Judge: Scott Mason
It has been an honor to serve as the
judge for this year’s Sharpening the Green Pencil contest. Each of the first
four selections moved me in some personally meaningful way as noted in the
accompanying remarks; and all these poems pleasurably engaged me with their vivid
imagery and other sensory appeals. My appreciation goes out to everyone who
participated in this competition – keep on noticing, honoring and sharing what
moves you! – and to its sponsor and administrators for their abiding support of
haiku.
Grand Prize [111]
blossom rain
between earth and sky
somehow, us
Poet:
Chen-ou Liu
Location:
Canada
These eight words I find imbued
with wonder and a palpable sense of gratitude. What could be more glorious than
a shower of petals? Well, perhaps the miracle of our own improbable being and the
gift of our capacity to appreciate not just blossoms but blessings. Here we stand
in the best of both worlds: feet firmly planted on precious ground, heads and
hearts in the sky. How this poem uplifts me!
First Prize [086]
wind in the willows…
light and shadows
in a kiss
Poet: Daniela Misso
Location:
Italy
That surprising last line both
seals and unfolds this marvelous moment. It serves as the perfect human grace
note to a lovely natural scene. But, upon reflection, this idyll is complicated
by the major and minor keys of light and shadow at its center. Love, perhaps,
is not just multi-splendored but also a dappled thing.
Second Prize [048]
snow coming
a crow’s caw
fills the universe
Poet:
Joshua St. Claire
Location:
USA
What an intriguing elixir this is,
both of contrast – black (crow) and white (snow) – and of ambiguity: is the
corvid’s call, at the physical and emotional center of this piece, a dire warning,
a “dramatic score” or even some cosmic trigger? The stakes seem high, whatever
the plot line … and I love a good mystery!
Third Prize [124]
ragged clouds
the sleeping bag inside
a refrigerator box
Poet:
Debbie Strange
Location:
Canada
One might be tempted to read this
as an “as above, so below” haiku — but I see it operating in the opposite
direction, along the lines of a certain couplet by the visionary poet William
Blake (from “Auguries of Innocence”): “The Beggar’s Rags, fluttering in Air, /
Does to Rags the Heavens tear.” This haiku may represent an even more stinging
opprobrium, with the time-release power its purer “show, don’t tell” approach.
Honorable Mention [082]
mountain road
when the bus doors open
blackbird song
Poet: Tomislav Maretić
Location:
Croatia
Honorable Mention [068]
a blackbird hopping
branch to branch
the dazzle of snow
Poet:
Joanna Ashwell
Location:
UK
Honorable Mention [019]
on the ridge
with a horse and its rider
heat lightning
Poet:
Darrell Lindsey
Location:
USA
Recommended [078]
first new moon
snow is falling
out of the dark
Poet:
Ulrike Titelbach
Location:
Austria
Recommended [107]
country lane
tree shadows lengthen
with magpie song
Poet:
Gavin Austin
Location:
Australia
Recommended [032]
holding a pencil
at the eraser end
retired choirmaster
Poet:
Ravi Kiran
Location:
India
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