1st Place
the autistic boy
drawing his perfect world …
a smiling shark
Natalia Kuznetsova
The image I captured was of a sculpture in Fremantle, Australia, and I was looking for interesting responses that might come from the unusual elements. I know it was a challenge to keep away from a direct seasonal reference but I feel the image was evocative enough and I’m pleased to say we have some fine entries to enjoy. I feel the winning poet has captured a whole story in three short lines and they sizzle along with the image to make a very effective haiga. We probably all feel the sharp teeth of life at times and I can only guess what it must be like for those who have added challenges. A fine poem that stays long after first reading.
2nd Place
rock bottom…
his shift in focus
to origami
Amoolya Kamalnath
Here is another three-line story that evokes many responses filled with mystery and intrigue. What, or who could be at rock bottom? The poet has made a very clever link to the image with a strong shift of focus from the sculpture to the other fantastic art of origami, with its soft and hard contrasts. The shark could be made of metal or carefully folded paper by a master.
Highly Commended
wind change
they all run to grandma
with frozen faces
Myron Arnold
Myron has succeeded in pointing to what could be a weather vane and the change of direction of the wind creating frozen faces. This is a lovely family scene and the love and nurturing of Grandma comes through to help those cold faces. A very interesting shift from the blue sky to being blue with cold is notable in the poem, and the shark is always there on the hunt so beware as he has a bike!
Highly Commended
knees pumping
a shark and I fly
into blue
Pris Campbell
This is a delightful poem that adds a joyous connection to the image with those knees pumping away on the bike in the sky. Such an unusual sculpture has captured Pris’ imagination and she has us riding along on a bike with a shark – how wondrous indeed.
Highly Commended
beach solitude
a dorsal fin slices
the blue
Ravi Kiran
There’s a lovely meditative feel to this one that I enjoyed very much – a moment of solitude and deep seeing, punctuated by a dorsal fin in all that blue. An economy of words is employed here with nothing extra and just what is needed to create the connection with this amazing sculpture.
Australian Haiku Society 