Haiku Society of America Rengay Award
in Honor of Garry Gay
2020
Judged by
Garry Gay and Renee Owen
Judges Commentary
2020 First Place
Left Behind
as if
she were still here
mourning dovesthe unplanted garden sprouts
volunteer sunflowersher handwriting
on the sugar canister
first hummingbirdswhat she would have wanted
dividing up
the bearded irisesbequeathed
her African Grey, her voicedandelion seeds
the weight
of her ashesby Lew Watts and Tanya McDonald
2020 Second Place
Spaces Between
woods’ edge—
birdsong
without borderssaltspray roses by the beach
wind tousles her hairremnants of a wall
mice nesting now
in crannies of thendark side of the moon
light-drawn mothsanimal shapes
formed by clouds . . .
or the spaces betweenspider’s web in the dew
drop within drop withinby Jennifer Burd, Michele Root-Bernstein, and Laszlo Slomovits
Link 1 - JB, 2 - LS, 3 - MRB, 4 - JB, 5 - LS, 6 - MRB
2020 Third Place
Translating Twilight
almost spring
a shine to the redwing’s
ready whistlea scent of stillness
day moon waningtranslating twilight
into song
sunset-chested robinwayside teasels
the scrape of dawn on darkclearing sky . . .
the salt
of stars on our tonguesechoes off the wind chimes
sunriseby Jennifer Burd, Michele Root-Bernstein, and Laszlo Slomovits
Link 1 - MRB, 2 - JB, 3 - LS, 4 - MRB, 5 - JB, 6 - LS
2020 Honorable Mentions (unranked)
Scorched Earth
first breath
the new day explodes
in smoke and fire
scorched earth
as black as coal
water bombers
where once there was
only birdsong
cresting the hill
the road ahead
wobbling with heatsuddenly darkness
descends over the townthe hidden sun
filling billows of cloud
with a lurid goldby Ron C. Moss and Simon Hanson
Honorable Mentions (unranked)
Shifting Shale
bush walk
shadows of palm fronds
lace the path . . .the fleeting brush
of your hand against minea shaft of light
on echidna quills . . .
rustle of leavescrozzled trees
the morning flecked
with birdsongbeneath our rippled soles
the scent of damp earth risingbedrock
and the shifting shale
within our lives
by Beverley George and David Terelinck
Honorable Mentions (unranked)
Still the Daylilies
the color yellow
featured on Sesame Street
forsythiafresh thistle seed
in the finch feederforget-me-nots
line the path
to the fire lookoutall the way to the horizon
and then some
Indian paintbrushdandelion clocks
fill the field with white lightall her people gone
still the daylilies
at her graveby Angela Terry and Julie Warther
Honorable Mentions (unranked)
Sunday Saunter
Armstrong Woods
our path to the old grove begins
with morning gloriesa stream swirls ‘round rocks
on its way to the seasalmon ladder
we all need a little help
to get back homeraiding raccoons
a slamming screen door
ends the pillagelong-shadowed forest
dusk scatters the remains of dayancient memories
coming and going
a cricket’s soft chirpby John Thompson and Michael Sheffield