1st Place
tea party
she protects her doll
with a face mask
Liv Saint-James
The continual threat of the Covid virus and the impact it has had on our lives is so stunningly captured in these three short lines. The deeper we go into this poem the more is revealed. The very best haiku use a minimum number of words from limitless possibilities. The most natural of moments can be a young child at play – their love and nurturing a wonder to see. So practical and perhaps without thought, the child does what it must do to protect loved-ones, having witnessed this very thing for themselves in the adult world around them. It’s in our very DNA to survive and adapt, and this latest global challenge is merely the latest in a long history of human suffering. But we know we can overcome everything by working together.
2nd Place
all the light
in a child’s eyes
unfolding wings
Marietta McGregor
I really enjoyed this haiku and the association of the delicate shapes of the cupcake and the unfolding wings. Also there’s a connection between the bright colours and the light in a child’s eyes. Such a lovely observation and clever use of link and shift makes this a joyful haiku for me. You can imagine the child’s eyes lighting up at the sight of this yummy sweet. I know mine did just before I gobbled it up!
Highly Commended
pupcake
his kisses smudged
with rainbow
Elisa Theriana
When I first read this haiku I assumed a pupcake was just another name for the smallness of the cake. But with a bit of research I was delighted to discover it can also be a cake, made especially for one our best friends. Lots of wonderful recipes can be found for making these delights especially for our doggy companions. I grew up with dogs and at one time we had three of them until they all passed with old age. I was immediately taken back to those sloppy kisses in the way dogs show their affection, and the poet has baked a fine cake of imagery and words.
Highly Commended
fairy floss colours
the shared sweetness
of celebration
Penny Szentkuti
Is not fairy floss the ultimate celebration? The bright colours of the cupcake and the shared sweetness of fairy floss just take me back to circus carnivals and sideshows. I like the way the poet has talked about another sweet treat that links to the image of the cupcake. Something shared is, indeed, something doubled.
Highly Commended
lovers’ reunion…
the same cake
tastes different
Zina Ioannou
Something different or maybe just the same, or have the lovers themselves changed? I enjoyed the poignant suggestive tone of this poem. Nicely encapsulated in three short lines with plenty to ponder about the nature of relationships.
Judging and Comments by Ron C. Moss
Australian Haiku Society 