First
Rose Marie Stutts
flakes softly touching
his tongue and eyelashes
the student’s first snow
Second
Mary Sella
squeals of delight
drown the cry of seagulls
tiny footprints fade
Third
Mary Sella
apple pie cools
on Grandma’s kitchen table
autumn delight
Honorable Mention
Ashley Sellers
wind swirls through my hair
clouds lick the lavender sky
summertime delights
Honorable Mention
Rose Marie Stutts
riding, riding – heart flying
on a therapy horse
her smile says everything
JUDGE’S REMARKS:
The contestants employed their prescribed theme well, and indeed I found their entries a pleasure to read and quite delightful. Original, concrete imagery is a crucial element of the best haiku, and I was particularly impressed by the fresh imagery of most of the poems. Among the entries, a certain few held my attention longer than others, and while reading all the haiku several times and studying them at length, I found myself being pulled back to these few again and again. Their authors created a fine balance of nature and human nature, and the haiku continue to resonate. Congratulations to the winners and a deep bow to all the contestants for depicting meaningful experiences through haiku. — Ferris Gill