Haiku Competition

As part of our Japanese Culture Night, we had a not-so-Japanese haiku competition--kind of an icebreaker game. We gave each table an envelope full of words and instructions to make 3 lines of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables. We had 13 entries in English and 1 in Japanese. Here's what they came up with:

The winning entry:

Despondent rain goes

Replaced by sun and gladness

Celebrate the spring

   -Janet's table

Honorable mention:
シアトルの祈りよ届け東北へ
(Translation: May Seattle's prayer reach Touhoku)
   -Team Takahashi

So why Seattle
Journey spring beach together
Go vacation with
   -Team Faith

Sunshine spring blossom
Seattle young bird and duck
River through valley.
   -"Loving" table, June and Donna

Wet storm cloud unfold
With sunrise in Seattle
Spring blossoms float through
   -anon.

Sun cloud warm air fade
Dream of blossom without much
Spring green every day
   -Thankful

Springtime days are long
Dance and sun over mountains
So why sleep, green world?
   -anon.

Seattle spring is
A rainbow water journey
A blossom without sun.
   -anon.

Without Sunday I
Cat and water of much tea.
Evil evening now
   -anon.

Seattle spring sun
So come forward special tree
To glory of day
   -anon.

Waves of pink blossoms
Float in the wind like a cloud.
Spring's special love song.
   -"Kindness" table

Spring blossoms shape day
Seattle sun through the clouds
Jesus is glory!
   -Meghan, Ernest, and Jeanie

Spring sunshine blossom
I celebrate and dance dream of vacation
Through fall wind whistle condolence
   -anon.

Humankind evil
How wise is sakura love
At haiku sunrise
   -Evil among us