Thank you for the Tsurukame Cup!
The Tsurukame Cup was so much fun. It was a huge success.
I, Kurousa, not only participated but also received an award, for which I am deeply grateful. Because I received an award, I decided to hold my own 'Kurousa Award,' but I also wanted to express my direct thanks to everyone who gave me an award.
I will choose my favorite works from those who gave me an award. (If I may be so bold, I will also include my own work that received an award.)
Here we go!
Shirokumakirin-san
Sitting down in the shade where the sunlight shines,
I drift into a nap in the gentle breeze.
A pleasant nap.
Kunpu (fragrant breeze) is also the origin of my name, Kurousa. (Since I was born in May, my parents named me 'Kaoru' from the 'fragrant breeze of May.') It's a lovely breeze, isn't it? Hehe.
The tanka poem of mine that won the Special Jury Award (Shirokumakirin edition) also captures this fragrant breeze, and it is this one:
At five in the morning, the wind blowing in smells of summer / Kaoru Konohana
I also wake up early and leave the house while it's still a bit cool. Sometimes I slow my pace or stop to look at the sky while feeling the wind along with the morning sun.
I wondered if you might be doing the same thing as me when I read your haiku.
Thank you very much for such a wonderful haiku.
The fragrant breeze we wait for while feeling the heat is truly a summer comfort.
'The wind you bathe in along with the morning sun' feels so good, doesn't it? I can feel the energy when the sun shows its face. Thank you for the Special Jury Award!
Tomone-san
Remembering a scary story while in the shower
It happens. Like when I'm washing my hair. Maybe it's because I'm defenseless and naked that I get so weak and scared (laughs).
The tanka poem of mine that won the Angel Cup Prize from Tomone-san is here.
5 AM, the wind blowing in smells of summer / Kaoru Konohana
It has the freshness of a summer morning.
That is exactly what I wanted to capture. Thank you so much for the Angel Cup Prize.
Mero-san
A shallow summer, oh, I am in love now
It made me imagine all sorts of things with "shallow summer." A love that is still "shallow." A summer that has not yet become hot. A scorching summer is coming from here on out, hehe.
The poem of mine that received the Semi-Mero Prize (a poem that really hit the spot) from Mero-san is here.
Avoiding the watering, jumping and jumping, a green frog / Kaoru Konohana
This is great. It is full of summer vibes and humor.
Kurousa-san, aren't you intentionally aiming the water at the green frog? (´me∀me｀) Hahaha. It even seems like the green frog is enjoying it. After all, water in the heat is not that unpleasant for a frog, right? Yet, it is jumping around to avoid the water. It feels like they are playing. You could say it is a poem about flirting with a frog, lol.
I also like the refrain of "jumping and jumping." I can just imagine Kurousa-san laughing, saying, "Oh wow, jumping and jumping! You sure are jumping a lot!" while likely pointing the hose at the frog again, lol. The rhythm of "jumping and jumping, tree frog" is nice. It would be fun if there were an app game called "Tobu Tobu Amagaeru" (Jumping Jumping Tree Frog), lol. It rhymes naturally, and it is highly rated for being fun to read aloud. I think it is No. 1 in terms of lightness.
For Kurousa-san, this poem was also impressive.
Gelling agent by the name of mid-year gift jelly
This one makes me think that you really live up to the name Black Rabbit, lol. I can feel your sense for words.
I had not realized I was rhyming, so I thought, "I see!" and you taught me the brilliance of my own poem.
Besides that, you have seen through so many things. (lol)
Thank you for the Semi-Mero Prize!
rira-san
You were there, the magic of the moonlight having faded
But the magic of love has yet to melt away
Is this the moment I awakened to true love? The magic of love that won't melt away, heh.
Here is the poem of mine that received the unofficial rira Award from rira-san.
It's irritating, I'm sluggish whether I sleep or wake, because you said it, I declare menopause / Kaoru Konohana
Even for those who aren't going through menopause,
I want you to understand this pain.
This tanka sparked the Menopause Declaration Cup. It is a precious tanka filled with the wish that society will gently accept menopause. Thank you for awarding this provocative piece that poses a question to society!
Kacchi-san
Not green, not oolong, barley tea is best
Summer means barley tea, doesn't it? I feel like it soaks into my whole body and defeats the heat.
Here is the senryu of mine that received the unofficial Kacchi Award from Kacchi-san.
Called a fallen leaf, the maple mark gets angry / Kurousa
So relatable. I got yelled at because of a traffic accident.
Why do they get so angry? They get so genuinely mad that it seems to have become a trauma, and every time I see a maple mark, I tell myself, 'It's not a fallen leaf.' I'm happy to know there is someone else who has been yelled at the same way.
Thank you for the unofficial Kacchi Award!
Fu-san
The signal to start, a pop of a ramune marble
I intentionally left out Fu-san's grand prize-winning iced tea haiku. After all, you are the undisputed champion. I remember gathering with everyone to play when I was a child, and drinking ramune during our breaks. But that sound meant play was about to start again. It's a great sound, isn't it? Pop!
Here is my senryu that received the Unofficial Pu-Award from Fu-san.
Sucking on the mango seed, the one who cut it / Kurousa
Secretly hiding in the corner of the kitchen
It's a reward for the person who cut it, isn't it? Anyone who knows how delicious it is must be the first to volunteer to cut the mango.
Thank you so much for the Unofficial Pu-Award!
Makana-san
A kiss from the gentle breeze, a summer evening
Actually, I have presumptuously dedicated an Unofficial Kurousa Award to this country, and while I thought about choosing a different piece, I just love this haiku!
Even though it was intensely hot all day, once the sun went down, the temperature dropped, and the gentleness of the breeze felt just like a kiss. It's a haiku I love dearly.
Here is my senryu that received the Unofficial Makana-Award from Makana-san.
Sucking on the mango seed, the one who cut it / Kurousa
My mother used to do that!
There's a lot of meat around a large mango seed, isn't there?
My daughter, who ate mangoes right after she started weaning, is a huge mango lover.
You just have to do it, don't you? I won't let anyone else cut my mango because I want to suck on it. I'm Kurousa, the mango cutter.
Thank you for giving me the Maho Award on your own!
Keiko-san
Life is about connecting, leaning on each other, and opening the next door to move forward.
I have dedicated the 'Kurousa Award' to this tanka poem as well, even though it might be a bit cheeky—ah, that was a typo from being on a diet—but I thought about choosing other works, yet I just love this poem too much.
It is said to be a poem about 'thoughts on family and relatives, thoughts on friends, and thinking about how to live.' I can't even imagine what kind of life it would be to live like this. It's a way of life that is impossible for Kurousa. I hope to be like this in my next life.
The poem of mine that received the Thank You for the Happy Feelings Award from Keiko-san is this one.
Avoiding the watering, jumping, jumping, green frog / Kaoru Konohana
I read this while thinking, 'This scene really happens.'
Even when weeding, various insects run away, don't they?
There are times when I wonder how the insects, the frogs, and even the weeds feel about our hands and the water (laughs).
We are giants, aren't we? (laughs)
Giant Kurousa. I will try to water the plants gently. I hope I can become friends with the little micro-creatures ♪
The 'Thank You for the Happy Feelings Award' was an award I received in return for the Kurousa Award I gave on my own. I am writing this article because I was moved by this exchange of awards. I have learned a great deal about how to live from Keiko-san.
Thank you!
Tsurukame Cup, thank you for a wonderful summer!
A new cup will start again next month. I'm looking forward to it!
The "Menopause Declaration Cup 2022" is still ongoing. Thank you for your entries. Come back and play again soon!
いいなと思ったら応援しよう！
小説「梅すだれ」を連載中です！皆様の支えで毎日の投稿を続けられています。感謝の気持ちをパワーにして書いております！