2012 Moon Viewing Haiku Contest

The following are the winners from the 2012 Moon Viewing Haiku Contest held at the Seattle Japanese Garden on 1 September 2012 for its annual Moon Viewing Festival. At the event, we read the following 28 poems, selected out of 155 submitted poems, including a remarkable bonus poem. These results were also posted to the Seattle Japanese Garden Community Blog.

Judged by Tanya McDonald and Michael Dylan Welch



First Place


Moonbeams fall

through maple leaves—

moth wings shimmer

        Frank Edwards


Second Place


moon beams stream

through the open bedroom window

I light your candle

        Kerry Campbell


Third Place


thirty-five-watt bulb

a bare moon above the sink

warm hand clasping mine

        Andrew Savage


A Special Bonus Poem


I’ll light your way

in every phase of life

my world revolves about you.

Franklin, will you marry me?

        Matthew Gatheringwater (see “A Modest Proposal” — Franklin said yes)


Additional Poems


(including one or two poems that weren’t haiku but that we couldn’t resist)


Once in a blue moon

as we sit sipping sake

I sense your longing.

        Amy Scott


Double the faces

white circles in the water

moon rising above

        Lisa Mathews


Play on, moon—

fat quarternote

on the telephone wire.

        Kelly Huffman


Don’t worry, moon

my fondue fork

doesn’t reach that far.

        Kelly Huffman


clouds

cover my view

the moon winks

        Katherine Montesino


Dad, dad . . .

Why is the moon

following me?

        Roxana Chieppe

        (a memory of 25 years before)


I see the moon

Does it see me?

I wonder!

        JoAnne Rudo


the curve of the tree

the light of the moon

I dance

        Beth Daynes


Oh, the moon so bright!

Why are you hiding from me

behind the branches?

        Laura Khotemlyansky (child)


As evening darkness falls

a cold breeze chills my bones—

Ah, the full moon!

        Steve Kirk


Is the moon full or empty

Never empty

Full of promise

        Stephanie Toliver


Too much wine . . .

two faces on the

blue moon

        Elena Naskova


yellow moon

glistens on a red fin

swish!

        John Daynes


lovely ladies

beautiful garden

I see the moon

        Bob Bamford


brightly shining

a harvest blue moon floats

at dusk

        Yoshie Hagood


Legendary rabbit on the moon

jumps onto Neal’s footprint

        Dan Kraus


fall is now afoot

watch the full moon rising

your life will not wait

        Skip Mathews


The moon shines bright upon

the midnight lake.

The boats float quietly in wait.

Wait with me and watch.

They begin to dance.

        Zoë R.


Moon on still water—

     how deep

          how deep

        John Daynes


yin and yang

under the blue moon . . .

black and white koi

        Hoffman


The golden moon

reflected on a still pond—

koi are stirring

        Frank Edwards


My heart is full of love

Because the moon is full

Or maybe . . .

        Naomi K. (age 6)


Before you rise

how can I wax poetic,

radiant moon?

        Deena Manis


What price a full moon?

Fifteen dollars, I believe

Worth every moment

        E. Wilder