Haikus written by UCT staff and students flooded HIV Coordination (HAICU) in response to a competition to create poems about HIV and AIDS stigma.

A haiku is a short Japanese poem of three lines with five, seven and five syllables respectively.

The submitted poems were judged by award-winning poet Gabeba Baderoon, author of the poetry collections The Dream in the Next Body and A Hundred Silences.

The top three haikus are as follows:

In 1st place, and winner of a video iPod:

silence around her
pushes her further into
her lonely sadness

by Briony Chisholm

In 2nd place:

the brown leaves blow by
together in the thousands.
who will collect them?

by Jane English

In 3rd place:

i felt repulsion
i must have hurt you deeply
will you forgive me

by Victor Moisey