Polar Bear Cup [Haiku] The 'I'll Just Give You a Side-Profile Award' Award

I learned the joy of haiku at the Autumn 2021 White Cup. I cannot thank the Everyone's Haiku Tournament enough.

The Polar Bear Cup, held in winter, my favorite season.
With heartfelt thanks, I am literally taking the liberty of presenting the 'I'll Just Give You a Side-Profile Award' 😊.

From the list of haiku entries below, I chose twelve that I 'love!' without looking at the authors or reading their individual submission articles.

This list article is wonderful. It is a masterpiece. Thank you so much for compiling it so quickly!

Here I go.

⭐️7. Packing 'thank yous' into a hand warmer, I walk along

This is exactly how I feel right now.
The warm hand warmer, packed with 'thank yous,' feels even warmer, and it seems like it might even warm up the people around me.

⭐️44. North wind, and a love letter that won't progress

I pictured someone seriously writing a love letter. Is it a romance with some kind of obstacle? It makes me want to say, 'Good luck!' The illustration accompanying the poem is also lovely!

⭐️52. Playing A minor, the icebreaker heads north

An icebreaker playing A minor. I have never seen an icebreaker, but I looked up a video of an A minor song, and I thoroughly enjoyed imagining the scene and the sound as it slowly unfolded.

⭐️164. What is the antonym of wild? Winter strawberry

Winter strawberry is one of the seasonal words I would like to try writing about.
The antonym of wild? What could it be? And then, winter strawberry. It captured my heart. With its cute sound, I think the winter strawberry is actually a very strong berry with a core of steel.

⭐️190. Making a sound as they scatter, winter chrysanthemums are also passing guests

The sound of winter chrysanthemums falling in the still, quiet cold. I sighed at the sensibility of the author who captured that moment and called them passing guests.

⭐️197. First east wind, and a teacher I want to send a letter to

This is a poem I deeply resonate with. I, too, have a mentor to whom I wish to send a letter, but cannot due to circumstances. From the 'first east wind'—a wind that is still cold but carries a sense of hope—I felt gratitude and nostalgia for my mentor.

⭐️204. I brought the seven-herb porridge I had forgotten

At first glance, it felt so warm! I imagined various situations and a story began to unfold in my mind. I could picture the author feeling comforted by the seven-herb porridge.

⭐️247. Your dream dwelling in the icy sea of Europa

So cool! I love it. If there were a book with this poem written on the obi strip, I would definitely buy it. The icy sea of Europa—it makes my heart race and gives me chills.

⭐️277. The sound of the poppen echoes on Kinen-zaka Slope

I had heard the seasonal word 'poppen' before... I didn't know Kinen-zaka Slope, but I thought 'poppen' might have a connection to Nagasaki... I looked it up, and I was right! The sound, the appearance of the characters, and the scene of the poem—I love it all.

⭐️299. Thick-armed grandmother makes all things into oden

Making all things into oden! A thick-armed grandmother. You got me! I have no words. I love it.

⭐️345. Polishing the floor until it shines, the first work of the year

I read this as: polishing the floor, and now, the first work of the year begins. A shiny floor in the cold air. It made me feel disciplined and refreshed.

⭐️377. A locomotive at the edge of the snowfield, straight ahead

It feels like a scene from a movie or an illustration in a picture book. I imagine there are stories for everyone involved—the person watching the locomotive, the person riding it, and the people involved in its operation.

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That is all. It was very difficult to choose. I loved every single one of the haiku.
And, from the time I made my selections until I posted this article, it was also quite a task! I didn't prepare any certificates or supplementary prizes, just the bare essentials. Working in bits and pieces on my smartphone, two full days have passed since I selected the poems. Even after heavily discounting my own inexperience and lack of quickness, I can only imagine how much effort and precious time the people who run Min-Hai must put in. I am filled with admiration and gratitude.
Shirokuma Kirin-san, all the crew members, and everyone who participated, thank you so much for such a wonderful tournament.