Sunday, December 27, 2020

Akita International Haiku Network, 9th Akita International Haiku Contest, 2020

My thanks to judges, Ben Grafström, Hidenoru Hiruta, and David McMurray for awarding the following haiku on the theme of "Time/Temporality":


blue nemophila
I still miss the little things
about my sister

Winning Haiku
9th Akita International Haiku Contest (English Section-Open) 

(there were 241 contest entries)


Note:

The Japanese hillsides near the sea are carpeted with little blue nemophila in the spring. I have also grown the white and purple varieties, but in this case, I wanted to convey the colour of my late sister's eyes. To write in the 5/7/5 format (contest requirements) without using excess words, is a challenge I enjoy. I'm also happy if I'm able to incorporate a pivot line, offering a bit of ambiguity for the reader to ponder and interpret in their own way. When read with line one, "I still miss the little things", might mean that the writer regrets not noticing small, everyday joys. When read with line two, the meaning might be taken more literally. 


2 comments:

  1. Congratulations Debbie on the memorable haiku. That one word nemophila contains so much. What a perfect choice for the little things you miss about your sister.

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  2. Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Jo!

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