Haiku Society of America

Haiku Society of America Student Haiku Awards
in Memorial of Nicholas A. Virgilio

Eavonka Ettinger and John Pappas
judges

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Here are the winning haiku writers:

Phoebe Bain
Grade 12, Colorado Springs, CO

Brynn Jensen
Grade 12, Colorado Springs, CO

Frances McIlvoy
Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

Evelyn Reynolds
Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

Tenzin Tinley
Grade 12, Colorado Springs, CO

Connor Wong
Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

~ ~ ~

autumn leaves
her last words heard
in a voicemail

Phoebe Bain – Grade 12, Colorado Springs, CO

The falling of leaves and the bareness of branches is a seasonal change that so poignantly highlights the loss in this poem. The echo of the word 'leaves' can be in found in the message left and the leaving of someone held dear. Who that is remains a mystery which allows the reader space to ponder. I wondered, for instance, if they were her true last words or just the last words heard from her? I felt that someone older had left that voicemail as increasingly very few people seem to do so. There is a profound pathos in having a message to replay of a loved one who has passed. I know I've saved many from my parents for just that reason. I am grateful to this poet for the reminder of how precious it is to pick up the phone and make contact. (EE)

~ ~ ~

blood moon
       keys between my knuckles
              like my mother before me

Brynn Jensen – Grade 12, Colorado Springs, CO

A blood moon occurs when the Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the moon during a total lunar eclipse which creates a reddish hue on the moon's surface. It can also embody the monthly cycles which often mark a woman's coming of age and the need to be ever more aware of those who would do us harm. This evocative poem is a reminder of how protection can be passed down across generations of women. It does this not only with its form which is uncommon in haiku, but also with its incredible use of consonance. Note how the sounds of m and b echo across each line and the way k jars us into a scary reality in line two. How I wish today's young women didn't still have to learn to use their keys to fend off what lies in the dark. My thanks to this poet for her ability to express this so powerfully. (EE)

~ ~ ~

grandma's kitchen
mooncake softens
in my mouth

Frances McIlvoy – Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

This poem is a cloud, with rounded edges that diffuse and dissolve like the autumnal treat mentioned within. One can almost see the sparkle in the grandmother’s eye as she anticipates the speaker’s joy in enjoying this seasonal cake. On one level, this poem savors a special moment of being loved and cared for through the sharing of food and culture; on another, it reminds the reader, through the deft use of tactile imagery and the seasonal nature of the mooncake, of how quickly time passes and how important it is to appreciate these ephemeral pleasures. You can almost feel the poem slip from direct experience into memory. What a poem to be able to do so much in eleven syllables.
(JP)

~ ~ ~

autumn wind
the scent of the bonfire
on a borrowed hoodie

Evelyn Reynolds – Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

This poem is a masterpiece of scene setting. The wind from line one carries the scent into line two and three. The bonfire suggests night, a need for warmth, and Homecoming or another teenage gathering where there are ever-present hoodies. But what really highlights the storytelling is that this one is borrowed. Did a boyfriend offer it in the chilly wind? Was it from a friend or a family member? Whatever the case, I adore how strongly my sense memories were activated back 40 years to my own senior homecoming game. There is comfort in realizing that some experiences linger across the decades much like that scent and the sounds of fire do in our minds. (EE)

~ ~ ~

war victory
the names of the dead
misspelled

Tenzin Tinley – Grade 12, Colorado Springs, CO

How and why do we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice? And what does it indicate about a nation if, in the rush to commemorate a conflict’s end, we inaccurately record the names of those who fought it? A 2019 study shows, for example, that over 100 names of fallen soldiers have been incorrectly inscribed on the black granite wall of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. Drawing our attention to this form of erasure by undercutting the sense of celebration and commemoration in lines one and two with a terse and surprising line three in an ironic modality, this stunning senryu helps us  imagine a stronger connection between what a society asks soldiers to do and how it treats them when their service has ended. This poem, like the polished stone of so many memorials, provides for our contemplation a reflection of ourselves. (JP)

~ ~ ~

empty hallway
one shoe sideways
after the argument

Connor Wong – Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

Like a room suddenly silent after shouting, this poem echoes with reverberating white space. The key visual detail — that sideways shoe — says so much and at the same time tells us so little. We may wonder who argued and over what, we may wonder whose shoe it is and if it was kicked, thrown, or tripped over, or we may wonder if someone was so angry they stormed out without shoes. We may even wonder who, in this quiet aftermath with its subtle suggestion of violence, is observing this moment, how they feel, and how it will affect them. Perhaps, however, none of that matters — these concerns seem secondary to this perfectly rendered moment: a beat, breath, or pause after a slammed door, a moment of meditation before decisions must be made or dealt with, the slack tide before the ocean pulls us back in. Through this poet’s keen eye for detail, an absence here becomes a profound and affecting presence. (JP)

~ ~ ~

 

About our 2025 judges:

Eavonka Ettinger arrived at haiku after a journey through theatre, film, spoken word poetry, and teaching. She taught 7th grade English for 12 years in South Los Angeles where she happily utilized her love of poetry and drama. She's been widely published in print and online journals in a variety of Japanese short forms including in Frogpond, Rattle, whiptail, Modern Haiku, Trash Panda, Wales Haiku Journal, Prune Juice, and haikuKATHA. She's also a multiple Touchstone Award, Red Moon Anthology, and Best of the Net nominee. She lives in Long Beach, CA with her husband and cat.

John Pappas is a widely published and anthologized Touchstone Award winning poet and teacher. His first chapbook dimes of light was published in 2024 by Yavanika Press. His work is featured in the recently published haiku anthology off the main road: six contemporary haiku poets (Alba Publishing, 2024) and the forthcoming New Resonance 14 (Red Moon Press) and his longer poetry has twice been selected for the Mayor of Boston's Poetry Contest (2016 and 2020). As drummer and lyricist of the punk rock band Heather Hates You, he has recorded two albums and toured extensively. John lives in Boston, MA.