THF Monthly Kukai — October 2024

 
 
Welcome to the THF Monthly Kukai.

This month’s theme:
ribbon
 
 
 
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: blue

In September there were 222 submissions (a new record) from thirty-four countries across five continents.
One hundred thirty-five voters casting ballots determined the following results.

First Prize
 
a peek
into the robin's nest
— broken sky
     — William Heath (68 points - 6; 4; 4; 2; 6)
 
A quiet haiku that captures a magical moment. Robins are not the only birds who have blue eggs, but they are perhaps the best known — such that, there is a particular shade of blue called robin egg blue. What gives this haiku resonance is the third line. In my initial reading, I envisioned broken bits of eggshell after the chicks have hatched. But upon re-reading, I realized it could be the sky itself, broken up by fledglings taking flight. I’m entranced by this haiku.
 
Second Prize
 
every single bruise
a message
forget-me-not
     — Marjolein Rotsteeg (53 points - 4; 4; 3; 2; 4)
 
A powerful and difficult haiku — so much said in so few words. The opening is arresting. It’s an image of abuse and violence. This is not an accidental bump; there’s more than one bruise. The third line introduces a different blue in the tiny blue flowers often given as a symbol of love and respect. It is a shocking juxtaposition to the opening. Here, that gesture takes a cruel turn, in large part because of the effectiveness of the pivot line: the message is conveyed in the bruises and in the blue flower whose very name says “do not forget.”
 
Third Prize
 
blue yarn the son I never had
     — Mona Bedi (51 points - 4; 2; 5; 3; 2)
 
I envision someone knitting a baby blanket or garment.  In the U.S. and many countries, blue is the traditional color associated with boys, and indeed, the next words tell us it is for a son. But in the turn at the end, we learn it is not for the speaker’s son — and that’s when the color blue becomes more complex. It does not just indicate gender, it conveys deep sadness. The one-line format works well, a visual echo of the thread the speaker is pulling.
 
 
Honorable Mentions
 
morning walk
the tiny blue
in a dewdrop
     — Keiko Izawa
 
What a wonderful reminder to pay attention! Many of us take a morning walk. How many notice something as small as a reflection — of the sky or a flower — in a dewdrop?  I love the dailiness of this, and the realization that there is wonder everywhere if we just look.
 
blue lightning
a sudden bolt
from the kingfisher
     — Tracy Davidson
 
Kingfishers look like they were painted by an over-exuberant artist; their color is so vivid.  Perhaps one of the best-named birds, they dramatically swoop down to spear prey with their beaks. This haiku captures all of that, and comparing their amazing dives to “blue lightning” is perfect.
 
the silent ripple of bluebells scattering his ashes
     — Nick T
 
Another haiku where the form — one line — underscores meaning. I can see the gentle movement as wind carries the ashes across a field of blue. In the word sequence, there is also the suggestion that the bluebells are assisting in scattering them. Bluebells are particularly apt: they are perennials, and Google tells me that, in the language of flowers, they represent constancy and gratitude. I like the quiet reserve of this poem.
 
blue notes
the saxophonist's
brief affair
     — Jenn Ryan-Jauregui
 
Blue notes are in-between notes that express heightened emotion, and with its sensual sound, the saxophone is one of the most romantic instruments. Is the saxophonist expressing regret over a lost love? Or is the saxophonist in love with the sequence being played — and the brief affair is with the blue notes?
 
so blue
so beautiful . . .
second stillborn
     — Milan Rajkumar
 
This haiku builds quietly as we fall from the first line to the second, . . . pause, still not knowing the subject . . . and then land hard in that heart-wrenching final line. The use of sibilance is very effective, suggesting a gentleness, a whisper. Deeply moving.

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!