Translated into Hindi
Honoured to have the following haiku selected as Editor's Choice:
cloudfall
mother's face softens
into sleep
Acorn, Number 56, Spring 2026
Commentary by Teji Sethi:
This haiku achieves its subtle power through contrast. The fragment, cloudfall suggests heaviness, thunder, and the forceful descent of rain. Yet in the very next phrase, the image shifts to the mother's face, softening into sleep—a gesture of quiet tenderness.
This haiku by Debbie distills a moment into three lines, embodying the essence of haikai aesthetics. It carries karumi, the lightness that allows the verse to breathe and zoka, the vital energy of nature that makes the image striking. The interplay of a storm's intensity with the gentleness of rest, creates a layered resonance. It reminds us that even within life's turbulence, there is repose.
With this evocative haiku, we open the Monsoon Edition to our readers...
Also included in this edition:
distant slopes
turning blue at twilight
the soft folds
of this tweed blanket draped
around father's shoulders
Runner-up, The Linda Jeannette Ward Tanka Award
British Haiku Society Awards, 2025
