Month: July 2019

 

1^st Place

aunt’s passing
the way tomorrow
never comes

Rose van Son

This is a powerful haiku that resonates deeply. It’s said that time waits for no one and the passing of all things is the one thing we can be sure of in life. The mystery the poet has given us about a tomorrow that never comes resonates strongly with the painting of the pocket watch. Time is always passing, and so do we eventually. Nothing brings this home more than when a loved one passes. So much to reflect on here, and I’m grateful to the poet for an opportunity to do just that.

 

2^nd Place

PTSD
the soldier occupies
two different places

Michael Morell

 

The jarring nature of four capital letters in the opening line and their meaning of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome make this a poem not to be trivialised, but thought about deeply. Who can know what a soldier goes through unless they have had a similar experience? The last line gives us a riddle or mystery that invites the reader to explore. The link to the watch is cleverly set up with the occupying of different places.

Continue reading “AHS Winter Solstice 2019 Haiga Kukai: Non-Seasonal Results with Comments by Judge Ron Moss”

 

1^st Place

 

snowball fight
grandpa’s belly
white with snow

Lucy Whitehead

 

This is a delightful moment and connects beautifully to the painting. The association between grandpa’s belly and the snowman is wonderful, and we are filled with a feeling of family and good times. Like any good haiga there’s a strong interplay between the image and the haiku and we can see many connections here. The love and warmth of a grandpa, and the much-loved figure of a snowman, leaves us with a smile and a feeling of playfulness. In a few short lines the writer has given us so much to feel, and the memories of childhood, and sometimes-adult games, come flooding back.

 

2^nd Place

 

winter doldrums
looking both ways first
i eat the snowmans nose

Michael Rehling

 

What fun! What a devious but totally delightful moment. We have this very funny situation with a clever juxtaposition to the winter doldrums. What could be more life-fulfilling, than to bust out with humour to bring us out of the winter blues? The poet is mischievous and don’t we love him for it – the spirit of the snowman might have something to say about losing his juicy carrot nose, but we are all the richer for the fun of it all.

Continue reading “Australian Haiku Society Winter Solstice 2019 Haiga Kukai: Seasonal Results with Comments by Judge Ron Moss”