

Writing haiku sounds really, really simple, doesn't it? The form is elementary: Just five, seven and five syllables, and wham-o, you've got a poem. It's not as easy as it sounds, though. Since the early August announcement of this here contest, I've been trying to think up a congratulatory haiku for all the entrants and have come up with exactly nothing.
Thankfully, you're all better at this than I, and more than 400 of you submitted tiny poems over e-mail, snail mail and Twitter. Nice job, y'all. Obviously, we can't publish all of them, so Alibi editors Laura Marrich and Marisa Demarco worked tirelessly with me, counting syllables on our fingers to pick the cream of the crop. The ones we've chosen as our faves in each category get a neat little package of prizes from Noah's Ark Café, Pepper's Ole' Fashion BBQ, Chillz Frozen Custard and Guild Cinema. Haiku masters can swing by the Alibi (413 Central Nw) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to gather up their goodies.