1st Place
neap tide
the moon’s tug
on our blood
Marietta McGregor
There was an interesting mix of entries for the seasonal kukai. When reading through the poems, I’m always looking for those that resonate and have elements of shift and link, as well as those in which the two parts of the image and words merge into something stronger together. With Marietta’s haiku we are tantalised with a word that is not all that well known – neap tide – a period when moderate tides occur, usually seven days after a spring tide. The wonderful moon’s tug connects us with the universe and celestial bodies – the tug on our blood and the flow of tide all governed by the moon. Such a powerful poem resonates on many levels with the image and I’m thankful for the poet’s deep seeing.
2nd Place
low tide …
moments of fragile peace
to cherish
Natalia Kuznetsova
This is a very topical haiku and at the start of a new year, we can only hope for a change to peace in the world and that all conflicts, like the terrible one in Ukraine, can end peacefully. The poet has made the powerful association of a low tide with a peaceful moment of wading in the shallow waters, to a wish for something fragile to cherish in another part of the world.
Highly Commended
beach wading
the edge of the rest
of the world
Quendryth Young
I know this very moment very well, as my wife and I often wade along the water’s edge when the warmth of the water allows us to. I have often felt that we were on the edge of the world, as indeed we are with the vast Pacific Ocean covering so much of our planet. We are blessed with so many beaches in Australia and it is part of our DNA to enjoy them whatever the time of the year.
Highly Commended
warm sand
the blurred colour
of sea and sky
Lorraine Haig
Lorraine has painted a lovely picture with words that resonate with the image, beautifully captured in three short lines, with every word carefully brushed with colours that sing along with the image. I feel a great sense of peace and contentment with the trilogy between the beach wader, photographer and poet.
Highly Commended
a place
to hide in plain view
where sea meets sky
Gavin Austin
Ah yes, the mystery of our deep connection to the sea, well captured in this haiku by Gavin. Hiding in plain sight is often the way we travel through life and the poet has created a clever observation of how we might find our peace by being with and immersed in the natural world, which of course we are part of in every way.
Australian Haiku Society 