Hexapod Haiku - grand prize and runner-up
Grand Prize
Two million flowers
The Ten-thousand-mile harvest
Sweetens my pancake.
The Ten-thousand-mile harvest
Sweetens my pancake.
Joel Caren
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh, NC
A unanimous choice for the grand prize, this seemingly simple haiku harbors a multidimensional amalgam of imagery and emotions. Joel evokes happiness, warmth, and satisfaction with this humble ode to the honeybee. While the protagonist is never actually mentioned by name, readers immediately identify the subject of the poet's subtle accolades; the haiku is accessible, with familiar scenery. Joel invites us to his breakfast table in a ballad that travels from millions to thousands to one, transcending six orders of magnitude in only three lines - a sharp focus that incorporates elements of nature and man's interactions with nature and leaves us smiling.
Runner-up
Imomushi e
kimono o kiseru
koromo gae.
kimono o kiseru
koromo gae.
literal translation in English:
Caterpillar
gets dressed up
spring to summer clothes exchange
gets dressed up
spring to summer clothes exchange
Charlie Smith
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh, NC
Our runner-up also won our "most traditional" category. Charlie effectively incorporates classic haiku elements, seasons and nature, to deliver a delightful scene that sounds beautiful as a Japanese transliteration, without losing a step in its English translation. The poem focuses on the insect as an individual rather than someone's (often negative) interactions with individual insects. A positive, harmonious, and common image emerges from these words - a lovely read.
Yay!!! These are great. Thanks for the whole project.
Posted by Meg Bernstein on March 31, 2008 at 10:00 PM EDT #