Comments of Roberta Beary, Final Judge of the 14th PIHC
I was deeply honored to judge the 14th Polish International Haiku Contest. My thanks go to Polish Haiku Association’s Robert Kania, who issued the invitation, and Krzysztof Kokot for his role as pre-selector. The uniqueness of each of the several hundred haiku entered made judging the contest a pleasure. The collective imagination of global haiku poets manifested itself in the quality of the submissions. Choosing the winners came down to the staying power of their haiku. Was this a haiku I would read repeatedly? I awarded bonus points for overall creativity as well as the haiku’s ability to subvert the form’s usual boundaries. As the bar rose higher and higher, I chose three winners and ten commendations.
Winners:
First Prize
single-use petal
the delicate margins
of existence
Mark Gilbert, United Kingdom
I found myself returning again and again to line one of this haiku. It gives the reader much to contemplate. What is its meaning? Perhaps only one petal remains on this unspecified flower. The others have fallen. Such is a flower’s ephemeral nature. The ‘single-use petal’ of line one stands both separate and apart yet alongside lines two and three, mandating multiple readings and thoughtful effort from the reader. Each individual, based on their experience, will interpret differently the meaning of ‘the delicate margins of existence.’ I awarded 1st place to this haiku for its combination of simplicity and complexity and its thought-provoking images.
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Second Prize
boardwalk sax
branches of sea buckthorn
glossing the air
Sheila Barksdale, United Kingdom
This haiku’s seemingly simple line one combines both sight and sound. The reader immediately sees the ocean and hears the saxophone. In line two, we have an image of a shrub, sea buckthorn, linking to both line one and line three. ‘Glossing the air,’ may refer to the higher notes of the saxophone and the shiny image of sea buckthorn’s orange fruits/berries. The kigo, ‘sea buckthorn,’ also links to line one’s ‘boardwalk.’ I awarded 2nd place to this haiku because of its combination of sharp sensory images and overall musicality.
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Third Prize
Christmas dinner –
in the grandfather’s hair
all the tinsel
Mirela Brailean, Romania
The effective use of humor in haiku is rare and, when done well, deserves to be rewarded. The poet’s choice of coupling the word ‘tinsel’ and ‘grandfather’s hair’ is highly innovative. The best haiku allow the reader to complete the poem, and in this sense, I too was a guest at the Christmas dinner. Finally, each reading of this haiku brought a smile to my face.
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10 Commendations (unranked)
falling leaves —
once again I rake up
the past
Gautam Nadkarni, India
The surprise of the third line and its juxtaposition of internal and external forces makes this haiku a keeper.
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beached sunset
in the abalone shell
summer’s end
Mark Miller, Australia
Here the second line serves as a pivot, which can link to either line one or line three. The haiku’s versatility, along with its keen imagery, enhances the poem’s staying power.
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winter chill …
this lingering heat
of the ongoing war
Milan Rajkumar, India
In a frenetic time of simultaneous wars, the poet refrains from choosing a specific one. Instead, the haiku’s juxtaposition of ‘winter chill’ and ‘lingering heat’ conveys a sense of hopelessness.
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last snow
the dark spots
in her memory
Vladislav Hristov, Bulgaria
This haiku intimates the memory lapses associated with dementia without specifically mentioning the illness. Instead, the poet frames the illness in the kigo, ‘last snow,’ deftly employing the image of memory’s ‘dark spots’.
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full moon
the wolves
fall into rhythm
Eugeniusz Zacharski, Poland
The reader immediately sees the rhythmical movement of the wolves framed by the full moon. A lovely combination of images.
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capsized
in a white squall
floating leaf
Nicholas Rossler, USA
The beauty of small things is a theme often found in the haiku moment. In a series of powerful images, the poet adds another, more profound concept: surviving against the odds.
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autumn concert –
rain and wind play
an old sonata
Gordana Kurtovic, Croatia
This haiku offers a fresh take on a venerable haiku theme. Nature provides the music and reminds the poet, and perhaps the reader, of a beloved melody.
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night vigil…
listening to the rain
turning into snow
Cezar Ciobica, Romania
Line one’s ‘night vigil,’ often results in a sharpening of the senses. Portrayed in this poem, both through the use of sound and, paradoxically, its absence.
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deep autumn skies-
tearing down the ceiling
of myself
Jonathan Humphrey, USA
In this haiku, line one’s kigo stands in sharp contrast to the inner monologue of lines two and three. The poet’s unusual images invite the reader to bring their own experiences into this haiku.
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a train has arrived
the first that came to meet us
were the withered leaves
Radovan Živanović, Serbia
Although some might want to shorten this 5-7-5 haiku, I feel it works well as is, complementing both the train’s length and the passengers’ disembarkation. The kigo, ’withered leaves,’ adds a touch of wistfulness.
Respectfully submitted,
Roberta Beary
Final Judge
3 December 2024
Thanks to all 444 authors (record number) from 49 countries who have sent their haiku to the 14th Polish International Haiku Competition (2024):
Algeria (2), Australia (9), Austria (1), Bangladesh (3), (1), Belgium (3), Bosnia and Herzegovina (3), Brazil (5), Bulgaria (13), Canada (8), Columbia (1), Croatia (28), Cyprus (1), France (5), Germany (10), Hungary (2), India (30), Indonesia (1), Israel (1), Italy (19), Japan (1), Lithuania (4), Malaysia (1), Malta (1), Mongolia (1), Montenegro (3), Nepal (1), Netherlands (2), New Zealand (87), Nigeria (3), North Macedonia (1), Norway (12), Pakistan (2), Philippines (11), Poland (29), Portugal (1), Romania (25), (4), Serbia (18), Singapore (1), Slovenia (1), Spain (11), Sri Lanka (1), Switzerland (2), Trinidad and Tobago (1), Türkiye (1), Ukraine (2), United Kingdom (21), USA (50)
All the best in 2025 and welcome to the 15th Polish International Haiku Competition.
Polish Haiku Association