THF Monthly Kukai — July 2025

 
 
Welcome to the THF Monthly Kukai.

This month’s theme:
black
 
 
 
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: wine

In June there were 177 submissions from thirty-one countries across six continents.
Ninety-eight voters casting ballots determined the following results.

First Prize
 
evening swallows another version of her in the bottle
     — C.X. Turner (49 points - 4; 4; 3; 1; 2)
 
Monoku often utilize words with multiple meanings, and here the play on “swallows” is especially effective. Swallows are active at dusk, and my immediate response is to that visual. But then, with “another version of her,” “swallows” becomes a verb, and we are in a different kind of darkness. Someone has lost themselves to drink. It is a quiet, but very powerful, shift. Well done.
 
Second Prize (tie)
 
dining alone
old wine stains
on the tablecloth
     — Vera Kochanowsky (43 points - 2; 2; 5; 4; 2)
 
This opening image is so evocative — but it resonates differently with different people. It could be a forlorn experience, or it might be a respite for those who find that a moment to themselves is a rare treat. Is the use of a stained tablecloth an indication of slovenliness? Or is it a purposeful sign of caring more for guests — because wine stains are notoriously hard to get out and the “good” tablecloths are kept in reserve? I like that we do not know.
 
Second Prize (tie)
 
empty bottle
the glass fills
with moonlight
     — Orense Nicod (43 points - 4; 2; 4; 1; 1)
 
Such an interesting juxtaposition in this poem — and much that is not said. I do not know if this is a happy or sad occasion. Opening on emptiness suggests sadness, but then there is the lovely image of a glass full of moonlight. How one responds is a bit of a Rorschach test, and I like that the poet leaves it to the reader.
 
 
Honorable Mentions
 
full moon —
the bottle of wine
half empty
     — Michael Moldoveanu
 
There’s a celebratory mood here, with the opening fullness of the moon and the realization that there’s more wine remaining. Nice play in the first and last words.
 
autumn shadows —
alone in the kitchen
she pours wine
     — Daniela Misso
 
The opening line provides the emotional frame for the scene that follows. This is not a quiet pleasure. It could be a moment of reflection, but there is darkness in those shadows.
 
summer wine
the day she made
her own choice
     — Hla Yin Mon
 
For me, the idea of “summer wine” is light-hearted, so that last line is intriguing. We don’t know what choice was made, but “the day” suggests that it is a big one.
 
pouring over
old photographs
the clink of glasses
     — Melissa Dennison
 
When I initially read this, I read the first word as “poring,” and of course, they are homophones. With that word choice, the poet has given us two scenes and a layered way of reading the poem. There’s the scene of joy, of raising glasses as two or more people look through old photographs. But there’s also the idea of spending time with these old images and reliving a celebration from times past.

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!