THF Monthly Kukai — August 2025

 
 
Welcome to the THF Monthly Kukai.

This month’s theme:
light
 
 
 
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: black

In July there were 200 submissions from thirty-nine countries across six continents.
One hundred twenty-one voters casting ballots determined the following results.

First Prize
 
breaking dawn
the strike
of a blacksmith’s hammer
     — Vandana Parashar (72 points - 5; 8; 4; 1; 1)
 
Blacksmiths have made tools and instruments since ancient times, and here that time-honored work is juxtaposed with dawn itself. I can envision sparks flying as the blacksmith works at the forge at daybreak, and the scene has an almost spiritual quality. It is work that breaks through the darkness — literally and metaphorically. Well done.
 
Second Prize
 
black box
the wish to listen
to his last words
     — Srinivasa Rao Sambangi (62 points - 3; 7; 3; 4; 2)
 
A black box is an image of mystery. In science and many fields, it refers to something whose inner workings are not understood or fully known. Most of us are familiar with the black box sought after an aviation disaster and, given the recent shocking news of the Air India flight, that was my first thought when I read this poem. The black box holds our hopes, our desire to understand. The yearning in the last two lines is palpable.
 
 
Honorable Mentions
 
black ice
the conversation
takes an awkward turn
     — Tony Williams
 
What a compelling opening line! Black ice forms after a sudden drop in temperature and is so clear it can be impossible to detect. That is what makes it so perilous. Here, something has been said that changes everything . . . though exactly what is not clear.
 
charcoal pencil
the fading outlines
of her smiles
     — Jagajit Salam
 
The key word in this senryu is “fading.” It carries multiple meanings — faint, dimming, weakening, declining, disappearing — and that rewards re-reading. The different meanings of “fading” change how we understand the poem and add dimension. A very effective word choice.
 
donating
Dad's black coat
starless night
     — sanjuktaa asopa
 
There is a great sadness in this poem. The darkness of the sky is a visual echo of the coat, and it deepens the poignancy . . . how hard it must be to let go of your father’s coat.
 
family reunion
knocking at the door
the black sheep
     — Ruth Holzer
 
Every line in this haiku works beautifully. The first establishes a warm feeling and is a great juxtaposition to the discomfort in the last. The second line is a marvelous pivot. Black sheep are outcasts, the prodigal sons and daughters who are not usually invited — so they must knock.

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!