacarandas
Sydney summer

104

      removing daisy petals
one
by
one
— deflowered

105

      Resist the darkness
Welcome the dawn
Lotus flower

106

      Roses
have poisonous thorns
beauty

107

      roses —
he brings them in
the aphids

108

ruby red
hydrangea sits in
old clay pot

109

      say it with flowers
Japanese Anemone
blushes pink no sting

110

she does not laugh now
when flowers appear out of
nowhere everywhere

111

      sitting on the ground —
finally the height
of a poppy

112

      sleeping through
the extravagant funeral
flower car

113

      snow falling this eve —
flowers blooming in
daughter’s picture book

114

snow
in silver bowl
white flowers

115

      so many
points to consider
elderberry buds

116

spray free markets
each stall decorated
with wildflowers

117

      spring awakening
choosing the garden instead
of the news

118

      spring blossoms the ordeal of being known

119

Spring ephemeral
Trout Lily Crow’s Toes Bluebells
Briefly bravely rise

120

spring garden
sharing blossoms
with the bees

121

      spring rain . . .
the jangled
bluebells

122

      spring storm
her flowers
in his vase

123

spring training
my son tees up
peonies

124

      Springing forth to capture the moment, anemone.

125

      still sitting
by the water’s edge
narcissus

126

      strolling the garden
the sweet fragrance of blossom
a bee on my hand

127

      summer breeze
amber blossoms
a tremble. An ache

128

Summertime flowers
Can’t compete with autumn leaves
Daisy petal cries

129

      sunflower
grandmother’s shadow
smaller and smaller

130

      sunflowers
turning down —
sunset

131

      sutra chanting —
a dandelion fluff
in levitation

132

      tenacious tulips
weather spring
derecho

133

      tender lean
his shoulder’s support
life’s assurance

134

      the day of his daughter’s funeral
cherry blossoms
in my neighbor’s tree

135

      the momentum of the car
roadside cherry petals
fly

136

the neighbor said
my son offered his help
bouquet of sweet peas

137

      the white cat yawns
and a red flower floats up
to the ceiling

138

they tremble birthing
flowers at one glance
communing with time

139

      this Spring
a plural of flower
golden tidytips

140

      Tiare flower
talk about travel
about the joy of travel

141

      tiny gold flowers
nestled amid the grass
son learning to sit

142

      tiny red fists on the maple tree
wave wildly
in dawn’s cold blasts

143

      too late
for counting feelings
wilted daisy

144

      tulips in bloom
the secrets
they share

145

      unfolding flower
my inner child searching
for fairy land

146

      up with the sunrise
grandma’s morning glories bloom
our day can begin

147

      venus
over the moon
flower

148

      vile weeds
your flowers
do intoxicate

149

      waggle dancing
like a flower to a bee
hoping to be kissed

150

      waiting for train . . .
the white fragrance
of dogwood

151

Watching for the first
Crocus to raise its brave head
Above frozen ground

152

water surface . . .
in between petals
the shape of leaves

153

      Which do I love more
The petals or the seeds’ promise?
Flower of my womb.

154

      white tulips bending
our meal begins
with grace

155

      wild flowers —
the goldfinch fluffs
his feathers

156

      wild primrose peeps
pale between gravestones
symbol of new life

157

      wilting iris
could we spend more
time together

158

      wilting lilies
gran says not to throw them out
yet

159

Windscreen view
flowers
and a coffin

160

      windy day
clinging to a flower
a butterfly

161

      yellow daisy blooms amidst rusty chain-link fence

162

      your colors stun me
they call you different names
we call you flower

 

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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