By offering a non-seasonal image I wanted to allow poets to explore different themes and touch on matters of human interest, perhaps exploring the concept of wabi sabi. Once again linking between image and haiku are very important to create something that tells a story with a moment that resonates.
First Place
winter light
his last words
left unheard
Rajandeep Garg
This is a fine haiku which links to the image and creates a mood that is interesting and offers us a subtle mystery without being too overt or confusing.
We might wonder who he is, and wonder about his relationship to the woman in the photo, and what was unheard and not spoken. The image was not a seasonal one, but the poet has added winter light, which evokes another dimension of emotion.
Ron C. Moss
Second Place
after the funeral
at mom’s old typewriter…
finding our words
Mike Rehling
A deeply felt and emotional haiku of great depth. The image is like the film setting for the haiku to tell a story of life and death, a journey that we are all travelling, and in this poem, there’s a search for the words that may not come. But maybe the words can be found in the silences.
Honourable Mentions
fading light
the silence of
his keys
Billy Antonio
Another haiku that mentions light which is a main visual in the image. Something is fading in the light and the silence. The haiku resonates strongly with the image which brings a specific mood into the setting that works beautifully.
a love letter
in mother’s handwriting…
asters gone to seed
Polona Oblak
We feel that the memories are strong, but also could be fading. Regardless, they are still powerful and raw. To mention handwriting with the typewriter image is a wonderful juxtaposition. It shifts us to a new way of seeing and linking from haiku to image and vice versa. Asters have a soft and ethereal look to them which is a lovely association with a mother and perhaps her handwriting.
crime beat
a two finger typist
bangs out the lead
Garry Eaton
The black & white image works well with a film noir haiku. The mention of crime and banging out a lead instantly tells us a story that we want to know more about. We are drawn to the image looking for more clues, the woman in the photo, the passing of time with shadows and the breaking light. At the typewriter with a story to write, or a crime to solve . . .
Australian Haiku Society 