26 MARCH, 2019 - Deck Log M/V So...fea - CLEAN SWEEP!
Time for a little proud braggadocio from A-Dock
Each year, there are three International Poetry Contests at the top of the food chain, think of them as the Indy 500 , Super Bowl and World Series of Poetry, an'ya has been the "only" person to ever win the 1st Place International Haiku Award twice, and this year, she won the International Tanka Award . . . along with a bevy of the other available award slots. It was an International "clean sweep' from right here aboard the M/V So...fea !
The British Haiku Society 2018 Awards (Tanka Section)
Dear an’ya,
I am delighted to bring you some good news: your tanka has been selected by Linda Jeannette Ward
as multiple Winners in this year’s BHS Awards (Tanka Section). Your award of £125 will be paid
in pounds sterling.
as multiple Winners in this year’s BHS Awards (Tanka Section). Your award of £125 will be paid
in pounds sterling.
Congratulations on your BHS Awards - one winning tanka and three honourable mentions!
(1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th placings).
(1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th placings).
Please find attached the official letters. You will receive your certificates and Awards money by
cheque and post.
cheque and post.
Winner – an'ya, USA
without . . .
each evening seems even
longer
than it takes the river
to smooth a thousand stones
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
other 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.
gibbous moon
The first thought for the reader may be to add the word "you" to this line, but upon reflection, there are many
other 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.
gibbous moon
the cosmos reposing
in its round
your body spoons a chair
that holds me to the bone
in its round
your body spoons a chair
that holds me to the bone
an'ya
spring raindrops
spreading into circles
on our lake
a pair of ember-geese
glide through eternity
an'ya
at boot camp
we were taught the art
of marching
I tape that cadence now
with a three-prong cane
an'ya
Kind regards,
Iliyana Stoyanova 26/3/2019
(BHS Awards Administrator)
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Full blue-sky Spring day, high expected of 70....
Full blue-sky Spring day, high expected of 70....