flower

 muezzin's call

the scent of magnolia

enters the mosque

© Cezar Florescu

It's  amazing, the way sound can manage our moods. The cry of a baby. The loud horn of a car from an irritant driver. The alleluias from our church choirs. All of the above jolts us in different ways. Add fragrance to each and a totally new event is there for our brain to translate into feelings and responses.

I remember as a child growing up in Chaguanas Trinidad, hearing the muezzin's call. I had at that time no understanding of what it was, having been a Roman Catholic child and not schooled in the ways of other religious practices. Later as an adult the scant knowing of other's and their view and practices in God worship allowed me to  make comparisons. So immediately on reading Cezar's poem there is the parallel of church bell and the smell of incense. A reverence appeal occurs in my mind even though i do not know the a Magnolia flower, personally.

What makes this a winner. The tease to the senses, the pull of intrigue, the setting of a story being told. I think. The skill of 'toriawase' features in Cezar 's haiku of three lines fifteen syllables. A haiku lifted apart from others by his peers in this kukai.

In ' Haiku and the five senses'  it is stated that "The five main senses are some of the most important tools that we use to perceive the world...When you read a well written haiku you should be able to feel at least one or more of these senses." [Haiku and the five senses - http://dev.everydayhaiku.ca/haiku-and-the-five-senses/]

Well Done Cezar Florescu

Review by gillena cox; Founder/coordinator-Caribbean Kigo Kukai

View the full results HERE

The prompt for this kukai was flower

a mask for Christmas?

silent night

three little masked magi

watching the stars

--Cezar Florescu

The ennui that is Christmas 2020 is unbelievably sad, yet the creative hope of the determined faithful is remarkably encouraging.

So far as we await the tried and tested vaccine for dealing with this 2020 pandemic.

Our 2020 vision of hope stirs us in ways wonderful; even our decorations reflect our humourat securing victory over pathos.

The mask a physical attempt at flattening the curve in our constraint of social distancing is an icon of wisdom, so why not mask our magi figurines as we laugh in the face of this pandemic overshadow awaiting and celebrating the greater healer of all time born in a manger.

Cezar has copped the trust of fellow kukai players with this haiku of thirteen syllables.His line count remains  at 3. He draws us into a remembrance of majesty and love with a touch of new normal added to the reality of seeking and finding healing.

well done Cezar 

Review by gillena cox; Founder/coordinator-Caribbean Kigo Kukai

View the full results HERE

The prompt for this 2020 Christmas Kukai was  a mask for Christmas?

social distancing

 each bean

planted four inches apart

the wait

Mark Gilbert, UK

The first line is both engaging and intriguing. It pulls the reader into the haiku, the second gives us a clearer picture of the farm. The distance is represented as 'four inches', each bean is given four inches of earth apart to struggle, to fight for nutrition, to learn to grow on its own. The farm is a metaphor for life, similarly we are given our 'four inches of earth' on planet Earth to struggle, to fight for nutrition, a tireless but essential competition which enables us to grow on our own. The amazing aha line, 'the wait', before we all get plucked away by the harvest of death?. The haiku shows we are truly lonely in this world, we do not truly enjoy anything since we compete for them, we compete for water, housing, shelter, etc. That is why the world keeps running a dire shortage of these things... Gilbert has penned a very thoughtful haiku which he will be remembered for.

Review by Emmanuel Jessie Kalusian

The theme for this kukai was social distancing
The Results HERE

World Cup 2018

world cup final
the old couple holding
hands
.--Stella Pierides Neusaess, DE and London, UK



Maybe to a lot of us when we hear World Cup, we think: football, feet, teamshirts, roaring crowds, stadiums pavlions... yes?
To Stella the trigger is endurance and contunity and abiding love. Yes, all of which is necessary; for the next, and the next, and the next World Cup.
In her haiku, Stella attends the macro and zeros in on the micro. In the midst of it all, the hype, the joys, the disappointments, here is a couple "holding hands" [in her phrase, of a most exquisite haiku moment]
And this is what haiku is all about; what most will ignore, the haiku poet arrests.

Well Done Stella

gillena cox; Founder/coordinator-Caribbean Kigo Kukai




The prompt was 'World Cup 2018'. See the details HERE



See the full results HERE

pocket

refugee child
in his overcoat pocket
a Disneyland map
--Cezar
This haiku, written using 9 English words, just tugs at the heart in a big way. It zeros in to that place
in each and every one of us where we hold our dreams. Just like in the pocket of this child; who has no control,
no blame in his circumstances. It pokes at our vulnerability and cuddles our hope.
All this he does in, his syllables [16] held within the haiku standard. He presents in the English neoclasical
style of three lines.
For me this just whets the haiku appetite and leaves us wanting more such goodies from haijin.

Well Done Cezar

gillena cox; Founder/coordinator-Caribbean Kigo Kukai


pocket was the Kigo for this Kukai.

See Results HERE

introspection

monarch butterfly
discovering how much
I have changed
--Christina Sng, Singapore


Christina relates to us the essence of contemplation. To be in tune with self to be honest and true to self. To understand the dynamism in our being. To grow, to change, just like our natural physical bodies undergo cell growth and change, so to our consciousness must tune in to this awareness of our actions, comprehension and desires to continue, to improve, to change when needs be.
Her juxtaposition of the Monarch is excellent. A haiku moment shared par excellence.
We see a beautiful end result and we know there have been stages and phases to get there. Just as our haiku writing takes us on a journey of knowing the rules observing the masters, developing our own style and staying respectful to our beginnings. This haijin knows that she has blossomed. She understands that she has grown her haiku wings. We wish her all the best in her haiku flights.

well done Christina
gillena cox, founder/co-ordinator CKK




The prompt for this kukai was introspection

See results HERE

gift

waiting for gifts
in the beggar's hands
first snowflakes
--Cristina Apetrei Romania



This haiku is pertinent to the magic of Christmastime. When hearts are awakened in the contemplation of the birth of the Christ child, Messiah and saviour. He the greatest of all gifts given. And, his symbolic receipt of gifts as the lifting of humanity from our stable selves'.

Yes while we feast and celebrate, there are always those to whom we can extend ouselves to in giving.

One of the comments received about this haiku while in the vote and comment phase of the kukai was: "This picture is awakening our conscience. It calls to my mind the Andersen's fairy tale “The Little Match Girl”. How much so i agree, with the writer of this comment

Christina conforms to the Short Long Short line structure keeping her syllables within the 17 count, but does not rigidly hold to the [go shichi go] or 5/7/5 as the classical platform states. There is the use of fragment and phrase technique, with quite a surprise in her phrase [Lines 2&3]. We just didn't know, where she was going, after the [line 1] fragment.

WELL DONE Cristina
gillena cox, founder/co-ordinator CKK



The prompt for this kukai was gift

See the results HERE

welcome

first touch-
the way a bud welcomes
a butterfly
--Rita Odeh, Haifa/ Israel

There is a child like innocence to this scene, in Rita's haiku. We want to be lost in the flight of a dainty little butterfly
so easily tossed in the breezes and exclaim, Look! as it makes contact.

The colours are left to our imagination, we can therefore imagine our favourite flower and butterfly contact. This is such an ordinary happening, here in the Caribbean, however for those climes where there is Spring, after the Winter months, bringing back the warmth and newness, this is extraordinary, for each seasonal wait for Spring is rewarded.

The lightness of the butterfly in flight and in contact, revels in the haiku aesthetic of Karumi.

Her Line Two, extracts the essence out of this haiku moment, by her expression - "the way". She doesn't explain it; she invites us to tap into our own consciousness, to experience it, and bring to our reading, the Aha between writer and reader.

Well Done Rita!
gillena cox, founder/co-ordinator CKK



The prompt for this kukai was welcome

See the results HERE

retreat

hilltop
a monk empties his thoughts
into the rising sun
--Adjei Agyei-Baah (Ghana)

Adjei's haiku opens with a command to our attention. One word, forms the voice of this poet into grabbing our attention.
"What is it about the hilltop Adjei"? is it the shape of it, is it verdant, is it parched due to scorching hot weather? All these ideas come to play in our minds, at the sound of the poet's voice.
His haiku continues as revelation his phrase, the interest of his haiku’s fragment.

So, it’s about a monk, Okay. And even though he gives us this bit of info in his haiku phrase, he cleverly applies the Japanese aesthetic of 'ma' where enough space is left in his telling of the tale for us to still wander in our minds filling in blanks.
This monk of Adjei's, he could be on the hilltop, or standing looking at the hilltop, or even be withdrawn in his private reading space, looking at a picture of a hilltop.

What we know for sure is he, the monk, awed by the spectacle directs his thoughts to no one else but the rising sun. A lovely setting of the monk's aloneness and his commune with nature. Be he, just absorbed in reverie, or creating alone-space in a crowd.

Thank you Adjei for an awesome haiku in this the 2017 anniversary of Caribbean Kigo Kukai
Well Done
gillena cox, Founder coordinator – Caribbean Kigo Kukai


Revisit
Results of the kukai
The kukai prompt was retreat

Christmas beverages

snowflake cocoa . . .
enveloping myself
with old love letters
--Christine L. Villa, USA

The chill of winter greets us, as soft as snowflakes falling, we can settle into warm pyjamas, fluffy slippers or plain amazement like me; when, on vacation In New York, my sister called me to the front door and urged me to put my hands out, only to be caressed by, for the very first time in my life, nature's divine snowflakes.

Since my first snowflake experience is thus, when i read Chrissi's haiku, i could taste, the comforting hot chocolate, and remember the caress of nature, all at the same time. I had not yet gotten to Line Two of her haiku but i was wrapped up, warm and snug

Chrissi continue in her very evocative style, in this haiku, by wrapping herself, and us, in the process; as she smothers herself with a sense of taste, embrace, and memory What's not to love about this haiku.
I am not easily moved to tears, but, if i were one of those at Line Three, I would have certainly have had to reach for a kleenex or two.

This haiku affects our senses in a good way. We want to reach out and hug Chrissi. We want to tell her, this is what memories should be about, keeping us warm when the cold drafts of day to day, whatever the season, drift in.

Well Done Chrissi
--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator


haiku prompt Christmas beverages
revisit the results of this kukai

the music invites you in

island parade --
losing myself
in the steel drum
--Paul David Mena

Paul defines for us parameters in Line One. The scenic is left to our imagination to fill in the space. We get to add the people, colours, the sounds and the smells. Then he challenges us in Line Two with his choice of 'losing' taking us along to be absorbed with him into defined territory. In Line Three he awakens us out of our reverie with a particular sound. The music so typical and peculiar to where he has transported us. We can hear with him the music in our minds as we read and i dare say read again this charming little haiku.
He opts for a veer away from the 5-7-5, to the more modern free syllable count. So we are given this experience of his appreciation of an island event and rhythm in 3 lines each carrying four syllables

Well Done Paul

--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator

haiku prompt the music invites you in
revisit the results of this kukai

style

just enough
to dress the empty space
spider's silk
--Gabriel Sawicki, Poland

When we say style, fashion follows the trend of thought; and too, a particular way of doing or presenting. Style sets our eyes on the elegance or ambiance of surroundings and on a more personal note, what is being worn. Gabriel, however in choosing to write a haiku on this theme, looks to nature and what she has to offer. The spider becomes his muse, and she spins into his haiku sphere, the minimalistic features of dedication to space, elegance and fullness of assemblance. He weaves a tale as expertly as the spider himself, with enough nuance to catch our fancy and hold us interested.
He uses the classic three lines: Lines One and Two form his fragment, Line Three his phrase. His three syllable count of Line One is repeated in Line Three giving his haiku control in form and appearance.
The notion of wabi sabi, pertinent in this haiku. Things are as they should be. What else should spiders do, but spin. their spaces into magnificent tales of examples for us, to be ourselves and use what we are given effectively

Well done Gabriel
--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator


haiku prompt style
revisit the results of this kukai

glad tidings

Christmas lights
I put the shadows
behind me
--Anna Cates, USA


Truly this is so significant of Christmas, for the new light, who outshines all others is represented in every twinkle at Christmas. We look to that star of Bethlehem which radiates in every symbolic twinkle of lights. The new way is pointed out to us so we are wise to (like Anna) put all shadows behind.
This haiku is forceful in message and light in inspiration
A three line format of fragment and phrase ensues. Line One being her phrase. We read, and look to see what surprise follows.
Essentially a great big message in such a tiny haiku. Thank you Anna

Well done Anna
--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator

haiku prompt glad tidings
revisit the results of this kukai

dance

windy day-
the dance of a bee
deep in a bud
--Rita Odeh Haifa Israel


We are greeted with movement, for Line One presents us with a windy day. So many possibilities before we read on: hats can be blown off, umbrellas blown away, leaves in whirligig and blossoms falling; all this and more can be crammed into a day of gusts.
However, Rita zeroes in on a bee in a flower. The sweetness of its feeding, the offering of sustenance , knowing the right flower to approach. Precision, knowledge, sustenance, delight all of these issues are snapped into this little haiku, an unusual happening, a common place happening; yet, a haiku to makes us pause read and reread, and kukai players to vote to first place. This is not the conventional five seven five beat. but rather the modern day free syllabic counted haiku, which so many of us prefer to write these days.

Thanks you for this offering Rita, Well done.
-gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator




haiku prompt dance revisit the
results of this kukai


[Commentary for the February 2015, last Monthly Caribbean Kigo Kukai, Kukai #56;]

countdown to Christmas

Christmas countdown -
unsent letters to Santa
in my childhood drawer
--Arvinder Kaur, Chandigarh, India

What is the allure of this haiku? what makes it a first place winner from among twenty two others? I think the surprise of Line 3; Line one seems to be happening, very much so in present, the countdown at Christmas time is quite infectious, its there in our faces and our ears, the media makes sure we get caught up. The bargains, the discounts, the prompts the constant bombardment, to lists and gifts and giving.
Line One is our phrase, with a cutter added, so we pause. We pause, in the present scheme of the countdown.
Then, only to be dished the surprise of yesteryears , cleverly hidden in the her fragment; the era of childhood and not of womanhood as we first assumed.
A little seventeen syallable wonder which endeared the other players to her placement

Well done Arvinder

-gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator





Haiku prompt "countdown to Christmas" revisit the results for this kukai

back to school the - new term

first day of school...
a monarch butterfly
spreads its wings
-- Shloka Shankar India

Many students view school as confining and restricted, any sensible teacher carries to the classroom the cognizance of rebellion and disruption, they must be ready to handle such issues. The first day back is the point of starting all over again, hopefully renewed and refreshed.
Although this may seem to be the norm. It may not necessarily be the standard.
For Shokla the distraction on the first day back is the Monarch butterfly. Freedom and the ability to soar over oceans and the span of many skies. This beautiful gift of education is caught in the symbol of the lovely bright colourful butterfly
Shokla's haiku is presented in the short/long/short form of three lines. Using her cutter to end Line One and distinguish fragment and phrase.

Well done Sholka
--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator



Haiku prompt "back to school the - new term" revisit the results for this kukai

reflection

eraser –
my mother's mistakes
no longer mine
--Shloka Shankar, India

Shloka writes in a contemplative mood here, she is drawn to a simple writing tool which transports her in meditative phase to dwell on past, present and future generations; actions, residues, errors and solutions.This haiku intimates action while remaining in a dormant state. Her eraser filled with innate power is never set to work in the poem, not withstanding, its potential remains to fulfil the requirement of the prompt, for our fifty third kukai. This she accomplishes, mijikai style, with eleven syllables, presented in the three line form.

Well done Shloka

--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator


Haiku prompt "reflection" revisit the results for this kukai

word play

picnic -
butterflies and
flies in the butter
--john mcdonald Ediburgh Scotland

This delightful little haiku was written in response to the haiku prompt "word play" given for the fifty second kukai.
The scene is light and outdoorsy. Line One introduces with one word, a setting where so much fun can be provided: for family, for friend, for lovers. It connotes grassy green spaces, trees, food, gingham spreads, crumbs and ant trails.
Then comes - in the phrase, the care free; he introduces, butterflies. What can be more carefree than butterflies, what can be lighter and more whimsical than butterflies. However John's butterflies fly by not only for whimsy but also for wit, he catches his butterflies and offers them, trapped in butter along with some flies, adding repetition to good measure. LOL, word play indeed.
The kukai players loved this little delight into First Place.



Well done John;
--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator



Haiku prompt "word play" revisit the results for this kukai

splatter

boy in the puddle
splattering around
his own piece of sky
--Gabriel Sawicki (Poland)

The first word of Gabriel's haiku wields a breaking down effect, lifting years off the reader, reverting the reader to days of childhood. What this era held for us, is in no way debatable or questionable. Why! because as we progress to the Line 3 fragment of his haiku, we grow into his space of wonder. A puddle small enough, to contain the vastness of sky, and the child-like exclusion of everyone else. He makes this little miracle his own. This moment, he captures, he conquers, he owns. It is as large, as he wants it to be and as magical as his child's mind conjours it to be. What freedom, what magnificence, what a great haiku. The players of kukai #51 surely agrees.
Gabriel used the three line form, without placing a caesura, so the pause it left up to the reader; and a 5 - 7- 5 syllable meter is used. As well, Line1 pivots with both Line 2 and Line 3; and can therefore be read as Line1 / Line2, or as Line1 / Line3.

Well done Gabriel
--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator




The kigo was splatter

kite

kite shop -
entering with every customer
the summer breeze
--Bouwe Brouwer, The Netherlands

What could be more delightful than, a kite in the wind? Held high out our reach, our only connection a fragile string, which the mighty wind in one moody swing could dramatize who's in control and whose not. The bigness and smallness of this scene wrapped in a tag of experience.

Bouwe does not wait for the outdoor experience, but on the instinct of the haiku magician; he conjours this scene of kite haven, bringing in the star of the show 'summer breeze'. A preview, a trialer to the life of this yet un-bought side star, the kite.

I like the play of time in this haiku, the projection of the future with the image of the present wind. There were no comments with the votes for this haiku, which emerged first this time around, yet clearly chosen as the 'highest flyer'.


Well done! Bouwe
--gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/coordinator




The Kigo was kite