It started in Japan, but the poetry style called haiku now has adherents worldwide — and right here in the Valley.
Witness the contributions to the form in local King County Libraries’ Haiku Contest.
Sponsored by the Friends organizations of the Fall City, North Bend and Snoqualmie libraries, the contest challenged children and adults to write haikus about a book of their choice.
In English, haiku poems are three lines of five, seven and five syllables, respectively (Japanese syllables are different, and Japanese haikus average about 12 English syllables, rather than 17).
Winners of the contest included:
North Bend Library
Kaitlyn Glenn, elementary student
Book: Little Red Riding Hood
What a dumb old kid
Thought a wolf was her grandma
Hold on — wolves can’t talk!
Alex Rasmussen, middle school student
Book: +Anima
A fallen angel
His black wings will light the way
Through the darkened path
Jack Rasmussen, high school student
Book: Ishmael
Silverback teacher
Call me Ishmael, my friend.
We shall save our world
Glyn Bordelon, adult
Book: Olive Kitteridge
The wrinkled face greets
the lingering daylight years.
“I am here. Waiting.”
Snoqualmie Library
Kaylee Butler, elementary school student
Book: The Lightning Thief
Kicked out of boarding
School, what a boy to do, meet
A Greek god. Camp, crazy!
Krista Cassidy, middle school student
Book: Full Metal Alchemist
Alchemy shall reign
And so, my brother, there is
Nothing I won’t give
Fall City Library
Matthew Hanusiak, elementary school student
Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Funny diary
Greg, a wimpy slugabed
Hilarious kid
Victoria Shim, middle school student
Book: Ender’s Game
A war with buggers
Ender the young prodigy
The hero of Earth
Sharon Bilbro, adult
Book: Her Mother’s Hope
Title: “Generational Braid”
Past and future breathe
now. Look back and dream forward,
but life is at hand
