AHS Spring Haiga Kukai: Seasonal Results with comments by judge Ron Moss

First Place

homecoming . . .
a bouquet of sky
in an old jar

-Debbie Strange

A lovely evocative haiku that links beautifully with the image’s soft and hard shapes and also the interesting connection with a bouquet of sky. The feeling of a homecoming is embedded deep within the words and image colours. The soft focus adds a feeling of memory and passing of time. Something new has come from the blending of haiku and image which is the hallmark of a really excellent haiga.

 

Second Place

impermanence
learning the meaning
from the flowers

-Mike Rehling

Once again we have the sum of two parts coming together to create a worthy collaboration. The haiku brings to mind the famous Flower Sermon, when
Śākyamuni Buddha transmitted direct wisdom to Mahākāśyapa; this event was to become the origin of Zen Buddhism. The shapes of the flowers in the image and their petals suggest a passing of time and bring about a vision of birth and death and the impermanence of all things.

 

Highly Commended

she finds beauty
in the simple things . . .
azure seas

-Michael H. Lester

Azure is described as a bright blue in colour like a cloudless sky, and we feel this wonderful shade in the haiku and the flower image. The beauty of simple things is
brought to mind and the collaboration blends exceptionally well a timeless
journey of the senses.

 

equinox
she sets the table
to music

-Nathan Sidney

I enjoyed the mention of music and the dance-like feel of setting the table with a graceful movement. The haiku has a strong link to the flowers which could be the centre piece of a simple setting. The colours and soft imagery bring a fluid connection to the haiku which has a feel of a special occasion linked to the season.

 

early spring
on the hospital table
paper flowers

-Marta Chocilowska

This is an intriguing haiku that brings thoughts and feelings of our own individual experiences of birth, death and everything in-between. The imagery is handled with a light touch and the obvious seasonal connection helps to bring a natural setting against what could be the stark, cold white setting of a hospital. We can feel uplifted by the splashes colour and the promise of renewal and hope.