Vanguard Haiku

WHR Spring 2023

Vanguard Haiku

First Place

bees in the blue sky
if only they could see again
the yellow fields of Ukraine

Kristina Todorova Kaneva

Second Place

makeshift hospital
in the remaining eye
dreams of freedom

Ravi Kiran

Third Place

missile strikes
non-existent addresses
in a postman’s bag

Ivan Georgiev

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Seven Honourable Mention

(In no particular order)

drifting clouds
the unseen shapes
of things to come

Jay Friedenberg

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Airstrike –
a rosary juddering
next to the trigger

Cristian Matei

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two days after
the soldier’s funeral
his last letter

Ravi Kiran

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weight of war
conscience bows the head
closer to the ground

Dejan Pavlinović

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Empty shells and lives
In the end what are they for
A sad, shallow pride

Cristina-Teodora Mirevut

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after the bombs —
the crumbling facade
of civilization

Sheila Sondik

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silent banshee
the distant cry of
air raid sirens

Judit Hollos

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