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THF Monthly Kukai Voting Ballot — July 2021

This month’s theme:
delight

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.

Note: Anonymity is an essential part of any kukai. If you know who wrote the poem then that entry is no longer anonymous. Please respect the Kukai and do not vote for that entry.

The Ballot

1

4 am
blush of anticipation
sunrise!

2

a black bear
splashes joy
in a paddling pool

3

a cup of coffee
the bitter buzz of caffeine
mid-morning delight

4

a faint smile
on his wrinkled face . . .
ripening paddy fields

5

a few caresses
on her shriveled face . . .
spring petals

6

a girdle of clouds . . .
Mt. Baker
levitates

7

A quick moment of
respite from daily caring
A rainbow appears

8

a ripe mango
fresh off the tree
summer delight

9

a seed catalog
In the mail
January thaw

10

A silent blue sky
Fireworks sprinkled all over
A day of delight

11

a toddler squeals
at the rushing tide —
first encounter

12

after days of rain
sun and toadstools
pop out

13

afternoon delight
sharing the last slice
of sunlight with the cat

14

and the mangosteens
and the salt in the breeze and
each drop of sun and

15

baby mittens
poke and point —
mama! birrrrd!

16

beach day
water teases shore while
sand tickles toes

17

blinking stars
rise with the setting sun
big dipper firefly

18

boats bob by the pier
in marbled golds and pinks
the day is lit

19

breaking summer heat
under the overcast sky
confused dragonfly

20

broken rose —
or how is lost
the meaning

21

cat’s tail
a swinging pendulum
birdwatching

22

Chickadees
in my fig tree
eating insects

23

climbing up
the cherry tree
heart shaped bliss

24

clouds in the sky . . .
I turn around
to look at my roses

25

creasing
the origami paper
unfolding wish

26

dancers cry
when the music stops
tears of joy

27

delight —
first time ever
I saw the sky

28

delight shooting —
on the grass court
winning match point

29

Diwali
on my window
a firefly

30

dream garden
admiring with
the green eyeglasses

31

drought breaking rain
the luxury
of a long shower

32

eating up the sea . . .
squealing kids
on top of waves

33

ecstasy
in words so few
haiku

34

empty teacups
musicians spooning
ostinatos

35

Endless dry desert
bee on thorny cactus
relish full moon light . . .

36

evening serenade
his eyes
meet mine

37

face lights up
when finally she can balance —
riding bikes

38

Fireflies reflected
In the sparkle of her eyes
Dancing in the night

39

first kiss
a million shades of red seep
through last night’s clouds

40

first swing ride
he flaps his arms
in the breeze

41

fish on the grill —
live coals in
our tomcat’s eyes

42

fresh rain
water forming a body
of water

43

full of smiles
at the finish line
my son wins the sack race

44

garden party —
Mexican clay pot
fiesta of blooms

45

gentle pull back kite
as it is from above
boy’s delight

46

golden cordon bleu
from my latter-day toaster
bachelor’s delight

47

green and red paper
crumpled on the floor
wide open eyes

48

hay moon
escaping prickly heat
skinny dippers

49

I hold
the sunrise
your smiling eyes

50

I spy you
roller-coaster heartbeats
& dopamine

51

ice cream pastry
the flavour of
innovation

52

ice lollies
all the children
comparing tongues

53

In the shade
Sucking ice cream
From the bottom
Of the cone

54

in Zen state
watching frog à la Bashō
in the pond

55

increasing heat
the lazy chatting of sparrows
fills the air

56

into the birdbath
with a splash —
brown thrasher

57

jewelry box
my favorite ring
from Cracker Jacks

58

joy of freedom
she kisses her girlfriend
in public view

59

last sip
of lemonade . . .
your laughter

60

laughing club
their delight
is ours too

61

little buddha
each smell
a new moment

62

locked jaw . . .
the taste of an apple
in ice cream

63

lunch break —
melon slices
delight my appetite

64

making
my day
wintersweet

65

Marrons glacés.
The sweetest eyes
of my doggy

66

midsummer
mango juice drips
from my elbow

67

monstrous joy
howling through the night
eating everything

68

Morning stroll
Paw prints and mine in the sand
Infectious delight

69

motherhood
a strawberry moon
in my arms

70

mountain road —
truck full with glass sheets
carries up the sunrise

71

newborn . . .
united in delight
the two generations

72

now take your first step
sacred garden delights all
love more than ever

73

“opaque
shields of delight
annotated infarcts with segments.”

74

open sea
I sink in colors
sleeping Beauty

75

peach juice dibbles down
chins as we lunch on your porch
sun, laughter, friendship

76

popsicle . . .
the frozen memories
on taste buds

77

post corona
ardent embrace resumed
utter delight

78

pristine dawn —
sunny delight
any moment

79

pure delight
in grandson’s cuddle
harvest moon

80

Purple raspberry and tiny hand
On the curling vine

81

rain puddle
my toddler jumps
right in

82

rainbow sherbet
a skinny-dip
in sunset colors

83

ray of sunshine . . .
finally the fledgling eats
from my hand

84

receive a book
from the bond of love of friends

85

recovery
all my glasses
half full

86

red sky . . .
just this
and buoy bells

87

reminiscing
about nothing in particular —
a grandmother’s smile

88

rippled moon
an otter slips into
my heart

89

rose petal sorbet
my granny’s treat
as ever

90

rose scents
drift on the breeze —
an open gate

91

saxophone busker
an old woman mimes
the drums

92

scattered clouds
behind rain’s edge
the eyes of a rainbow

93

skipping stone
fireflies
from the moon

94

slowly drifting into cicadas’ dreams
under aleppo pines

95

smile on her face
stays on even after
she wakes up

96

soupçon of sun
the baby captivated
by his toes

97

straight shot —
i walk home
a tiger marble

98

suddenly she pauses
her grassy romp and tumble
a buttercup for you

99

sultry weather
catching our breath
after Bolero

100

summer delight —
chirping of cicadas
even on the cliff

101

summer noon
a toddler and his dog
burst bubbles

102

summer swing —
morning light breaks through
my dreams

103

summer vacation
daughter and me
on a shopping spree

104

sunbeam
through rain cloud —
baby’s first smile

105

sunflowers
easy to imagine
the heaven

106

sunrise
sunflower bathing
in glorious smile

107

sweltering day
for the child beggar
an ice cream tub

108

the can opener
the cat’s purr
the endless dance

109

The delightful sound a finger pads iPad

110

the Perseids . . .
creating a poem
to brag about

111

the rhythm of having echoes
in the valley
it is gotten it is gone.

112

the scurrying crowd
a spring forgotten treasure
feast of the squirrel

113

the tempting smell
of sun-ripened fruit . . .
strawberry moon

114

the tender peel
of a delight apple . . .
childhood home

115

the way her body
settles around mine . . .
evening humidity

116

three fallen petals
a bird, capsized boat and shooting star
on the tablecloth

117

toddler laughing
her head pokes from a big box
then back in again

118

too feeble
to climb Fuji
my heart summits

119

training wheels —
at the bottom of the hill
her smile

120

tulips
touching
botanical garden

121

Turkish delight —
i still feel the taste
of those roses

122

Two two-year olds
Both walking, one talking
A child and a dog

123

vaccination queue
moment by moment nearing
to the moon

124

Wet dog
in the sun — A crescendo
of scattering children

125

window opening on
one firefly
and one more

126

withered body
her smile lingers
in mine

127

zero gravity
the four-year-old laughing
at a fart

 

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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