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
Moonbeams fall
through maple leaves—
moth wings shimmer
Frank Edwards
moon beams stream
through the open bedroom window
I light your candle
Kerry Campbell
thirty-five-watt bulb
a bare moon above the sink
warm hand clasping mine
Andrew Savage
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)
(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