f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

.. Every month, HaikuWorld hosts The Shiki Monthly Kukai — a peer reviewed poetry contest open to everyone (full details here). The Shiki folks pick two topics each month and “An anonymous list [of the sumbitted poems] is then distributed to all participating poets and they are invited to vote.” The results are then tallied and posted at the Shiki Kukai website, which has more than a decade of prior kukai topics and results in its archives.

Each month, several of f/k/a’s haiku friends participate in the Shiki Kukai. Here are topics and resulting poems by a few of our Honored Guest Poet friends, from the past few months. As you’ll see, even poems that weren’t top three monthly winners are worth sharing:

Shiki Kukai: Current Results; July 2008: Kigo Theme: Firefly; Free Format Theme: Documents

first firefly
the electrician shuts
his toolbox

… by ed markowski – Shiki Kukai (2nd Place, Kigo; July 2008)

on the fridge
the to do list
you left me

… . by Roberta Beary – Shiki Kukai (2nd Place, Free Format, July 2008)

firefly
my attention span
shortens

……. by tom painting – Shiki Kukai (July 2008)

will writing . . .
a lawn mower
strikes a rock

…… by Alice Frampton – Shiki Kukai (July 2008)

out of work
the framed diplomas
collecting dust

…… by ed markowski – Shiki Kukai (July 2008)

–Shiki Kukai – June 2008: Kigo Theme: Sand; Free Format Theme: Secrets

play therapy
the jump rope
in knots

…. by tom painting – Shiki Kukai (1st Place, Free Format Theme, June 2008)

Shiki Kukai – May 2008: Kigo Theme: lilies; Free Format Theme: Musical Instruments

midsummer
the scent of lily
outlasts the day
….. by tom painting – Shiki Kukai (May 2008)

into the lily sunlight
out of the lily an ant

…… by w. f. owen – Shiki Kukai (May 2008)

calla lilies —
a young bride changes
out of her dress

…………. by DeVar Dahl – Shiki Kukai (May 2008)

Shiki Kukai: April 2008: Kigo Theme: Herb; Free Format Theme: Rust

exploring a new trail wild mint at the end

… by w. f. owen – Shiki Kukai (April 2008)

wild mint
a real estate agent praises
the shopping

…. by ed markowski – Shiki Kukai (April 2008)

fresh mint
at midnight —
first trimester

…. by Roberta Beary – Shiki Kukai (April 2008)

self sown
dill escapes
his ex-wife’s garden

…. by tom painting – – Shiki Kukai (April 2008)

where the barn’s tin roof
rusted through
Mars

… by ed markowski – Shiki Kukai (3rd Place, April 2008)

nursing home visit —
same rust stain
in the sink

…. by Roberta Beary – Shiki Kukai (April 2008)

the neighbors
still don’t speak
rust on the chain

… by DeVar Dahl – Shiki Kukai (April 2008)

deep rust
on the letter opener
hunter’s moon

… by Alice Frampton – Shiki Kukai (April 2008)

p.s.  It’s not exactly a contest, but Blawg Review #171, hosted by The IP ADR Blog and presented by Victoria Pynchon, does revolve around “aha moments” and creative sparks, as it catalogs the best posting over the past week at law(yer)-related weblogs.