Ms. Minal Sarosh in India is the winner of AKITA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT’S AWARD （国際教養大学学長賞) in the English section of the 7th Japan-Russia Haiku Contest 2018 for the following haiku.
waves of people …
a child wails for her parents
border fences shake
人の波．．．
子供が両親を求めて泣き叫んでいる
国境のフェンスが揺れる
Here is a comment given by the chief judge, Professor David McMurray at the International University of Kagoshima.
A haiku reflecting the challenge of families seeking safe havens around the world was selected as best representing the University President’s Award winner. Penned in a classic form that approximates a 5-7-5 syllable structure because of the well-placed ellipsis on the first line the haiku resonates the sound of a daughter crying with its well-chosen words waves and wails.
Here is a portrait of Ms. Minal Sarosh.
Here are haiku submitted to the Akita International Haiku Network
my custard apple eyes
the shade of a forest grows
from its every seed
–(Muse India, Jan-Feb 2008)
私のバンレイシの木が見つめる
森の影が大きくなるのを
木の種の一つ一つから
yellow, black , gold
butterfly flirting among the leaves
love smudges my fingers
–(Muse India, Jan-Feb 2008)
黄色、黒、金色
蝶が葉の間を飛び回っている
愛が私の指をよごす
mellow morning
a head full of
twittering birds
–(Muse India, Nov-Dec 2009)
豊かで美しい朝
頭が一杯
囀る小鳥の声で
brave mirror
doesn’t distort truth
looks me in the eye
–(World Haiku Review August 2011)
勇敢な鏡
真実をゆがめない
私の目を見る
unwritten history
seeds without paper
soil without words
–(World Haiku Review august 2011)
記録されていない歴史
記録がなくても種を蒔く
言葉なしで
silent crows
a row on the parapet
wordless strangers
–(The Four Quarters Magazine April 2012)
沈黙した烏
手すりの上に列をなして
無言のよそ者
suddenly a peacock
darts across the road
unpredictable destiny
– (Four and Twenty poetry journal June 2012)
不意に孔雀が
道路を駆け渡る
予測できない運命
chilly hands
trying to catch the sun
through the window
– (‘UnFold’ 140 character Poetry Journal April 2012)
冷たい手
太陽を捉えようとしている
窓を通して
rippling laughter
face to face with myself
on water
–(‘Unfold’ 140 character Poetry Journal April 2012)
さざ波のような笑い
自分と顔を合わせる
水上で
cracked riverbed…
this dry eyed river
has wept enough
–(Haiku News, August 2012)
割れた川床
この乾いた穴のある川は
十分に泣き尽くした
tuffs of grass
in the wall of reality
dreams fill up cracks
–(World Haiku Review April 2012)
草の凝灰岩
現実の壁の中で
夢が割れ目を一杯にする
autumn leaves
yellow speckled lawn
my face changes color
–(World Haiku Review Dec 2012)
秋の葉
黄色のしみのついた芝生
私の顔が色を変える
seeking winter homes
red matchstick flamingo legs
walk on the lake
-(The World Haiku Review dec 2012)
冬の住処を求めて
赤いマッチ棒のようなフラミンゴの脚
湖面を歩く
worn out shoes
sit quietly on the rack
dreaming of roads
– (World Haiku Review June 2016)
すり減った靴
棚の上に静かに座っている
道路を夢見ながら
wrinkled hands
the pen too heavy
to pick words
–(World Haiku Review June 2016)
しわの寄った両手
ペンが重すぎる
言葉を選ぶのに
rain wet grass
the glistening ink
on a blank page
雨に濡れた草
ぴかぴか光るインク
白紙のページの上で
gushing waterfall
quickly words become water
fill the stream
ほとばしる滝
素早く言葉が水になる
流れを満たす
countless moments
even the fish doesn’t know
the scales it carries
数え切れない瞬間
魚でさえ分からない
携えているうろこを
turmeric sun
camels returning home
tired shadows follow
ウコン畑の太陽
ラクダが家に帰るところ
疲れた影が続く
washing tea cups
the morning is stale news
already forgotten
茶わんを洗っている
その朝は聞き古したニュース
もう忘れてしまった
Bio
Minal Sarosh is an Indian English poet and novelist.
Her first poetry book ‘Mitosis and Other Poems’, was published by Writers Workshop (1992), Kolkata.
Her first novel ‘Soil for my Roots’ was published by Lifi Publications, New Delhi, 2015.
She has won awards in — (a) All India Poetry Competition 2005 of The Poetry Society (India) Delhi. – Commendation Prize. (b)Creative Writing Competition 2006 of Unisun Publications, Bangalore-Third Prize (c) SMS Poetry Competition 2007 and 2008 Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai-Third Prize (d) Unisun Reliance TimeOut Book Club Awards 2008-09 –Special Mention (e) The Akita International University President’s Award – First Prize
Her work has been published in prestigious anthologies and online journals — The Journal of the Poetry Society (India), Chandrabhaga, (Edited by Jayanta Mahapatra), Indian Literature (published by Sahitya Akademi , Delhi), Emerging Voices ( The Poetry Society India), Poetry India: Voices of Hope ( The Poetry Society India, Delhi), Poetry Chronicle, The Silken Web and Winners Vol.III (Unisun Publications), I Me Myself , (Unisun Publications, Bangalore) , Mosaic (Unisun Publications) ‘Soul Feathers’ published by Indigo Dreams, U.K. , ‘These My Words’ The Penguin Book of Indian Poetry. (2012) (Edited by Eunice de Souza and Melanie Silgardo), Femina, ‘The Times of India’ (Ahmedabad), The Grand Indian Express, Poets’ Travelogue edited by Anand Kumar and EquiVerseSpace – A Sound Home in Words chief editor Smeetha Boumik
In Online journals —-Muse India, Asia Writes, Danse Macabre, Other Voices International Project, ‘The Brown Critique’, Nether, Kritya, UltraViolet, The Four Quarters Magazine, Open Road Review and Asian Signature.
Her short form poetry like haiku, senryu have been published in— Muse India, World Haiku Review, Haiku News, unFold, Four and Twenty journal (June 2012 Vol 5 Issue 6), The Four QuartersMagazine and the ‘FIRST Katha ebook’ of haiku, haiban, senryu and tanka’ (Issue Diwali Special 2013) and ‘Naad Anunaad’ anthology of contemporary world haiku—Editor-in-Chief: Kala Ramesh ( Vishwakarma Publications, Pune. 2016)
Her poem ‘Fingers at Work’ was read on World Poetry Café Radio Show, Canada, on Vancouver Co-op Radio (CFRO 102.7) FM —June 8, 2017
She lives in India in Ahmedabad, a heritage city, which lives in its past as much as its present. So it’s not surprising that it continues to inspire her poetry as well as fiction.
Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network 
You made it…
we are so proud of you.
Very great achievement
Wishing you
the very best of everything in the world….