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The Monthly Kukai Voting Ballot — May 2021

This month’s theme:
spontaneity

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.

The Ballot

1

a butter-flutter
and a toddler —
instantaneous

2

a flurry of feathers
against the sky
pink boa

3

a serenade from
one balcony to another . . .
lockdown day

4

ah me
how suddenly the sun
melts in the sea

5

all night
spontaneous knocking on my door
immunity vigil

6

alternate route —
at the end of the road
an oasis

7

ancient copse
a gust of wind fills it
with light

8

autistic child —
wings of butterflies
his gestures

9

‘Because I felt like it’ . . .
Etna defends herself
After eruption

10

birth in a breath my life

11

black out siren —
mother cradles the baby
closer to her heart

12

breathing
the spring air —
a spontanous love

13

brown wren
in the hurricane fence
the thought blown away

14

by his right ear
a mosquito buzz
he slapsticks himself

15

C.P.A: forms, numbers, ledgers, rules,
humdrum, precision, fact. One moment,
nature beckoned; haiku written.

16

calling my lost cat
a cacophony
of alley dogs

17

changing directions
a whiff of fresh-baked pizza
reels me in

18

cherry blossom
my grateful palm
breaks its fall

19

child realising a balloon
that disappears —
that was the future once

20

child-free
Mother’s Day
daydreaming in bed

21

child’s laughter
gently ripples
by-passed heart

22

clean sheet of paper —
doodles appear in legions
after the art-class

23

coffee alfresco
strangers strike up
a talk of violins

24

coiled garden hose
blooms to delight children
spring showers

25

cold rain
where to hide your head
turtle

26

coming of spring
a toddler follows his dog
into the sea

27

coming to be
by and of itself
unforced lily

28

connecting
in spite of the mask
his crow’s feet smile

29

countryside walk —
inhaling earth aromas
she breaks into a song

30

crying child . . .
co-passengers
enact
‘The Lion King’

31

Cuckoo . . .
sings beautifully
want to listen eyes closed?

32

Dancing alone
Autumn follows me
Through spring.

33

dandelion fluff
the grave digger humming
a farewell song

34

desert shower
the tang
of sage blossoms

35

dusk
suddenly astir with fireflies
our backyard garden

36

early spring . . .
along a path
wildflowers

37

early wake up call
a new grandson
I love him already

38

elusive —
a vaquita
a corpse flower

39

empty playground
mud puddle full
of giggles

40

fallen tree branch —
I go home
a mother

41

falling petals . . .
the actor becomes aware
his spontaneity

42

field mouse
the sudden
swoop of an owl

43

first a bird then a fish-shaped cloud

44

first date
pretending to know
how to read palms

45

first swing ride
he flaps his arms
in the breeze

46

flourishing juntos
native and not . . .
mediterranean sprouts

47

foolish decisions
an old man
regrets

48

footsteps halt
on the wooden bridge —
white pond lilies

49

from where I go
the sea’s emerald waves
fractals

50

full moon . . .
he grabs the loaf
from the dumpster

51

gasping for breath
my father says
this too shall pass

52

hanging wisteria
the vine climbs
the wall

53

heading home —
sunroof open
whistling Dixie

54

her perfume —
out of dead silence
whispers come

55

her smile at passers-by a flowering meadow

56

her tail flicked
over my computer screen
her paw slapped the mouse

57

homeless and dog
the last piece of meat
for a pet

58

honeysuckle
moved to tears
by the impromptu gift
i

59

hugs
by the waterfall
salmon leap

60

I escape on a whim
a thousand miles away
his ‘Dear John’ postcard

61

In the back garden
A raspberry falls from a vine
A child pops it in his mouth

62

In the pursuit of
mutual understanding
leave no stone unturned

63

instagram —
her carefully crafted
spontaneity

64

intoxicated old
man following the flight
of a butterfly —

65

invisible army of
un-worldly devastating power
‘corona virus’

66

isolation
drinking black thoughts in white wine
already spontaneously

67

jazz festival in
the midsummer night
a bird’s reply

68

kitchen dance party . . .
grabbing the cat
for some boogie woogie

69

knickers on her knees —
smashed after ten pints or
just spontaneous

70

last note of birdsong
floats in through my window —
I bow

71

lead goose honking
arms spread open below
kids taking off

72

leaking roof
my pail catching the shadow
of a thin stream

73

left turn
not missing another chance
to waste a summer day

74

lockdown
she adopts
a street dog

75

long shopping
my kid tries to play football
with bodyguards

76

look at mama’s pearl necklace
on my 21st birthday
dad hugged me tight

77

lottery ticket
hopes dampened by the
first raindrop

78

Luck arrive
in spontaneity
flying yellow butterfly . . .

79

Masked face and eyes wide
I trust that you lust for me
But, without touching

80

memorial bench —
finding myself in her
favourite place

81

mid-life crisis a streak of silver sportscar

82

mighty mountains
the climber falls
in love with
the mightiest

83

Monday morning
I try hard to figure out
my spontaneity of Sunday love

84

monsoon drizzle —
the fish in glass bowl swims
round and round

85

moonlit evening
so close
her hand

86

Museum painting —
At dock-yard;
An old boats hurl.

87

my hat
full of autumn rain
a boy in the sand

88

my smile
seeing the sleeping babe
smile

89

new bird feeder hangs
lunchtime flocks taking their turns
then squirrels invade

90

no roots
all my possessions
in the trunk

91

nothing is spontaneous
baby, everything is
manufactured

92

off day
i cancel
everything

93

one minute ’til noon
his last cigarette
he braces for white knuckles

94

one weed dies
another comes up
call it a flower

95

picture book —
a baby tries
to scroll

96

playground swing
throwing caution
to the wind

97

pounces on itself
and manages to escape
young kitten

98

prison yard —
on a walk
a butterfly

99

puppet theater —
my girl takes my hand
when the wolf appears

100

rain clouds
one flower touches the other
in the force of the breeze

101

red horizon
the wild goose skWOnk!
of free jazz

102

rime frosted petals
a flock of mallards
lifts from the river

103

roaring clouds
midway to our car, we turn
and become rain

104

shards of laughter
in the starry night
crickets stop singing

105

she broke up
her usual schedule
spontaneous divorce

106

she signs
with her maiden name
newly married

107

she throws herself
in the waves — the drowning child
is saved

108

smell of straw —
caressing the sheep’s chin
he licks my hand

109

snow squall juncos chasing juncos

110

solstice
a farmer grass-seeding
the early snow

111

spontaneity
a very heavy ‘door’
opens easily

112

spontaneity gives me pause for concern

113

spontaneity of choice and its endless possibilities —

114

spontaneously
first rose and my haiku
bloom

115

spring equinox
the push
of each petal

116

spring morning
I’m singing with birds
out of tune

117

spring rain
jumping into a puddle
robin and me

118

spring rain . . .
soon we become
our own gods

119

staring at the stars . . .
one dives out of the sky
into the lake

120

stopping to kiss
under a sudden moon
the first flush of stars

121

strange shoots —
golden rain trees
inside my pots

122

strangers’ wedding
his hand on my back, round
and round the hall

123

strawberry moon
housemaid adds
fruit salad to the menu

124

street pigeons
crafting geometric shapes
with thrown bread

125

summer delight
my little one slurps at the
sight of ripe mangoes

126

summer rain —
turning the car toward
the rainbow

127

summer road trip
suddenly filling the car
with Bohemian Rhapsody

128

super bowl monday
the office reduced to
a skeleton crew

129

surfing channels
the flickering laughter
of an old heart-throb

130

swan lake . . .
grandma raises her arms
for a petite pose

131

temporary lull
water drop clings
to the leaf tip

132

the instant absolute
of sidereal time
dandelion seed aloft

133

the wind blowing
a haiku in my notebook
three cherry petals

134

twin rainbows . . .
by the end of the phrase
just half

135

two breadsticks
and a coffee can . . .
our troupe’s drummer

136

watching sitcom reruns
on a monday morning
i chill

137

welcome home
grandma pours some water
into the soup

138

whistle
milk boiler’s saturation
unchecked blow

139

whistling wind
a tornado touches down
before siren’s call

140

who should we trust now
how to begin to know best
she speaks, look within

141

wild night in Vegas
I wake up with amnesia
. . . and a wedding ring

142

will the mouse zig or zag?
gamblers placing bets
on numbered holes

143

winter sunlight
in a pool on the carpet
the kids play beach

144

you come home — it’s dark
“surprise” we shout — lights go on
you stand naked — stunned

 

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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