THF Monthly Kukai — March 2025

 
 
Welcome to the THF Monthly Kukai.

This month’s theme:
violet
 
 
 
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: sky

In February there were 202 submissions from thirty-two countries across five continents.
Ninety-one voters casting ballots determined the following results.

First Prize
 
jigsaw puzzle
a child gathers
pieces of the sky
     — Alvin Cruz (74 points - 7; 4; 5; 2; 4)
 
Everyone who has put together a jigsaw puzzle knows piecing together the sky is the hardest part. It’s either a solid expanse of blue or blue broken up with wisps of white clouds — and both are challenging. Undaunted, the child in this haiku begins by gathering all the pieces. I love the idea of gathering “pieces of the sky” and the optimism in that — it is magical.
 
Second Prize
 
a whole life
in a patch of sky
bedridden
     — Mirela Brailean (66 points - 7; 3; 2; 5; 3)
 
In the first two lines, we are invited to think of life in a big way, as big as the sky. But the poet keeps the scale of human life in perspective. It is “a whole life,” but seen in just a “patch of sky.” Still . . . there is something breathtaking in the gesture. The third line provides context, even as it offers multiple readings. There is great sadness in a life confined. Perhaps all that can be seen from the bed is a bit of sky through a window. But with those first two lines, it could also be read in an expansive way, as a life unfettered by earthbound limitations. A powerful and moving poem.
 
 
Honorable Mentions
 
a bit of sky
in my garden . . .
blue iris
     — Rosa Maria Di Salvatore
 
This haiku is about scale and our place in the grand scheme of things. A bit of sky — a big thing — is reflected in something small, the blue iris. It reflects the organic connection between sky and garden.
 
trying to move
at the speed of clouds . . .
morning walk
     — Allyson Whipple
 
What an inviting image those first two lines present! Although it is possible to see clouds skim across the sky when the wind is up, they are often perceived as almost stationary. So, I read this as trying to slow down. The morning walk is a meditative exercise, encouraging us to move in concert with the planet.
 
forest canopy
just enough breeze to stir
the sky
     — Vandana Parashar
 
The slight flutter of leaves at the very top of trees is a beautiful image. And the last four words, “to stir / the sky,” are inspired. Stir means to move — both physically and emotionally — and the line break emphasizes that.

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!