By Dr. Jade Keala Agua, Executive Director, Mukai Farm & Garden
Our 7th Annual Haiku Festival brought together a vibrant community of poets from near and far. This year, the Festival received 190 submissions representing 9 different countries, with an inspiring 65% of entries from youth poets.
Below, is a selection of this year’s haiku. Submissions can also be found online at https://mukaifarmandgarden.org/7th-annual-mukai-haiku-festival-submissions/. There are so many wonderful ones! A selection is on display in the garden through the end of May.
As we celebrate 100 years of Mukai Farm & Garden, we chose “Food” as one of the themes because we’re inviting our community to support the restoration of the historic Fruit Barreling Plant. This project will bring the building back to life as the Vashon Island Food Hub – supporting local farmers, reducing food waste, and creating space for food access, education, and community connection.
To learn more or contribute: https://mukaifarmandgarden.org
Editor’s note: Author information below is preserved as submitted to the Haiku Festival.
Category: Mukai Centennial
Waves, wildly-windy
Ancestors whisper: Welcome
Kiss. Tadaima!
~ Jessika Satori, Washington, US
Garden path unfolds
Stone to stone and tree to tree
Her footsteps echo
~ Julia Mark, Seattle, WA, US
strawberry achenes –
a century of stories
in the old estate
~ Maria Tosti, Perugia, Italy
Category: Food
stone soup simmering
strawberries stain our hands red
Rufous stops in flight
~ Ma Ra, Vashon, WA, US
wrapped in white mochi
red hearts raised on new found fields
taste sweetly of home
~ Brit Myers, Vashon, WA, US
I wish I could taste
the barreling plant berries
back in better times
~ Carrie Sikorski, Vashon, WA, US
