2024 Wisconsin Sijo Competition
Winners | Judges | Winners' Sijo
Winners' Sijo
Adult division
Take From Creative Writing
rule of thirds; anaphora; synesthesia; innovation.
dialogue; hyperbole, repetition; powerful ends.
the knowledge: your voice has power; your words matter; you matter.
Mirror Luna
Tides wrinkle elaborate, towering crests. My wave burbles.
In the foam I find my dream: not one bubble, a trillion grains.
My full hands grab infinities. My eyes release. I recede.
Senior division
Natural Beauty
Roads unfold like untold stories, each turn a new surprise.
Oceans, beaches, whispering tales under the clear blue skies.
The greatest journey is finding comfort in being alone.
Fireworks
I sit under the navy sky, watching the bright lights explode.
Beautiful colors, patterns. People are like fireworks, I think.
After you’re mesmerized by their bangs, their colors change.
The flowers bloom in spring, as the world wakes into a bright view.
Sometimes the rain falls, and the skies turn gray and I think of you.
For us who grieve, the seasons may change, but the pain feels brand new.
Electric Midnight
A cold stillness - snow on the ground and a shroud of silence.
Glowing icy green - the frozen floor charged alive with shadows.
I face the moonlight and see what robs the night of its darkness.
Junior division
The Sun and the Moon
The moon, a thief in the night, stealing all of the sun’s light.
The sun, an ember in the sky, or a king for all that pass by.
When they meet, darkness for a bit until the sun rises.