Judge Cor van den Heuvel (US)
10 Selections
Three Top Choices
First Choice:
202
returning geese --
dawn rises over the rim
of my coffee cup
kirsty
karkow
Maine, United States
Geese returning (or leaving) is a common
subject in haiku, and there have been many variations on this theme in both
traditional Japanese haiku and modern haiku in different languages around the
world. So, to see a new haiku that presents that theme with such an original and
startling image is a special delight. The poet has apparently been stopped in
the act of raising his or her cup by the sight and/or sound of the returning
geese. The suspended cup forms a horizon line for the poet out of which dawn
appears and outlines the figures of the geese flying across the sky.
One of the special pleasures of this poem is
that the poet does not tell us that what he or she was doing was interrupted by
the geese; rather it is suggested to us by the striking image of the sun
beginning to rise out of, or just beyond, the coffee cup. From the immediacy of
that sensory experience, we move through the moment to the realization that the
seasonal return of the geese is related to the daily routine of the poet,
represented by the morning coffee. The haiku moment's embodiment of a oneness of
human nature with Nature is carried off with both art and subtlety.
Second Choice:
346
cold winter wind . . .
the ducks appear and disappear
in the dark waves
Bruce
Ross
Alberta, Canada
This haiku reminds me of the famous haiku by
Basho, "darkening sea/ voices of the wild ducks/ are faintly white."
The obvious allusion is almost certainly an homage to the master. Though
reminiscent of the older poem, it is in no sense an imitation. Basho's haiku
uses synesthesia to mix or blend the senses of hearing and sight: the audible is
described by a visual attribute. It suggests not only that the cries of the
birds have a sound that seems white, but that the birds plumage is actually
white, or partly so.
The new haiku is much simpler than the Basho --
even plain. It is so plain that at first glance it may seem bland or even banal.
Yet, it is not. The interaction between the "cold winter wind" and the
"dark waves" is masterly represented by the appearances and
disappearances of the ducks. We get a vivid picture of the winter sea in rough
weather. This haiku is boldly cinematic in its depiction of the action that is
taking place. The coldness and fierceness of the wind are made vividly present
for us as we look for the ducks to reappear from behind or between the wildly
tossing waves.
This haiku, too, has a sound track: we hear the sounds of the wind and the
waves. But the highlights are visual. I see the ducks as partly white like those
in Basho's haiku. So we can easily catch sight of them, even from a distance,
among the dark waves. To me, an American from the northeast state of Maine, they
look like mergansers, or perhaps a group of oldsquaws. -Cor van den Heuvel
Third Choice:
127
spring morning . . .
the position of the chairs
from last night's meeting
Michael
Fessler
Kanagawa-ken,
Japan
The ordinary objects that surround us can take
on a new significance in haiku. Here, there is a strange mystery created by the
sight of a group of chairs -- perhaps common, straight-back wood chairs. The
past in the shape of the night before is somehow present the next morning in the
way that the chairs are still positioned as they were when everyone left. No one
has come in to straighten out the room and put the chairs in order. The poem
could be about any kind of meeting, but since it is in a haiku, I see the
meeting as part of an extended conference for haiku poets, such as a Haiku North
America gathering -- or perhaps one sponsored by the World Haiku Club.
The meeting had probably been one of conviviality and good feelings, conducted
in the pursuance of literary excellence, if not perfection. Despite the
inevitability of disagreements, the sharing of a common goal would, hopefully,
make even these into constructive developments for growth in both thought and
performance. In any case, whatever the outcome of the meeting -- and the revelry
or pleasant dinner that may have followed -- it, and the people who took part in
it, is again present to the poet/observer with the sight of the chairs, still
casually positioned around the conference table. Combined with the "spring
morning," this image of a moment containing both past and present
represents the hopes and aspirations of the conference attendees to fashion new
paths for their chosen artistic or literary endeavors. Paths in tune with nature
and the seasons.
Fourth Choice:
328
twilight . . .
a boy brings down
his kite
K. Ramesh
Chennai, India
Fifth Choice:
83
empty cabin --
the old sweater
hangs on a nail
DeVar Dahl
Alberta, Canada
Sixth Choice:
14
cold morning -
a petal has landed by
the morning coffee
Dimitar
Argakijev
Skopje, Macedonia
Seventh Choice:
320
paper carps
their mouths wide open
gulping the wind
Daniel Py
Paris, France
Eighth Choice:
85
paper cut --
the origami bird
flaps its wings
DeVar Dahl
Alberta, Canada
Ninth Choice:
304
cirrus clouds
the climber's rope
rubs the cliff
W.F.
Owen
California,
United States
Tenth Choice:
31
Last lap-
a falling leaf
stops me
Mario
Belaval
San
Juan, Puerto Rico
Next
read Judge Nobuyuki Yuasa's Selections
Read
more about the WHF2002 Akita
2002
Speakers
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