footsteps

the sound
of my own footsteps . . .
winter dawn
--Bill Kenney


The hush is deafening as a backdrop to Bill's footsteps. It's a cold dawn, perhaps, even a white snowed-in dawn. Line 3 brings the resonance of a lonesomeness pre-empted in Line 2. And Line 1 certainly breaks into that silence in a crisp neat way. No clutter, no excesses, just enough appeal to the reader's audible sense to want to find out more.
Where? what? are two of the first questions to come to mind on reading the opening line before the eye scans the complete poem.
In a sumie mood Bill swabs the edge of night into a lightening greyness

Well Done Bill


gillena cox
Caribbean Kigo Kukai - founder/co ordinator



the kigo was footsteps

Christmas tree

Christmas tree -
every year a little higher
her paper angel
--Bouwe Brouwer, The Netherlands

Tradition, continuance, growth, seasons, changes, all these dynamic elements; are constrained here in Bouwe's haiku; as he shares with us the story of a growing child within a culture of Christmas. The simple icon of delight and happiness, the Christmas tree, resonates for us innocence, this delight. What does every child care about most at Christmas time? receiving presents; translated in the language of innocence, this means love. Juxtaposed on another level the gift of His Son to the world brings us joy; the very reason for the celebration; the receipt of a gift by the world; a child, who will mature in our hearts, as Saviour and Reedemer as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to rejoice in the heavens with all the angels and present us with the hope of eternal life.

Thank you Bouwe for the CKK year end 2011 - haiku of Joy; well done

--gillena cox
Founder/coordinator; Caribbean Kigo Kukai



The kigo was Christmas tree

bamboo

morning cleaning -
the bamboo shadows
sweep the stairs
----Jacek Margolak; POLAND


The resonance in this haiku is subtle and savoury. One can see the shadows, the wind moving the leaves and feel the companionship with nature that Jacek experiences on this particular morning.
Cleaning on a morning, adds a freshness of perspective, it brings a newness, like the new day; to life and being. Almost like sweeping away what you desire from yesterday, making a clear path for the provisions of today, He sweeps and observes a reptition not of himself, but of all of creation in the process of morning's newness; as mimicked in the strong silent resilient bamboo, whose leaves yield to the breeze of newness. Just so, he procures a ritual of apprehending, continuance, and an almost thanksgiving gesture, that he might receive more. He makes space for the day's occurance.
Jaceks bamboo remains in the shadows, as the day ahead is; unknown, a short distant future, an yet unfolded existence; which exposes a mere glimpse, a maybe, of plans already in the mind, not yet realised, not yet brought to light.
A haiku chuck full of appeal to the senses, devoid of clutter, presented in twelve syllables.

Well done Jacek

--gillena cox
Founder/coordinator; Caribbean Kigo Kukai



The kigo was bamboo

mud

The tempest…
white fallen plum petals
in the mud
--Magdalena Dale, Romania

This haiku has a fierce opening. It grabs the attention of readers and forces us to witness a happening of strong ferocious winds. In our mind's eyes, we see oh so much; even if we have never experienced such a force of nature, present day exposure of such occurences, have been media fed to us. Therefore our minds can rove through the collection of real or virtual experiences, enough so that we can wander and be lost.
However there is a stark reality of white fallen blossoms in Line Two; which quickly reels us back into Magdalena's haiku, with the precision and detail of flowers - white, and small and from a particular bough.
And we are now placed in a real situation of pity for these tiny fragile petals squashed in the squelch of thick viscous mud; hapless, soiled, captured. We lean to, in our poets soul, that place that we have sometimes found ourselves in; when we have been overwhelmed, trapped, and muddled; but, we are not plum blossoms.
Magdalena acheives her rending, in twelve syllables; a dramatic fragment to introduce and infuse us into an empathy drawing instance. The contrasts in colours and textures are sharp. Her tone is no nonsense and curt. Her story is credible and well crafted


Well done Magdalena


gillena cox
Founder/coordinator; Caribbean Kigo Kukai



The kigo was mud

sand

footprints in the sand
her toes digging deeper
where he kissed her
--John McDonald, Scotland


The romance celebrated in this haiku, is not without its impressions of passion and intensity; to such a degree in a three line poem, within the constraints of seventeen syllables; incredible. Line two, presents a remarkable scenario; of this happening and structurally, it works as a well placed pivot. This is the stuff that most editors crave for their haiku journals. It conforms to well understood haiku standards, but is by no means boring. On the contrary, this delightful piece, is all show, not just narrative. Look there it is, as we savor, as they did, that moment, capsuled in the sand. Its by no means a frieze however, we do pick up the nuances of differing heights of the personnae, and as well, there is enough subtle movement within for our reading eyes to read and return to read again, absorbed in the use of the 'ing' form of the verb 'digging' with the intruigue of a kire to follower - 'deeper'. To draw us even moreso into the scene.
Three lines and fifteen syllables sketches for us a romantic kiss on the beach sands

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




the kigo was sand

rice

planting rice
the child on her back
soothed by song
--Marleen Hulst; The Netherlands


Those who commented on this haiku zeroed in on the basic uppermost theme of bonding; and i too, am swayed by this relationship spell of the unstated but presumed mother child companionship in the rice field; the setting presents the hope of nourishment; sustenance and furtherance to that love bond; we are taken further on the strains of her song to hungers sated not only for this child but to a world which will also be fed because of her back bent in supplication to the palate of so many, unawares of a meal first created in a song of love
She uses no kireji; her two images are clear and concise; the juxtaposition, stands on its own measure, of the progression of Marleen's direction of this scene. There is no surprise, there is no intrigue, only an esoteric binding cord; working hands, bent back, and care giving; crafted into a haiku, the likes of which the group nominated winner

Well done Marleen

--gillena cox
coordinator; Caribbean Kigo Kukai



the kigo was rice

tuxedo

tuxedo
wedding anniversary -
mom asks me to put on
my father's tuxedo
--Cezar F.Ciobîca, Romania

I ask myself, after reading and rereading this haiku, why did so many people like it, and why did it emerge winner in this kukai ? Every time i read it i summized a new interpretation; a new set of answers to questions of the activity inside the poem. Three characters are presented, two of them in the foreground and one in the background. The direct conversation between 'mom' and the poem's persona is related to us after the fact, but it features prominently in the setting; yet it is unclear to us what really is the request; is it to clothe the father who is unable to dress himself? Is it that the persona should wear the tuxedo of his father on a particular wedding anniversary, since it will fit him well. And if so does it intimate to readers the likeness of father and son

Who will be wearing the tuxedo? are all characters present day? these are some of the questions which lend itself to the intrigue in Cezar's haiku, a chiaroscuro of character and request in a wedding anniversary canvas

Well done Cezar

--gillena cox
coordinator; Caribbean Kigo Kukai




The kigo was tuxedo