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The SECOND New Year's Eve & New Year's Day
World-wide Double Kukai 2001/2002

 

The Three Top Winners
First Place the odyssey of 2001 draws nigh Jupiter's bright glow	Second Place fast asleep . . . the old dog ends his year with flatulence an'ya Prineville, Oregon, USA
2nd version (1st Place) odyssey 2001 draws to a close Jupiter's bright glow soji Fredericksburg, VA, USA	Third Place gasp goes up from the waiting crowd first sunrise Carmen Sterba Kamakura, Japan
Seven Honourable Mentions (in no particular order)
rain! the heavens weep for all the lost souls Betty Kaplan Aventura, Florida, USA	two thousand and two - hamburger up a quarter rent thirty-five bucks art (Arthur Griesel) USA
her trembling hand plucking the last leaf of the old calendar Sonia Cristina Coman Constantza, Romania	new year's fog lifting . . . a submarine surfaces in the shipping lane Christopher Herold Washington, US
I hang up the phone one long lonely moment - New Year's Eve Marylouise Knight Omaha, NE, USA	The departing year- no desire to cling to it, or to much else. Dennis Dutton Fontana, CA, USA
new year day last year in Texas this year in Arizona Naomi Y. Brown Sun City West, AZ, USA
Haiku of Special Merit (in no particular order)

Zagreb New Year - from the mountain the tension before the fireworks Visnja McMaster Zagreb, Croatia	departing year - even in sleep, the slow tumbling of towers John Wisdom Sarasota Florida, USA
last day of the year a child's 'touchable bubbles' cling to my hair Maria Steyn Johannesburg, South Africa	the dishwasher rumbles - hiss of another top leaving the bottle Kevin Ryan Charnwood UK
new year's day - another cork hits the moon Kevin Ryan Loughborough, UK	New Year the cat turns and settles again Linda Robeck Amesbury, MA, USA
who, who, whooo asks the owl, and the New Year says ................"its me!" peigi ann sway US	rain storm yet raccoons come for holiday left-overs \o/ Jane Reichhold Gualala, CA, USA
first light - right now, the magic of an ordinary day Carol Raisfeld Atlantic Beach, NY, USA	Nothing left but the sound of rain; holiday's end. Kit Baskind Pensacola, FL, USA
year's end tying my son's shoelaces for the last time paul conneally Loughborough, UK	This house visited by no one any more - long winter days Sasa Vazic Belgrade, Yugoslavia
..seeing her sledge...set off on its own a young girl shrieks...for joy John Carley Rossendale, Lancashire, UK	writing new year haiku~ the laundry dries itself; in the basket bin (Benita H. Kape) Gisborne, New Zealand
never in darkness ground zero lights the night New Year's Eve Carol Raisfeld Atlantic Beach, NY, USA	stroke of midnight the blast of foghorns along the coast Carmen Sterba Kamakura, Japan
christmas tree down decorations removed black eyed peas eaten Carol Sircoulomb Wichita, Kansas, USA	new year approaching - on my table still his last New Year's card Alenka Zorman Ljubljana, Slovenia
another year of war the old and young cry, bleed and die Carmel C. Lively Burlington, IA, USA	outside my window last week's footprints last week's snow Hugh Waterhouse Sheffield, UK
Slicing radishes-- will next year's end also see me alone? Dennis Dutton Fontana, CA, USA	new year gathering my eyes rest on the one empty chair Sheila Windsor Stourport On Severn, Worcs, UK
as I sleep the new year creeps in Maleti (Mary Lee McClure) Kokomo, Indiana, USA	we sign it today another 30 yr. mortgage one one zero two Nicholaes Roosevelt Storrs, Ct., USA
New Year's Eve fresh edges on my ice skates Linda Robeck Amesbury, MA, USA	year-end cleaning shifting around old things to new places Carmen Sterba Kamakura, Japan
nearing midnight I'll wake my wife now to greet the new year Victor P. Gendrano Carson, CA, USA	new years eve trying to quiet my talking watch Lynne A Steel Hillsboro Beach, Florida, USA
Holiday flu toast crumbs accumulate on the bed sheets Carmel C. Lively Burlington, IA, USA	shivering - between the fireworks distant bells Bob Talbot UK
morning light a new shoot on the amaryllis Linda Robeck Amesbury, MA, USA	first morning - in washed wine glasses the sunshine Alenka Zorman Ljubljana, Slovenia
cypress cut down blackbirds circling the emptiness Naomi Y. Brown Sun City West, AZ, USA	a new year begins steam over the sewage works caught in the moonlight paul conneally Loughborough, UK
New Year's Eve the last load of laundry on the DRY cycle Linda Robeck Amesbury, MA, USA

 

Commentary:

Dear Participants and Spectators,

What an amazing Double Kukai it has turned out to be! Haven't you all been so good and splendid? I thank you all for being such active participants and spectators (if there were any who chose not to take part in this friendly kukai but just observe). Last year's Inaugural Double Kukai was a great success. This second one is a sensation!

It is almost a criminal act for anyone to even attempt at selecting or judging such delightful haiku poems which were submitted to celebrate and to show goodwill. It would be against the spirit of the Double Kukai. However, since this has become a custom and since I have already promised it, may I humbly show you what I have chosen (which has proved a very difficult job)?

Haiku for celebration such as the New Year's Day or weddings are usually said to be difficult to write because most people would think of similar and obvious lines and there would not be much to write about except for some bland remarks of celebration and praise. Contrary to this, in our Double Kukai, there were so many excellent haiku covering so many different themes, many quite sombre, and having so many different tones and colours.

They are so good that I would like to make some cursory comments.

A brilliant poem was created by soji, which is not only remarkable for dealing with a theme originating in the ancient time but also for pointing to a viable direction in which haiku can develop in the new century, making the most of a fortunate astronomical phenomenon of Jupiter coming closest to our planet.

an'ya gave us welcome reassurance that Issa-like haiku is possible not only in modern time but also in non-Japanese languages and cultures. The stance of indifference or detachment as well as the wonderful sense of humour displayed in her haiku constitute a significant part of "haiku-no-kokoro" (so-called haiku spirit). This does not mean that an'ya consciously tried to compose a Issa-like haiku. Most probably she didn't. It's in her blood and in her system. It cannot but come out.

The way the Japanese welcome the New Year in is quite a thing to watch, especially the whole emotion they invest in waiting and welcoming the "hatsu-hi no de" (the first sun-rise of the New Year). It is hard for me to described all the feelings, including religious, atmosphere, meanings and importance attached to "hatsu-hi no de". Well, Carmen Sterba has done it. One read of her haiku, and I was away (I mean I was right there watching the first sun-rise). There was another very Japanese-sounding haiku poem offered by Carmen who however, I can assure you, hasn't gone native.

Just to talk about some more good haiku: -

I don't know how many bottles of Champagne Kevin Ryan opened, even after the celebration meals were over! Delicate sensibility displayed even during the festive season by Sonia Cristina Coman, Constantza, Romania. Loneliness and sadness which were not shrugged off by the bubble of wines or toso in the haiku by some. Deep sorrow and spiritual injuries under the dark shadow of September 11 were shared by many. Human souls never forget tragedy in the midst of merriment.

Such mundane items as rent or the price of hamburger placed against the solemnity and extravagance of the festive season assume ironical significance as art shows. Christopher Herold's classic beauty expressed in his familiar environment of the sea and waves but with a sinister invention of man, a submarine. Seemingly more confused, less enlightened and more vexed by "shigarami" (human bondage, attachment) than a non-Zen laymen, Dennis Dutton had a go at not a few haiku of lament or self-mockery.

Vastness of Buson's world is reproduced in America by Naomi Y. Brown. Naomi also showed a haiku having Zen depth but without having anything to do with Zen. Life, youth and freshness expressed by Maria Steyn, Linda Robeck and others. Indifference of animals defying human sentimentality or anthropomorphosis so skilfully and nonchalantly depicted, as I have already mentioned, by an'ya or Linda Robeck. Human indifference of a mature kind was given almost in a sleepy whisper by Maleti. Childlike sense of humour a la Issa was displayed by peigi ann sway but in a very Western way.

The sense of anti-climax verging on disillusionment or futility was depicted in the sound of rain haiku by kit (Christopher Baskind) somehow without falling into clichés and also by other poets including Carol Sircoulomb. A picture of peace and tranquillity found, even for a short while, was painted by Victor Gendrano who, to my mind, is an earnest but troubled observer of social and political ills of our time. Existentialist tension and anxiety felt by Visnja McMaster is present in many of her fine poems and she has shown us one in this Double Kukai.

Well, I think I have wetted your appetite enough. Here are the results. The three winners will receive a token prize, i.e. one copy to choose from the choice of Masaoka Shiki by Janine Beichman, Twayne Publishers (hard-cover, worth £ 50), The Haiku Anthology, ed. By Cor van den Heuvel (the latest edition, hard-cover, whatever it's worth at different outlets), KNOTS - The Anthology of South-Eastern European Haiku Poetry, ed by Dimitar Anakiev and Jim Kacian, Kyoshi - A Haiku Master - Father of Modern Japanese Haiku, by myself (Susumu Takiguchi) or Twaddle of An Oxonian, The - Haiku Poems & Essays, by myself (Susumu Takiguchi).

The winners, will you please e-mail me giving me your preferences of your prize (first, second and third choice) and your postal address where I can send your prize? If your preferences clash, higher winners will be given the first refusal.

Supplement to the announcement of The SECOND New Year's Eve & New Year's Day World-wide Double Kukai 2001/2002 RESULTS

Since the announcement, I have examined a revised version which soji-san wrote of the first prize winning haiku, and find it very good also. Therefore, I have decided to attach it to the winning poem, recognising its worth and merit. I have also expanded my comment taking this measure into consideration. So, the revised part of the announcement goes as follows: -

1  First Place

the odyssey
of 2001 draws nigh
Jupiter's bright glow

also its revised version is hereby noted as having the same worth and merit as the winning haiku:

odyssey 2001
draws to a close
Jupiter's bright glow

soji
Fredericksburg, VA, USA

Comment:

A brilliant poem was created by soji, which is not only remarkable for dealing with a theme originating in the ancient time but also for pointing to a viable direction in which haiku can develop in the new century, making the most of a fortunate astronomical phenomenon of Jupiter coming closest to our planet. The first prize goes to this haiku.

He also submitted a version of it. The two poems are both fine works, partly in the same way and partly in a different way. Both tell me the same profound story and have the same impact. The differences are that the revision is more compact, to the point and closer to the poet's usual minimalist style. In terms of the sequence of event, the odyssey is closer to the end or at the end itself in the revised version while it seems still slightly away in the original version. I like the poetic and old English "nigh" which gives the haiku a timeless feel and something beyond the smallness of us mortals.

Of course, soji-san had the haiku to allude, in his words, "to current events, all that has happened this year, including the nearness of Jupiter, and to the movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey". The image of "the planes", the sound of the Twin Towers collapsing, the war which has followed, the whole uncertainty we have all been pushed into, have the dimension which goes far beyond our usual limited vision and comprehension. Without pontificating, or becoming desperate, or surrendering to celestial laws, soji's haiku sums up our predicament and our sentiment toward it, with a light of hope in the shape of a timely approach of Jupiter to the closest point to Earth. These current happenings and those ancient happenings, both of which share the same flowing river of history, are present in our conscience, in our world and in the universe in the sense that they are timeless and universal. Homer is there as well as Basho, Buson, finest of astronomers and astrologists, evil as well as good, war as well as peace, terrorists as well as freedom-fighters and destruction as well as construction.

Kengin,

Susumu

 

See Last Years' Double Kukai:

1. Haiku

2. Haibun

3. Photo-Haiku

 

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