Judged by Paul Chambers, Tanya McDonald, Jacquie Pearce
2018 Haiku Invitational Winners presented by Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd.
Top Winners
Vancouver
Playing tag
under the cherry blossoms—
the streetlights come on
Vicky Rizzardo
Vancouver, British Columbia
British Columbia
in a dark cupboard
full of coats
cherry blossom petals
Cheryl Ashely
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Canada
riding my bike
a new way home
cherry blossoms
kjmunro
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
United States
yaezakura petals
a child learns to count
beyond 5
Christine L. Villa
North Highlands, California
International
blossom by blossom—
the old cherry tree
gathers light
Eduard Tara
Iași, Romania
Youth
Early morning
the cherry blossom
opens my hand
Daniel Flaszynski, age 10
Christchurch, New Zealand
Click here for commentary on winning poems & meet our winners!
All poems are listed in alphabetical order in each category.
Vancouver
Sakura Awards
first letter
after a long time
cherry blossoms
Rachel Enomoto
Burnaby, British Columbia
falling
into conversation
cherry blossoms
Ann Harreby
Coquitlam, British Columbia
below the blossoms
with a book in my hands . . .
I lose my place
Dawn Harrison
Vancouver, British Columbia
#MeToo
cherry blossoms rise
in changing winds
Cheryl Slevin
Surrey, British Columbia
Vancouver
Honourable Mentions
hand in hand
for fifty years
twilight blossoms
Antoinette Cheung
Vancouver, British Columbia
potluck dinner
a cherry petal settles
on my stew
Garry Eaton
Port Moody, British Columbia
the smile
from a passerby
cherry blossoms
Ann Harreby
Coquitlam, British Columbia
strangers laugh
in food truck lines
cherry blossoms
Johnny Lo
Richmond, British Columbia
bundle of cherry flowers
compressed
into a raindrop
Jack Maze
Vancouver, British Columbia
folding fresh laundry
taken from the line
cherry blossoms
Lorene Oikawa
Surrey, British Columbia
British Columbia
Sakura Awards
after the storm
another layer of petals
on the midden
George Dueck
Sechelt, British Columbia
just one cherry blossom
falling into the moon —
rippling reflections
elehna de sousa
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
cherry petals
on her handlebars
she flies uphill
Astrid Egger
Queen Charlotte, British Columbia
paper airplane
caught in cherry blossoms
we drop the divorce
Beth A. Skala
Nanaimo, British Columbia
British Columbia
Honourable Mentions
old cherry limb
resting on a crutch
I test my new hip
George Dueck
Sechelt, British Columbia
cherry blossoms
among the rhododendrons
pink and deeper pink
Ulrike Narwani
North Saanich, British Columbia
lush little blossoms
I breathe in their beauty
white cane forgotten
Marilyn Schroder
Abbotsford, British Columbia
cherry blossoms —
I turn off
my phone
Beth A. Skala
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Easter
the church choir sings as one
blossoms through the stained glass
Naomi Beth Wakan
Gabriola Island, British Columbia
Canada
Sakura Awards
A cherry petal
Stirs the moon
In my sake
Natalie Cheung
Markham, Ontario
cherry blossom snow—
a petal clings
to the camera lens
Pamela Cooper
Montreal, Quebec
Yoshino cherry petals
w h i r l i n g
den-den daiko
Michael Dudley
Harriston, Ontario
a gust of wind
the cherry tree dons
my favorite hat
Harvey Jenkins
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Lightness
of cherry blossoms
toddler’s first falls
Richard Jodoin
Montreal, Quebec
biopsy result
with arms spread wide-she hugs
fragrant cherry boughs
Jean Jorgensen
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Honourable Mentions
tonkori notes . . .
the fingers of an April breeze
plucking sakura trees
Michael Dudley
Harriston, Ontario
full bloom
the mothers-to-be swap
old wives’ tales
Marianne Paul
Kitchener, Ontario
ikebana
a touch of pink to balance
my blues
Marianne Paul
Kitchener, Ontario
first light
the unfolding songs
of sakura
Debbie Strange
Winnipeg, Manitoba
International
Sakura Awards
Hometown
a glass skyscraper mirrors
the old sakura
Marta Chocilowska
Warsaw, Poland
at her bedside
a child she once knew
. . . cherry blossoms
Hazel Hall
Aranda, Australia
gun salute
a cherry blossom
in the folding stars
Malintha Perera
Colombo, Sri Lanka
cherry blossom snow
the urge to walk
barefoot
Corine Timmer
Estoi, Portugal
walk to language class
cherry petals
dotting her headscarf
Monica Wang
Düsseldorf, Germany
refugee girls run
to the playground swings—
winter cherry
Monica Wang
Düsseldorf, Germany
dawn chorus—
cherry blossom glows
in the half light
Juliet Wilson
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
International
Honourable Mentions
cherry blossom rain
a baby tackles
the other breast
Roberta Beary
Westport, Ireland
long recovery
cherry blossoms
on the net
Marta Chocilowska
Warsaw, Poland
differences forgotten
we make our peace
amid cherry petals
Tracy Davidson
Stratford-on-Avon, United Kingdom
blooming cherry
my little girl
is rousing from sleep
Radostina Dragostinova
Sofia, Bulgaria
pink blossoms
another time
around the block
Brendon Kent
Southampton, England
hand in hand
an old man and a boy—
hanami
Natalia Kuznetsova
Moscow, Russia
the opening
of peace talks . . .
cherry blossoms
Martha Magenta
Bristol, United Kingdom
Busking
the wind lines her flute case
with blossom
Vanessa Proctor
Pymble, Australia
stroke for stroke
through floating cherry blossom
tandem canoe
Andre Surridge
Hamilton, New Zealand
seeing off a train
from my village cherry tree
sparrow chirp
Sasa Vazic
Batajnica, Serbia
chess in the park—
a Blossom to
King’s Rook Five
Sara Winteridge
Fordingbridge, United Kingdom
United States
Sakura Awards
the soft brush
of our hands folding sheets
cherry blossoms
Claire Vogel Camargo
Austin, Texas
small town festival
a cherry blossom drifts
into the tuba
Pris Campbell
Lake Worth, Florida
cherry wind
each petal falls
to meet its shadow
Natalia L. Rudychev
New York, New York
falling petals
slowly I embrace
my aging body
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
Centerville, Ohio
her sister’s prom dress altered
altered to fit—
blossom rain
Angela Terry
Lake Forest Park, Washington
dried cherry petals
on the bureau
my wedding picture
Anne West
Bellingham, Washington
United States
Honourable Mentions
moonless night
the cherry blossoms
lead us home
Chris Bays
Beavercreek, Ohio
yozakura
two old lovers
renew their vows
Terri French
Huntsville, Alabama
politics aside . . .
for a brief moment
cherry blossoms
Terri French
Huntsville, Alabama
for just a day
the guns in the yard
covered by blossoms
Barry Goodmann
Hackensack, New Jersey
barbed-wire fence
cherry blossoms fall
on both sides
John Hawk
Hilliard, Ohio
sharing the birdbath
with sparrows . . .
cherry blossom petals
Jill Lange
Cleveland, Ohio
spring break . . .
cherry petals scatter
on the breeze
Carole MacRury
Point Roberts, Washington
picnic with friends—
a spider web connects
two cherry blossom trees
Harrisham Minhas
Herndon, Virgina
how smoothly
the oiled gate swings—
a splurge of blossoms
Judt Shrode
Tacoma, Washington
breeze in blossoms—
my baby daughter says
her first word
Sherry Weaver Smith
West Linn, Oregon
the ripples
of fallen blossoms—
widemouthed koi
Julie Warther
Dover, Ohio
Youth
Sakura Awards
moving day
taking the last selfie
with the cherry tree
Ioana Brînzei, age 14
Botosani, Romania
hanami picnic
my T Rex toy
so quiet
Sebastian Ciobică, age 7
Botosani, Romania
birdbath
cherry petals
fluffing the moon
Sebastian Ciobică, age 7
Botosani, Romania
Stop taking pictures
it’s just cherry blossoms mom
mom it’s 8 pm
Jack Dang, age 13
Vancouver, Canada
cherry blossoms
out of the blue
I get inspired
Naomi Gaidur, age 15
Botosani, Romania
cherry blossoms
my little brother’s
first wow
Delia Iftime, age 15
Botosani, Romania
Spring morning
Cherry blossoms
Make a path to the river.
Emmett Lawler, age 5
Christchurch, New Zealand
distant birdsong—
cherry petals
coloring my sketchbook
Sarah Sakura Welch, age 12
Sammamish, USA
the blossom tree is still
the chicken rests,
nestled in the petals
Elly, age 13
Christchurch, New Zealand
Youth
Honourable Mentions
windy morning
children running along
with the cherry blossoms
Tessa Bishell, age 13
Christchurch, New Zealand
Fallen soldier
Cherry blossoms land on his grave
I miss you, dad
Jordan Choo, age 12
Vancouver, Canada
iridescent blossoms
guide my prayers
across the drum bridge
Anna Doak, age 17
Christchurch, New Zealand
Sadie’s cheeks
running in from recess
cherry blossoms
Eric He, age 11
Vancouver, Canada
Midnight,
The river knits a jacket,
Made from cherry blossoms.
Amelie-Mae Hollander, age 9
Christchurch, New Zealand
an abandoned building
an open window
cherry blossoms float inside
Jaime Howell, age 14
Christchurch, New Zealand
Early morning
the trumpeter swan
gives the blossoms a ride
Greta Jenkins, age 10
Christchurch, New Zealand
Pink petals
fill the empty space between
two lifeless buildings
Keonhee Lee, age 14
Coquitlam, Canada
Early morning,
first at the Temple
cherry blossoms.
Ameer Livne, age 7
Christchurch, New Zealand
hanami picnic
my donuts with topping
of cherry petals
Andrei Manoliu, age 13
Botosani, Romania
Midnight,
cherry blossom lanterns
show me my house.
Tom Nalder, age 9
Christchurch, New Zealand
On my house boat
my first visitors
cherry blossoms
Joshua Persico, age 13
Christchurch, New Zealand
Early morning
A sparrow sips dew
From cherry blossoms
Christina Symons, age 6
Christchurch, New Zealand
A quiet morning
Two ponies
Carry blossoms to their stable
Christina Symons, age 6
Christchurch, New Zealand
Singing in the park
others started to join me
under the blossom tree
Cherry Tang, age 12
Vancouver, Canada
Day Of His Departure
Cherry Blossoms
Blowing In The Wind
Ashton Threadwell, age 13
Christchurch, New Zealand
after dusk—
the children’s playground
and trampled petals
Sarah Sakura Welch, age 12
Sammamish, USA
the flowing music
of two violins
cherry blossoms
Sam Zhou, age 16
Vancouver, Canada
cherry blossoms settle on the water
a pink sky
for the goldfish
Charli, age 13
Christchurch, New Zealand
cherry blossoms fall
two small hands grip the branch
climbing up the tree
Ninajean, age 11
Vancouver, Canada
after illness . . .
grandma smells of everything
but cherry blossoms
Veerangana, age 14
New Delhi, India