THF Monthly Kukai

THF Monthly Kukai Voting Ballot — September 2025

This month’s theme:
pink

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
“Please not pink”
thought my thirteen year old self
as I opened the box.
2
a bright pink ribbon
hugs the tops
of the darkening hills
3
a child’s new pink skin
so brave they were under
the rocket’s red glare
4
a dozen roses blushing
two words — forgive me
fiery eyes refuse
5
A flamboyance
Of flamingos
Camera blushes
6
a girl with a pink dress
running in the meadow
my mother’s dream
7
a memory
of my first blush
the pink moon
8
a riverbank
sweet peas exploding
the song of summer in the key of pink
9
a so colored pool
not rain, not poisoned
just a woman in pink swimming
10
again a single line
in the pregnancy kit . . .
wilting pink lily
11
again, the chicken is served
still pink at the bone:
the kitchen’s revolving door
12
all my springs the pastel rose stationery
13
all of my heart
in the blossom
pink rain
14
another autumn
in the sound of the rain she
hugs those pink rompers
15
autumn
contemplation . . . through rose colored
glasses
16
autumn rain
a bud blooms pink
on the discount rack
17
autumn waters
a hint of pink coming to
the hydrangea tips
18
Azaleas enfold
advent of springs
Pink moon
19
back from holiday
a pink oleander flower
on the windshield
20
between pink folds
of the lotus
a bumble bee
21
billowing clouds
her pink ribbon
dyed red
22
blood
on the snow —
eraser dust
23
bowing cosmos . . .
the dragonfly
holds light
24
bracketed
by pink, our days
maunder on
25
breast cancer —
the marketing power
of the pink ribbon
26
brief eulogy . . .
cherry petals speckling
the sky on his coffin
27
brief the days
pink azaleas swaying
to and fro
28
bright pink flamingo
trying to gain momentum
by stretching its leg
29
bubblegum pink
steadying the bicycle
my father’s hands
30
Burst of PINK —
unexpected, as first frost looms,
Gladiola!
31
candle lighting
for the dead protesters
my eyes follow her
32
canvas cloud drifting,
reddish hues dissolve to pink,
West becomes my dream.
33
caterpillars
on rose leaves
butterflies
34
celebrity
in designer pink
spring rhododendron
35
cherry blossom rain . . .
the scent of her scarf
still on my hands
36
child’s pink face mask
tangled in a bush
Fall fever
37
clipped
to her new wig . . .
a pink cherry petal
38
cotton candy
childhood
on my hand
39
cotton candy . . .
my baby gums
a pink cloud
40
cotton candy sky
the sweetness of the morning
quickly melts away
41
curved walls of a pink seashell
enslaving the surf
budding moon
42
dawn’s rosy glow
wincing as bare feet
touch the floor
43
delicate salt crystals
lightly dusting the ground
dragonfly wings
44
drinks
with her pinky held out
crooked roses
45
dry grasses, beige-brown,
show deep pink petals sky’s light,
quicken pulsed heart-beats
46
end of the war —
a pink life in the
front on us
47
everlasting love —
in every thread she wove,
blossom pinafore
48
exotic rose —
an error brings me
to the right place
49
facing the blues
the fading pink tint
on my glasses
50
Fallen sweet pea petals —
a pink goodbye to summer
in cool autumn breeze.
51
feeling like a blue meanie
going through his pink journal
52
filled with light
an autumn crocus —
carpet refreshed
53
first anniversary
breaking out
the pink champagne
54
first bite
of watermelon
summer dribbles down my cheek
55
first date
peeking behind cherry blossoms
one girl
56
first granddaughter
I think pink
57
five-year-old
her pink t-shirt sparkles with
“Rebel Girl”
58
flamingo
lifts of river
matching smoky sunset
59
floods, wars, earthquakes and yet pink periwinkle
60
flower pots full
of pink
happiness
61
Gallery
Nudes from pink to bruise
All women.
62
girl studies her phone
winding a finger
through pink hair
63
golden hour . . .
colour begins to drain
from rosebud pink lips
64
gracing
the smoke tree
pink cotton candies
65
heirloom vase
the pink peony’s slow
fade to white
66
her 18th birthday
the sweet pink frosting
of fresh scars
67
her wrinkled face
pink with effort —
first breath
68
holding herself together
with a paperclip
weeping cherries
69
How they loved
my pink socks —
Emergency Room nurses
70
howling wind . . .
the pink of her tiny face
under the pall
71
hummingbirds hover
over tickled pink zinnias
performance photo
72
In stillness, I imagine
the pink moving clouds
an evening mountain.
73
In the moon’s turnip-pink
Light bare branches dangle down
Heaven’s roots
74
in the shadow
of my remembrance
your pink face
75
irrigation canal
sunset pinking
the ducks’ shadows
76
Kissed by you, my chicks
turn into pink like hibiscus
blooming in September.
77
lamb’s pure white wool in
sacrificial red blood, rose
pink shouts “Gaudete!”
78
long before an oink
above all the pink piglets
are echoes of awe
79
looking for hope
in mama’s lined face
rose-colored glasses
80
morning glory’s edge
pierced by morning’s first light
one perfect pink heart
81
my newborn
just woken up
la vie en rose
82
my pink moustache
of candy-floss
summer sunset
83
my words
on her two cheeks
a blush
84
never a fan
of pink
’til this sunset
85
newborn son
in pink
missed to technology
86
newborn tiny and pink
mustn’t touch or
mama rabbit will eat them
87
night stroll . . .
I pause to smell
pink jasmine
88
not this kind of pink
a letter with the results
of mammography
89
nursery rhyme
squeals of delight
from this little piggy
90
ocean sunrise
young flamingo feathers
coming into color
91
on my cheeks
a veil of pink blush . . .
autumn sunrise
92
on my desk,
a perennial pink:
the kid’s paper tulip
93
on top
of the small grave
baby pink roses
94
out of the blue
a pink finch
at the window
95
peony garden
the bumblebee
tickled pink
96
petaled lips, parting;
welcoming the springtime rains’ —
intimate showers
97
pilgrims pinken . . .
back from the brink
Gangetic dolphin
98
Pink
Butterfly rash —
Summer love
99
pink
cheeked
his first tooth
100
Pink
New baby’s bottom
color
101
pink Barbie shoe
lost in the sandpit
autumn dusk
102
pink blanket . . .
our son insists
his new sister
is a boy
103
pink blooms
on the hibiscus bush
many moons
104
Pink blue
Of a mirrored morning
To wake up to
105
pink cadillac
not all my sister’s Barbies
survive the crash
106
pink clouds
swallows departing
are crossing them
107
pink clouds
the sun moves
to the other side
108
pink dawns in autumn
her baby bump
beginning to show
109
pink eraser
patiently awaiting
your regrets
110
pink eraser
the crumbs
of mom’s memory
111
pink fog
the extra padding
of a six-toed cat
112
pink granite cliffs
thrive atop a cemetery
of Alpine roses
113
pink horizon
a flock of flamingos
flutter the marsh
114
pink ixoras —
a butterfly goes to
the yellow ones
115
pink lines
she blushes while sharing
the news
116
pink month —
petal by petal
a rose unfurls
117
pink nose
of the puppy . . .
new coolness
118
pink on pink
reflections
on a cloud
119
Pink peeks past the beige bandage
New skin
After the burn
120
pink peony
my widest smile
reserved for you
121
pink peppercorn
the nepo baby’s
solo show
122
pink petal shade
such a flutter
in the atrium
123
pink plastic flamingo
on the front lawn
“IT’S A GIRL!”
124
pink primrose
at the woodland’s edge
a deer nibbles
125
pink shirt
the breeze carries
someone else’s laughter
126
pink slip
the slaughtering fingers
full of perfume
127
pink spring —
a feral cat
wears cherry petals
128
pink toenails
secretly summer
slips into work
129
pink under down
fledgling takes flight
over
130
pink-faced doll everything is fine
131
pink-stained concrete —
political violence
can’t be bleached
132
pink, not pretty
my shingles rash
pink pain
133
Pinked thigh-high, old jeans
on old legs, hiking again.
Milkweed pods bursting.
134
pinky promise —
pink clouds drift apart
into orange silence
135
plucked lotus
a spotless white sheet
on her wedding bed
136
pulling off
my rose-colored glasses . . .
daily news
137
puppy love
on a white card
pink ink
138
reading a diary
full with pink petals —
bomb shelter
139
rooftop sunset
all the washing
bathed pink
140
rosehip tea
raindrops cupped
. . . in a petal
141
roses in bloom
beneath my pink sundress
fresh tan lines
142
sakura blossoms pink
turn purple in twilight
as youth drifts away
143
set me high
into a pink cloud . . .
dreams of life
144
shadows of a pink cholla
an agitated rattlesnake
issues a warning
145
short of breath
grandpa recollects
a pinking engine
146
shriveled pink blossoms
cling to what’s left of summer —
they cannot last long
147
Smoke thinning
Embers reminisce flames
In a pink dawn
148
Soft pink cloth
A daughter’s dress
A mother’s shroud at rest
149
songbirds!
in a pink dawn
tender are the whispers
150
spring forward
my cat’s ears pink
in the sunshine
151
spring morning —
birds fly above a cloud
of cherry blossoms
152
spring petals
slowly falling
pink carpet
153
spring sun —
the baby caresses the mother’s scar
with his little fingers
154
stabbed slab
a pool of pink
oozing juices
155
steady sunshine
the pinkness
of her new shorts
156
Subtle pink
Cherry Blossom
Pelted by morning dew
157
summer wind
the fuchsia
twirls her skirt
158
sunrise
all over him
her lipstick pink
159
sunrise
the blush
of her cheeks
160
swimming upstream
a salmon shares the sunset
with the blushing sky
161
the blush
of generations in love
Ponte dei Sospiri
162
the blush on her cheeks
revealed what was in her heart
he knew she’d say yes
163
the bombs glitter pink
like trophies in the blue sky
winter’s last triumph
164
the pink sky
a birthday cake
from God
165
the pink splash
of a roseate spoonbill
summer lake
166
the sun left the sky
mistyrose lavender
slowly fading
167
the toddler
takes a pink marker —
colouring the blossoms
168
thin tendrils of pink
curl around fleeing shadows . . .
a morning joy ride
169
This fall the Nooksack
thickens with spent pink salmon
. . . the river rejoices
170
this wish of going light cherry blossom
171
thyroid surgery
my purple stitches slowly
fading to dark pink
172
tickling rat brains
with electrodes
tickled pink
 
(https://www.nature.com/articles/539333a)
173
toilet
even the sky
pink
174
toothless grin
wiggling toes become
piggies
175
touching the pink
inside a conch shell
not wet
176
transformation . . .
drifting in pink light
seagulls
177
trimming shadows . . .
the tiniest pink roses
under the hedge
178
twilight moon
her face scar
after healing
179
Very pink flowers —
cluster of pink . . .
pink with pink . . .
180
watermelon chunks
cotton candy on a stick
a blush of rose
181
winter coat shopping . . .
she decides to pass on
the pink tax
182
winter rain
the pond overflows
with pūriri petals
183
winter sunrise . . .
the hour before dawn
soft pink flush
184
wishing on stars
she folds pink booties
Into a drawer
185
young girls
pink ribbons and bows
Barbie dolls

 

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!

 

Tom Borkowski

Comments (1)

  1. Will the September 1st post that included this month’s winners reappear after voting is done?

    I somehow forgot to check the winners against what I’d voted for. I try to do that each month for fun.

Comments are closed.

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