by Sandra Simpson

The following poem won first honorable mention in the 2017 Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Awards, sponsored by The Heron’s Nest. The judge was Sandra Simpson, who wrote the following commentary. First published on The Heron’s Nest website, summer 2017, and also published in the printed anthology, The Heron’s Nest, #19, 2017, page 10.

        dappled sun—
        the carousel stops
        on a high note

                Michael Dylan Welch
                Sammamish, Washington

An appealing main image—who doesn’t like riding a carousel whether they’re seven or seventy-seven? And so nice to read a haiku full of hope and optimism! Subtle use of the seasonal reference and a lingering musical note in the air also commend this to me. Charming.