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Last Chance to Vote in the November 2022 THF Monthly Kukai

This month’s theme:
feast

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 beggar feasts
on the leftovers
chronic hunger

2

      A dead cricket
Hundreds of ants screaming
Come on, there’s a feast

3

a dead woodpecker
who once feasted on insects
devoured by them

4

      a farewell to night
like so many others . . .
the last supper

5

      a feast for her eyes
the last ripening apple
laying on the ground

6

      a feast
in a little bucket
ebb tide

7

a fermented feast
under the juniper trees
all the birds are drunk

8

      a fly feasting on
my grandfather’s favorite pastry . . .
echoing eulogy

9

adulthood
an abandoned balloon
on the party’s edge

10

      after rain —
a blackbird giving thanks
for the worms

11

      afterwards
there was a venison feast
canine night

12

      alone for christmas
she toasts
her dead baby

13

      alone . . .
making the feast
of leftovers

14

      apple orchard sunrise . . .
feast for the belly
and the eyes

15

      aromas wafting
golden brown turkey carved
buttons surrender

16

asleep but eager
for the bottle —
early morning stars

17

      at the moon party
the smell of rice porridge
during the baby hug

18

      battle seeds
over sunflowers field
bombers

19

      bees
last mums
feast

20

      billionaires:
black holes
gulp star
after star

21

      blood moon . . .
feasting my eyes on
the impossible

22

      bursting with
mums and gourds
the cornucopia

23

      buzzing bees
covered in pollen
family’s feast

24

      cheering and jeering
i won a kukai contest
in past november

25

      cheesecake choux pastry
tempura prawns ramen soup.
Disastrous weigh-in

26

      children
arriving hungry
— free school meals

27

      circa 1970s
fairy bread, chocolate crackles
and pin the tail on the donkey

28

      college carousal
dwelling
with the bubbles

29

conscientious feast
we cannot afford waste
bones are licking

30

      Covid lockdown
new year’s scraps shared by
the scamp and stray

31

      cruise ship buffet
the fat couple balance
their diet

32

      dead raccoon —
a roadside feast
for ragged crows.

33

      depending on
Ukrainian grain
feast or famine

34

diabetic
forbidden cookies
ants feast on crumbs

35

      dinner party —
waiters quickly remove
the empty plates

36

      early morning
a child’s first step
in the world

37

      elections —
hungry voters treating
the politicians

38

      embracing
a double life
avatar party

39

      empty koi pond —
heron has feasted
only leaves remain.

40

      end of war . . .
dancing in the field
children and fireflies

41

      fallen apple
bird and worm
face to face

42

      family feast
a shower of words settle
on the salad

43

family feast
again and again robins return
to their nestlings

44

      family feast
on Thanksgiving . . .
one empty chair

45

      family feast —
one seasoning makes
all the difference

46

      family feast
the cat squints
at the table

47

      family feast
we all chew over
false memories

48

      family gathering
today
I let them know . . .

49

      family’s feast
in the corner
a recliner chair

50

      feast and famine
Thanksgiving
on skid row

51

      Feast captivates all
unites east; west
lifts wide wall . . .

52

      feast night
your place at the table
empty

53

      feast or famine
in the space of just
a few city blocks

54

      feast table
homeless man chooses
bread crumb

55

      feast table
the quiet solitude
of flowers

56

      Feasting among flesh
Animals are ravenous
Friends disappearing

57

      feasting on forgiveness
at the autumn
banquet

58

      feasting on remnants the slumdogs

59

      feasting on
the skimpily dressed dancer —
wife’s dig in the ribs

60

      festive night
on the watchman’s plate
full moon

61

      first feast
and still
this emptiness

62

      first frost
reinstalling
our bird feeder

63

      first strawberry
the blue-tongue skink’s
mouthful

64

      folded hands
point the way
thanksgiving day feast

65

      fresh drizzle
on the peacock’s ocelli
festival rangoli

66

      full harvest moon . . .
the refugee children have
a craving for pizza

67

      funeral procession
mourners on their way
to feast

68

      gathering ingredients
for the family feast
the imprint of harvest

69

      geese formation . . .
muffled talk and laughter
from the dining room

70

      Grandma’s pie pastry
I cut in shortening
with two bread knives

71

      gray kingbird feasts —
an unseen harvest
among stripped branches

72

      grinding shish kabob
parsley mint burghul
wedding entourage

73

      hard-boiled eggs
at the funeral banquet
the Etruscans and us

74

      harvest of thankfulness
without greed or gluttony
shared labor

75

      his last meal
two servings of turkey on
his hospital plate

76

      How can I enjoy
inexhaustible bounty
while my brother starves?

77

      hungry fox
eating a crescent moon
pizza

78

      I feast on your love
At the banquet of our life
Savoring each bite

79

      i visit early buffets
place one entree on eleven plates
feast on your tired eyes

80

in the root cellar
crisp cool apples
winter’s pies

81

jingle bells
someone to tell
why did the cranes leave

82

laughing eyes . . .
first party with the mask
after the lockdown

83

      Like a cat
has a stealthy feast
Leaves prey in agony

84

      like Mum before me
I scatter handfuls of seeds
and hope for cardinals

85

      long wait for a table
he feasts on
her honey coloured eyes

86

      lunch break . . .
eating the travel
in the sandwich

87

      meager feast
growing impatience
digging for cash

88

      midnight fireworks
in the baby’s eyes —
angels

89

      missed feasts
so many holes in the
homeless man’s belt

90

      new year’s feast
stain of father’s whiskey
on his empty seat

91

      Ngorongoro
at the bottom of the crater
two sips of water

92

      no feast —
the harvest moon enters
the umbra

93

      out of the bag
the christmas survival book
dirty santa

94

      outdoor dining
sharing
with the sparrows

95

      overturned truck
dog food scatter on the road
stray dogs’ feast

96

      plastic
heaped upon the shore
the turtles’ last supper

97

      Platters of harvest
so abundantly displayed:
gifts from soil and toil.

98

      polish cemeteries
in the lights of lamps
a feast for the dead

99

      politics of war
the vultures continue
to feast

100

      precious little ones
she-mama on city streets
tonight’s feast begins

101

      preparing a feast
an old woman breaks
bread on her lap

102

      quayside bistro —
his eyes
on the fish

103

      rascally squirrel
scampering in my persimmon tree . . .
feasting on the ripe red fruit!

104

      remnants
of the vampire’s last feast
candy wrappers

105

      rescued turkeys
celebrating life
vegan feast

106

reunion
feasting her eyes
on grandchildren’s growth

107

      rumors of war —
the buzzing clouds
of flies

108

      sacrifice festival —
the last supper
for billy goat

109

      scavengers —
feasting on yesterday
blood moon

110

      setting sun
mosquitoes and mosquitoes
damselflies’ feasting time

111

      spit roast
the blade-thin silence
before a cry

112

      Stealing fingers
Half consumed delicacy
smiling sinners

113

      stolen holiday
little kids coming back
with empty hands

114

      sweeter than dessert
two hummingbirds
on the feeder

115

table full
shuddering breath freezes
mother alone

116

      table piled high
beautiful nutritious food
from abused workers

117

      Thanksgiving
a feast on the smells
of laughter

118

      Thanksgiving
a seat at the table
for God

119

      Thanksgiving dinner . . .
setback
‘til halftime

120

      Thanksgiving dinner
the widow cooks again
a turkey for two

121

      Thanksgiving
every last chair
filled

122

      thanksgiving feast
the turkey
shares their nut roast

123

      Thanksgiving
I’ll never have to tell Dad
I’m a poet

124

      Thanksgiving looms
have to fake liking
turkey

125

      thanksgiving
mother’s place at the table
now mine

126

      the anonymous mouths
our dollars feed
rescue mission feast

127

      The Earth will feast
On the fallen leaves
Of Autumn’s garden

128

      The last popsicle
Discovered behind the peas
Sugar craving gone

129

      these obsolete wars!
feasting party to party
flies and worms

130

      this planet
a regenerating feast
until humans

131

      to see the women smiling each other

132

      tornado
of vultures —
one dead dog

133

      tree of red berries
aflutter with birds
— winter feast

134

tryptophan . . .
overdosing on
Thanksgiving

135

Turkey Day
the dog bows down
to pray

136

      under the blanket
torchlit myths . . .
aroma of roasted peanuts

137

      uninvited guests feast
on wedding cake before
the bride arrives.

138

      variety food
variety gathering
all in one place

139

      vegetarian thanksgiving
another turkey
pardoned

140

village feast —
goings-on at
the chieftain’s backyard

141

      voracious barn owl
feasting on newborn kittens
respite for rodents

142

      wedding dinner
everyone finds something
to complain about

143

      wedding feast
she eats
what he likes

144

      wedding feast
the bride feeds the doves
for the last time

145

wildflower meadow a haze of enchantments

146

      winter feast
cutting up apples
for the deer

147

worn silver past repast

 

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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