collapsed school wall
a butterfly
in shades of charcoal
First Place, 2025 Porad Haiku Award
Chen-ou Liu
Commentary by the judge, Jacquie Pearce: The poet approaches this heavy topic carefully, with concrete details and restraint. The “collapsed school wall” could be a bombed school in Gaza or Ukraine, and it could also represent other types of attacks on schools, learning, and children’s feelings of safety, even in North America. For me, the image of the butterfly also alludes to nature overlooked as human acts of destruction are carried out (the poem also takes on the visual shape of a butterfly when it’s centered). The butterfly, presumably drawn by a child, contrasts poignantly with the medium of charcoal scavenged from ashes and applied to a collapsed wall, as does the adult world of war/politics/destruction and the child’s natural inclination to play and create. We feel a vulnerability and fragility in the image of the butterfly and the alluded-to child. Yet we also sense resilience, bravery, and hope.
Author's Note: The bombed school is located in Gaza. This haiku could be read as a sequel to my haiku below:
Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LXXXIV: "Palestinian poppies"
slanted moonlight
on a half-collapsed school wall
chalk poppies bloom
reprinted in 2025 HSA Membership Anthology
FYI: "The Palestinian poppy (Anemone coronaria) is a non-official but more recognizable national symbol of Palestine. It's red, with black center and green leaves, evoking the primary colors of the Palestinian flag. And it symbolizes the relationship between Palestinians and their land, the bloodshed they have endured, as well as their resistance against Israeli occupation."
United Nations Press Release, April 18, 2024: UN experts deeply concerned over ‘scholasticide’ in Gaza
And Democracy Now, Jan.6, 2025: American Historical Association Votes Overwhelmingly for Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza
The American Historical Association, the oldest learned society in the United States, has adopted the “Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza,” condemning Israel’s “intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system.”
