THE BRITISH HAIKU SOCIETY AWARDS 2018 FOR TANKA
First Place Winner
without...
each evening seems even
longer
then it takes the river
to smooth a thousand stones
an'ya
an'ya's winning tanka immediately arouses our curiosity with its one-word mystery for Line One: "without..." The first thought for the reader may be to add the word "you" to this line, but upon reflection, there are many possibilities: the loss of one's self through illness or the loss of meaningful work, a family home, or beloved pet. So, a story all in one word, and a juxtaposition with the next four lines that not only describes how endless the grief of loss can be, but manages to tell us that it can wear one down to almost nothing. An outstanding tanka that harmonizes human emotion with not only a meaningful description of nature, but also includes the traditional Japanese tanka use of the word "thousand" for emphasis.--Linda Jeanette Ward, Judge
Honourable Mention - Linda Jeanette Ward, Judge
gibbous moon
the cosmos reposing
in its round
your body spoons a chair
that holds me to the bone
an'ya
Honourable Mention - Debbie Strange, Judge
spring raindrops
spreading into circles
on our lake
a pair of ember-geese
glide through eternity
an'ya
Honourable Mention - Debbie Strange, Judge
at boot camp
we were taught the art
of marching
I tap that cadence now
with a three-prong cane
an'ya