Swimming in the Lines of Haiku - Spotlight on Christine L. Villa

     One of the good things that happened to me last Friday was a special post written by Kirsten Cliff on her blog, Swimming in the Lines of Haiku. It was a kind and generous act because she featured my latest accomplishments - Frameless Sky (the very first haiga and tanka art video journal) and my two children's publication (The Eskalets and The Magic Paintbrush).

     Here's the link.

 

     In case you don't know, Kirsten Cliff has two online shops right now. One is Haiku On (www.cafepress.com/haikuon), a store where you can buy t-shirts such as the one I'm wearing in this picture.

 

 

Another one is Elliot Books, a bookstore operating 24/7 through New Zealand's Trade Me. To read the blog post announcing this latest venture with her husband, click here.

 

     I'm so glad that Kirsten and I believe in dreams. Now we both see our present beautifully unfolding.

 

Spring Dream

      My dream haiku is up on THF website for "Dream Speak" Per Diem month.

 

 

spring dream...

the fox drenched

in purple rain

     Kirsten Cliff selected the daily haiku for the whole month of September. Click here to read more about "Dream Speak."

         The same haiku is also posted today on Joys of Japan - Poetry on Facebook. This time it's by Stella Pierides. Comments may be read here. 

Results of the 2nd Haiku My Photo Challenge

Dear haiku friends,

First of all, I’d like to thank everybody for joining the 2nd Haiku My Photo Challenge. I thought hosting this contest was badly timed with all the flurry of excitement last August on NaHaiWrimo and the looming deadlines of submissions for other haiku contests and journals, but your overwhelming support, more than I had imagined, all proved me wrong.

Every morning I looked forward to checking my email. Several participants expressed how much they enjoyed reading the list of haiku and voting for their favorites. It was a fun experience for me, too, as I felt like I was accepting precious gifts from the heart from all over the world.  Most of the haiku I received have love stories to tell, giving me reasons to start my day with a smile. Others prodded me to ponder and view my photo in a different light.

Submissions came from 10 different countries. Here's the list of all the participants:

1. John Daleiden, USA  2. Angelo Ancheta, Philippines  3. Josie Hibbing, USA  4. Mandeep Maan, India  5. Gillena Cox, Trinidad and Tobago  6. Ernesto Santiago, Philippines  7. Pravat Kumar Padhy,  India  8. Rick Daddario, USA  9. Elizabeth Fanto, USA  10. Sandi Pray, USA  11. Hansha Teki, New Zealand  12. Cara Holman, USA  13. Pat Geyer, USA  14. Kat Creighton, USA  15. Vasile Moldovan, Romania  16. Ed Bremson, USA  17. Jayashree Maniyil, Australia  18. Alegria Albano Imperial, Canada  19. Kirsten Cliff, New Zealand  20. Stella Pierides, UK  21. Ted van Zutphen, USA  22. Patty Hardin, USA  23. Asni Amin, Singapore  24. Sanjuktaa Asopa, India

Before I announce the winners, let me point out a few reminders:

1) None of the votes and comments are from me. 

2) All the votes and comments will remain anonymous even    

    after the contest. 

3) All haiku entries are posted with the author’s name. Votes  

    will appear as follows.

    Ex. 0, 5, 4 = 14

    This means that no voter gave three points, 5 voters gave two points, and 4 voters gave 1 point. Total votes is equivalent to 14 points. 

Finally, the results of the contest! 

 FIRST PLACE

  #8

twilight

the rooftop sound

of evensong

~ Rick Daddario, USA

Votes: 2, 6, 4 = 22 pts. 

Comments:  really fits the picture well 

SECOND PLACE

        (click for a bigger picture)         

 #24

lilac dusk-

a song we are yet

to sing

~ Sanjuktaa Asopa, India

Votes: 2, 5, 5 = 21 pts. 

Comments #1  This haiku provides a fine sense of anticipating something that is about to happen.  Together, they would make a nice haiga.  There is lots of “dreaming room” here;  we can imagine all sorts of stories that might be sung in a few minutes—we  have only to wait, to be patient and listen…. 

Comments #2  nice mood here 

THIRD PLACE

(click for a bigger picture)

#19

in your eyes

a songbird calls

shades of blue

~ Kirsten Cliff, New Zealand

Votes: 3, 2, 2 = 15 pts.

Comments:

The rest of the results are here:

#1

two lovers

waiting for the evening moon—

first star at dusk

~ John Daleiden, USA

Votes: 1, 1, 0 = 5 pts.

Comments:  neat juxtapositioning of ideas 

================================================================

#2

deep blue sky ...

the unbearable lightness

with you

~ Angelo Ancheta, Philippines

Votes: 1, 3, 1 = 10 pts.

Comments:

================================================================

 #3

turtledoves--

the afterglow fading

into this love song

~ Josie Hibbing, USA

Votes: 0, 1, 1 = 3 pts.

Comments:

================================================================

#4

MORNING RAYS 

AHA ! I SEE TWO BLUEBERRY

ON COMMAN WALL

~ Mandeep Maan, India

Votes: 0, 0, 0 = 0 pts.

Comments:

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 #5

family stories -

told to a child

cardamom grains

in ice cream

~ Gillena Cox, Trinidad & Tobago

Votes: 0, 0, 0 = 0 pts.

Comments:

================================================================

#6

the white bouvardia

in our marriage

two separate books

~ Ernesto Santiago, Philippines

Votes: 0, 0, 1 = 1 pt.

Comments:

================================================================

 #7

twilight hour

parents wait for the kids

a mixed shadow

~ Pravat Kumar Padhy, India

Votes: 0, 1, 0 = 2 pts.

Comments:

================================================================

 #9

doves' soft coos

against a blue-magenta sky

honeymoon love

~ Elizabeth Fanto, USA

Votes: 0, 0, 1 = 1 pt.

Comments:

================================================================

#10

so much sky

pausing to comfort

a friend

~ Sandi Pray, USA

Votes: 0, 3, 7 = 13 pts.

Comments:  I like the figurative implication here; the birds emulate a human situation.  Here the verse extends the photo;  both the verse and the image “show” a situation happening—there is no “telling” here and we are allowed to imagine what the reason is for the need of comfort.  The battle between “telling” and “showing” is difficult! 

================================================================

#11

after the storm

a fresh olive leaf

between us 

~ Hansha Teki, New Zealand

Votes: 1, 0, 7 = 10 pts.

Comments:  interesting connection of idea/picture 

================================================================

#12

postcards

from another time

fading twilight  

~ Cara Holman, USA

Votes: 0, 2, 1 = 5 pts.

Comments:  

================================================================

#13

peace searching

for a new way

with only blank stares 

~ Pat Geyer, USA

Votes: 0, 0, 0 = 0 pts.

Comments:

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#14

early autumn . . .

all this talk

about our direction

~ Kat Creighton, USA

Votes: 0, 2, 7 = 11 pts.

Comments:  The union of this haiku and the photo work well for me. The haiku becomes an acceptable  and indirect metaphor about change—for me change is one of the essences of haiku. “our” could left in or out of the haiku.

================================================================

#15

Love story:

two turtle doves

beak by beak

~ Vasile Moldovan, Romania

Votes: 1, 0, 0 = 3 pts.

Comments: A strong sense of loyalty came through in this poem, the kind of loyalty one would observe in a long-term marriage.

================================================================

#16

cling as we may

there's no holding onto

the day

~ Ed Bremson, USA

Votes: 0, 0, 0 =  0 pts.

Comments: 

================================================================

#17

rooftop –

our climbing

crescendos

~ Jayashree Maniyil, Australia

Votes: 0, 0, 2 = 2 pts.

Comments: 

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#18

stillness

waiting on Venus, again

our first vows

~ Alegria Imperial, Canada

Votes: 0, 1, 1 = 3 pts. 

Comments: 

================================================================

#20

nest building –

on the other side of the fence

a deeper blue

~ Stella Pierides, UK

Votes: 0, 2, 3 = 7 pts. 

Comments:  There is a great amount of dreaming room in this haiku; matched with this photo I will be reading a very successful haiga.  The haiku becomes a subtle and indirectly stated metaphor for human relationships, even though it obviously written about the birds.  The images of “nest building” and the hope and imagination implied by the phrases “deeper blue” and “the other side of the fence” are concrete images with subliminal and unwritten (but implied) messages. Together this haiku and image celebrate a highly positive sense of on-going change…. 

================================================================

#21

last whisper…

again, summer heat erupts

in all colors

~ Ted van Zutphen

Votes: 0, 1, 1 = 3 pts.

Comments:

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#22

spring morning

two friends

talking stories

~ Patty Hardin, USA

Votes: 1, 0, 2 = 5 pts.

Comments:

================================================================

#23

to the moon and back

have I told you lately

that I love you? 

~ Asni Amin, Singapore

Votes: 0, 0, 1 = 1 pt.

Comments: 

================================================================

Congratulations to the winners - Rick Daddario, Sanjuktaa Asopa, and Kirsten Cliff! Your postcards will be coming your way soon :-)

Once again, my heartfelt gratitude to all of the 24 participants for making this peer-reviewed contest a success. I hope to see you all on the next Haiku My Photo Challenge. I don’t know when it will be considering my life’s situation. It’s really hard to tell. All I can say is this - one day when you least expect it, I’ll be springing up wonderful surprises again. ;-)

Till next time…..

Blessings to all,

Chrissi

 

Winter Dream Tanka- (Special Mention)

   What a marvelous birthday surprise! My very first tanka submitted for a contest has received a special mention at The Siloh Tanka Contest.
     Here's the tanka and some comments from Kirsten Cliff.

by the fireplace
the crackle of our laughter
melting into a dream
only the winter moon knows
how long is forever

     This reminds me so much of hubby and I these winter evenings sitting by the fire that I loved it from its first reading. “only the winter moon knows/ how long is forever” - extremely poignant, and excellent imagery. You have a great tanka future, Chrissi!

     I wasn't sure if I could submit a tanka worthy of any praise when I first heard of her contest. I've mostly written haiku, and I hardly remember what I've read when I browsed the website Tanka Online a long time ago. I'm glad I gave it a shot, anyway, because after being inspired by all the entries submitted before mine, I slowly remembered how much tanka tugs at my heart strings. It makes me take a peek of a poet's thoughts and feelings. It also allows me as a writer to be more open and vulnerable. There's something about it that keeps me more in touch with my emotions.
 

     I'm very pleased to receive this special mention. It's a great inspiration! I can't wait to read some more stunning tanka and create my own in the future.


    Thank you, Kirsten, for all the encouragement and support.

Birthday Celebrations!

   Instead of coming up with my own contest for my birthday, I decided to celebrate with three poets who are doing something special at their own blogs. 
     There's not a lot of time left so check out the links as soon as you can. I promise that you won't regret it. You'll also enjoy reading the submissions of other participants.

1) Moon Tanka with Margaret Dornaus - You have until tomorrow to get a chance to win a copy of Modern Japanese Tanka. 
2) Birthday Renku with Cara Holman - July 23 is the last day to join her in creating an on-line renku.

3) The Siloh Tanka Contest with Kirsten Cliff - July 24 is the last day for your chance to win 26 Tanka Films (Dvd) by Richard von Sturmer.     

     In the following days, I'll be sharing my entries here. It's definitely not as good as the others, but they're special to me. Honestly, I didn't join to win. I just wanted to create something for them for bringing so much joy in the haiku community.

     To all the July birthday celebrants, I wish you all the wonderful things that your heart desires and may you have many more productive years of writing!

     

Results of the 1st Haiku My Photo Challenge

     I'm happy to announce the results of the 1st Haiku My Photo Challenge! 

 Judge's Comments:

     Thank you to all the entrants for sharing your haiku with me, and my thanks also to Chrissi, for inviting me to judge her Haiku My Photo Challenge. The three prizewinners are all haiku that stood up to multiple readings and continued to stand out from the crowd. I judged without knowledge of the authors of each haiku and without having previously seen the photo. And first prize goes to:

leafdance

rippling the sky...

sometimes, I think of you

This haiku stood out for me from the first read through. I find so much to enjoy about it, every line and word choice works: alone as a haiku, and then together with the photo as a haiga. It takes me into the photo as well as transporting me to another place, moving me somewhere deeper. I fell for “leafdance” – what a beautiful image! It breathes new life into the leaves, gives them their spirit back. A few of the haiku entered played with the reflection of the sky on water. This poet achieved the effect flawlessly in line two with “rippling the sky”. The image created is not intrusive or forced: it sounds so natural that the “leafdance” would be “rippling the sky”, whether reflected on the water or not. The pause brought about from the ellipses gives the reader a little extra time than just the line break alone to delight in this experience. Then line three moves the reader along, with that addition of “sometimes” speaking volumes. The mystery, the 'other', is created by this final line and yet the journey for the reader, coupled with the photo too, has only just begun. Stunning work!

reflection …

the arresting music

of leaves

The first line, that one word “reflection”, works two ways: reflection on the water and reflection within ourselves. As in the above haiku, the ellipses worked for me here as it gave that extra pause, that silence in time for the reader to begin the reflection process, to start to sink deeper and think on where this haiku might be taking them within themselves, as well as within the haiga (whether the reader knew that this shift had begun happening or not – maybe most great examples of haiku do this without the reader knowing, at least at first). The final two lines again bring in the spirit of Nature with “the arresting music/ of leaves”. I found this powerful and loved it from my first read through. I imagined the sound, then felt the pull outdoors to listen for it first hand on a new journey of discovery and connection.

spring song

how it draws the heart

to reflection

I'm a fan of alliteration and loved the phrase “spring song” on first reading. It works with the photo and then immediately draws the reader to look outside the borders for further signs of spring. The poet here like the first two, has reminded the reader of Nature's song, of the life essence that is all around us and part of us. And also like the above two haiku, the auditory sense of the reader is engaged, which lifts the photo to another level. The final lines “how it draws the heart/ to reflection” worked to draw me deeply into the centre of the photo, and deeper into the experience as a whole.  

Kirsten Cliff

     I want to express my sincerest thanks to all the participants. This haiga contest would not have been a great turnout without your support and interest.  

     I'd also like to thank Kirsten for generously giving her time and effort. She did a terrific job!

     To find out more about her and what's going on in her haiku world, check out her blog Swimming in Lines of Haiku. 

       I hope to see you all again in the 2nd Haiku My Photo Challenge in June. Stay tuned for more details at the end of the month.

Haiga Contest is Now Closed!

Update on Haiku My Photo Challenge

     Have you posted your haiku yet? What are you waiting for? You barely have four more days to submit your entry here. 

     By the way, I have some great news to tell you. Kirsten Cliff  will be blind judging the contest.  All the entries are posted here on my blog, but she won't be peeking at all. Instead, I will be sending her the photo and all the entries (excluding names). She'll be choosing the winner based on which haiku works best for the image. The winner will receive a pack of six postcards with my photos. 

     The name of the winner and the photo will be posted on Friday, May 4, 2012.  

     Good luck to all the participants! With the quality of haiku submitted, I know it will not be an easy job for Kirsten to select the winner.  

  

Free Postcards From HAIKU MY PHOTO CHALLENGE

     Inspired by various projects and contests happening around me, I've decided to host a collaborative haiga contest in celebration of National Poetry Month. ANYBODY can join! The winner will be receiving this set of 6 postcards created by me using my own photos.

    

    Information you need to know about the contest:

1) On the first  day of the contest, I'll be posting my photo. Submit ONLY ONE haiku for the photo and type it on the   comments section. The haiku must be the work of the submitting author, unpublished online or in print. 

2) Below your haiku, write your full name and email address. If you don't want to post your email address, email me at chrissi731@hotmail(dot)com. I need to be able to email you if you win.

3) Everyone is welcome to comment on any haiku, but please no critiquing.      

4) The judge is Kirsten Cliff. 

5) Contest runs from April 23 through midnight of April 30 (PST). 

6) The winner will be announced on May 4, 2012 at 7 p.m. (PST) with the collaborative haiga. If the winner doesn't reply within three days after the day of announcement, another poet will be receiving the prize.

7) All rights revert back to the authors after the winner has been announced.

    This contest is also my way of thanking all the haiku poets whom I've met online. I feel so blessed to find all of you who've been supportive and helpful in my haiku journey.

    I look forward to seeing you all. Let's all celebrate together and have some fun!:-)