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| Abhishek Sundaram |
Haiku amongst friends—
Is there any nicer way to welcome spring?
This annual competition selects haiku to be displayed on more than 300 signs adorning tree boxes throughout D.C.'s central business district, "to bring a smile to commuters and visitors alike and brighten the winter landscape as flowers began to bloom."
It certainly brought a smile to my face to find out that my haiku was selected as one of two honorable mentions!
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| Toshihiro Gamo |
The contest's “Spring in the City” theme turned out nearly 2,000 entries from 50 countries and 41 states, and the District of Columbia, which the judges narrowed down to about one hundred favorites. Read them all here. Among them, you might recognize at least two other names—Diane Mayr and Elizabeth Steinglass, both of whom have been featured in the Haiku Garden at Today's Little Ditty (here and here). Diane and Liz have kindly allowed me to post their winning "Golden Haiku" as well. I'm tickled cherry blossom pink to be in such good company!
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| Oak leaf buds by staticgirl |
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| "Hooped Moon" by Joey Rozier |
Beautiful, aren't they?
The photos, by the way, weren't part of the contest, just my attempt to pretty-up today's post.
I also wanted to tell you what a fantastic time I've been having doing "research" for next month's Classroom Connections series! I've been reading so many wonderful and diverse books—eclectic poetry collections, lyrical picture books, and engaging verse novels. The insights and classroom exercises the participating authors and editors are sharing for elementary, middle, and high school students are also amazing! So stay tuned for National Poetry Month. Next week I'll be publishing the schedule of events.
I don't believe there IS a better way for friends to welcome spring amongst friends. Many congratulations on your honorable mention. I hope I can find your haiku on a trip to DC (planning on going in soon). You can be sure I'll send you a pic if I see it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! It sure would be exciting to have my haiku discovered in the wilds of DC. :)
DeleteCongratulations for your honorable mention, Michelle. I did see the results on FB, too, & each one is wonderful. How great that you're starting a new path that will be exciting for educators! I look forward to seeing what you bring!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. :) My NPM series has been fun to pull together. It's motivating me to think I'll be helping bring poetry into classrooms in a direct way.
DeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDeleteI might not make it into D.C. while they are up so I am so glad to get a chance to see these fine haiku here. Thanks, M.!
:)
DeleteLove them all. In addition to the leaves letting go, I also have about a million sweet gum balls letting go. I need to write a haiku about spring raking :)
ReplyDeleteJust don't do your sweet gum ball raking in bare feet, Kimberly. Ouch!
DeleteVery cool! (I see I'm not the only one in in a spring-haiku frame of mind!) I love all the haiku here, so congratulations to the 3 of you.
ReplyDeleteSpring and haiku do go together well, don't they? Off to read yours soon!
DeleteI love your haiku, Michelle. As I said on facebook, the break between the 2nd and 3rd lines is brilliant! I love Diane's last line too. Look at those two little words there by themselves. And thank you for finding such a perfect picture to go with mine. I can't wait to read your blog in April!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Liz. You've been (and continue to be) a wonderful mentor for me as far as haiku goes! I also wanted to mention that after reading your interview on Picture Book Buzz, I can't read your haiku without also imagining little girl you catching rebounds in your nightgown.
DeleteOh wow -- congrats on your honorable mention!! And how wonderful that Liz's and Diane's haiku were recognized too! Didn't know about the competition; love the idea of posting poems around the city.
ReplyDeleteYeah, isn't that cool? I wish our local arts association did something like that. (Maybe I should suggest it!)
DeleteThese are all beautiful poems! Congrats to you and the others. And thank you for including the silly poem. I remember when my daughter went through the stage of chopping all the hair off her dolls. She never took scissors to her own (thank goodness) and hasn't tried to cut her little brother's yet either. Keeping my fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely keep those fingers crossed. It seems to be a rite of passage!
DeleteCongrats to you all! They are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bekah!
DeleteHuge congratulations to you, Diane, and Liz!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Teresa!
DeleteWhoo Hoo, Congrats Michelle on receiving an Honorable Mention for your Spring haiku poem, how exciting, and to be displayed too, wonderful! What a cherished memory you captured in your poem about cutting your sister's hair, and that expression in the pic fits perfectly. Thanks for the cheery springy images.
ReplyDeleteSpring is my favorite season—it just never lasts long enough here in Florida!
DeleteThanks, Michelle, it's an honor to be included in your post today. Haiku is finally getting the recognition it deserves as poetry (as opposed to the three-line jokes that have proliferated over the last decade). Keep up the good work Liz and Michelle!
ReplyDeleteThe honor's mine, Diane! You know how I feel about your haiku magic. :) I can really relate to your haiku in a personal way too. Thanks to the oaks, we get more leaf fall in spring than we ever do in autumn! I was just raking this morning and have three prize blisters to show for it. It's a pity I couldn't find a photograph that illustrated your haiku more directly. I went with pretty over accurate—trust me, no one wants to see a picture of me raking!
DeleteGreat news for you and the other poets. I think the poems are spectacular. Thanks for the link to the haircut poem. I needed a laugh today and that worked.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I could make you laugh, Rosi. My work here is done. :)
DeleteCongratulations, Michelle! And Liz and Diane! All three poems are brilliant. (I had a haiku chosen for the Golden Triangle contest a few years ago - proud accomplishment.) :)
ReplyDeleteCool! I'd love to read it Bridget!
DeleteCongratulations, Michelle! It is still wintery here in CT this morning, so I appreciate all the little bits of spring in your post. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your April poetry project!
ReplyDeleteHang in there, Catherine. Winter can't hang around for TOO much longer!
DeleteHere's another congratulations! I'm SO looking forward to your Poetry Month project!! You and Linda M. have projects that will make a difference in the classroom! YAY!
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope so, Mary Lee! That would make me very happy indeed.
DeleteCongratulations to all of you! They are lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, David!
DeleteSo beautiful! Thank you to all of you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ruth. :)
DeleteHow awesome!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your haiku and to all the others. They are all stunning.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jone!
DeleteGot here via Robyn's post today, April 13. How wonderful to know that I could go downtown and find my friends hunkered down and haikuing for me!
ReplyDeleteHaiku gold posts spark
ReplyDeletejewels in Government city
M, D & E - crowned
You three are each spun gold, Michelle.
I am tickled that I landed here from a link
at Life on the Deckle Edge/ Ms. Rockin' Robyn Hood Black.
So yipping! happiness to know about these gifts
to one of our favorite walkable cities.
Wishing I could see them in person.
But SO many are, even as I write.
Appreciations for sharing dear Michelle.
Happy 2019 National Poetry Month!