2020 Save Our World Haiku Contest
Winners
"We shall never understand one another until we reduce the language to seven words."- -
Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)
Lyrical Passion Poetry E-Zine © 2007-2020
Guest Adjudicator Lenard D. Moore
Lenard D. Moore is an internationally acclaimed poet and anthologist. His literary works have been published in more than fifteen countries and translated into more than a dozen languages. He teaches African-American literature and creative writing at the University of Mount Olive, where he directs the literary festival. He is a U.S. Army Veteran. Moore is the author of Geography of Jazz, A Temple Looming, Desert Storm: A Brief History, Forever Home, and The Open Eye, among others. He is the editor for One Window’s Light: A Collection of Haiku. He is the founder and executive director of the Carolina African-American Writers’ Collective and the executive chairman of the North Carolina Haiku Society. He was the first African-American president of the Haiku Society of America. His awards include the North Carolina Award for Literature and the Haiku Museum of Tokyo Award.
Theme: Saving our planet.
Lyrical Passion Poetry E-zine thanks everyone for entering. Congratulations winners!
1st Place $250 Grand Prize Winner
Earth Day
a refugee child sows
forget-me-nots
by Cezar-Florin Ciobîcă
(Botosani/Romania)
This poem stands out from the other 2020 Save Our World Haiku Contest entries. Like the other poems, it adheres to the theme. It also is a very memorable poem. Anyway, Earth Day is when the global community works together in support of the earth. The action might be cleaning up trash from the land, rivers, or other bodies of water. Perhaps, the action people take could be working toward reversing climate change by reducing smog, cleaning up and eliminating oil spills. In fact, we have just observed the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, on April 22, 2020. Because Earth Day mainly involves taking action for our planet, we witness “a refugee child…” in line two, taking action by planting an herb, one with beautiful flowers, probably blue. With line two, the reader knows that the child also takes action by escaping something horrible, and comes to another country. The reader also knows the region is unfamiliar to the child. Did the child already know about forget-me-nots? Although the earth is ancient, in contrast, the child is so young and innocent. The verb “sows” enables the reader to visualize the method of planting here. The poem resonates for the reader and surfaces empathy within him or her. Then, too, hope radiates within the “…refugee child….” The child does not worry, does not wallow in self-pity, and does not isolate himself or herself. However, this poem conjures a deeper meaning of remembrance. The child remembers the significance of Earth Day. The child also remembers the forget-me-nots, because they do not let him or her forget them. They also do not let the reader forget them. What about the shape of the flower? What about the flavor of the herb? The rhythmic last line of the poem unfolds with a surprise, though the seeds of these flowers or herbs are usually planted on Earth Day. Most importantly, the reader returns to this poem again and again for its richness and deftness.
2nd Place - $125 Winner
earth day
the shimmering wave
of a bee colony
by Debbie Strange
(Canada)
3rd Place - $50 Winner
the circumference
of a redwood tree
a circle of friends
by Brad Bennett
(Arlington, MA)
Honorable Mentions
Earth Hour Party
the old cherry tree still gathers
light for all our kin
by Cezar-Florin Ciobîcă
(Botosani/Romania)
rainless days
I make another cloud
in a bottle
by Debbie Strange
(Canada)
necropsy
a plastic angel
inside the albatross
by Seren Fargo
(Bellingham, WA)
