mute swans
under a moon bridge
the things
I should have confessed
make no difference now
1st Place
Judge an'ya's comments:
Selected for the first place in this competition, is this tanka by a well known author from Canada, Debbie Strange. Smoothly composed, the words "mute swans" in line 1 and "under a moon bridge" in line 2 starts it off beautifully. Debbie creates a distinct pause before she goes into lines 3 and 4 which juxtapose with a human relationship. This tanka then finally spills over to line 5, in a flowing crescendo and the moment of closure. Simple images, and straightforward words make this tanka work for anyone and everyone who reads it.
Friday, December 23, 2016
Cattails, September 2016
1st Place
2016 Fleeting Words Tanka Competition
mute swans
under a moon bridge
the things
I should have confessed
make no difference now
Comments from the Judge:
Selected for the first place in this competition, is this tanka by a well known author from Canada, Debbie Strange. Smoothly composed, the words "mute swans" in line 1 and "under a moon bridge" in line 2 starts it off beautifully. Debbie creates a distinct pause before she goes into lines 2 and 3 which juxtapose with a human relationship. This tanka then finally spills over to line 5, in a flowing crescendo and the moment of closure. Simple images, and straightforward words make this tanka work for anyone and everyone who reads it.
failing light
my life lines cradle
her laugh lines
one-eyed crow
a glimpse of starshine
between clouds
wind gusts
a rotten burl full
of wild plums
these stones
skim across water
letting go
of every burden,
I float into light
in my garden
a gatekeeper butterfly
basks in the sun
I cover my pale body
only coming out at night
the songs
my father sang to me
in a tongue
I could not understand
still, they carry me home
2016 Fleeting Words Tanka Competition
mute swans
under a moon bridge
the things
I should have confessed
make no difference now
Comments from the Judge:
Selected for the first place in this competition, is this tanka by a well known author from Canada, Debbie Strange. Smoothly composed, the words "mute swans" in line 1 and "under a moon bridge" in line 2 starts it off beautifully. Debbie creates a distinct pause before she goes into lines 2 and 3 which juxtapose with a human relationship. This tanka then finally spills over to line 5, in a flowing crescendo and the moment of closure. Simple images, and straightforward words make this tanka work for anyone and everyone who reads it.
—UHTS Contest Judge: an'ya cattails principal editor
Jane Reichhold Memorial Tribute (1937-2016)
a broken shell
her words return
in waves
*****
failing light
my life lines cradle
her laugh lines
one-eyed crow
a glimpse of starshine
between clouds
wind gusts
a rotten burl full
of wild plums
these stones
skim across water
letting go
of every burden,
I float into light
in my garden
a gatekeeper butterfly
basks in the sun
I cover my pale body
only coming out at night
the songs
my father sang to me
in a tongue
I could not understand
still, they carry me home
Undertow Tanka Review, Issue 9, December 2016
they dragged me
to view the body
my sister
no longer larger
than her shortened life
that dream
I long to have again
the one
where I grew lamina
and my breath was fire
I find
white begonias
at my door
in pogonip fog
the vague shape of you
to view the body
my sister
no longer larger
than her shortened life
that dream
I long to have again
the one
where I grew lamina
and my breath was fire
I find
white begonias
at my door
in pogonip fog
the vague shape of you
Hedgerow Poems, Number 100, December 2016
Print Edition
purple streaks in the busker's hair wild violets
night blindness moonbeams tangled in your lashes
I inhale
and my lungs fill up
with bees
though all hope is lost
there is still this hum
we slept
beneath a star blanket
that summer
and washed our faces
with morning dew
purple streaks in the busker's hair wild violets
night blindness moonbeams tangled in your lashes
I inhale
and my lungs fill up
with bees
though all hope is lost
there is still this hum
we slept
beneath a star blanket
that summer
and washed our faces
with morning dew
Full of Moonlight, Haiku Society of America, Members' Anthology 2016
ice fog
everything familiar
unfamiliar
3rd Place, Shintai Haiku
World Haiku Review
January 2016
everything familiar
unfamiliar
3rd Place, Shintai Haiku
World Haiku Review
January 2016
Frameless Sky, Issue 5, December 2016
sugar snow
the taste of nothing
on my tongue
steamy windows
the kettle whistles
our favourite tune
the taste of nothing
on my tongue
steamy windows
the kettle whistles
our favourite tune
Eucalypt, Issue 21, December 2016
soft silt
at the delta's mouth . . .
our breathing
within this moment
flocks of birds, rising
at the delta's mouth . . .
our breathing
within this moment
flocks of birds, rising
in uncured cement . . .
we imprint
our own mythology
upon each other's lives
"fallen leaves" was shortlisted for the Eucalypt Distinctive Scribblings Awards and appraised by Janet Lynn Davis:
I'd like to recognize a few other poets for their tanka that worked their way onto my list of favorites:
...Debbie Strange for her unique, thought-provoking fallen leaves...
I'd like to recognize a few other poets for their tanka that worked their way onto my list of favorites:
...Debbie Strange for her unique, thought-provoking fallen leaves...
Beginning, British Haiku Society Members' Anthology 2016
spawning coral
once a year, the snow
falls upward
once a year, the snow
falls upward
Blithe Spirit, Vol. 26, Number 4, November 2016
a broken circle
in the zen garden
sparrow prints
soft snow
the imprint of wings
a memory
I hear
your voice in silences
and birdsong . . .
the wind-strummed trees
still sing to me of you
the spaces
in which our hearts dwell
are sacred
palimpsests of those
we have loved before
within us
the light of stars . . .
why is it
we so often
choose not to shine?
in the zen garden
sparrow prints
soft snow
the imprint of wings
a memory
I hear
your voice in silences
and birdsong . . .
the wind-strummed trees
still sing to me of you
the spaces
in which our hearts dwell
are sacred
palimpsests of those
we have loved before
within us
the light of stars . . .
why is it
we so often
choose not to shine?
Thursday, December 08, 2016
Under the Basho, November 2016
Personal Best 2016
fog deepens
the sound of rabbits
nibbling night
Grand Prize
2016 World Haiku Contest
fog deepens
the sound of rabbits
nibbling night
Grand Prize
2016 World Haiku Contest
Ripples in the Sand, Tanka Society of America Members' Anthology 2016
jars of dew
on the veranda
tomorrow
i will consecrate
my baby's body
the brevity
of your sweet nothings
at times
i long for blossoms
rather than a bud
the meadow
astir with blue skimmers
their wings
darning these placid days
into our histories
on the veranda
tomorrow
i will consecrate
my baby's body
the brevity
of your sweet nothings
at times
i long for blossoms
rather than a bud
the meadow
astir with blue skimmers
their wings
darning these placid days
into our histories
Ribbons, Volume 12, Number 3, Fall 2016
these nightmares
of black widow spiders
spinning webs
into oncoming storms
that I can never name
two deep valleys
in a mountain's shadow
village children
pleading at day's end
for one more shaft of light
Certificate of Merit
Japan Tanka Poets' Society
The 8th International Tanka Festival Competition, 2016
of black widow spiders
spinning webs
into oncoming storms
that I can never name
two deep valleys
in a mountain's shadow
village children
pleading at day's end
for one more shaft of light
Certificate of Merit
Japan Tanka Poets' Society
The 8th International Tanka Festival Competition, 2016
NeverEnding Story, November 2016
Translated into Chinese by Chen-ou Liu
ballerinas
rehearsing in the park
i never knew
there were so many
graceful ways to die
A Hundred Gourds, 3:3, June 2014
Chen-ou Liu's comments:
Strategically speaking, through a pivot on the unexpected (L3) to uncover the existential/inevitable aspect of the human condition, Debbie's tanka effectively builds, poetic phrase (ku)/line by poetic phrase (ku)/line, to a thematically significant and emotionally powerful ending that has the most weight and reveals the theme of death (or more precisely, of the relationship between art and death).
By the way, I think the ballet referred to in the upper verse might be "Swan Lake."
*note from me: this tanka does indeed refer to "Swan Lake"
ballerinas
rehearsing in the park
i never knew
there were so many
graceful ways to die
A Hundred Gourds, 3:3, June 2014
Chen-ou Liu's comments:
Strategically speaking, through a pivot on the unexpected (L3) to uncover the existential/inevitable aspect of the human condition, Debbie's tanka effectively builds, poetic phrase (ku)/line by poetic phrase (ku)/line, to a thematically significant and emotionally powerful ending that has the most weight and reveals the theme of death (or more precisely, of the relationship between art and death).
By the way, I think the ballet referred to in the upper verse might be "Swan Lake."
*note from me: this tanka does indeed refer to "Swan Lake"
Neon Graffiti: Tanka Poetry of Urban Life, November 2016
the brilliance
of New Year's fireworks
at forty below
the colder it gets
the warmer we are
waiting for the bus
in morning's half light
not knowing
it would be the last time
she would hear her name
f i n a l l y
the river trail freezes
our ski tracks
the only graffiti
in this whitewashed city
at the corner
of poverty and despair
an Indigenous girl
is found in the river
I weep, I weep
on the midway
corn dogs and candy floss
a year older
but still not tall enough
to ride the roller coaster
peregrines
are nesting again
four chicks
on a hotel roof
peer into the lens
still waiting
year after year after year
for the news
how could no one have seen
or heard anything that night
city lights
in the frozen distance
spires reaching
toward the heavens
searching for a god
the neighbours
hibernate all winter
e m e r g i n g
into their backyards
like white-throated sparrows
of New Year's fireworks
at forty below
the colder it gets
the warmer we are
waiting for the bus
in morning's half light
not knowing
it would be the last time
she would hear her name
f i n a l l y
the river trail freezes
our ski tracks
the only graffiti
in this whitewashed city
at the corner
of poverty and despair
an Indigenous girl
is found in the river
I weep, I weep
on the midway
corn dogs and candy floss
a year older
but still not tall enough
to ride the roller coaster
peregrines
are nesting again
four chicks
on a hotel roof
peer into the lens
still waiting
year after year after year
for the news
how could no one have seen
or heard anything that night
city lights
in the frozen distance
spires reaching
toward the heavens
searching for a god
the neighbours
hibernate all winter
e m e r g i n g
into their backyards
like white-throated sparrows
Failed Haiku - A Journal of English Senryu, Issue 12, December 2016
The first haiga is in memory of Carlos Colon, aka Haiku Elvis
Creatrix Poetry and Haiku Journal, Number 35, December 2016
catch and release
the fat moon wriggles
off my line
the fat moon wriggles
off my line
Wednesday, November 09, 2016
Living Haiku Anthology, 2016
A portfolio of 77 haiku published between 2013 and 2016 may be viewed at:
World Haiku Competition, Lyrical Passion Poetry E-zine, 2016
fog deepens
the sound of rabbits
nibbling night
Grand Prize
2016 World Haiku Competition
the sound of rabbits
nibbling night
Grand Prize
2016 World Haiku Competition
Failed Haiku - A Journal of English Senryu, Issue 11, November 2016
The following works received Honourable Mentions in the Mixed Media Category in the 2016 Jane Reichhold Memorial Haiga Competition:
Commentary:
Immersing myself in the spinning colours emerging from darkness, the words remind me of my favorite song sung by Pete Seeger "All My Life's a Circle." I love the mysterious quality the layering has created. Don't we all go around in circles and isn't it great when we find ourselves! The font and its size goes well with the image. The placement and colour and hue of the words could be played with more to echo the movement in its words and enhance the composition more. I really like the use "words & image" in the signature, but felt the hue could be toned down to blend in with the total effect of this delightful haiga.
Commentary:
Immersing myself in the spinning colours emerging from darkness, the words remind me of my favorite song sung by Pete Seeger "All My Life's a Circle." I love the mysterious quality the layering has created. Don't we all go around in circles and isn't it great when we find ourselves! The font and its size goes well with the image. The placement and colour and hue of the words could be played with more to echo the movement in its words and enhance the composition more. I really like the use "words & image" in the signature, but felt the hue could be toned down to blend in with the total effect of this delightful haiga.
—Kris Kondo
Commentary:
I was instantly captured by the colors and the interplay of the different elements. Fish in the sky drew me in right away and I quickly went to the words to help me find out what this wonder world could be about, and I wasn't disappointed. Mindscapes and a longing for a family pet to love - there was much to find here and I enjoyed the journey. The composition of the elements was handled very well and the digital collage works well. I also liked the font which is a design element that can achieve a lot with a fun playful font. I really enjoyed this one.
—Ron C. Moss
The Literary Review of Canada, November 2016
Vanishing Point
the last
grain elevator
demolished
our little town sinks
further into dust
we leave
wild blanketflowers
on your grave
hoping deer will come
to keep you warm
trees stand
against the horizon
so far
and few between
but, oh, this prairie sky
the last
grain elevator
demolished
our little town sinks
further into dust
we leave
wild blanketflowers
on your grave
hoping deer will come
to keep you warm
trees stand
against the horizon
so far
and few between
but, oh, this prairie sky
Tuesday, November 08, 2016
Prune Juice, Issue 20, November 2016
in the tracks
of a dog I wish were mine
snow sparkles
your scent
as strong now as then
rosemary
dark mourning
my cousin's name
on the news
a broken hook
the faded ribbons
of her apron
This issue also contains the announcement of winners of the 2016 Jane Reichhold Memorial Haiga Competition. I received two Honourable Mentions in the Mixed Media Haiga Category, and links to these works appear in the November Issue of Failed Haiku: A Journal of English Senryu.
of a dog I wish were mine
snow sparkles
your scent
as strong now as then
rosemary
dark mourning
my cousin's name
on the news
a broken hook
the faded ribbons
of her apron
This issue also contains the announcement of winners of the 2016 Jane Reichhold Memorial Haiga Competition. I received two Honourable Mentions in the Mixed Media Haiga Category, and links to these works appear in the November Issue of Failed Haiku: A Journal of English Senryu.
Skylark, Vol. 4, Number 2, Winter 2016
a fish
falls from the sky
what magic
when eagles dance
talon-to-talon
falls from the sky
what magic
when eagles dance
talon-to-talon
Modern Haiku, Vol. 47.3, Autumn 2016
snowed in
the rounded shoulders
of my mother
emergency flares
above us the crackle
of northern lights
the rounded shoulders
of my mother
emergency flares
above us the crackle
of northern lights
Hedgerow Poems, Number 95, November 2016
Resident Artist
These haiku, without visual art, originally appeared in Blithe Spirit in 2016.
Daily Haiku, Charlotte Digregorio's Writer's Blog, November 2016
on the tundra
caging a winter sky
caribou bones
3rd Place
2014 Hortensia Anderson Awards
United Haiku and Tanka Society
caging a winter sky
caribou bones
3rd Place
2014 Hortensia Anderson Awards
United Haiku and Tanka Society
Atlas Poetica, Number 26, October 2016
inscriptions
etched on roadside cliffs
permanent
reminders of all that is
impermanent
the pain
of this invisible
disability
today, I choose to wear
a quiet cloak of strength
oceans within
unbounded skies without
somewhere between
hollow feathers and flukes
so many ways to sing
muskmelons
and golden chanterelles
even their names
linger on the palate
of my motherless tongue
etched on roadside cliffs
permanent
reminders of all that is
impermanent
the pain
of this invisible
disability
today, I choose to wear
a quiet cloak of strength
oceans within
unbounded skies without
somewhere between
hollow feathers and flukes
so many ways to sing
muskmelons
and golden chanterelles
even their names
linger on the palate
of my motherless tongue
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
KYSO Flash, Issue 6, Fall 2016
Coming Undone
She always wore the same sweater. I've kept it all these years, and I wear it whenever my memories of her start to fade. Today, the last button came off, and I put it in the sweater's frayed pocket for safekeeping. When it slipped through a hole, and dropped between the floorboards, I finally realized that she was never coming home.
heirloom quilt
sparrow prints embossed
on new snow
Second Publisher's Choice Award, KYSO Flash HTP Writing Challenge
Commentary by KF Editors:
This little button of a haibun reminds us of the set-up in "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry, in which the consumptive young woman thinks that she'll die when the last leaf falls outside her window. "Coming Undone" avoids any clever plot twists and aims directly at the heart in a spare and effective way.
She always wore the same sweater. I've kept it all these years, and I wear it whenever my memories of her start to fade. Today, the last button came off, and I put it in the sweater's frayed pocket for safekeeping. When it slipped through a hole, and dropped between the floorboards, I finally realized that she was never coming home.
heirloom quilt
sparrow prints embossed
on new snow
Second Publisher's Choice Award, KYSO Flash HTP Writing Challenge
Commentary by KF Editors:
This little button of a haibun reminds us of the set-up in "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry, in which the consumptive young woman thinks that she'll die when the last leaf falls outside her window. "Coming Undone" avoids any clever plot twists and aims directly at the heart in a spare and effective way.
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, Haiku Invitational, 2016
sakura
in the garden centre
we choose her name
Honourable Mention
Sakura Award, Canada
in the garden centre
we choose her name
Honourable Mention
Sakura Award, Canada
Inkling Press - More Grows in a Crooked Row: Tanka Conversations of Angela Leuck, 2016
More Grows in a Crooked Row is comprised of responsive tanka conversations between Angela Leuck and 15 Canadian poets.
My contribution to a tanka conversation with Angela Leuck follows:
Broken Resolutions
New Year's morn
the air hangs heavy
with ice fog
and the acrid smoke
of broken resolutions
on groundhog day
we speak of shadows
etched on snow
forgetting how we lengthen
into filaments of light
while a snow lion
roars outside our door
you tame me
with the fire in your hands
until I tremble like a lamb
a robin's trill
fades into evening
how green
the scent of longing
after the first rain
I still wear
her frayed sweater
on Mother's Day—
are we ever resigned
to being orphaned?
a perigee moon
the polished stone
at my breast
waxing and waning
with every breath
our paddles
stirring twilight
into the lake
after all these years
the stars in our eyes
four sisters
shared a bedroom
on the farm
now we harvest memories
from summer fallow fields
at the hospice
another little bird
hits the window
we'll always wonder
what father tried to say
maple leaves
and geese take flight
I, too, am restless
as autumn writes
the poetry of storms
poppies
on street corners
the wounds
we carry in our hearts
bleed into winter skies
solstice
the northern lights
shape-shift
over frozen prairie
I curl my hand into yours
My contribution to a tanka conversation with Angela Leuck follows:
Broken Resolutions
New Year's morn
the air hangs heavy
with ice fog
and the acrid smoke
of broken resolutions
on groundhog day
we speak of shadows
etched on snow
forgetting how we lengthen
into filaments of light
while a snow lion
roars outside our door
you tame me
with the fire in your hands
until I tremble like a lamb
a robin's trill
fades into evening
how green
the scent of longing
after the first rain
I still wear
her frayed sweater
on Mother's Day—
are we ever resigned
to being orphaned?
a perigee moon
the polished stone
at my breast
waxing and waning
with every breath
our paddles
stirring twilight
into the lake
after all these years
the stars in our eyes
four sisters
shared a bedroom
on the farm
now we harvest memories
from summer fallow fields
at the hospice
another little bird
hits the window
we'll always wonder
what father tried to say
maple leaves
and geese take flight
I, too, am restless
as autumn writes
the poetry of storms
poppies
on street corners
the wounds
we carry in our hearts
bleed into winter skies
solstice
the northern lights
shape-shift
over frozen prairie
I curl my hand into yours
Wild Plum, Issue 2:2, Fall & Winter 2016
caterpillar
on an oak leaf boat
i offer my hand
night fog
an owl's call fills
the spaces
on an oak leaf boat
i offer my hand
night fog
an owl's call fills
the spaces
The Bamboo Hut, Autumn 2016
believing
you were my bellwether
I followed
every footstep sinking
deeper into the mire
where are you
my fair-weather friend
have you left
for sunnier climes
grown weary of my rain
at the first
slow swell of violins
these tears
that seep into my mouth
and quench my thirst
inheriting
her jewellery chest
I wonder
about the secrets
she had yet to tell
calluses
on my fingertips
musical scars
that bleed every time
I strum our duet
at the base
of this volcano
cinnabar
our pilgrim cheeks blaze
with revelation
don't sell me
anti-ageing creams
the lines
upon this canvas
my life's masterstrokes
over time
every mountain
sinks back
into the ocean
as must we all
you were my bellwether
I followed
every footstep sinking
deeper into the mire
where are you
my fair-weather friend
have you left
for sunnier climes
grown weary of my rain
at the first
slow swell of violins
these tears
that seep into my mouth
and quench my thirst
inheriting
her jewellery chest
I wonder
about the secrets
she had yet to tell
calluses
on my fingertips
musical scars
that bleed every time
I strum our duet
at the base
of this volcano
cinnabar
our pilgrim cheeks blaze
with revelation
don't sell me
anti-ageing creams
the lines
upon this canvas
my life's masterstrokes
over time
every mountain
sinks back
into the ocean
as must we all
Presence, Number 56, October 2016
eclipse an otter dives through a ring of fire
hinterland the call and answer of wolves and moon
fallen leaves
a porcupine nibbles
the last apple
a twinkle
in the pumpkin's eye
harvest moon
Shortlisted for Best-of-Issue Award in Presence 55:
coastal trail a rainbow appears in the orca's breath
hinterland the call and answer of wolves and moon
fallen leaves
a porcupine nibbles
the last apple
a twinkle
in the pumpkin's eye
harvest moon
Shortlisted for Best-of-Issue Award in Presence 55:
coastal trail a rainbow appears in the orca's breath
NeverEnding Story, September 2016
Translated into Chinese by Chen-ou Liu
in cupped hands
the harvest moon rests
for a moment
First Place, Bangor Group 2015 Autumn Moon Haiku Contest
Chen-ou Liu's comments:
A visually stunning moment is keenly captured in Debbie's "ichibutsu shitate" (one-image/object/topic haiku).
in cupped hands
the harvest moon rests
for a moment
First Place, Bangor Group 2015 Autumn Moon Haiku Contest
Chen-ou Liu's comments:
A visually stunning moment is keenly captured in Debbie's "ichibutsu shitate" (one-image/object/topic haiku).
NeverEnding Story, August 2016
Translated into Chinese by Chen-ou Liu
migrating geese
writing cursive letters
across the sky
I finally read between
the white of your lies
Runner-up, British Haiku Society Tanka Awards, 2014-2015
Chen-ou Liu's comments:
The juxtaposition between the cyclic nature and temporal precision of bird migration and the fluctuating nature of human relationships makes this poem emotionally effective.
A fresh take on relationship tanka.
migrating geese
writing cursive letters
across the sky
I finally read between
the white of your lies
Runner-up, British Haiku Society Tanka Awards, 2014-2015
Chen-ou Liu's comments:
The juxtaposition between the cyclic nature and temporal precision of bird migration and the fluctuating nature of human relationships makes this poem emotionally effective.
A fresh take on relationship tanka.
Kokako, Number 25, September 2016
snowbound
every garden pot
a ptarmigan
crane silhouettes
i practice the kanji
for my name
our bodies
no more than stardust
we fall
from constellations
and for a moment, shine
every garden pot
a ptarmigan
crane silhouettes
i practice the kanji
for my name
our bodies
no more than stardust
we fall
from constellations
and for a moment, shine
Haiku Canada Review, Vol. 10, Number 2, October 2016
runaway (t)rain all the world a blur
orphaned cubs
mammatus clouds
after the storm
orphaned cubs
mammatus clouds
after the storm
Gusts, Number 24, Fall/Winter 2016
snow-bent
the rushes that held nests
of marsh wrens
I close my weary eyes
and turn into a song
curls of clouds
become passerines
each autumn
the low-angled light
invites me to follow
stonescapes
along the arroyo
rain-spattered
my every bone thirsty
for one last taste of you
the rushes that held nests
of marsh wrens
I close my weary eyes
and turn into a song
curls of clouds
become passerines
each autumn
the low-angled light
invites me to follow
stonescapes
along the arroyo
rain-spattered
my every bone thirsty
for one last taste of you
Creatrix Poetry and Haiku Journal, Number 34, September 2016
shelf clouds
a scare crow leans
against wind
a scare crow leans
against wind
Failed Haiku - A Journal of English Senryu, Issue 10, October 2016
Honoured to have this haiga on the cover!
Blithe Spirit, Vol. 26, Number 3, September 2016
moonstruck
the scent of night settles
in your hair
ocean waves
advance then retreat
shy lovers
teaching the shore how
to make the stones sing
odds and ends
flutter from clothes lines
songbirds
lift this mundane life
into the divine
the scent of night settles
in your hair
ocean waves
advance then retreat
shy lovers
teaching the shore how
to make the stones sing
odds and ends
flutter from clothes lines
songbirds
lift this mundane life
into the divine
Asahi Haikuist Network, September 2016
stone angels
among the ruins
a flash of stars
blues festival
stray dogs howling
at streetlights
among the ruins
a flash of stars
blues festival
stray dogs howling
at streetlights
Akitsu Quarterly, Fall 2016
a smudge
on the azure sky
day moon
orange lichen
glacial rocks bloom
with age
cloudspill
across the lowlands
muffled bells
on the azure sky
day moon
orange lichen
glacial rocks bloom
with age
cloudspill
across the lowlands
muffled bells
Friday, September 23, 2016
Friday, August 12, 2016
Mandy's Pages Annual Tanka Contest, 2016
each moment
here on earth is numbered . . .
so why not
fly too close to the moon,
and hang our hats on stars?
1st Place
Judge's Comments:
I chose this as the winner because I wanted to base my decision on originality, freshness, and authenticity. The poet's writing style is utterly captivating! The serious tone of the first two lines pivots in the phrase, "so why not." The mood that follows is somewhat childlike, evoking a sense of adventure and imagination. Isn't that how we should enjoy life? We should take risks, dream big, have fun! With the use of the s/l/s/l/l form, this tanka gives you a heartwarming ending with some dreaming space.
here on earth is numbered . . .
so why not
fly too close to the moon,
and hang our hats on stars?
1st Place
Judge's Comments:
I chose this as the winner because I wanted to base my decision on originality, freshness, and authenticity. The poet's writing style is utterly captivating! The serious tone of the first two lines pivots in the phrase, "so why not." The mood that follows is somewhat childlike, evoking a sense of adventure and imagination. Isn't that how we should enjoy life? We should take risks, dream big, have fun! With the use of the s/l/s/l/l form, this tanka gives you a heartwarming ending with some dreaming space.
—Christine L. Villa
Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum English Haiku Contest 2016
8th Contest Selected Haiku Collection
snow lantern
the fading glint
in her eyes
lavender
we pack her clothes
in silence
snow lantern
the fading glint
in her eyes
lavender
we pack her clothes
in silence
Ribbons, Volume 12, Number 2, Spring/Summer 2016
what the hands know
she sits and stares
her palms curling skyward
against her thighs
two weathered coracles
adrift, and filled with rain
disconsolate
she fillets a fishbone sky
into quadrants
the way they divided
her cancer into stages
barn swallows
scissor through thick air
until a cloud
falls through her fingers
in an epiphany
she sits and stares
her palms curling skyward
against her thighs
two weathered coracles
adrift, and filled with rain
disconsolate
she fillets a fishbone sky
into quadrants
the way they divided
her cancer into stages
barn swallows
scissor through thick air
until a cloud
falls through her fingers
in an epiphany
Gnarled Oak, Issue 9, July 2016
Honoured to have this image (without haiku) chosen for the cover of Issue 9!
Daily Haiku, Charlotte Digregorio's Writer's Blog, July 2016
in cupped hands
the harvest moon rests
for a moment
1st Place
Bangor Haiku Group
2015 Autumn Haiku Contest
the harvest moon rests
for a moment
1st Place
Bangor Haiku Group
2015 Autumn Haiku Contest
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Cattails, January 2015
spewing lava
a volcano erupts
between us
early frost
a gazing ball reflects
white roses
another egg
in the falcon's nest
rising moon
midwinter
ribbons of aurora
u n f u r l i n g
we tie up the loose ends
of our divergent lives
the goodbye
i never said
at dawn
a bull elk bugles
on the hillside
your fingers
played a symphony
in my hair
when I was a cello
and you were the bow
Tanka Editor's Choice:
A wonderful "short song" (tanka) composed by Debbie Strange from Canada, in which we not only hear the symphony played by two lovers, but where the lyrics of this write present in a musical fashion. I cannot stress enough the importance of line 2, 4, and 5 being of nearly equal length to create a melody like this author has accomplished
a volcano erupts
between us
early frost
a gazing ball reflects
white roses
another egg
in the falcon's nest
rising moon
midwinter
ribbons of aurora
u n f u r l i n g
we tie up the loose ends
of our divergent lives
the goodbye
i never said
at dawn
a bull elk bugles
on the hillside
your fingers
played a symphony
in my hair
when I was a cello
and you were the bow
Tanka Editor's Choice:
A wonderful "short song" (tanka) composed by Debbie Strange from Canada, in which we not only hear the symphony played by two lovers, but where the lyrics of this write present in a musical fashion. I cannot stress enough the importance of line 2, 4, and 5 being of nearly equal length to create a melody like this author has accomplished
—an'ya, cattails principal editor
Cattails, January 2016
dusty sky
refugees make kites
from plastic bags
bagpipes skirl
across the prairie
Dad goes home
midnight sun
will you miss me
when I'm gone
in the hills
cattle lowing between
silences
aftermath
a skunk forages
in fireweed
the dry ache
of a long goodbye
how do we
reach the other side
with the bridge washed out
Tanka Editor's Choice:
This Editor's Choice is by Debbie Strange from Canada, and it demonstrates a songlike rhythm which is pleasing to the ear and desirable in the tanka form. However I chose it not only for the melody but for its contents and its juxtaposition as well. Representative of an aching heart after a long goodbye, we are left to wonder how to reach the other side with the bridge washed out. Metaphoric in its content, leaves a reader to believe in that old saying that "love always finds a way".
—UHTS cattails tanka editor an'ya, USA
Note: This issue also contains a lovely review of Warp and Weft, Tanka Threads by an'ya which may be accessed via the book's title page of this blog.
Red Lights, Vol. 12, Number 2, June 2016
kittiwakes
wheeling the blue beyond
calling, calling
a glimpse of your face
before you slipped away
at cliff's edge
waves roiling below
I stand
eye to eye with gulls
unafraid of flight
on the shore
jellyfish sailors
stranded
my hopes deflating
with these pink balloons
wheeling the blue beyond
calling, calling
a glimpse of your face
before you slipped away
at cliff's edge
waves roiling below
I stand
eye to eye with gulls
unafraid of flight
on the shore
jellyfish sailors
stranded
my hopes deflating
with these pink balloons
Paper Wasp 22 (2), 2016
the sound of rain
millions of monarchs
taking wing
morning chill
the dark field aglow
with pumpkins
above the marsh
a swarm of gnats spins
dusk into night
millions of monarchs
taking wing
morning chill
the dark field aglow
with pumpkins
above the marsh
a swarm of gnats spins
dusk into night
NeverEnding Story, July 2016
Translated into Chinese by Chen-ou Liu
empty nest
on the for sale sign
mourning doves
Selected Haiku
2015 Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum Haiku Contest
Chen-ou Liu's comments:
Technically speaking, L1, "empty nest," provides a "scent link" (in Basho's sense of the phrase) to L3, "mourning doves." And the doves' soft, drawn-out calls effectively enhances the tone and mood of the poem.
empty nest
on the for sale sign
mourning doves
Selected Haiku
2015 Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum Haiku Contest
Chen-ou Liu's comments:
Technically speaking, L1, "empty nest," provides a "scent link" (in Basho's sense of the phrase) to L3, "mourning doves." And the doves' soft, drawn-out calls effectively enhances the tone and mood of the poem.
Hedgerow Poems, Number 85, July 2016
Resident Artist
Poems without images published as follows:
1) brass bell, September 2015
2) Frameless Sky, June 2015
3) brass bell, November 2015
4) Failed Haiku, May 2016
Daily Haiku, Charlotte Digregorio's Writer's Blog, July 2016
rocky ledge
a wolf with the moon
in its mouth
3rd Place
Irish Haiku Society
7th International Haiku Competition 2015
a wolf with the moon
in its mouth
3rd Place
Irish Haiku Society
7th International Haiku Competition 2015
Daily Haiku, Charlotte Digregorio's Writer's Blog, July 2016
stone cairns
a faded cap drifts
downriver
1st Place
HSA 2015 Harold G. Henderson Haiku Contest
Frogpond #38:3, Autumn 2015
a faded cap drifts
downriver
1st Place
HSA 2015 Harold G. Henderson Haiku Contest
Frogpond #38:3, Autumn 2015
Atlas Poetica, Number 25, July 2016
a bird gone quiet
in the tender hollow
of your throat
I miss you more than words
can say I miss you
basking seals
on the breakwater
steam rises
from our sleek bodies
into otherness
an ant
pushing the universe
up this hill
in a water droplet
I find my inner strength
prairie dawn
an exaltation of larks
on barbed wire
ancestral blood pinging
along the gravel road home
in the tender hollow
of your throat
I miss you more than words
can say I miss you
basking seals
on the breakwater
steam rises
from our sleek bodies
into otherness
an ant
pushing the universe
up this hill
in a water droplet
I find my inner strength
prairie dawn
an exaltation of larks
on barbed wire
ancestral blood pinging
along the gravel road home
Friday, July 01, 2016
World Haiku Review, June 2016
(theme eros and agape)
button moon
we undress each other
in the dark
Zatsuei Haiku of Merit
Vanguard Haiku Category
crescent moon
a scar on the curve
of your belly
Hon. Mention
Vanguard Haiku Category
fireflies
so many reasons
to shine
Hon. Mention
Shintai Haiku Category
mending fences
the scent of sagebrush
on your fingers
Hon. Mention
Shintai Haiku Category
button moon
we undress each other
in the dark
Zatsuei Haiku of Merit
Vanguard Haiku Category
crescent moon
a scar on the curve
of your belly
Hon. Mention
Vanguard Haiku Category
fireflies
so many reasons
to shine
Hon. Mention
Shintai Haiku Category
mending fences
the scent of sagebrush
on your fingers
Hon. Mention
Shintai Haiku Category
JapanTanka Poets' Society,The 8th International Tanka Festival Competition, 2016
two deep valleys
in a mountain's shadow
village children
pleading at day's end
for one more shaft of light
Certificate of Merit
Conferred by The Tanka Journal
(300 entries)
in a mountain's shadow
village children
pleading at day's end
for one more shaft of light
Certificate of Merit
Conferred by The Tanka Journal
(300 entries)
Shamrock, Number 34, June 2016
shining wind the halt and sway of evergreens
frosted dawn
crows spill across
the horizon
frosted dawn
crows spill across
the horizon
Prune Juice, Issue 19, July 2016
frogspawn
the way you wriggle
out of lies
a fox
in the hen house
your affair
blood-streaked
arms and legs flailing
we relearn
the complicated steps
of the mosquito Macarena
the way you wriggle
out of lies
a fox
in the hen house
your affair
blood-streaked
arms and legs flailing
we relearn
the complicated steps
of the mosquito Macarena
Presence, Number 55, June 2016
coastal trail a rainbow appears in the orca's breath
lambing season
swirls of fog become
a wolf pack
rising wind
a volley of ducks explodes
from the marsh
snowy owls
drifting over prairie
northern lights
lambing season
swirls of fog become
a wolf pack
rising wind
a volley of ducks explodes
from the marsh
snowy owls
drifting over prairie
northern lights
North Carolina Poetry Society, Griffin-Farlow Haiku Award, 2015
fog weaving
between fence posts
a coyote's song
Hon. Mention
Griffin-Farlow Haiku Award 2015
Pinesong, Volume 52, Awards 2016
Judge's Comments:
I awarded honorable mention to this haiku for its deft juxtaposition of senses both visual and aural. I like where this haiku led me: piano (fence post), pianist (fog) and music produced by the combination of those two images (coyote's song). Each reader's interpretation of a haiku is unique and based on the reader's own experience. Where does this haiku lead you?
between fence posts
a coyote's song
Hon. Mention
Griffin-Farlow Haiku Award 2015
Pinesong, Volume 52, Awards 2016
Judge's Comments:
I awarded honorable mention to this haiku for its deft juxtaposition of senses both visual and aural. I like where this haiku led me: piano (fence post), pianist (fog) and music produced by the combination of those two images (coyote's song). Each reader's interpretation of a haiku is unique and based on the reader's own experience. Where does this haiku lead you?
—Roberta Beary
Moonbathing, Issue 14, Spring/Summer 2016
barnacles
cling to foam-flecked rocks
e x p o s e d
at my lowest ebb
I yearn to let go
cling to foam-flecked rocks
e x p o s e d
at my lowest ebb
I yearn to let go
Hedgerow Poems, Number 82, June 2016
Resident Artist
Poems without images published as follows:
1) cattails, May 2016
2) cattails, May 2016
3) Undertow Tanka Review, Issue 7, 2015
4) The Bamboo Hut, Volume 2, Issue 1, 2014
Haiku Society of America, Harold G. Henderson Haiku Contest, 2015
stone cairns
a faded cap drifts
downriver
1st Place
2015 Harold G. Henderson Haiku Contest
a faded cap drifts
downriver
1st Place
2015 Harold G. Henderson Haiku Contest
A Splash of Water, Haiku Society of America, Members' Anthology 2015
water lily
the way you close
your hands to pray
World Haiku Association
122nd Haiga Contest 2014
the way you close
your hands to pray
World Haiku Association
122nd Haiga Contest 2014
Sailing Into The Moon, Haiku Canada Members' Anthology, 2016
merlot moon
fires burn somewhere
close tonight
Asahi Haikuist Network, November 2015
fires burn somewhere
close tonight
Asahi Haikuist Network, November 2015
Frameless Sky, Issue 4, June 2016
smudged sunrise
the length of a bittern's neck
among rushes
ever-changing
this topography
of hills and dales
our ageing bodies
fit together, still
for hovers
over sawtooth mountains
when I reach
the furthest pinnacle
will I finally see
the length of a bittern's neck
among rushes
ever-changing
this topography
of hills and dales
our ageing bodies
fit together, still
for hovers
over sawtooth mountains
when I reach
the furthest pinnacle
will I finally see
Daily Haiku, Charlotte Digregorio's Writer's Blog, December 2015
night drive . . .
a deer leaps over
the moon
Gems Anthology 2014
a deer leaps over
the moon
Gems Anthology 2014
European Haiku Society, June 2016
weathered barn
the silence of cobwebs
in moonlight
Hon. Mention
European Haiku Prize
the silence of cobwebs
in moonlight
Hon. Mention
European Haiku Prize
Thursday, June 02, 2016
Undertow Tanka Review, Issue 8, May 2016
on the verge
of here and hereafter
surely we
are not the only ones
with revenant hearts
scraps of lace
behind old windows
footfalls echo
we are bound by webs
of good intentions
of here and hereafter
surely we
are not the only ones
with revenant hearts
scraps of lace
behind old windows
footfalls echo
we are bound by webs
of good intentions
The Heron's Nest, Vol. 18, Number 2, June 2016
cloudless sky
a pelican's pouch
full of light
Editors' Choices
a pelican's pouch
full of light
Editors' Choices
The Heron's Nest, Volume 17, 2015
crab spider
a frost moon dangles
out of reach
Perseid shower
the scent of tamarack
on the campfire
evening fog
antlers ghosting through
the coulee
summer camp
children sieve the sky
for tadpoles
a frost moon dangles
out of reach
Perseid shower
the scent of tamarack
on the campfire
evening fog
antlers ghosting through
the coulee
summer camp
children sieve the sky
for tadpoles
The Cicada's Cry, A Micro-Zine of Haiku Poetry, Spring 2016
old argument
this frosty morning
ruffled feathers
this frosty morning
ruffled feathers
The Bamboo Hut, Spring 2016
even when
you came home early
blood-spattered
with glass in your hair
I never saw this coming
though my feet
have never trod upon
that fair isle
they know it better
than these dirty streets
the times
that are the hardest
give way
to those that soften
this, I tell myself
when, at last
we turn to dust and bone
my hair
an eternal waterfall
will still flow over you
rose thorns
and twists of barbed wire
you trace
my body's deep scars
until I believe
you came home early
blood-spattered
with glass in your hair
I never saw this coming
though my feet
have never trod upon
that fair isle
they know it better
than these dirty streets
the times
that are the hardest
give way
to those that soften
this, I tell myself
when, at last
we turn to dust and bone
my hair
an eternal waterfall
will still flow over you
rose thorns
and twists of barbed wire
you trace
my body's deep scars
until I believe
Skylark, Vol. 4, Number 1, Summer 2016
ease me down
into cool waters
plait my hair
with green willow roots
make of me your anchor
this is the song
of our humpback hearts
when we listen
to the ocean breathing
blood returns to water
into cool waters
plait my hair
with green willow roots
make of me your anchor
this is the song
of our humpback hearts
when we listen
to the ocean breathing
blood returns to water
Note: This issue also contains a lovely review of Warp and Weft, Tanka Threads by Jenny Ward Angyal which may be accessed via the "Books and Reviews" page of this blog.
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