

51st indianKUKAI
Hosts: Kashinath Karmakar, Neena Singh,
Amoolya Kamalnath, Rohan Kevin Broach

submit your poem
October 1 to October 14, 2025 -
12 Midnight (IST)
please ensure you have read the submissions guidelines before you participate.
voting ballot
1
autumn sunset --
she colors the picture
in black and white
2
crushing grapes
a blood-orange coin
in the sky
3
on vacation -
an orange sunset i've seen
back home too
4
autumn sunset
on the old bench
a man alone
5
ripe leaves
falling from the almond
evening sun
6
autumn dusk
the allotment scarecrow
leans on his shadow
7
fall dusk
holding tightly hands
an elderly couple
8
shedding light
in the horizon
an ochre rudraksha
9
autumn sunset -
shadows return
to the battlefield
10
autumn sunset
at the nursing home's window
a woman's sad smile
11
Fisherman at sea -
trapped in his own net
autumn sunset
12
autumn sunset
her eyes
on the horizon
13
Yellow, red, orange,
pink, purple, but and at times,
his loss of lovers
14
lapping waves
the path to the horizon
lit by fire
15
fading light
the changing temperament
of an autumn sky
16
vesper bells . . .
leaves rest
on my shadow
17
autumn sunset
an offering of clean socks
for my homeless neighbor
18
autumn sunset
a flicker of gold
in my fish bowl
19
the autumn
quickly disappears
factory chimney
20
autumn sunset
a molten inkwell
of swallow tails
21
autumn sunset –
a shade of longing
in everything
22
until the sun sets…
the scrub
gold-plated
23
autumn sunset
a chandelier of dry gourds
light up the backyard
24
autumn sunset
he buries
his soldier son
25
tarpaulin shed
the sour apple smell
of day’s end
26
sunset years —
i lose the count of friends
gone like leaves, all at once
27
October evening
a dipping sunbeam
catches a yellow leaf
28
zesting orange
onto the pound cake . . .
autumn sunset
29
autumn sunset
the lightness
of growing grey
30
autumn sunset...
dad recalls again
mom's last wish
31
orange drink
pales to white
the chill
32
autumn dusk
no one shows up
in the laughter park
33
a spider
stuck in its web...
autumn twilight
34
end of the walk -
the gray of yellow leaves
35
weaving
the doll's hair
autumn
36
Women
Reflects her in mirror
Snow falls
37
drifting dandelion the art of letting go
38
after the sunset
falling leaves are replaced
by sparkling stars
39
autumn sunset
grandma checks the birdfeeder
before traveling south
40
lending ochre
to the ginkgo
setting sun
41
(en)chanting notes
of gold and crimson
autumn meditation
42
fat pumpkin…
end of another day
of false labor
43
a spark rises
and returns to darkness...
autumn memories
44
crimson glow
the slow clacking
of her sandals
45
autumn sunset —
the deepening colors
between her breaths
46
the scent of balsam
in a humming bird's song
autumn sunset
47
becoming one
with the setting sun ...
a leaf in safron
48
autumn chill–
the last rays of sunlight peek
into the empty nests
49
watching the autumn sky
fade to black
--first star
50
autumn sunset the song of the bling beggar
51
pink clouds
next spring she will have
a baby girl
52
autumn sunset
the sun in empty
bird's nest
53
dad’s birthday gift
in hues of purple and pink
twirling :autumn sunset
54
long twilight -
a cold fire consumes
the fall light
55
Durgotsava
a frail woman selling
sticker bindis
56
aging
with rust(ic) hues of elegance
no pride no stain
57
binding the bare branch a silken web filters the sun
58
autumn dusk
the slipping sweater
off his shoulder
59
dad's death -
scratched by a crow
the autumn sunset
60
October sunset
golden illumination
snuffed too soon
61
mom’s fingers
tap about her dinner plate
falling darkness
62
autumn dusk
from the makeup man’s toolkit
spillage of red
63
autumn skies
a devi’s farewell -
sindhur khela
64
no mellow glow
softens her fading years …
autumn sunset
65
evening walk
the crisp crunches
of a leaves underfoot
66
homecoming
colours of the sunset
light up the path
67
resplendent rays
on autumn leaves
an evening in silence
68
harvest sundown
migrating geese carry
some grief away
69
whistling time . . .
leafing pages now
in shades of autumn
70
sun celebrates
its farewell to the day
with faint colors
71
October sunset —
the old man in an armchair
waits for none
72
twilit chilness...
the ferryman ties his boat
to a pole
73
harvest smoke
the sky gathers
its own ending
74
October rain
jealous of the umbrella
my beach dress
75
stark autumn
branches at sunset
i hear arvo part
76
taxi window
watching the sun turn red
between red lights
77
autumn boulevard
patted stray cat
smiling
78
all sunset shades
all the colors
of her bruises
79
the sun is setting
their first walk and autumn
is still going on
80
the sun dreams
color fills the skies
rivaling the leaves below
81
a stone in my shoe
from the fire-damaged road
autumn sunset
82
whispering pines —
in the long shadows
our childhood names
83
a festering sore
begins to heal slowly -
autumn sunset
84
autumn sunset
crows' cawing
on fire
85
autumn sunset—
each day his pace quickens
on the same old road
86
after sunset
glow of pumpkins greet
trick or treaters
87
alone again
bats crisscross the sunset
on chilly winds
88
hot buttered sun
melts into the river
october ...
slips away
89
eaves turning scarlet
the palaver tree gathers
more autumn sunset
90
weaving pink ribbons
into her ginger hair
her first love
91
all colours of sunset
in drops from my windowsill
to autumn marigolds
92
the setting sun
captures nothing
but dust
93
old cemetery
in the evening light
a feather descends
94
autumn sunset
mountain gets
a crown
95
autumn park
grandpa's tired gaze
at the setting sun
96
autumn sunset -
a falling leaf in
dragonfly's eye
97
cool wind chimes...
her strings of viola
a new twist
98
last week
I slept with the sun
keeps odd hours now
99
dripping
sunset...
autumn leaves
100
shinrin yoku—
the wafting petrichor
infuses my breaths
101
golden skies
on both sides
hostage swap
102
pumpkin twilight
a long talk about clear days
while shelling seeds
103
behind clouds
full of rain
- autumn sunset
104
vermillion sky
deep shadows
ebb and flow
105
autumn sunset…
the parade of antlers
nearly touching

vote for poems
before the sun sets!
October 19 to October 25, 2025 -
12 Midnight (IST)
please ensure you have read the voting guidelines
before you participate.