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THF Monthly Kukai Voting Ballot — April 2021

This month’s theme:
trust

Voting for The Haiku Foundation Monthly Kukai

Shortly after the conclusion of the submission period, an anonymous ballot comprising all submitted poems on that month’s theme will be posted to Troutswirl (The Haiku Foundation blog) on the THF site. Any reader of this ballot is eligible to vote for their favorite poems at this time. A voter may vote for up to five (5) poems per theme. A top vote will receive 5 points, a second-place vote 4 points, a third-place vote 3 points, a fourth-place vote 2 points, and a fifth-place vote 1 point.

Please use the Kukai voting form below to enter your selections, and then press Submit to cast your votes. No other votes will be recognized or honored. All votes must be signed (that is, no “anonymous” votes will be accepted, and the Submit button will not be available until both Name and Email fields are filled in), and no poet may vote for his or her own work. No commentary upon the poems will be accepted or published. Votes will be accepted from the appearance of the ballot on the 18th of that month through midnight of the 24th of that month. Readers may vote only once per ballot. Administrators of the kukai are ineligible to vote.

The Ballot

1

a dog’s Zen moment
chasing its tail in circles
no future, no past

2

a fledgling owl
with wings outstretched
the river below

3

a gospel ghost
in the needle
— second dose

4

a nod and wink
assured the child everything
would be okay

5

A shared secret —
I trust mother
to forget.

6

a sunny evening —
in the TV weather forecast
it’s already raining

7

all night party
remembering myself
at her age

8

always
a sound night’s sleep
my Father’s house

9

Alzheimer —
the intact memory
of his iPad

10

ambling along
through thistled pathway
shudder less will

11

assaulting waves —
still strong the bond
of rock and mussel

12

at eye level
suggesting a refill
hummingbird

13

autumn dusk
an old friend’s hand
in mine

14

baby sitting
toddler plays
with pet dog’s tail

15

bees in the hive . . .
the sweet taste
of divine trust

16

best friends
a marriage pact
between bells

17

Bill’s snowdrops
Why am I so hot
I take my sunhat off
The full moon

18

branches bend by unhesitating squirrels

19

busy road
she grabs my hand tight
with tiny fingers

20

cherry blossoms
God still
trusts in us

21

Clever warm brown eyes
Focused upon his Manga
Need not turn toward me

22

cloudy day
the sunflowers see
the concealed Sun

23

crossroads —
I follow the
dandelion

24

day after day
black-eyed susans
following the sun

25

day moon
just beyond reach
my instinct

26

departing geese
the promise I make
to a child

27

digging
as pear petals blow
I’m fine with dying

28

divorced . . .
unwillingly I accept a text
from an unacquainted divorcee

29

draupadi’s cheerharan —
lord krishna came to rescue
during mahabharatha’s dice game

30

drifting snow
another white-knuckled driving lesson

31

earthquake —
my trust in Earth
is shaken

32

elusive —
a vaquita
a corpse flower

33

Falling to the ground
I can trust you to catch me
But would I catch you

34

firing landing
retrorockets
our home on Mars

35

first litter
the Alsatian allows
a child in her kennel

36

first sprouts . . .
newborn son clings
to mom’s finger

37

first step . . .
leaving my home
I make my own

38

fledgling leaps
from safety of nest —
planting spring bulbs

39

Flipping through pages
glasses rest on the closed book
old chapter opens

40

floral dress
a butterfly lingers
on embroidery

41

free-flying confidence deceptive silken threads

42

frozen pond . . .
we skirt the edges
hand in hand

43

green light —
a toddler reaches
for Mother’s hand

44

gust
the rope tightens
in the escort runner’s hand

45

hailstorm
a snowdrift puts a crocus
in its pocket

46

he
transfers
the funds

47

healing
broken stars
old friends

48

heavy clouds —
still that warm hand
in silence

49

her blue eyes assign
the direction of my heart
trust in the spring day

50

her giggles
falling from the sky
into daddy’s hands

51

high tide —
my mother’s grip tightens
around my wrist

52

holding her gaze
hand on baby’s head —
she whispers push

53

home haircut
an inch too short
trust falls

54

irresistible
the one eyed stray accepts
salmon sashimi

55

It was the same weed
But now I see the flower
Was it there last spring?

56

learning to trust
the homeless mother
lets me rescue her pups

57

led by a shadow sun’s got my back

58

lifelong love
my trust runs
in your name

59

long-lost trail
following a robin’s hops
my lighter shadow

60

looking at me
looking at him
mouse and i

61

looking forward to my daily walks a service dog

62

lotus pond . . .
a pair of mallards
take turns sleeping

63

love and trust . . .
grandpa and grandson
holding hands

64

lowering his head
a stray dog comforts
the homeless man

65

masked up
she enters
market

66

midair manoeuvre
his catcher’s hands
reaching

67

morning coffee . . .
every raindrop
another story

68

mother’s push
the fledgling discovers
its wings

69

my dog doesn’t care
about Trump lying in the grass
belly up for rubbing

70

new neighbors
all day by the fence
our dogs

71

night star —
each night no-one’s cat
nearer the door

72

no secrets —
deep night dreams
between us

73

north star
crossing the Med
a rubber dinghy

74

on my darkest night
searching the sky
Pegasus

75

one arm
two vaccine jabs —
all in

76

one leg out of bed
the other under cover
her lawyer’s letter

77

orange tabby cat
arches and rubs against
car’s wheel

78

origami plane —
my grandson sends a letter
to god

79

orphanage —
their hands
in my hands

80

Parent’s strong arms
cradle young life, infant
smiles and gurgles.

81

photos together
in the family bible
Trust papers

82

plans for future
I see a row of dots
in every full stop

83

playing with dawn
ice
I leap back

84

prenup
only the moon’s assets
in her name

85

pruned dogwood
leaving our new house
before spring

86

rainbow blossoms
the sun a proud cherry tree
trading my umbrella for a smile

87

refusing lift
the old lady says she doesn’t
trust female drivers

88

remote road
a dog convinced
they’ll be back

89

ripples . . .
she reads the wind
to her goslings

90

roadside flower shop
a butterfly flits in
and return

91

roadside pumpkin heap
no seller lonesome cashbox
cracker-barrel trust

92

rush hour
trusting
no one

93

rushing
to my outstretched hands
my kid’s first steps

94

school assembly
singing with the children
we shall overcome

95

selfie
I see my mother’s face
looking at me

96

sharing a bed
the dog walks
in my sleep

97

shortened distance
between a sparrow and me . . .
breadcrumbs

98

sky of no moon —
following a butterfly
into the bamboo

99

slatted sunlight
my turn
to spoon feed Mummy

100

sofa cruising
her studious pause
before she takes my finger

101

spring breeze —
two flowers hold hands
in my drawing

102

spring
everything is growing
so are the bellies

103

squirrels running
on the very power line
of trust

104

still cold
first cracks appear
in brown buds

105

still wet rocks
don’t know
the tide has turned

106

the doctor’s face
when she hands over
her barely breathing newborn

107

The Prime minister
Whimpers and stammers out loud
Would I lie to you???

108

the skylark singing
over the heath —
unbroken promise

109

the trust
from my cat’s eyes
euthanasia

110

the way mom
is always there for me —
day moon

111

the weather forecast —
should I wear my brand new kilt
‘military style’?

112

they too
must trust the stars . . .
migrating geese

113

this finger
that carries a butterfly
that carries the wind

114

this smell — all sleep and milk
the baby’s crown
against my cheek

115

Thrill of first love
though wrinkled and grey of hair.
Trust given freely.

116

thunderstorm
his selfie
with a blue-eyed lass

117

time after time . . .
held by its sepals
the tulip’s heart

118

training wheels off
Dad runs to keep
close behind

119

trust . . .
a dovetail of tenon
and mortise

120

trust fall —
a draft catches
the fledgling

121

Trust in secrecy
Heightened awareness of peace
Future guaranteed

122

trust in the romance
my empty
diary

123

Trust the God alone
Highly unpredictable
Mortal beings . . .

124

trusting in herself
without him . . .
things that she can do

125

tying a knot —
I hand myself
to him

126

unleashed —
now only trust
tethers the falcon

127

vanishing wetlands . . .
the misplaced trust
of migrant birds

128

village train station
an honesty box invites you
to settle your fare

129

volcano CRACK! microbes dancing dancing

130

waiting for an owl to return my hoot

131

waiting for the tide
to drop a drop
the oysters

132

waning gibbous moon
I trust the doctors to save
the right lung

133

watering plants
hidden behind the vase
a kitten mews

134

wet stone
good at being
next to the snail

135

when my mind goes
blank
you will know
what to do
he told her
in love

136

who should we trust now
how to begin to know best
she speaks, look within

137

winding path
moonless night but the light
of temple lanterns

138

your words genuine
piercing my anxious layers
burrowed in my heart

Kukai Results

On the first day of the following month, results of the tally of the kukai will be announced. The top vote-getters as voted by readers will be posted, along with the number of points each poem tallied, and each poem’s authorship will be revealed at this time. Winners will be invited to select from a list of prizes provided by The Haiku Foundation. The theme for the new month will be announced at the same time, and the process repeated. Poems remain the copyrighted property of their authors, but The Haiku Foundation reserves the right to publish, display and archive all submitted poems for this and other purposes at its discretion.

Congratulations to all our participants!

 

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