Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Haiku Monday Winner





Congratulations to all the participants! It is wonderful so many made time to play our game when Saint Valentine's Day usually presents other priorities.
A belated happy anniversary to K9 and Big Dog . 

I absolutely understand the challenges of judging. My college professor friend studied all the entries then called to say she did not feel "qualified" to judge. She went on to say what a bunch of clever, smart people play this game. I have to agree with her, we rock!

So that has left the judging up to me.  Although I did invite Blowfish , my former college professor , to weigh in. Which he did .

Troll got everyone's attention early on with  talk of barbed privates! Blowfish liked his billiards, my favorite was the BBQ.

Moi made me gasp aloud with visions of something as coarsely tactile as a mountain goat being transformed into "gossamer cashmere". Blowfish had me read this one to him, with his eyes closed, 3 times. He was entranced. 

On the merging of the concepts of "tactile" and "Valentines" I must admit both Moi and Karl have it figured out. Moi with " skin on skin" and Karl with "spooning". Karl has the Blowfish nod here because he is a man born to spoon.
Lord knows spooning is a great full body tactile experience.

Foamy got my attention with images of cold seeping in but not overwhelming the effects of a fine morning cuppa. Great comforting images came to mind. Amazing as  coffee never touches these lips!


Pam and K9 reminded us  of the importance of animals in our lives. We all have heard, or read, pet stroking lowers blood pressure and heart rates. There is no question the pleasure of passage through warm fur is a benefit to all participants and, a key part of life for most of us. I continue to grieve for a beloved horse. Even awakening to the keen desire to run my hands though her sun warmed coat one  more time.


Pam also used one of her entries to illuminate the thorny issues in with the velvety petals. A fine reminder of life realities. What my  MIL  called,
" Taking the  bitter with the better".


In 17 clever syllables Boxer shared another afternoon of fun with her lucky nephew. I could smell cookies from here! Her choices of "knead-life" was perfection. In valentines baking, as in life, a "kneaded life" does indeed result in a "warm reward".  It actually did make me take a deep breath.


Does anyone think Aunty is a Brit with miniskirts and red streaked hair?????
Somehow that does not match up with the batiste I keep reading about. I 
love, love, love the animation haiku and think a prize is in order for this reason alone. But I did not love the  warty-hairy haiku itself.


" Mucid" Aunty?????  ick! But as a haiku very effective and I could smell the must and feel the slime. And the hook.


I did google up some haiku tutorials in an attempt to prep for judging.
Other than the 5-7-5 format, Haiku should not necessarily be about nature but inspired by nature. There should be a "kigo" which is a word or phrase which implies a season. Also there is the cutting word known as a "kireji". This
break can be in any of the three lines but it's purpose is to both break and unite at the same time. While it is a "break" it is meant to be used in a way which  suggests a parallel or a relationship between the two parts .


Giving points equally to subject, syllables, kigo and kireji,  we arrived at our top three choices: Moi/cashmere, Boxer/kneading, Karl/spooning.


Blowfish did not agree with my logic that a season is implied in Karls spooning.
Few of us spoon when it is 100 degrees. As well there are definitely "seasons" in relationships but  Blowfish stood fast.


Boxer's was at the top of my list because I loved the parallel to life itself.
Perhaps it is because I know I cannot " knead life" back into my own mother or Karl's or Pam's friend or Aunty's Granny. Would that  I could reap that "warm reward" and extend their final seasons. Even without the parallel is there much more tactile than kneading?  Blowfish would agree to a season of life but would never limit himself to a season for cookies or bread or cake.


Moi is our winner!
Blowfish ( who knew he was this literal) informed me wool grows in Spring and Summer, is sheared in Fall, worn in Winter. The "gruff wool" to "gossamer cashmere" to "cozy warmth" covered a fine range of tactile experiences.  How clever was it to use the word "cut" with "spun" to make the break? Well done!

Moi,
Congratulations!
If you will, please provide a ship to address via:
fishy2me@gmail.com. 
Your jar of homemade, handpacked deliciousness is ready to ship :-)









14 comments:

Jenny said...

I'm so happy to have been included in the top three, that makes me super happy!

And congrats to what was my favorite to; MOI!

Great job and wonderful write up Fishy, I really appreciated all of the entries on a different level with your (and Blowfish too) interpretation.

Thanks for being a great hostess.

darkfoam said...

thank you for not only hosting but judging! what a task that is.
i would be hard put to pick out a favorite. each one had something that intrigued me. i was particularly taken with auntie's gigged finger fish hook haiku though ... it made me rub my finger .. ouch!
lol.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for hosting/judging and supplying a prize! I put Apple-Biter's winning entry in the Top Five since the contest started.

moi said...

No way, Jose! I'm totally surprised, given the exceptional quality of the haikus this week. Great write up on your part; judging is hard, isn't it? Oh, and may I just say? Any man that knows the process by which goat fur is turned into cashmere is worth hanging onto, even during those times you want to squish a grapefruit in his face.

Thanks so much Fishy, and I'll email you today.

Aunty Belle said...

Whoo hoo! Go Moi! (could use some cashmere mahself, as it is jes' a wee nippy this morn)

An' Fishy, how fun wuz this critique--an kudos to BlowFish too fer the input.

An' how cleavah to offer up some of yore South Carolina treasures as a prize. Fun fun Haiku week.

Pam said...

Ooooh! I was betting on Moi to take it with the cashmere haiku. Loved that one. Congrats Moi! Mucho deservedo.

moi said...

Oh, does this mean I choose topic, host, and judge for next week? If so, let me know; I have prizes, too.

Milk River Madman said...

Congrats to Moi.

chickory said...

excellent write up, fun involvement of blofish -who must be a tactile experience to spoon with -and yay to MOI. well deserved. congratulations all, and to Pam, I am so so sorry.

fishy said...

Boxer,
You would have been ROFLOL if you had watched out judging process. I actually did learn some interesting things about Blowfish during the judging. Some I liked, others not so much!

Foam,
You are soooo right about Aunty's entry, it was excellent haiku, elicited a strong response and was entertaining. Judging is MUCH harder than writing haiku.
So glad you played this week :-)

Troll,
Thanks! I am relieved if our Haiku Master is giving the nod to the win. No wonder you wanted to take a break from hosting/judging... it is not easy.

Please will you answer Moi's question about subject matter and hosting for next week? I think this is your call, not mine.

Moi,
Blowfish nearly got the squished grapefruit during the judging! We BOTH had your winning haiku in the top and I am tickled with your win.
Prize is coming your way!

Aunty,
My prize budget doesn't stretch to cashmere! I am soooooo impressed with your new animation/haiku entry. I am eagerly looking forward to more of these. As for judging? Well I am now looking like your Fuzzy Wuzzy!

Pam,
Is "derservedo" a word? In any language? Very clever, as always!

Chickory!
LOL, Blowfish is the KING of tactile. I think he enjoyed the judging process far more than did I.

Karl said...

Good evening Fishy,

Congratulations Moi! You earned it.

Thank you Fishy for hosting and a what fine job of judging. That you're able to draw Blowfish into this is a very interesting. Thank him for his time and trouble. He and I are of like minds, tactile discovery is often the best;)

Sharon Rudd said...

A fine job by all writers and judges!

fishy said...

Karl,
To tell you the truth I was happy for Blowfish to weigh in on the judging. There were so many good entries! Once we refined down to the top three it got even tougher.

After several stalemates we resorted to borrowing the scoring system from Iron Chef. It is no mystery to me why Troll wanted a reprieve from these duties.

Eggy,
Thank you!

Best eggplant to go?
Moussaka? Parmesan? Or
Decoratively!

moi said...

Hope you can play Haiku Monday this week. Hosting at my place. Following your sensory lead with PERFUME as the theme. Write as many as you want, but I'll be judging only one (be sure to indicate which that will be.)