Haiku Society of America Renku Awards
in Memorial of Bernard Lionel Einbond
~ ~ ~
HSA Renku Awards for 2004
Grand Prize
Soft Voices
Peggy Willis Lyles
Paul W. MacNeil
Ferris Gilli~ ~ ~
Soft Voices
soft voices
along the bedrock trail
wisps of fogPeggy Willis Lyles
looking up to a pass
where trees have turnedPaul W. MacNeil
again tonight
a vee of geese
crosses the moonFerris Gilli
the professor's peace sign
as a new course beginsPeggy Willis Lyles
both cheeks
of her jeans patched
with American flagsPaul W. MacNeil
something stirs
within the frosty briarsFerris Gilli
Monday's Special
is a hot stew loaded
with mysteryPaul W. MacNeil
what can you tell me
about this odd key?Peggy Willis Lyles
to get his way
he swears to respect her
in the morningFerris Gilli
"Urology Clinic"
at the home phone she gavePaul W. MacNeil
wild applause
while the candidate
kisses his wifePeggy Willis Lyles
another toy prize
from the sideshow monkeyFerris Gilli
summer moon
and ferris wheel
rim to rimPeggy Willis Lyles
ants have made a hill
in the garbage-truck rutFerris Gilli
I listen
beyond this cubicle
to a squeaky chairPaul W. MacNeil
blessing more wine
the priest spills a dropPeggy Willis Lyles
reluctant to sweep
azalea blossoms strewn
beneath the fenceFerris Gilli
slowly in the meltwater
a trout finds shadowPaul W. MacNeil
sundown
before the old Cajun
reels in his kitePeggy Willis Lyles
Ahh! the buxom nurse
adjusts my traction weightsPaul W. MacNeil
brief laughter
as she's carried
over the thresholdFerris Gilli
the bulge between us
kicking hardPeggy Willis Lyles
all these years apart
and still memories
of a French perfumePaul W. MacNeil
brass spittoons
in the open-air marketFerris Gilli
they pipe cobras
from wicker baskets
before a sweating crowdPeggy Willis Lyles
a stake sledgehammered
through the sewer linePaul W. MacNeil
repeating that word
will get mouths
washed out with soapFerris Gilli
grenades explode
at the barricadePeggy Willis Lyles
highlights
from the moon on pale pods
of milkweedPaul W. MacNeil
from the first oyster
a crooked pearlFerris Gilli
everyone
at the harvest dance
does the twistPaul W. MacNeil
the shoeshine man
snaps a ragPeggy Willis Lyles
thick dust covers
a homemade mirror frame
in the atticFerris Gilli
from all directions
sticky flakes of late snowPaul W. MacNeil
five white camellias
arranged
on damp mossPeggy Willis Lyles
raking a sand garden
while the day lingersFerris Gilli
~ ~ ~
First Honorable Mention
Picking Our Way
John Stevenson
Yu Chang
Hilary Tann
Paul W. MacNeil~ ~ ~
Picking Our Way
picking our way
with a flashlight
mushrooms here and thereJohn
twice around the pond
under a crescent moonYu
old-time tunes
fill an auditorium
at the State FairHilary
another neatly printed
job applicationPaul
Santas
at each entrance
to the mallJohn
more praise
for her handknit mittensHilary
a Navajo
wins the chess tournament
in KobeYu
he gets a date
despite the elder auntPaul
the tree huggers'
wedding ceremony
30 feet above groundYu
slip knots
on both bathrobesJohn
placing
a photograph
at the cloverleaf junctionHilary
Picasso's bicycle
becomes a bullPaul
hide and seek
with the moon
in the ruinsYu
"I'll drink to that"
(exeunt)Hilary
early editions
pan actors
and authorPaul
the windows
need cleaningJohn
at last
forsythia relieves
this brown expansePaul
bits of feather
cling to the nestHilary
Pope John Paul
whispers
Easter MassJohn
are you my
anesthesiologist?Yu
moving the nightstand
to align
their bedsHilary
happy to have her
finish his sentenceJohn
remembrance
of a touch given
without stringsPaul
free passes
at theice rinkYu
it takes diamonds
to polish
the facets of diamondsPaul
she emulates
her best friend's accentHilary
tourists
order fortune cookies
after dim sumYu
little pills
for my heartJohn
a cluster
of birch seeds
this moonlilght eveningHilary
mountain leaves
start to turnJohn
how cool the mug
beforethe coffee
is pouredPaul
neighborly conversation
across the fenceYu
a stack of DVDs
to be viewed
at leisureJohn
costumed dancers
for the Lunar New YearYu
children carry
blossoming branches
to classHilary
butterfly antennae
dip then straightenPaul
~ ~ ~
Second Honorable Mention
The Serpentine Road
Patrick Gallagher
Roger Abe
Ann Bendixen
donnalynn chase
Becky Davies
Anne Homan
Patricia Machmiller
Carol Steele
Alison Woolpert~ ~ ~
The Serpentine Road
slow ascent
up the serpentine road
spring sunbeamsAnn Bendixen
young cows scrimmage
on the fresh sweet grassRoger Abe
the handmade oak table
loaded down with snacks
hazy afternoonAnne Homan
he spins the globe pointing
one island among manypjm
moon behind the clouds-
I ask a question
and wait for an answerdonnalynn chase
as the days shorten
reading by candlelightCarol Steele
three red leaves
floating on the creek-
the current catches allBecky Davies
long awaited vows before
the San Francisco MayorRoger Abe
the waterbed gurgles-
sometime later we'll let
the bubbles outAnne Homan
divvying up their things
what to do with the monkeypjm
dry brush strokes
cascade down the rice paper
ancient artistAnn Bendixen
too heavy to bear
Al Gore's endorsementAlison Woolpert
Bilbao museum-
summer moonlight glints off
titaniumpjm
a sharp knife moving fast
thin cucumber slicesBecky Davies
dark energy
a theory of the universe
returns to lifeAnne Homan
pick-up sticks champion
my granddaughter wins againCarol steele
keeping watch
at the Tomb of the Unknowns-
cherry blossom rainpjm
the business trip includes
a Mardi Gras paradePatrick Gallagher
a failed smog test
and property taxes late-
returning colddonnalynn chase
did you know?
Mozart's atoms are in our eyesdonnalynn chase
he takes a shower
after feeding the chickens
one sneezed on him!Roger Abe
scarves and crosses
but not in schoolAnne Homan
the garden at night
plants forget to whisper
winter rose, winter roseRoger Abe
more than god-sized
hoarfrost crystalsAnn Bendixen
the ventriloquist
saying, "and his nose
grew longer and longer"pjm
us girls discuss a field trip
Fredericks of Hollywooddonnalynn chase
Tarzan soars
through the primordial forest
Jane's milky screamsRoger Abe
spaghetti fight
still remembering his smileBecky Davies
midnight blue skies
bright stars surround
a sliver of moonCarol Steele
salmon leap the falls
shivering with effortAnne Homan
a whirlwind of wings
envelops us-
migrating Monarchspjm
new sculpture erected
of Asian gandy dancersPatrick Gallagher
the aspiring diva
hits all the high notes
perfectlyAnne Homan
huevos rancheros
get filled and get spicedBecky Davies
spirits laugh
all along the fragrant path
of cherry blossomsRoger Abe
in silent meditation
lingering daydonnalynn chase
~ ~ ~