Southwest Students & Parents Haiku Awards

Each year the emperor of Japan selects a theme for haiku poets.  This year’s contest theme was "tatsu" which translates in English to " stand, to stand up ".

Ibaraki, Minneapolis’s sister city in Japan, sponsors a haiku contest.  Southwest High School was notified that they placed with eight winners in the citywide contest.  That means we won all honors in the 9th grade -12th grade category again this year.  

A presentation of awards will be held on Sunday, April 13th, 2014 from 2 p.m. at the Minneapolis Central Library downtown.   Please congratulate these talented students when you see them! 

Category C:  9 – 12 Grade

1st Place - Griffen Desai

Dreams begin to fade
As light pierces my window
I stand from slumber


2nd Place - Mohamed A Mohamed

Hot tea in a cup
Standing leaf in the middle
Good luck and good day


3rd Place - Anna Kelly

White falls softly down
Children run outside to make
Standing man of snow


Honorable Mention - Jackie Vo

Early morning fog
Settles on silent seashores
Lonely fisher stands


Honorable Mention - Maggie West

The sun rises high
Standing up to meet the world
A new day begins


Honorable Mention - Virginia Culhane

Here I stand alone
My gaze meets yours with a smile
Here I stand with you


Honorable Mention - Starlight Thao

I stand among hills
Even mountains and the clouds
I will not fall down


Honorable Mention - Emily Peterson

The red wood stands high
Above the clouds, towards heaven
The tree’s arms spread wide



Category D: Adult


1st Place - Mary Doyle (Nora Doyle's mother)

Haystacks dot the field
Stand guardians of the farm
Silent warriors


Honorable Mention - Elizabeth Short ( McLean Cozine's Mother)

Stand up, my dragon
Push back the sorrows of time
Blazing hope shines forth