Southwest Honors Emperor of Japan Haiku Poets

Each year the emperor of Japan selects a theme for haiku poets.  This year’s contest theme was "Shizuka" which translates into "quiet."  

Ibaraki, Minneapolis’ 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.  Ms. Perelman’s students received four prizes of those.

Cameron Fudeh’s mother and grandmother’s haiku and Lucy Millikan’s mother’s received the 2nd place and Honorable Mention respectively.

A presentation of awards will be held on Sunday, April 12th, 2015 from 2 p.m. at the Minneapolis Central Library downtown.  The rest of the recipients are listed below.  

Please congratulate these talented students when you see them! 

Category C:  Grades 9 – 12

1^st Place: Maya Desmarais – Southwest; Ms. Perelman

My hearing aids off  Quietness is all I hear  Now I am at peace

2^nd Place: Kyle Berglund – Southwest; Ms. Perelman

Ever silent life  Not confined, not disabled  Hands speak a language.

3^rd Place: Isabella Gold – Southwest; Ms. French

The silver moonlight  Bathes the snow that falls softly,  Blanketing the earth

Honorable Mention: McLean Cozine – Southwest; Ms. French

Softly falling snow  Shrouding trees and veiling ground  Muffling footsteps

Honorable Mention: Talia Neidorf – Southwest; Ms. Perelman

My face looks at me  The mirror shows my reflection  My quiet portrait

Honorable Mention: Mira Morrison – Southwest; Ms. Perelman

Whispers all night long  Trees up against my window  They tell me secrets

Honorable Mention: Olivia Engel – Southwest; Ms. French

Calm before the storm  My heart beats softly inside  Everything is still

Honorable Mention: Rhiannon Aldrich – Southwest; Ms. French

So young and so small  The cub opens up its eyes  Nothing yet to say

Category D: Adult

2^nd  Place: Lynn and Mary Smaagard - Southwest

Cat Naps in the sun  Warm curled muffs of content fur  So feline serene

Honorable Mention: Julie Millikan - Southwest

Quiet is the morn  Before the alarm goes off  My most peaceful time