Honorable Mention

Slide in July

The metal scorches,
but I still ride the slow curve
into the gravel.

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I don't know if it has a name, but it's the game where everyone's in the car and you're all looking for letters on billboards and such

A: Anvils R Us!
B: Broken Car Parts R Us!
C: Car Parts R Us!

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Other Notable Haikus

My inner child now lives in a foster home

It was middle school.
Recess became a relic.
I neglected her.

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1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Home

I had a dream that was
about hopscotch last night
I was very good

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under-the-legs tag

untested hagglers
threaten hungered strength at
the gentle daughters.

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Ring

Ring around the ros-
ie a pocket full of pos-
ies hush a hush a

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recess notoriety
i will be adolf,
and you will be benito:
world domination!

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Love tag

If I could tag Jen,
Then she would be It. And mine.
Be mine forever.

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cinematic pogs

I will trade you my
steven soderbergh for your
atom egoyan.

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Modernity

I prefer the first
Barbie game to the new one.
It's less violent.

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The girl on the jungle gym, smiling

Are her grins at me?
I'm as white as a ghost eel.
I am nervousness.

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Mr. Twister
Adults call me George.
Kids call me Mr. Twister.
That's me: George Twister.

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my evaporating reminiscences of chutes and ladders
i recall that there
were ladders and there were chutes,
and that's it, really.

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Duck duck goose
Mallard, laysan teal,
perching duck, American black,
Eastern grayland goose!

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The day I cried and cried myself to sleep because I was picked last for soccer
Um, never happened: I was the best player the playground ever saw.

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1991's Playground
It's the Gulf war, and
I am Schwartz...Shwarts...Swartz...uh, Scorztz...
...um, Colin Powell.

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spin the bottle
we watch the bottle
spin and spin and spin and spin.
it stops. game over.

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Four square

My favorite game,
though I rarely made it past
the number three square.