You Haiku 2009 - The winners About 300 poems were submitted for the 2009 You Haiku edition. Collectively they say a bit about Anchorage Press readers, maybe something about Alaskans as a whole. You love blueberries. Aluminum foil helps you sleep during summer. Traffic and tourists annoy you. Bears frighten you, or at least earn your prudent respect. Some recent political scandals disappoint, but don’t surprise you. Ted Stevens remains heroic, albeit tarnished, in your eyes. The poems made us wonder if this sample—about 70 writers willing to pare their thoughts to 17 syllables—is as good as any window onto Alaskan thought as one could find. Six volunteer judges and five Press staffers vetted the poems and chose winners this year. The Press staff chose the arbitrary categories, throwing in timeless Alaska themes such as bush airplanes and round-the-clock daylight with stuff meant to capture the zeitgeist of current affairs. One noticeable trend is that our judges tended to prefer poems that used our arbitrary categories as mere starting points, poems that blazed a trail off the beaten path the Press’s category seemed to point toward. Two categories, “Abstinence Alaska Style” and “Uncle Ted’s Second Act” attracted several seemingly agenda-driven poems and a few obviously mean ones; none of which made the grade. Some poets admirably tried to navigate those topics within the framework of recent headlines. They were simply outpaced by poets who thought outside the news box. George Nagel took the abstinence category with a cautionary joke about winter cycling. Thomas Pease (our grand prize winner in 2008) earned a runner-up with an observation about remote employment and the separation it imposes on lovers. Our winner in the Ted Stevens category, Johnthomas Williams, wrote a poem that described voters, rather than Stevens or his recent political undoing. This year’s grand prize haiku was written by Yereth Rosen, an Anchorage resident and writer for Reuters news service who drives through the intersection at Lake Otis Parkway and Tudor Road nearly every day. Her poem reminds us that there are better things than the traffic to ponder while stuck in traffic. The poem, wrote volunteer judge David Cheezem, “finds its way though and beyond the frustration” of the traffic jam. Rosen says the busy intersection is part of her neighborhood. It’s also a bustling medical district with signs and buildings her children recognize from the backseat. The family dentist is near there. So is the sonogram center where Rosen first saw an image of her son Marty, now five years old. “There’s also this place my son calls ‘the ear house’ and I guess people get hearing aids there, but we’ve never been in there,” Rosen says. “It’s all part of our ‘hood, I guess. We do spend a lot of time there, and so we know that place very well.” Besides avoiding obvious commentary on the traffic jam, Rosen’s haiku also plays on the strengths of her observations and personal thoughts. It makes a subtle nod to the importance of family life, some of which is inevitably spent in a car stuck in traffic or hurrying to the place where a child needs to be retrieved. Like all of our winners, Rosen seems to have taken the adage “write what you know” to heart. She shows readers that while traffic might be a top-of-the-mind obsession for drivers, we should never allow it to erase our minds of more important things. —Scott Christiansen Erosion Winner Brooke Edwards Time on canyon walls winds backwards, spirals downhill lapses into dust... Runner up Lincoln Garrick slipping gliding stone liquid rock is where we sleep bedrock is a myth Judge’s comment: “A reminder that nothing’s forever.” *** The bear out back Winner: Beth Johnson We had a meeting Your homes are too close and we Hate your yappy dogs Judge’s comment: “…to be posted somewhere lower Hillside.” Runner up: Johnthomas Williamson Australian nudist, omnipresent omnivore? I chose bare outback. Judge’s comment: “Neat homonymics.” *** Lake Otis and Tudor Winner: Yereth Rosen Pre-school pickup time Traffic jammed to where I saw his first sonogram Judge’s comment: “I love this! Finds its way through and beyond the frustration in the traffic!” Runner up: Brienne Mabry Stopgoscreechhonkstop Gostopfingerstophonkgo Should have used Elmore. Judge’s comment: “I recognize that finger!” *** Uncle Ted’s second act Winner: Johnthomas Williamson The same bandwagon, carrying the same folks in a different direction. Judge’s comment: “A nice comment on how fickle we are.” Runner up: Michael H. Sonju You knew I’d be back. Or if not, you sure should have. That’s politics boy.
*** Roller derby Winner: Wes Schacht
Roller derby babe I saw you on the poster I hope your team wins. Runners up: Beth Johnson Outta my way, bitch I'm retro, sweaty and fierce And fond of shoving Judge’s comment: “I like the ‘retro,’ and you can picture the look on her face.” Wes Schacht One can get hurt At the roller derby games My girlfriend hit me.
Ethics, Schmethics Winner: Rick Resnick I've heard of Ethics I think it's in Great Britain Just outside of Graft Judge’s comment: “Particularly nice in the way it takes familiar words and strips them of their meaning, reducing them to place names.” Runner up: Therese Stokes Reporting the news is cost prohibitive. Spin is cost effective.
*** One for the tourists Winner: Evan R. Steinhauser Always remember, It’s ‘Brown lay down’, ‘Black fight back’. Um, I think that’s it. Runner up: Doris Von Tish Ya'll bring your RVs and your little white poodles. Eagles are hungry. *** Abstinence, Alaska style Winner: George Nagel Balls atop bike seat Ten below zero to boot No desire remains Runner up: Thomas Pease seasonal listings deckhand, pilot, big game guide sat phone intercourse Judge’s comment: “I like this poem because it covers a lot of territory (seasonal romance, personal ads, phone sex) while staying true to traditional haiku limitations.” **** Stuck in Whittier Winner: Jason Mark The shadow of Her Darkens the entire town Maybe it's just me Runner up: Beth Johnson Tunnel’s out, no boats This is how bad movies start. Is that a chainsaw? Judge’s comment: “…vivid enough that you could just see Jack Nicholson with a gleam in his eye.” *** Midnight sun insomnia Winner: Beth Johnson Instead of sheep in All their thick, hot glory he Is counting salmon Judge’s comment: “sums up summer” Runner up: Brienne Mabry Glad he broke my heart In Spring. Now when I can’t sleep I can blame the sun **** A bush pilot’s view Winner: Christopher Waalkes A green tundra suit Fits the landscape well Small towns are buttons Judge’s comment: “Kinda crazy imagery, but it has imagery.” Runner up: Evan R. Steinhauser Grounded, Talkeetna. Flyin’ low at the Fairview. You come here often? Judge’s comment: “Unexpected.” **** In the blueberry patch Winner: Gina Pastos Digging in the patch This is a blueberry, yes? No, a crowberry Judge’s comment: “Been there.”
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