THF Monthly Kukai — December 2024

 
 
Welcome to the THF Monthly Kukai.

This month’s theme:
gift
 
 
 
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: charity

In November there were 170 submissions from thirty countries across five continents.
One hundred two voters casting ballots determined the following results.

First Prize
 
ceasefire . . .
the length
of a handshake
     — Bill Fay (72 points - 7; 6; 3; 1; 2)
 
Ceasefires are complicated and fragile. Is extending one’s hand, calling a truce on hostilities, an act of charity? Or did the poet mean this to be read more cynically — that ceasefires last about as long as a handshake? The poet’s word choice allows for a range of readings. When war is being waged in so many parts of the world, one can’t help but read “ceasefire” literally. But it doesn’t have to be. How many of us have brokered a peace between warring family members or difficult friends? In the second line, “length” evokes the extent of the animosity, even as it alludes to the time a handshake takes. On my first reading, I mis-read it as “the lengths” one must go. A very thought-provoking haiku. I can see why it garnered so many votes.
 
Second Prize
 
wild petunias
   her hair
now someone else's
     — Teji Sethi (63 points - 5; 4; 5; 1; 5)
 
There are organizations that make wigs for children and adults who have lost their hair as a result of alopecia, cancer treatment, severe burns, or a host of other reasons. I envision a woman cutting off her long, beautiful, healthy hair so that it may give someone else comfort. Wild petunias are a surprising and apt juxtaposition from the natural world. They thrive in full sun, they reseed themselves, and Google tells me they symbolize resilience. There’s a generosity of spirit in this haiku.
 
Third Prize
 
winter drizzle —
only the moon’s coin
in the beggar’s cup
     — Orense Nicod (54 points - 7; 2; 1; 3; 2)
 
What a powerful kigo “winter drizzle” is. We can feel the penetrating cold. It is a bitter night, and the beggar is alone, with the only offering coming from the moon. The language in this haiku is striking, especially the beauty and unexpectedness of “only the moon’s coin.” Very poignant.
 
 
Honorable Mentions
 
lean moon
a labourer splits his meal
with the stray
     — Kanjini Devi
 
Sharing with others in need is fundamental to our humanity. Here, the one in need is a homeless dog. The contrast between the opening image and the generosity of the labourer’s response is very effective. Lean times can come to us all.
 
crowded sidewalk
the beggar's
empty cup
     — Greg Schwartz
 
People hurry by, paying no mind to the beggar. Scenes like this seem especially true during the holidays.
 
giving Sunday
a beggar on the church steps
is asked to move
     — Michael Henry Lee
 
This is the season of giving, and the sermon may be about sharing with those in need. But in this haiku, the actions tell a different story.
 
cicada's cry filling the charity box
     — Florin C. Ciobica
 
The cicada’s cry has been described as urgent, persistent, droning. Here the cry fills the charity box, and the poet has made very effective use of “c” sounds — cicada, cry, charity — to reinforce the idea of echoing sound. We are being implored not to turn away.
 
fallen leaves
a child offers his mom
the reddest one
     — Yvonne Cabalona
 
This is an offering from the heart. It is late autumn, and the child’s impulse is to brighten his mom’s spirit, to select one special leaf just for her. The innocence in the gesture is touching.

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!