Judged by an’ya

2011 Haiku Invitational Winners
presented by
1LeithWheeler_Logo_2016

an’ya, Judge

“Thank you very much to the hundreds of fine poets who entered Vancouver’s Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational 2011 and helped us celebrate the wonders of cherry blossom time. Congratulations to everyone who placed, and special congratulations to the top five winners for “Best-Haiku” in the British Columbia, Canada, United States, International (outside North America), and Youth categories.

In previous years, it was always stated that “a maximum of two poems could be submitted”, but this year it was not. Thus you will notice (although I judged blindly and fairly) that there were multiples chosen by certain authors.

Not only as contest judge, but as a fellow haiku poet, it is my most sincere intent to offer the following humble and heartfelt comments, in good faith, as a future learning aid.

Within the diversity of worldwide submissions, it was obvious that many writers used multiple adjectives to reach the 5/7/5 syllable count mistakenly taught in our school systems (no longer accurate criteria) which made for haiku that appeared padded. Still, the images were good and the concepts original. Other entries contained, personification, simile, metaphor, rhyme, and other poetic devices that may work in mainstream poetry but are not recommended or suited for haiku (unless used very subtly.) Such devices block the minds of both writer and reader to grasp the natural simplicity of this ancient form.

On a more important and purely positive note, the entries were quite impressive overall, and final haiku selections are simple, straightforward, clear and concise, use everyday language, incorporate juxtaposition, contain pauses and pivots, flow smoothly, and include an element of surprise. In every category, it was most difficult to ultimately select just one lovely cherry blossom haiku over another for these top five winners (please see commentary.)

I wholeheartedly encourage authors to keep writing and to especially concentrate on

fine-tuning your haiku which can set one moment apart from all the rest. If your entry was not selected this time — perhaps next time, it will be your turn to be heard . . .”

— an’ya, 2011 Judge, Gilchrist, Oregon USA

Top Winners

British Columbia
we speak
of cherry blossoms —
a safe topic

                      Beth Skala
                      Nanaimo, British Columbia

Canada
hanami picnic–
more blossoms
than sky

                      Pamela Cooper
                      Montreal, Quebec

International
birdbath
a blossom falls into
a fluffy cloud

                      Quendryth Young

                      Alstonville, Australia

United States

cherry tree blossoms
even underfoot
their spell lingers . . .
                      Anne LB Davidson,

                      Saco, Maine

Youth
No need for flower girl
the wind fulfills her role —
cherry blossoms

                      Sherry Zhou, age 13
                      Vancouver, British Columbia

British Columbia
Sakura Awards

(In Order of Merit)

jet overhead
no where I’d rather be
— cherry blossoms

                      Ida Barazzuol
                     
Burnaby, British Columbia

last light . . .
cherry petals drift
into pink

                      Jill Stanley
                     
Victoria, British Columbia

petals
on wet pavement
bloom twice

                      Robert Butkus
                      Powell River, British Columbia

a petal drifts down
my son reaches to catch it
our cherry blossom

                      Craig Chong
                     
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

cherry petals
drift . . .
boundaries blur

                      Beth Skala
                     
Nanaimo, British Columbia

a sudden breeze
pink cherry blossom ribbon
along the curb

                      Marianne Fraser
                     
Victoria, British Columbia

cherry blossoms fall
I watch you disappear
one step at a time                     

                      Mary Franklin
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

His unwritten Haiku
at Cherry Blossom time . . .
my late husband

                      Karen Crawford
                     
Surrey, British Columbia

too fragile
for the dance—
her cherry blossom corsage

                      Beth Skala
                     
Nanaimo, British Columbia

open-air chess game
cherry petals fill
the empty spaces

                      Harvey Jenkins
                     
Nanaimo, British Columbia

Honourable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)

spring storm—
cherry blossoms
against the glass

                      Tim Ashman
                     
New Westminster, British Columbia

cherry petals
the old man sweeps
the neighbour’s porch

                      sidney bending
                     
Victoria, British Columbia

Bad day erased
When I spot pink clouds
suspended in trees

                      April Besth
                     
Delta, British Columbia

petals fall
I become again a
blushing bride

                      Natalie Chapman
                     
Coquitlam, British Columbia

Fukushima . . .
and still the blossoms
unfurl

                      Susan Constable
                     
Nanoose Bay, British Columbia

Spring walk . . .
under cherry blossoms . . .
my wife sneezing>

                      Jeff Crawford
                     
Surrey, British Columbia

the elderly couple
arm-in-arm across the bridge . . .
moonlit blossoms

                      elehna de sousa
                     
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia

her mothers recipe
scattered cherry blossoms
embedded with text

                      Anne Dunnett
                     
North Vancouver, British Columbia

deserted cape
cherries someone planted
bloom along the shore

                      Garry Eaton
                     
Port Moody, British Columbia

My old cherry tree
A source of constant beauty
I could never repay you

                      Raffi Freedman
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

at last! blossoms
on my daughter’s cherry tree—
I send her a photo

                      John Garrett
                     
Saanichton, British Columbia

fragrant shower
under the umbrella
of a cherry tree

                      andrea gradidge
                     
Burnaby, British Columbia

my garden
white with snow—
your pink in cherry blossoms

                      Alison Graeme
                     
Nelson, British Columbia

tie game
through the pub window
cherry blossoms

                      Ann Harreby
                     
Coquitlam, British Columbia

Outside the clinic
cherry petals fall
hope in her heart

                      Angelika Kolompar
                     
Nanaimo, British Columbia

Alone on the train
cherry blossoms
make me smile

                      Beverly Komukai
                     
Burnaby, British Columbia

a pink mist . . .
first cherry blossoms
celebrating him

                      Daphne Lam Chan
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

I waited this year
until a strong west wind
turned the garden pink

                      brian lewis
                     
Duncan, British Columbia

garden buddha
blossoms stuck to his belly
sits in silence

                      Barb Little
                     
Burnaby, British Columbia

cherry blossoms—
we pray
for Japan

                      Franci Louann
                     
Metro Vancouver, British Columbia

As the river flows
pink dewdrops drip down
silently and calm

                      Paige Marriott
                     
Prince George, British Columbia

first time with chopsticks
cherry blossoms building
cultural bridges

                      Lindsay Marsh
                     
Burnaby, British Columbia

daybreak cherry—
the swirl of petals
as I cycle by

                      Vicki McCullough
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

cherry blossoms
cluster near the doorway
ESL students

                      Hilary Miller
                     
Delta, British Columbia

the soft sweet scent
of cherry blossoms
permeate my thoughts

                      Janet Ng
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

watching petals fall
the sky filled with shades of pink
skipping work today

                      Linda Nguyen
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

I look up
to see cherry blossoms—
faces in the street

                      Beth Skala
                     
Nanaimo, British Columbia

I smile
at cherry blossoms . . .
a man smiles back

                      Beth Skala
                     
Nanaimo, British Columbia

cherry blossoms
circulate
door-to-door

                      Beth Skala
                      Nanaimo, British Columbia

Lace shadows
on the windowsill,
cherry blooms outside

                      Lindsay Vermeulen
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

Cherry blossoms
Streets in bloom
Strangers become friends

                      Jill Warner
                     
Surrey, British Columbia

snow-covered lions
a pink hush
cherry blossoms

                      Marianne Werner
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

rainstorm
emptiness of cherry blossoms
on the branch

                      Gail Whitter
                     
Trail, British Columbia

cherry blossoms
holding up the full moon
we pass under

                      Gail Whitter
                     
Trail, British Columbia

writing a haiku for
cherry blossoms
instead of my thesis

                      Susan Yang
                     
Burnaby, British Columbia

cherry blossom
fragile, giving its petals
to the wind

                      sheelah ziajka
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

This year
sakura weeps
for its homeland

                      sheelah ziajka
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

Canada
Sakura Awards (In Order of Merit)

so much regret
as cherry blossoms scatter
at your graveside.

                      Belinda Betker
                     
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

pink petals
slipping from upper limbs
a boy’s foot

                      Pearl Pirie
                     
Ottawa, Ontario

Under a cherry tree
offering my self a bouquet
without a ribbon

                      Liette Janelle
                     
Boucherville, Quebec

ginko outing—
a cherry blossom petal
lands in my notebook

                      Ellen Cooper
                     
Montreal, Quebec

cool spring—
my shadow
dark pink

                      Luce Pelletier
                     
St. Basile-le-Grand, Quebec

as if
you never left
cherry blossoms

                      Roland Packer
                     
Hamilton, Ontario

Honourable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)

thunder shower
wedding party huddles
under Cherry boughs

                      Patricia Benedict
                     
Calgary, Alberta

morning tai chi—
perfect meditation
beneath the cherry trees.

                      Belinda Betker
                     
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

even at night
beneath the glittering stars—
cherry blossom light.

                      Belinda Betker
                     
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

mortar and pestle—
I crush cherry blossoms
for my morning tea.

                      Belinda Betker
                     
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

my new job
blending paint colours—
cherry blossom spring!

                      Belinda Betker
                     
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

drifts of white
pile up on the windowsill—
not snow – cherry blossoms!

                      Belinda Betker
                     
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

empty nester
memories of so many
cherry blossoms

                      Peter Brady
                     
Gatineau, Quebec

Cherry Blossom
Bumblebee
so nice to meet you

                      Darren Cole
                     
Winnipeg, Manitoba

tree-lined footpath
a canopy of blossoms
shields me from the rain

                      Ellen Cooper
                     
Montreal, Quebec

cherry tree in bloom—
all around the same table
hummingbird and bee

                      Diane Descoteaux
                     
Saint-Nicephore, Quebec

alone once again
a single cherry blossom
on my fingertip

                      Marco Fraticelli
                     
Pointe Claire, Quebec

stepping to the back of the line
for the third time—
cherry blossoms

                      Lin Geary
                     
Paris, Ontario

sakura song—
for the new romance
changing ring-tones

                      Lin Geary
                     
Paris, Ontario

one cherry petal
falling upon another . . .
a new ‘old dream’

                      Chen-ou Liu
                     
Ajax, Ontario

cherry blossoms—
the child’s frothy mustache
curls with her smile

                      Terra Martin
                     
Toronto, Ontario

cherry petals fall
in and out
of the shadows

                      Christine Nelson
                     
Athabasca, Alberta

International
Sakura Awards (In Order of Merit)

evensong
in the convent garden
cherry blossoms

                      ernest berry
                     
Picton, New Zealand

Valley to mountain
the road turns the time back
from blossoms to buds

                      Valeria Barouch
                     
Geneva, Switzerland

cherry tree park
everything pink
on the front page

                      Ralf Bröker
                     
Ochtrup, Germany

if I’d had
just this one bridge to cross . . .
cherry blossom park

                                             Kala Ramesh
Maharashtra, India

cherry blossom
an ordinary pond
turns Japanese

                      Tracy Davidson
                     
Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

cherry blossom
I stand down wind
in a swirl of pink

                      Elaine Riddell
                     
Hamilton, New Zealand

drifting down . . .
a cherry blossom
meets its shadow

                      Quendryth Young
                     
New South Wales, Australia

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)

the spider’s web
tinted with rainbow . . .
cherry petal

                      Greg Bingham
                     
Nimbin, Australia

afternoon walk . . .
her wicker basket
spills cherry petals

                      Leonie Bingham
                     
Nimbin, Australia

pink dusk—
a cherry petal hovers
over the cow pat

                      Helen Buckingham
                     
Bristol, United Kingdom

kukai in orchard—
a cherry petal settles
as kireji

                      Cezar-Florin Ciobîcă
                     
Botoșani, Romania

between us
only fallen cherry petals . . .
unspoken words

                      Magdalena Dale
                     
Bucharest, Romania

cherry blossom
the bride
pales in comparison

                      Tracey Davidson
                     
Stratford-upon-Avon

from the well I fetched
some cherry’s petals with
the bucket of water

                      Ana Dolenec Truban
                     
Zagreb, Croatia

train window—
a moment of cherry tree
between two buildings

                      Damien Gabriels
                     
Leers, France

homecoming—
the silence
of cherry blossoms

                      Katherine Gallagher
                     
London, England

the whole day
in my collar
a cherry blossom

                      Vladislav Hristov
                     
Sofia, Bulgaria

cherry blossoms
loaded on the truck
of the little boy

                      Silvia Kempen
                     
Lower Saxony, Germany

her raven-black hair
whitened with cherry petals
on her way to church

                      Silvia Kempen
                     
Lower Saxony, Germany

sweeping wind—
cherry petals frozen
to icy patches

                      Anatoly Kudryavitsky
                     
Leinster, Ireland

roaring stream—
a spray of cherry blossom
caught in the whirlpool

                      Natalia Kuznetsova
                     
Moscow, Russia

cherry blossoms—
mild breezes loosening
their first petals

                      Horst Ludwig
                     
St. Peter, Germany

blossoming cherry
above the lake . . . petals
meet on its surface

                      Tomislav Maretic
                     
Gornje Vrapce, Croatia

blossom shower . . .
even our differences
beautiful

                      Svetlana Marisov
                     
Wellington, New Zealand

temple entrance
on the monk’s sandals
cherry petals

                      Mark Miller
                     
Shoalhaven Heads, Australia

receding thunder
cherry petals line
the storm drain

                      Polona Oblak
                     
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Cherry Blossoms falling—
gingerly lifting
your small white coffin

                      Kate Prendergast
                     
Melbourne, Australia

Under an old cherry
Tenderness touching
My palms

                      Vera Primorac
                     
Viškovo, Croatia

In its beak
a sparrow carrying spring
— a cherry petal

                      Slavica Sarkotic
                     
Lekenik, Croatia

night walk—
on my left, on my right
cherry blossoms

                      Grzegorz Sionkowski
                     
Torun, Poland

cherry blossoms
keep the sky shining
in the night

                      Mateusz Sionkowski
                     
Toruń, Poland

aftershock
cherry petals
float down

                      Barbara Strang
                       Christchurch, New Zealand

morning gingko
cherry blossom falls
into my haiku

                      Andre Surridge
                     
Hamilton, New Zealand

the end
of bare branches—
cherry blossom

                      Alan Taylor
                     
Worcester, United Kingdom

cherry blossom—
just as I was afraid
of the weather

                      Alan Taylor
                     
Worcestor, United Kingdom

Starry night—
in an old cherry tree
the first flower

                      Maria Tirenescu
                     
Cugir, Romania

cherry blossom shower—
old dog wakes to find himself
in the pink

                      Martin Vaughan
                     
Dublin, Ireland

cherry petals
still drifting in my hometown
here and there

                      Sasa Vazic
                     
Batajnica, Serbia

pink layered on white—
the flowering cherry tree
stands out in the mist

                      Lorraine Ward
                     
Wellington, New Zealand

United States
Sakura Awards (In Order of Merit)

from the bullet train
a blur of blossoms
spring twilight

                      Margaret Chula
                     
Portland, Oregon

dying blossoms
on cherry wood boats—
each one a prayer

                      Alexander Prokic
                     
Novi, Michigan

for a moment
the war be damned
cherry blossoms

                      Johnny Baranski
                     
Vancouver, Washington

cherry blossom . . .
the baby’s hand unfolds
around my finger

                      Margaret Dornaus
                     
Ozark, Arkansas

honor guard —
row upon row
of flowering cherries

                      Cara Holmon
                     
Portland, Oregon

wing beats
of a hidden bird
this cascade of blossoms

                      Marilyn Appl Walker
                     
Madison, Georgia

driving home
the wipers wave
cherry petals

                      Jennifer Met
                     
Troy, Idaho

losing my job
a flurry of cherry blossoms
sticks to my wet cheeks

                      Stephen Leslie
                     
Schoharie, New York

the river bends
with cherry blossoms
where the light falls

                      Thomas Martin
                     
Beaverton, Oregon

cherry blossoms
part of my childhood
follows me home

                      Stephen A. Peters
                     
Bellingham, Washington

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)

cherry blossom—
the expectant mother
counts the petals

                      Melissa Allen
                     
Madison, Wisconsin

her scent
coming my way
cherry blossom

                      Ed Baker
                     
Takoma Park, Maryland

from the mist
–to break the silence—
cherry blossoms

                      brett brady
                     
Pahoa, Hawaii

rising sun—
ten thousand cherry blossoms
drift into the sea

                      Julie Cain
                     
Sturgis, Mississippi

first cherry buds
our newborn opens
her fists

                      Billie D
                     
San Diego, California

he lingers
under cherry blossoms
retirement day

                      Mary Davila
                     
Buffalo, New York

cherry blossoms—
we visit the graves
of the unknown

                      Margaret Dornaus
                     
Ozark, Arkansas

mountainside orchard
first to unfold—
cherry blossoms

                      Elizabeth Fanto
                     
Timonium, Maryland

the pale pink—
cherry petals touching
tip to tip

                      Donna Fleischer
                     
Windsor, Connecticut

reluctant spring
beneath the cherry blossoms
flooded paper cranes

                      Victor Gendrano
                     
Lakewood, California

falling cherry blossoms . . .
the first turn
of a somersault
Michele L. Harvey
Hamilton, New York

near the gate
cherry blossom petals on the path
we have taken

                      Gary Hotham
                     
Scaggsville, Maryland

the first kick
of her unborn daughter
cherry blossom dawn

                      Catherine J. S. Lee
                     
Eastport, Maine

passing time
under the cherry tree
the senior’s group

                      Carole MacRury
                     
Point Roberts, Washington

cherry blossom shadows . . .
tracing the birdsong
to the bird

                      David McKee
                     
Madison, Wisconsin

cherry blossoms
the horse carriage
comes to a halt

                      Harrisham Minhas
                     
Herndon, Virginia

we look away
our feet lost
in cherry blossoms

                      Robert Perret
                     
Troy, Idaho

cherry blossoms
walking the path with her
that goes both way

                      Stephen A. Peters
                     
Bellingham, Washington

new grass sprouts
beneath the cherry blossoms—
our dog’s grave

                      Marion Alice Poirier
                     
Boston, Massachusetts

sparrows drink
their reflections
cherry blossoms

                      Becky Ramotowski
                     
Tijeras, New Mexico

weeping cherry
waiting for the new buds too
a pair of deer

                      Bruce Ross
                     
Hampden, Maine

Lacy blossoms shine
as elixir of moonlight
twinkles into the dawn.

                       Micki Schomaker Jackson
                     
Bellingham, Washington

Your cherry blossoms
hang over my backyard fence–
Let’s talk again

                       Charlotte Sheer
                     
Foxboro, Wisconsin

cherry blossoms
drifting on a twilight breeze–
one croak opens the night

                      Carrie Sikorski
                     
Vashon Island, Washington

story time—
a koi
parts the cherry blossoms

                      Tim Singleton
                     
Columbia, Maryland

too many
for the cat —
swirling blossoms

                      Heidi Stahl
                     
Redmond, Washington

dusk
still the cherry blossoms
glow

                      Neal Whitman
                     
Pacific Grove, California

dewdrops
in every cherry blossom
the rising sun

                      Josh Wikoff
                     
Petaluma, California

cherry petals fall
through his loose overalls
I hug his ribs

                      Ruth Yarrow
                     
Seattle, Washington

Youth

Sakura Awards (In Order of Merit)

bubbles in the creek
disappear into rapids . . .
cherry blossoms

                      Sophie Kirkby, age 11
                     
New South Wales, Australia

breath of wind
cherry blossoms filling
the hopscotch

                      Andra-Ioana Andronic, age 13
                     
Botoșani, Romania

frosty days—
in my mother’s diary
a cherry blossom

                      Vlad-Sergiu Ciobîcă, age 11
                     
Botoșani, Romania

Cherry blossoms
My neighbor in song
With the birds

                      Sophie Kirkby, age 11
                     
New South Wales, Australia

I looked in the sky
There was something about them
How they waved in wind

                      Lauren Baxter, age 10
                     
Richmond, British Columbia

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)

climbing the tree
pink everywhere
picking cherry blossoms

                      Liat, age 8
                     
Richmond, British Columbia

recess outside
running around the trees
pink petals on our cheeks

                      division 7, Blair Elementary Library, ages unknown
                     
Richmond, British Columbia

Vast pink cherry tree
as simple as a clear glass
as complex as earth

                      Armaan Abraham, age 9
                     
Langley, British Columbia

gust of wind—
the naked doll dressed
by cherry blossoms

                      Cristina Ailoaei, age 13
                     
Botoșani, Romania

Silently awake
Angelic pearls surround me
Feels like a pure dream

                      Priya Banga
                     
Prince George, British Columbia

the sense of cherry
blossoms gently unwind me
now I take a walk

                      rene batson
                     
Winnipeg, Manitoba

gloomy day—
only the cherry tree in blossom
brightens the garden

                      Vlad-Sergiu Ciobîcă, age 11
                     
Botoșani, Romania

Beneath the blue sky
Cherry blossoms are blooming
Filling up the street

                      Joyce Chang, age 16
                     
Maple Ridge, British Columbia

Going for a walk;
see the late blossoms,
feel the early bees . . .

                      Caitlin Chong, age 13
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

Running into Pink
I feel blossoms in my hands
falling all around

                      Emerson Cooke, age 10
                     
Richmond, British Columbia

Pink cherry blossoms
Fluttering to the soft ground
Staying very still

                      Jasmeen Deol, age 12
                     
Surrey, British Columbia

It is dark out
Til cherry blossoms fall
And light the way

                      Brian DeSousa, age 12
                     
Winnipeg, Manitoba

stuck in traffic
the wind brings them to me
cherry blossoms on my car

                      carl flores
                     
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Blossoms . . .
the funeral brings me down
I plant a cherry tree

                      Lauren Fotheringham, age 10
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

so soft and silky
as small as a stone marble
Cherry Blossoms

                      Prabhu Gill, age 12
                     
Surrey, British Columbia

as thin as paper
yet filled with memories
cherry blossoms

                      Kelly Hamachi, age 17
                     
Mountain View, California

After the spring rain
Pink petals float gently
Across the small stream

                      Danielle Hao, age 15
                     
Burnaby, British Columbia

cherry blossoms flow
falling to the perfect grass
shining in the sun

                      Gurpreet Heer, age 12
                     
Surrey, British Columbia

falling very slow
carried gracefully by wind
pink is all around

                      Fraser Jang-Milligan, age 13
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

You try to make me
See reason, but all I see
Are cherry blossoms

                      Nicole Kapphahn, age 16
                     
Prince George, British Columbia

Beneath pink,
Cherry blossom petals—
A life so short

                      Lucy Li, age unknown
                     
Calgary, Alberta

Cherry blossoms
So high up on the tree
I reach out to grab one

                      Tracy Ly, age 15
                     
Portland, Oregon

My dog stops,
Sniffs . . .
eats a cherry blossom.

                      Erin McHugh, age 10
                       Vancouver, British Columbia

pink cherry blossom
drift on the sky as they go
one lands on my palm

                      Beyda Mermer, age 10
                     
Richmond, British Columbia

The water droplets
Sit peacefully on petals
Of cherry blossoms

                      Katie Nelson, age 16
                     
Prince George, British Columbia

I walk down the street
In the midst of the blossoms
Bright and Beautiful

                      Jessica Porter, age 11
                     
Richmond, British Columbia

Children sit and watch
Cherry blossoms fluttering
In the very windy sky

                      Ravneet Sahota, age unknown
                     
Surrey, British Columbia

Delicate flower
Pretty perfumed flower
Floating on the water

                      Alysha Smith, age 16
                     
Prince George, British Columbia

cherry blossoms bloom
little by little they fall
now they form a swirl

                      Nancy Song, age 9
                     
Richmond, British Columbia

Someone’s funeral
Cherry blossoms cover ground—
finally at peace . . .

                      Bill Tang, age 11
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

The world is dark
cherry blossoms
bloom

                      Charlie Tang, age 13
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

cherry blossoms fall
filling in the concrete
making it pink

                      javi toor
                     
Surrey, British Columbia

Like cotton candy.
Floating through the skies above,
Love rains down on me

                      Dylan Wagner, age 16
                     
Prince George, British Columbia

Vancouver Canucks
lining up for the handshakes—
cherry blossoms fall.

                      Richard Wong
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia

A little pink tree
Growing beside the classroom
Standing tall and still

                      Woody Wu, age 10
                     
Richmond, British Columbia

I take a bite
subtle, yet there it is
cherry blossom

                      Hannah Xiao, age 14
                     
Vancouver, British Columbia