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Transit poster as seen on Translink buses and skytrains.
2007 Best Haiku
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street hockey
young boys shoot cherry petals
into the net
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cherry blossoms
in every upturned face
a child’s eyes
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2007 Best International Poem
cherry blossoms
just a little piece
of blue sky
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glistening on
the field’s dew
cherry blossom light
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2007 Sakura Award Winners
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the way she sings
when no one is listening—
cherry blossom dusk
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stolen kiss
the whisper
of cherry blossoms
Nanoose Bay, British Columbia
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cherry blossom
his HIV test
negative
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starlight
above the outhouse
first blossoms
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
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just for a moment
under the cherry blossom
she looks much younger
Burnaby, British Columbia
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sakura . . .
the taste of chilled wine
from a clay cup
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the wiggle
of a bee’s behind—
cherry blossom
Salmon Arm, British Columbia
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an old white cat
climbs up the cherry tree
moonlit blossoms
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cherry petals
a child adds a handful
to the busker’s cap
Port Townsend, Washington
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first date
his face the color
of the cherry blossom
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the beaver’s tail
strikes bright water—
cherry blossoms
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cherry petals
pressed against the window
the cat’s pink nose
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seeking a poem—
I open my book and find
a cherry blossom
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scent of cherry blossom
the tree moves
ever so faintly
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Cherry petal shower—
the kindergarten children
turn their palms up.
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cherry blossoms—
with my daughter in my arms
I am weightless
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silence between us . . .
cherry petals
in flight
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sunset
blossom on the cherry tree
grows pinker
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memorial garden
your perfume
among the weeping cherries
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the sky fades—
through the blossoming cherries
first stars
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pink receiving blankets
stacked in the corner
budding cherry
Lake Forest Park, Washington
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blossom-viewing
the father awaits news
of his firstborn
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blossoms . . .
a lover’s whisper fades
into fragrance
-
I shed my sweater
buds on the cherry tree
opening
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2007 Honourable Mentions
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as though it were
the first time—
cherry blossoms
-
cherry blossoms—
my Japanese student
calls home
Vancouver, British Columbia
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the sound of nothing . . .
all around pink blossoms
softly fall
North Vancouver, British Columbia
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being lost
among cherry blossoms—
white butterfly
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cherry blossoms
a taste of the wine
on her lips
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blossom viewing—
mother shrinks deeper
into her shawl
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daughter’s first spring:
her flushed cheek
a cherry petal
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50th reunion
we gather
under cherry blossom
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cold sidewalk
cherry blossoms
warm my steps
Gibsons, British Columbia
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my baby’s hand:
still too like a blossom
to catch one
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
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solitude—
moving still deeper
into cherry haze
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delicate dance—
blossoms flirt
in Âľ time
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spring drizzle—
the scent
of cherry blossoms
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driving slowly
under drifts of blossoms
the longer route
Burnaby, British Columbia
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even
during war
the cherry blossoms
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hide and seek—
cherry petals frosting
their shoulders
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wedding bell ringing . . .
cherry blossoms pave the way
to the church steps
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temple bells
the petals blowing
from the cherry trees
Port Moody, British Columbia
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the sudden flight
of a flock of small birds . . .
falling blossoms
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abandoned farmhouse—
the orchard still fills
with cherry blossoms
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cherry tree
the quiet lady
with purple hair
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Cherry blossoms—
out of the color
of snow.
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old people’s home—
cherry blossom petals
on the doormat
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cherry tree—
young girls pick blossoms
for their hair
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cherry blossoms
in his shopping cart
recycling cans
Burnaby, British Columbia
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blossom rain—
she sweeps the front steps
in her Sunday best
San Francisco, California
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sky-writer—
letters dissolving
over cherry blossoms
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third day of blossom . . .
the old woman carries
a handful of petals
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cherry tree
shedding off petals at dusk—
moths in flight
Vancouver, British Columbia
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spring wind . . .
the deserted café’s seats
filled with cherry petals
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Cherry tree begins to bud
I hold the envelope
with test results.
Nanaimo, British Columbia
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between snowfalls:
the moon through
cherry blossom petals
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Early blossom,
ten thousand
cellphones
flash
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barefoot romp
in cherry blossom petals
a schoolgirl’s blush
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bending them down
because we can’t help it
cherry blossoms
-
for the road hockey players
a pink carpet
of cherry blossoms
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castle garden
under the cherry
a moat of pink blossom
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long walk
today again
cherry blossoms
Burnaby, British Columbia
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cherry blossoms—
the boulevard glows
in the dark
Mission, British Columbia
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The meadowlark sings
I pause in the avenue
of cherry blossoms
Burnaby, British Columbia
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cherry petals
drifting . . .
I open my hands
-
buds on the old cherry tree
I say yes
. . . again
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2007 Youth Sakura Award Winners
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2007 Youth Honourable Mentions
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A walk in the meadow
blossoms blossoming
falling calmly
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your tender lips
like a cherry blossom bud—
i want to kiss
Vancouver British Columbia
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A walk in the meadow
blossoms blossoming
falling calmly
-
your tender lips
like a cherry blossom bud—
i want to kiss
Vancouver British Columbia
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Cherry blossoms float
soft through the air, and rosy
in my dish of water
Vancouver, British Columbia
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In the Spring the flowers sway in the wind.
The sky hides behind
The pink and white blossoms
Vancouver, British Columbia
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The wind is blowing
Cherry blossoms on my shoes
Covering the stains
North Saanich, British Columbia
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sleeping—
in my dreams
cherry blossoms
Vancouver, British Columbia
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piñata
in the cherry tree
scattering pink lollipops
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as though I had missed
all other clues,
cherry blossoms
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
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I am on my way
Up a tree
So pink cherry blossoms fall on me
Vancouver, British Columbia
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I await July—
cherry blossoms
eliminate my longing
Vancouver, British Columbia
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garden gnome
frozen in rapture
blossoms fall
Vancouver, British Columbia
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a homeless man walks
underneath a cherry tree
smiling as he walks
Victoria, British Columbia
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fuchsia sky—
under the cherry trees
blossoms
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Cherry blossoms—
So little color
so much beauty
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snow
gently falling
with the cherry blossoms
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Pink petals fall
gently onto a newborn’s face—
Blossom again!
Vancouver, British Columbia
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Recess at school
We run out to play while
Cherry blossoms fall
North Vancouver, British Columbia
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The open ground
cherry blossoms
turn it pale pink
Vancouver, British Columbia
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2007 Judges' Comments
For the past two years, we have used a haiku by the Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) to capture the spirit of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival:
under the tree
in the soup, salad, and everywhere—
cherry blossoms
We chose this haiku to emphasize the fun of cherry-blossom viewing, but we were also attracted by the fresh perspective that Basho brought to his subject. He did not try to glorify the beauty of the cherry tree, nor did he wring a moral lesson from the blossoms. Instead, he enjoyed the blossoms for what they were – a delightful nuisance – and wrote about what was in front of his eyes. By staying faithful to his experience, he created a haiku that inspires us to this day.
The poets who submitted haiku to the 2007 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Haiku Invitational brought their own fresh perspectives to the cherry blossom. We were again delighted by the creativity of the poets who submitted. Over a thousand poets from around the world (including more than 700 from across Canada) sent us their haiku. We received submissions from 32 countries in total, including Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Russia, Turkey, France, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago, from poets ranging in age from six to ninety-two. For the most part, their haiku succeeded in being distinct from each other and the 1000 or so entries we received in 2006. We thank all the poets who entered this year’s Haiku Invitational, and we hope they will enter next year’s invitational, too.
It was difficult to single out four haiku for special attention. We selected the poems we did because we enjoyed their original imagery, strong use of language, and depth of perception. At first glance our top Canadian haiku may seem to be a simple piece of Canadiana, but on a deeper level it shows that the Japanese appreciation of the cherry blossom can – and has – become a part of our country. Our top USA haiku is universal, revealing the childlike wonder that we all feel while viewing these blossoms. We chose our top International haiku for the clever way that it described an old cherry tree hiding the sky with its profusion of blossoms. And we admired our top Youth haiku for finding a novel way of appreciating the colour of the cherry petal while reminding us that, like the dew, the beauty of the cherry blossom is even more precious for being fleeting.
As you read the haiku we selected, keep in mind how many fresh perspectives of the cherry blossom they capture. We hope that you will also come to find many surprises in the cherry blossoms in the days and weeks ahead.