The Phoenix Arizona Matsuri has announced the winners of the 2021 Haiku contest.

Tucsonans Karen Falkenstrom, Director of Odaiko Sonora won in the Adult/University category, and Miki Pimienta won three awards in the Japanese Language category. Both Karen and Miki are on the SAJCC Council, and Miki, originally from Japan, has won these haiku contests every year since 2015. Karen was also Treasurer of SAJCC for a few years. Also winning 3 awards is Raquelle Wuollet, a student at Basis Oro Valley High School.

Karen’s winning haiku (page 20):

“Hummingbirds, soft jewels,

Sear the air around a flower-

Mine, for an instant”

Miki’s winning haiku (selection from her two winning haiku, one honorable mention. pages 26, 30):

川底に 足跡残し 獣行く

“Kawazoko ni

Ashiato nokoshi

Shishi iku”

(English translation: In the riverbed, Footprints remain, Beasts go)

Raquelle won two awards and also an honorable mention (pages 15,16,18). Here’s one of her winners:

“Shining desert stars

Lanterns for javelinas

Beacons for the bats”

Congratulations to all winners!. 2021 eBook haiku are listed here:

https://ffec89fd-56a7-4efa-b620-7f52bc851c28.filesusr.com/ugd/ef81d7_04bdc1968f034e99998bb31a9e8e0099.pdfh