THF Monthly Kukai — April 2026

 
 
Welcome to the THF Monthly Kukai.

This month’s theme:
bell
 
 
 
Note: Anonymity is an essential part of any kukai. Please respect this to offer the reader (and voter) the opportunity to choose only the poem.

The THF Kukai Overview

A kukai is a (usually quite casual) poetry contest. The administrator of the kukai (that’s us) assigns a theme for a given writing period and posts to Troutswirl (The Haiku Foundation blog) on the THF site, which is then redirected outward through our various media outlets. Poets write work to this theme during the allotted time and submit it to the administrator. The work submitted is gathered into an anonymous roster and posted to Troutswirl (The Haiku Foundation blog) for public viewing. At that time all participating poets and other interested readers may vote for their favorites. Votes are tallied and the results made public. The top winners will be acknowledged each month, and offered their choice of prizes from a list compiled by the Foundation. Please remember that everyone who votes is a winner — the process of choosing your personal favorites is not just fun, but also one of the best ways to improve your own haiku practice!

Results of Last Month’s THF Kukai

theme: silver

In March there were 179 submissions from twenty-eight countries across four continents.
One hundred sixteen voters casting ballots determined the following results.

First Prize
 
classroom map —
pricking a fresh pin
into Iran
    — Lucas Weissenborn (57 points - 5; 5; 2; 2; 2)
 
What an effective opening. Classrooms offer learning opportunities, and maps give us a view of the world from a distance. Then with the second and third lines, our perspective changes. There is sharpness in a pin prick, and that gives immediacy to this lesson. With “fresh,” we understand that this is one in a series of pins that have marked Iran over its long history, and suddenly, we are no longer removed from what is happening. Very well crafted.
 
Second Prize (tie)
 
moving day —
we leave our initials
in the silver birch
    — thomas david (44 points - 2; 2; 5; 3; 5)
 
How many have carved their initials in a tree? Although harmful to the tree, it’s a human impulse to leave your mark, to declare I was here. The tree will remain long after we are gone. The poet’s choice of tree is particularly apt. Silver birches offer a tempting space, with their smooth, almost-papery bark.
 
Second Prize (tie)
 
wedding silver
their vow
to love the tarnish
    — Laurie Greer (44 points - 1; 2; 7; 4; 2)
 
Unlike rust, tarnish is not a permanent state; it’s just a surface reaction to what is going on. So, it is a terrific choice of metaphor for marriage. There will be rough spots; the vow is to love every aspect.
 
 
Honorable Mentions
 
desert wind
a camel’s bell
glints silver
     — Neena Singh
 
I love the synesthesia in this haiku. There is no explicit mention of sun or light. But because we can feel the heat in the wind, we imagine the sun striking silver and the sound as the wind passes through. Beautifully done.
 
Ramadan moon —
the glint
of a Gazan’s plate
     — Nitu Yumnam
 
Ramadan is a month of spiritual reflection and fasting. The glimmer of moonlight catching the edge of the plate is especially evocative. A “Gazan’s plate” calls to mind the hunger crisis in the region, giving it great poignancy.
 
funeral
a silver-gray squirrel
steals the show
     — Rafał Zabratyński
 
Funerals are often devastatingly sad, but there can be moments of humor. Here grief is relieved by an unexpected participant. If the deceased was a lover of animals or had a special affinity with the natural world, the squirrel’s arrival might be taken as a comfort. Or perhaps it just provided a brief respite from overwhelming sorrow.
 
war news
in mom's hand
a silver star
     — Mirela Brailean
 
Silver stars are given for valor in combat. While it is a tremendous honor and point of pride for recipients and their families, the opening line in this haiku reminds a mother of the medal's real weight.

Beverly Acuff Momoi is THF Monthly Kukai Commentator. She is an award-winning poet and author of how the wind sighs and Lifting the Towhee’s Song. From 2019 to 2021 Beverly served as a panelist for the Touchstone Distinguished Book Awards.

Writing for The Haiku Foundation Monthly Kukai

On the first day of each month The Haiku Foundation will announce the kukai theme for that month. This theme should be the topic of your poem, and may be stated (by using the theme word or words) or implied. Form may be traditional (three-line, 5-7-5) or free (various numbers of lines and/or syllables). Season words (kigo) may or may not be used at the poet’s discretion. A poet may submit one poem per theme. All poems must be the original, unpublished work of the author. In order to maintain the spirit and fairness of the kukai, a poem that has appeared anywhere with its author’s name cannot be allowed for submission.

Please use the Kukai submission form below to enter your poem, and then press Submit to send your entry. No other submissions will be recognized or honored. Once a poem is submitted it cannot be revised. All poems must be signed (that is, no “anonymous” poems will be accepted, and the Submit button will not be available until both Name, Email, and Place of Residence fields are filled in). Poets will not receive acknowledgment of their submissions. Poems will be accepted from the announcement of the theme through midnight of the 15th of that month. All poets are eligible to participate. Administrators of the kukai are ineligible to submit poems. Your submission form to us should look something like this:

line one
followed by line two
and then line three

or

this poem is all in one line

or

            jjjjjjjjjjj
kkkkkkkkkk
                    lll
   mmmmm

[all lines right-justified]

If your poem has special formatting requirements you should note them as in the third example above.

Good luck, and have fun!