1st 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.
2nd 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.
Highly Commended
time zones
the sound of his
dying voice
Veronika Zora Novak
Technology has given us access to many things and, in a few short years, changed the world as we know it. A dying voice between times zones, or maybe the here and now, or the leap into the beyond. Some lovely subtle linking to the painting creates a haiga that continues to bring awareness and insight with each viewing.
Highly Commended
ICU
the length
of each minute
Polona Oblak
Time is relative; a minute can feel like an hour depending on the circumstances between pleasure and pain or good and bad. The poet has given us just that moment of the ICU of Intensive Care Unit and what could be happening there. A fine link to the pocket watch, drawing us into what is an emotionally charged situation that many of us have experienced for ourselves.
Highly Commended
winter solitude…
the war veteran turns
back the clock
Hifsa Ashraf
If only we could turn back the clock, and who might have more reason than a veteran who has experienced the trauma of war? Deep winter solitude sets the mood and takes us to a place beyond time. There’s a positive feeling for the veteran; perhaps he is able to reclaim something that has been lost. This is a deeply moving moment that creates a lovely haiga.
Judging and Comments by Ron Moss
Australian Haiku Society 