Earlier this month, the Hoptown Chronicle asked the community to submit original haikus in support of The Chair Project. The effort, which culminated today in a silent auction hosted by Milkweed health & harmony emporium, aimed to raise funds and awareness for Sanctuary Inc., a Hopkinsville-based nonprofit agency that assists victims of personal violence.
We received over 40 chair-themed poems from members of the community. They were thoughtful, emotional, and funny. Many of the haikus explored themes of memory, comfort, and emotional connection.
The authors considered chairs as symbols of nostalgia, objects that could evoke grandparents, childhood, or lost loved ones. They emphasized the restorative power of this simple piece of furniture and how it can represent the physical and emotional support we seek in our daily lives.
We are pleased to announce the two contest winners, each of whom will receive a $100 prize. Five haikus, listed below, received honorable mentions.
Haiku Contest Winners
Silent wooden frame —
holds the weight of years and tears,
still it does not break.
— Thea Russell
Chair in a diner
Like it was a zen garden
I rake through my grits
— Starr Messick
Honorable Mention
while children frolic
the old sit silent in chairs
and they remember
— J. W. Herndon
His chair, empty now
Husband, daddy, brother, son
Memories live on
— Kelly Barnes
The curtains open.
A hush falls across the crowd.
Best Seat In The House.
— Crystal Ferreira
My cousins and I
still talk of knowing love in
Mamaw’s rocking chair
— Jamie Lucke
Chair holds quiet storm,
Mind wanders far, thoughts take flight,
Ideas softly land.
— Eric D. Hamlett
