Judged by Michael Dylan Welch, Antoinette Cheung, and Garry Gay
Read commentary on winning poems!
All poems are listed in alphabetical order in each category.
Vancouver | British Columbia | Canada | United States | International | Youth
Vancouver
Top Winner
her sense of direction
much better today
sakura blossoms
Rachel Enomoto
Burnaby, British Columbia
Sakura Awards
on his last day
he wears my scarf—
blossoms opening
Lesley Donaldson
Vancouver, British Columbia
cherry blossom viewing
at the cemetery
old friends
Ann Harreby
Coquitlam, British Columbia
the old man
forgets his cane
cherry blossoms
Barb Little
Burnaby, British Columbia
petals falling
on my daughter’s bowed head
our cat’s last day
Jacquie Pearce
Vancouver, British Columbia
the view
gets in the way
cherry blossoms
David Randen
Coquitlam, British Columbia
Honourable Mentions
lying under the stars
naming the baby
cherry blossoms
Lesley Donaldson
Vancouver, British Columbia
cherry blossoms
already falling
for her
C. Jean Downer
White Rock, British Columbia
after roses
and boxes of chocolate
cherry blossoms
C. Jean Downer
White Rock, British Columbia
road rage
takes a back seat
cherry blossoms
Barb Little
Burnaby, British Columbia
when did his hand
grow so big
cherry blossoms
Johnny Lo
Richmond, British Columbia
cherry blossoms
we see one another
as we are
Lindz Marsh
Vancouver, British Columbia
cherry blossoms
we linger in
the sound of bees
Jacquie Pearce
Vancouver, British Columbia
does gender matter
when we sit together
beneath cherry trees
Jennifer Pownall
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
cherry blossoms . . .
laughter carried
on a butterfly’s wings
Millicent Sharman
Vancouver, British Columbia
falling blossoms
nervous first kiss
in the park
Millicent Sharman
Vancouver, British Columbia
cherry blossoms
the pause
answering the call
Monica Wang
Vancouver, British Columbia
British Columbia
Top Winner
before and after
cherry blossoms
the soft forgetting
Karin Hedetniemi
Victoria, British Columbia
Sakura Awards
moonless night
cherry blossom petals fall
into the silence
cheryl ashley
Nanaimo, BC
cherry petals
caught in a wind gust . . .
my helter-skelter mind
elehna de sousa
Salt Spring Island, BC
cherry blossoms
in the wind
the smell of rain
George Dueck
Sechelt, BC
kissing
baby’s cheek—
a blossom
Julie Emerson
Victoria, BC
the hospital doors
close behind him—
cherry blossom buds
Ulrike Narwani
Sidney, British Columbia, BC
spring festival
petals on the wind
leading the dance
Ceó Ruaírc
Campbell River, BC
Honourable Mentions
outside the food bank
cherry trees in full bloom
a feast for the eyes
Naomi Beth Wakan
Gabriola island, BC
cherry blossoms
the garden gnome
plays a flute
Marcia Burton
Salt Spring Island, BC
outdoor café—
a cherry petal swirls
into my cappuccino
elehna de sousa
Salt Spring Island, BC
let’s share
our picnic blanket—
cherry blossoms
Julie Emerson
Victoria, BC
viral photo
of my dog—
cherry blossom nose
Karin Hedetniemi
Victoria, BC
in the dark of night
still
cherry blossoms
Ulrike Narwani
Sidney, BC
grief
the shadow
of cherry blossoms
Sally Quon
Kelowna, BC
rainy afternoon
blossom petals stuck to
the soles of her shoes
Michele Rule
Kelowna, BC
ocean breeze
cherry blossoms rain
against my window
Michele Rule
Kelowna, BC
Canada
Top Winner
April breeze
the hopscotch squares
fill with blossoms
Joanne Morcom
Calgary, Alberta
Sakura Awards
his unfinished letter
buried
beneath the cherry blossoms
Royal Baysinger
Laval, Quebec
stepping on cherry blossoms
my shadow
overtakes hers
Marco Fraticelli
Pointe Claire, Quebec
the yearning
to see you
cherry blossom
Biswajit Mishra
Calgary, Alberta
her spring makeover
a blush
of cherry blossoms
Lillilan Nakamura Maguire
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
milestone birthday
dyeing her hair
cherry blossom pink
Marianne Paul
Kitchener, Ontario
backyard sanctuary—
cherry blossoms and chickadees
in the birdbath
Tracey Anderson
Edmonton, Alberta
a whirlwind romance…
seeing sakura
after all these years
Royal Baysinger
Laval, Quebec
first warm day—
the cherry tree
sheds its petals
Ellen Cooper
Westmount, Quebec
we pick a spot
beneath the blossoms—
blanket of petals
Pamela Cooper
Westmount, Quebec
cherry blossoms
your remarkable talent
for reading the room
Benedict Grant
Kentville, Nova Scotia
en route to the airport
trees that will bloom
next week
kjmunro
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
far from home
and yet
cherry blossoms
Joanne Morcom
Calgary, Alberta
running red lights unstoppable blossoms
Luminita Suse
Ottawa, Ontario
unfamiliar streets
welcome me
cherry blossoms
Lilita Tannis
Richmond Hill, Ontario
spring blossoms
so much to learn
about love
Nika
Calgary, Alberta
Youth
Top Winner
on the river
cherry blossoms float
my worries away
Raphe Dacre, Age 12
Christchurch, New Zealand
Sakura Awards
moving day
the Diary of a Wimpy Kid
full of cherry petals
Seby Ciobica, Age 12
Botosani, Romania
gentle breeze
a cherry blossom
on my nose
Ava Dixon, Age 6
Christchurch, New Zealand
mildness of a touch
the cherry petals moving
the clouds
Lukas Fak, Age 12
Rijeka, Croatia
cherry’s blossoms
the moonlight sinks
into our garden
Nika Mauhar, Age 8
Rijeka, Croatia
cherry blossoms fall
me and my mom sit outside
writing a poem
Gryphon Pownall, Age 7
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Honourable Mentions
evening wind
cherry blossoms blow
to the moon
Toby Allan, Age 14
Christchurch, New Zealand
in the pond
koi swim
in pink petals
Fletcher Cairns, Age 14
Canterbury, New Zealand
through the breeze
blossoms sway
I paint them
Jonathan Chiu, Age 14
Christchruch, New Zealand
my graduation
cherry blossom petal rains
I catch them in my cap
Yuhuan Ding, Age 14
Christchurch, New Zealand
at the grand shrine
under the starry sky
cherry blossoms
Yuhuan Ding, Age 14
Christchurch, New Zealand
under the bridge
a cherry blossom
begins to fly
Ava Dixon, Age 6
Christchurch, New Zealand
the petals
the morning breeze
carrying their scent
Noa Fak, Age 12
Rijeka, Croatia
Orange skies
pink petals drift softly
as night falls
Nathan Lin, Age 17
Vancouver, British Columbia
practicing violin
while blossoms
slowly make their way to the ground
Jody Long, Age 10
Vancouver, British Columbia
The touch of petals
like a lamb’s ear
cherry blossoms
Devon Martin, Age 11
Vancouver, British Columbia
early morning
soft falling blossoms
breath of the cuckoo
Hannah Phillips, Age 11
Christchurch, New Zealand
moon lit
blossoms
resting on the open book
Matilda Tombros, Age 12
Christchurch, New Zealand
disappearing slowly
a pink cloud
of cherry petals
Noa Tomicic, Age 11
Rijeka, Croatia
early morning prayer
i carry my blossom lantern
to the temple
Mila Yin, Age 11
Christchurch, New Zealand
flowing with the wind
pink petals
opening up the spring
Catherine, Age 9
Vancouver, British Columbia
small stream
lifting a blossom
into the cup of my hands
Jake, Age 12
Christchurch, New Zealand
moving in the wind
cherry blossoms
by the river
Meila, Age 14
Christchurch, New Zealand
United States
Top Winner
parting with a pinky promise cherry blossom
Sarah E. Metzler
Marion Center, Pennsylvania
Sakura Awards
the baby’s
soft babble . . .
blossom wind
Meredith Ackroyd
Afton, Virginia
welcoming
the baby home . . .
cherry blossoms
Julie Bloss Kelsey
Germantown, Maryland
new blossoms
another attempt
at a ceasefire
Archie Carlos
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
how old is too old
to wear a pink fairy skirt
falling blossoms
Jackie Chou
Pico Rivera, California
so many ways
to be gentle
cherry blossoms . . .
Jyothirmai Gubili
Rochester, Minnesota
so little time between treatments cherry blossoms
Kim Klugh
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
but what if it all works out cherry blossoms
Kat Lehmann
Guilford, Connecticut
windblown blossoms—
the baby
kicks off a shoe
Carole MacRury
Point Roberts, Washington
the half-life
of cherry blossoms
choosing to forgive
Annette Makino
Arcata, California
something in her
I know in me
cherry blossoms
Jessica Malone Latham
Sebastopol, California
her aria lifting into wind petals from a cherry tree
Mary McCormack
La Grange Park, Illinois
shuffling
through fallen cherry blossoms
walking canes
Suraja Menon Roychowdhury
Lexington, Massachusetts
hospice
her hand opens to
falling petals
John Pappas
Boston, Massachusetts
after all these years . . .
my cherry tree
sold with the house
Marion Poirier
Boston, Massachusetts
cherry petals
on the path ahead
a spring in my step
Sherry Weaver Smith
West Linn, Oregon
Honourable Mentions
unbuttoning the sky cherry blossoms
Lorraine A Padden
San Diego, California
cherry blossoms . . .
my father finally opens
his hand
Lorraine A Padden
San Diego, California
first blossoms
the soft pink
of her lips
Sasha A. Palmer
Baltimore, Maryland
that kind
of crazy
cherry blossoms
Stephen A. Peters
Bellingham, Washington
cherry blossoms
we make plans to renew
our nuptials
Marilyn Appl Walker
Madison, Georgia
young girls
giggle over a hose drink
first blossoms
Marilyn Appl Walker
Madison, Georgia
strangers
in my childhood home
wild cherry
Rowan Beckett Minor
Cleveland, Ohio
cherry blossoms
her whisper
among the crowd
Shiva Bhusal
Bellevue, Washington
taking all the time
in the world
cherry blossoms
Shawn Blair
Cohoes, New York
a good day
for flying kites,
blossom wind
Ed Bremson
Raleigh, North Carolina
picnic basket
a wine that pairs
with cherry blossoms
Tina Crenshaw
Charlotte, North Carolina
working two jobs
lunch break to spend
with cherry blossoms
Tina Crenshaw
Charlotte, North Carolina
after the rain . . .
cherry blossoms spill
drops of sun
Rise Daniels
Higganum, Connecticut
Gender reveal
On her abdomen
cherry blossoms
John Fedyna
Prescott Valley, Arizona
spring breeze
the open convertible
filled with petals
Jay Friedenberg
Sleepy Hollow, New York
our side
the neighbor’s
cherry blossoms
Gary Hotham
Scaggsville, Maryland
falling blossoms . . .
I never learned
her name
Kimberly Kuchar
Austin, Texas
heat wave
the cherry blossoms
on her hand fan
Darrell Lindsey
Nacogdoches, Texas
he buys a pony
as grandfathers do
first cherry blossoms
Ann Magyar
Boston, Massachusetts
the things
we can’t take with us
cherry blossom sky
Jessica Malone Latham
Sebastopol, California
cherry blossoms
nothing expected of us
in return
dl mattila
Oakton, Virginia
a greeting
on a postcard
cherry blossoms
MJ Mello
Carolina, Rhode Island
growing old together
cherry blossoms
in the moonlight
MJ Mello
Carolina, Rhode Island
rotating on the carousel—
cherry blossoms
Harrisham Minhas
Herndon, Virginia
Just divorced . . . her car covered in cherry blossoms
Elena Naskova
Seattle, Washington
despite it all
the cheerfulness
of cherry blossoms
Helen Ogden
Pacific Grove, California
a cherry petal
in my morning coffee . . .
ocean breeze
Marion Poirier
Boston, Massachusetts
new blossom
the gap
where his tooth was
michelle schaefer
Bothell, Washington
cherry blossoms
folding and unfolding
her round trip ticket
Julie Schwerin
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
golden anniversary
a cherry blossom petal
clings to her sweater
Paula Sears
Exeter, New Hampshire
mountain rain
mending the river
cherry blossoms
Paula Sears
Exeter, New Hampshire
what I always feel
but seldom tell you
cherry blossoms
John Stevenson
Nassau, New York
breathing
through closed eyes
cherry blossoms
John Stevenson
Nassau, New York
cherry blossoms
I lag behind
the chatterbox
Susan Yavaniski
Cohoes, New York
pressed for time cherry blossoms
Susan Yavaniski
Cohoes, New York
International
Top Winner
heart to heart
with a stranger
cherry blossom
Madhuri Pillai
Melbourne, Australia
Sakura Awards
cherry blossoms
counting how old my child
would be
Malgorzata Formanowska
Wroclaw, Poland
cherry blossoms
the blind man moves
closer to the scent
Mel Goldberg
Ajijic, Mexico
blooming cherry
my daughter’s
first doodles
Nikolay Grankin
Krasnodar, Russia
the walking stick
stops for a while
cherry blossoms
Ravi Kiran
Hyderabad, India
honeymoon
two cherry blossoms
twirling down the river
Nadejda Kostadinova
Sofia, Bulgaria
cherry blossom—
the black bird’s shadow
flies away
Rita Odeh
Haifa, Israel
blossom archway
a father borrows
his son’s skateboard
Vanessa Proctor
Pymble, Australia
cherry blossoms . . .
a war refugee
empties his pockets
Neena Singh
Chandigarh, India
cherry blossoms
I give the prayer wheel
an extra nudge
Anitha Varma
Kochi, India
the symphony conductor
lifts his baton
cherry blossoms
Virginia von Hahn
Paris, France
scent of blossom
the bee and I
take turns
Quendryth Young
Alstonville, Australia
cherry blossoms
my wish to be
a butterfly
Alenka Zorman
Ljubljana, Slovenia
cherry blossoms
the toddler utters
his first “ch”
Alenka Zorman
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Honourable Mentions
slow train . . .
children count
blossom clouds
Farah Ali
Brighton, United Kingdon
pretend ice cream
I pay the child
in cherry petals
Sanjuktaa Asopa
Belgaum, India
strawberry ice cream
a surprise dollop
of cherry petals
Saumya Bansal
Agra, India
letting
the misspelt word be
cheery blossoms
Saumya Bansal
Agra, India
drifting blossoms
old friends laugh away
their worries
Mona Bedi
New Delhi, India
cherry blossoms
still in bloom—
dad’s passing
Mona Bedi
New Delhi, India
cherry blossoms
the many ways to say
wow
Ngo Binh Anh Khoa
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
cherry trees in bloom—
the old gardener
brightens up
Dan C. Iulian
Bucharest, Romania
cherry blossoms—
the cabbie says he too
was a hippie
Kanchan Chatterjee
Jamshedpur, India
jigsaw puzzle
a cherry blossom blooms
petal by petal
Sebastian Chrobak
Bielsko-Biala, Poland
cherry petals fall
a brand new pattern
on her old dress
Sebastian Chrobak
Bielsko-Biala, Poland
park bench
sitting beside me
cherry blossoms
Kyla Gruta
Taytay, Philippines
somewhere
to get lost together
cherry blossoms
Engin Gülez
Ankara, Turkey
blossom fluff—
a shima enaga
peeps through
Hazel Hall
Canberra, Australia
cherry petals—
I try to imagine you
growing up
Hazel Hall
Canberra, Australia
come as you are . . .
cherry petals
in the wind
Vladislav Hristov
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
mountain village
cherry blossom
on the centenarian’s hair
Lyudmila Hristova
Sofia, Bulgaria
tracing the wind
tracing the river . . .
cherry blossoms
Sankara Jayanth Sudanagunta
Hyderabad, India
cherry blossom season
the cricket game
ends in snow
Emmanuel Jessie Kalusian
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
withered petals
suddenly everything
is beautiful
Taylor Jo Kelly
Carlisle, United Kingdom
another date—
cherry trees
still in bloom
Robert Kania
Warsaw, Poland
taking a break
from adulthood
cherry blossoms
Ravi Kiran
Hyderabad, India
wedding ceremony
cherry blossoms
on the bride’s hair
Sonka Koranter
Hrušica, Slovenia
end of storm
the framed cherry tree
at the window
Carmela Marino
Roma, Italy
sound of laughter
pre-schoolers cartwheeling
amongst the blossoms
Mark Miller
Shoalhaven Heads, Australia
out of the blue
he’s whistling—
cherry blossoms
Shruti Patel
Zurich, Switzerland
warzone
cherry blossoms fall
on fresh graves
Meera Rehm
Abingdon, United Kingdon
the blackbird adds
another trill to his song
cherry blossoms
Katrina Shepherd
Scotland, United Kingdom
cherry blossoms fall on my father’s grave—another year alone
Nalini Shetty
Mumbai, India
our last meeting
under the cherry tree
. . . wish I had known
Neena Singh
Chandigarh, India
cherry blossom
the faces I’ll never
see again
Xenia Tran
Nairn, Scotland
falling blossoms
our first spring
without you
Juliet Wilson
Edinburgh, Scotland
falling blossoms
our first spring
without you
Juliet Wilson
Edinburgh, Scotland
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