.
The Winner and Runner-ups are listed HERE.
WHO
Anyone in the world, of any age or background, may participate (SCP Membership not required). Among members of the Society of Classical Poets, everyone including Advisory Board members may participate, if not involved in judging the contest. The winner, if not a U.S. resident, must have a PayPal account or a bank that accepts U.S. checks, in order to receive prize money.
IMPORTANT: By submitting haiku to this contest, the contestant declares that the poems are his or her own work, and that they were written after July 2023. Please submit using your first and last name, as we may find it difficult to distinguish between contestants who have similar first names.
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PRIZE
$100
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JUDGES
J. Thomas Rimer, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature, Theatre, and Art at the University of Pittsburgh; former chief of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress.
Margaret Coats, Ph.D. in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University; retired from a career of teaching literature, languages, and writing that included considerable work in homeschooling for her own family and others.
.
WHEN
Now until September 15, 2024, 6 pm EST (New York time). Results to be announced September 29, 2024.
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WHERE
Post your entries in the Comments below.
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WHAT
Each competitor may submit up to three haiku of traditional form: three lines per poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second, and 5 in the third. Entrants are recommended to conform to other traditional haiku requirements outlined HERE.
If you want coaching on haiku features, please read the examples and explanation before submitting your entries. Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment. This is permitted until the competition closes, but do take reasonable care to complete work to your satisfaction before you enter it. Please do not use the Comment area as your scratch pad. That is discourteous to other competitors, to interested readers, and to the judge and will disqualify you.
Entries that do not meet basic traditional haiku requirements may be deleted. Anyone who submits more than three entries will have ALL his or her entries disqualified, unless excess entries are clearly withdrawn by a later Comment.
.
PAST WINNERS
.
.
Blossom placed in box.
Jasmine scent will not decay.
Gold in cloisonné.
I learned to warble.
Birdies join me in a song.
I must be cuckoo!
Birds sing in bushes
While I am picking berries.
Jamming in the spring.
Truly beaytiful Haikus, so well crafted! Your first Haiku is my favorite.
Terrific line..Gold in cloisonné? Awesome.
That is three haikus. All beautiful
Three beautiful Haikus. I like the one about the birdies best
The renewed confinement…
my grandma peeps at a bird
soaring in the wind
Dread and destruction
sweep through the Caribbean…
Beryl’s blind fury
The aggressor trapped
in delusions of grandeur …
a reign of terror
This is clever your grandma is her own jailer, looking out the window to the free world
Love this haiku
My only suggestion is that you drop the leading, ‘The’. I’d hate you to miss out on a technicality because it rant 5/7/5
The evening concert –
big waves breaking on the shore
full of broken stones
A hunger dwells in
Everyone else fades away
Lights become dimmer
I like them all, but especially each of the last two they are very clever with a very clever satori line.
By stars enchant
Beautifully falling-
And fell over a bloke’s head!
You are my past
He is my present-
In the future, he furts!
The night sings lullabies
Only to keep me from-
Your nagging mouth!
Our routine small talk
takes an unexpected turn.
Summers first cuckoo!
The wind through the reeds.
During our afternoon walk,
static on the line.
Indian summer.
Growing on a pumpkin patch —
the shades of autumn.
beginning of autumn –
restless lake
washes the morning
the taste of morning tea
sun rays
through an open window
.
autumn is getting closer
different flowers in an unknown world
a comforting haiku
.
.
Hello! I’m happy to submit the following haikus.
My many thanks, Emily C. A. Snyder
1.
five red petals fall
stain Demeter’s sobbing snow;
pomegranate Spring
2.
thread the |
| midnight maze
minotaur moan ||
|| hero ‘s(w)ings
can
I
get
a………………………………….clue?
3.
six-eyed Seraphim
shut the Eden gate to man;
let the women eat
LOL – looks like the formatting of the second one didn’t quite come through. But that’s alright. Thank you for this opportunity!
– Emily C. A. Snyder
Thank you for considering these three haiku for the 2024 Haiku competition.
Regards,
Ed Ahern
winter holdover
cruising slowly through our rooms
the first fly of spring.
the shading maple
balding even in summer
never reawoke
subject to censure
but the musk of burning leaves
is autumn’s censer
Three very nice haikus. I especially like the first one about the fly. I’ve never figured out how flies no one want to come out and where their eggs go so that they hatch in the spring. They usually problem in the summer mostly
subject to censure
but the musk of burning leaves
is autumn’s censer
– I really like this one.
I especially like the first one. It has a very clever Satori line. Although I am never partial to flies, they do service for all of the creatures in the world by eating the rotting flesh before it eats us.
Respected judges,
thank you for your time.
Regards,
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni
always on tiptoes
exuviae of insects
in a field of wheat
grasshopper kebabs
capital letters twinkling
with the beat of heart
a green popsicle
even on a rainy day
my ace in the hole
I especially like the first haiku of yours. But they’re all really good. I only have one entered, and I don’t know if it is as good as the rest of you guys.
Lapis azul sky
rainbow in the falling leaves
stars intensify
Journey cool and dry
chilly night to winter freeze
vegetations die
Sunsets with a sigh
season ends with golden ease
leaving winter’s try
I really like that third haiku. I find it interesting that a lot of people are talking about winter in here it is summer. But, I just wrote a poem about that that I’ll be submitting soon.
Good job
A feathery storm:
A cawcophony of crows
Murders autumn hush.
The moon sheens the view
Over the bay’s tidal crests—
I am swept away.
Starless ocean night.
On the skyline—fuel ship burns?
Crimson moon blazes.
I like the ones about crows best. But, I like all three
Between the cypress
And the thrush of Pelican wings,
Eternity speaks.
The old coyote
Under the solstice moonlight
Looks like Ezra Pound.
The smell of sage brush
And salt soaked mist from the surf;
Warm tobacco drifts.
Carter, please provide both first and last name, as requested in the paragraph above marked IMPORTANT, right after the one telling WHO may enter the contest. Thank you for your haiku!
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!”
that’s what all of the books say
then I guess I’m NUTS.
CHOCOLATES
I ate chocolates
all of my 70 years
Now diabetic.
PARTY SURPRISE
Met at a party
neither one wanted to go
Wed 50+ years.
Wendy,
You made me laugh; thank you! Then you scared me; I love chocolate and eat too much of it. Then I felt really happy for you, for your 50+ years marriage. Best wishes for the competition.
Jan
record with scratches
two sides music click pops hiss
vinyl memories
Like and like.
thank you for sharing your haiku.
Winds in my plum tree
Took all its perfumed blossoms
Their scent now in dreams
Spiders in April
Immobile sitting on stones
Sun worshippers too?
Summer skies are fun
Fluffy clouds graze in the wind
White sheep on blue fields
neúprosný čas
v pavučinách spomienok
hľadám myšlienky
lúka v rozkvete
vôňa čerstvého dažďa
zhlboka dýcham
bútľavá vŕba
uložené tajomstvá
hlboko v duši
Eva Drobna, Slovakia
Eva Drobna, thanks for your haiku in Slovak. Please either translate them into English, or submit others written in English. We are happy to see occasional dual language entries, but we judge only those written in English. Appreciate your efforts!
Signs from the Times
(July 13, 2021)
The Times is finding
poetry everywhere.
Is this true haiku?
“These things happen and
you feel like you’re alone, but
people can relate.”
Counting syllables
is all it takes to make it.
Basho! Issa! Weep!
The turn of the page
Is like briskly walking through
A door to a room
Chaos to chaos
Move from one to the other
Order to order
How many great men
Would rather not have done the
Things that made them great?
A peace lily, frost-
fringed: an old man’s hand shielding
his match from the wind.
Nice! Fresh and visual.
Summer
>
> It is a new time,
> Life comes alive and well here,
> Embrace it with strength
Haiku #5
Upon the fabric
of Sol’s Green Couch, we built life
in the sky’s embrace.
Haiku #6
To some, to be numb
is a blessing. I say no.
Painlessness is death.
Haiku #7
This poet of woes
I find him droll, composing
pains he does not know.
Cherry blossoms fall
Pink petals dance on the breeze
Spring’s fleeting beauty
Moonlight on water
Ripples break the reflection
Stars swim in the lake
Northern lights shimmer,
a dance of colors above—
nature’s silent hymn.
A marble sinking
amidst a rising silence
in vast, dark waters.
Dire straits break the skin.
Roses and Violets in bloom;
stemming from the ground.
Nothing is formless,
standing and swirling around.
Nothing is deathless.
Thank you for considering my work.
careless ugly moth
the light attracts your dark eyes
cat’s pink tongue tastes you
Goldenrods ablaze
Can you hear the ashes too?
Let me burn tonight.
Blue cotton nightgown.
Stars mark steps after living.
Metaphysics fan?
Candy in glass jars
Marching like small tin soldiers.
Rain sheets, silver walls.
Thank you for the invitation
Wild fires scorch the earth
The black ash will fuel new life.
The waste land renewed.
Spring bursts from the sky
Waking earth’s sleeping beauty,
With the kiss of life.
Slow the fall descends
In golden leaves of glory.
Life will rise again.
Kathy Bahr
chorus starts to sing
time for all of us to breath
silence of the leafs
Thinning of the veil
October’s golden flicker—
Nightlights guide the dead
Clouds blocking the sun
In stillness she waits for song
A hummingbird’s breath
Squirrels strip red seeds
from magnolia pods – again!
There go the blossoms.
…
From the roof’s edge, rain
falls in strings of silver beads –
dancer’s costume. Bling!
…
Pumpkin orange moon
perched alone on a tree branch –
nothing rhymes with you.
I relate. God bless.
Moonrise in the hills
Floods the shadow filled valley
With a spectral glow.
The summer sizzles.
Heat waves rise from the baked earth,
Waiting for a breeze.
Gnats dance in the air.
The still pond gleams in the sun,
Warmed by its embrace.
Shivering
Bodies in jackets
August break
Day begins
Behind window
Cock crows
Thunder strikes
Wild wind
Rainfall
Loosestrife, cornflowers
Dew drying on shoots of grass
Mourning in advance
Gold and crimson rain
Leaves bare thin-fingered branches
Windows to the sky
Summer Olympics.
Steamy rain in gay Paree.
Slip-sliding cycles.
Summer in London.
Winter in South Africa.
On the Equator?
POLITICIANS
I ALWAYS DISTRUST
A MAN WHO DOESN’T HAVE A
LOYAL DOG OR CAT
Ravens taking flight,
flee the Tower of London.
The walls tumble down.
Oppressive July,
mugged by volatile August.
Smell the thunderstorms.
Comet detritus
lighting up the midnight sky
entertains the apes.
barren tree is filled
winter wing woven monarchs
black and gold at dawn
trout surface gulp air
on summer river running
the warm mist rises
the conflicted sky
whose drifting clouds hide the sun
lined with silver glow
Mandy Beattie
Classical Poets, Thank you for the wonderful opportunity. Blessings.
Wood Wide Web’s Morse code:
Linguists listen; learn to speak
the language of trees
Under crackling leaves
a hibernating hedgehog
uncurls and unfurls
Gaia nurtures all
We’re litmus among lichen
She recharges us
brown caterpillar
inching up the mountain trail
i pause to breathe in
reluctant leaves fall
from the tree showering
an old man walking
puffy summer clouds
float across eternity
so high birds can’t fly
the old cemetery
abandoned by the living
waits eternity
Magnolias tremble….
Flesh-soft petal wings flutter
on winds of wild wishes.
***
A cricket chirps through
thunder blusters. Flashes dare
not sear his night-song.
***
From window watches,
a sigh flies on sea breezes
to a lover’s soul.
All grasses have blooms
That wave winged hands, enticing
Visitors to dance.
Small cries from a mouth
The size of a cheerio
Drift in with the dawn.
Hydrothermal springs
Frothing orange-gold. Geysers
Vivid blue steam swirls.
Birds twitter away…
The cold and clang of church bells
Command this silence
Messalonskee Stream
Laced with browning pine needles…
Can’t believe your gone
A light rain subsides…
Out from the reeds, a heron
Taking stilted flight
My God, a your/you’re spelling error! Please forgive me.
Birds twitter away…
The cold and clang of church bells
Command this silence
Messalonskee Stream
Laced with browning pine needles…
Can’t believe you’re gone
A light rain subsides…
Out from the reeds, a heron
Taking stilted flight
Thanks for putting on this haiku contest.
Here are some for your consideration.
S.D. Gold
Breaker takes a break
to watch a tail-lit comet
not unlike his own
Needles long are leaves
a cardinal rests within
red as hate in bones
As the day’s light droops
slow with it falls again the
eyelids of the world
Everyone loves haiku, eh? Thanks to SCP for allowing the immediate readings, great stuff! Here’s my three:
Pale apple blossoms
assaulted by southern gale,
no apples this fall.
Below the riffle
red Royal Wulff emerges,
A rainbow rises.
A tear shed in grief
refracts white light to rainbow,
fractal future joy.
even in summer
when the bright yellow finch sings
i long for its song
mischievous young pup
testing my patience daily
yet the bond strengthens
Autumn eve, sunset
wandering the woodland path
without a lantern
December shakes down
Stern winter chill throws shivers
December crowns past
the autumn deepens –
the shadows gently gliding
within more shadows
orphanage courtyard –
a trio of snow angels
as if holding hands
snowing quietly –
in the hands of the orphan
the parents’ picture
I noticed that you have two haiku about orphan. Have you experienced about being an orphan or knowing orphans?
I thought these were all very good entries to the contest. Good luck in it.
The last one is very sad and lovely. Thank you for sharing these here.
Cool gray tidal sand
Slowly glows golden in the
Tequila sunrise.
Flaxen hair tumbles.
Cataracts in gold silence
Only sunlight sees.
Stiff cracks split cold glass
Breaking wintry calm under
Furry moccasins.
on these lonely roads
all the traffic coming is
wind in the treetops
tall old wagon wheels
spin sacred geometries
from late summer light
cane chairs and table
left empty under trees – where
falling leaves mingle
This was so lovely.
Thank you.
swift drift of jasmine
this she feels on her tired face
a caress whisper
Ernesto P. Santiago
Thank you for the opportunity.
St. Stephen’s Day dawns —
bloodied moose antlers fallen
on riverbed stones
island cattle ranch —
the massive Kodiak bear
chews on cow parsnip
a murder of crows
devours the spawned-out sockeye
her thousand children
rainy summer night
father changes his last will
at the last minute
waves unearthing shells
deeply buried in the sand —
those words left unsaid
visiting the sea
where I scattered your ashes
the cry of seagulls
Lovely image!
Wow!
Great haiku. My personal favourite so far. Simple, but I could feel the sea air.
This is a collection meant to be read individually or collectively.
The leaves fall slowly
the slight breeze tickles my face
winter is coming
こんな感じを Konna kanji wo (This kind of feeling)
初めて感じした Hajimete kanji shita (I felt for the first time)
愛と思う Ai to omou (I think it’s love)
He entered my life,
So swift, yet, I loved him so.
Now? I’m a widow
Nina, thanks for your haiku. Please provide your last name as requested above in the very first section on WHO may enter the contest. You can do it by replying to me here; there’s no need to retype your poem collection. Thank you.
so cold my breath hurts —
descending the snowbank from
an upstairs window
neighbor’s lawnmower
heralds the scent of mown grass
through open windows
stop for a second
on a light, airy morning
after snow: hear still
the violet snaps
her lithe limbs toward the sun
as the bee studies
Stop for a second. The cold can be so delicate.
Andrew, please provide your last name as requested above under WHO may enter the competition. You can give it as a reply to me here–no need to re-type your haiku. Thanks!
Yeager. Thank you
refreshing myself
refreshing nature bloom
all cherry blossoms
unfamiliar roads
unknown fake destination
mysterious end
The morning spring dew
falling petals in cool breeze
cherry blossoms path
laughs dissolve in drink
jokes devolve into venom –
summer night turns cold
refreshing myself
refreshing nature bloom
all cherry blossoms
unfamiliar roads
unknown fake destination
mysterious end
The morning spring dew
falling petals in cool breeze
cherry blossoms path
orange blossoms bloom
the lingering scent of cold
fog covers my eyes
rain quiets down slowly
the wind softly brushes past
frogs croak, sleep descends
sky darkens, above
the crowd huddle together
and rain falls softly
Thanks for your haiku, Leo, and please provide your last name along with them. You may do that in reply to me here; no need to re-enter your poems.
fig tree sings sweetest,
fickle fuzz roots seeping through
our summer postcard
London fog dances,
stranded street lamp company
gold rust embrace me
iridescent wave,
rabbit atop ocean ground
questions snowflake sand
Parched and dying land
begs stoic Mother Nature
to weep precious tears.
This is so moving.
cascading marvel
of orange bougainvilleas …
heavy summer rain
early morning walk
on toasted bread a black ant
steps on the bright sun
1) The lake clear and still
Autumn ripples, geese fly south.
The lake; still again.
2) Little lamp of clay:
A bright flame to banish night
Glow! Now autumn ends.
3) Dot. Dash. Firefly
Your Morse Code in the night sky,
Summer makes me cry.
“Longing for Autumn ”
Eventide’s ochre
Suffuses autumnal air,
Bare-boned flagstones mute.
“School”
Little kids babble,
As shepherds guide their tethers
Close to curbs concrete.
Poems written by Christopher G Sahar
She is harmony, joy and soulmate
>
> Radiant flower never fading
>
> Beauty enthralling desire.
>
>
>
> Colin Ian Jeffery
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Lover, wife and mother
>
> Strength and purpose
>
> Companion on life’s journey.
>
>
>
> Colin Ian Jeffery
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> When truth calls out
>
> Like mighty trumpet blast
>
> We rally to the sound.
>
>
>
> Colin Ian Jeffery
>
>
>
>
>
>
I’m now a leaf: blow.
For these days are crossroads, but
Nowhere is labeled.
Summer loses heat.
She keeps me warm, day and night,
But wakes me up cold.
Oleander blooms…
Hiroshima mon amour
never-ending war
deceptive comfort—
guarding children at the beach
in a rattan chair
damselfly kisses
a silver underbelly…
the reflecting pool
Please find below three independent haiku not intended to be a series. Thank you for your consideration. ~Lara Dolphin
frost shimmers then melts
into gleaming pocket pools
watering the earth
cremated remains
sprinkled over rose bushes
have found their way home
birds in scarlet oaks
herald longer days singing
things won’t fall apart
Thank you for your consideration -Jack Ratliff
1) Counteroffensive
The sunflowers march.
Their heads bowed and their stems limp—
Cloaked in autumn frost.
2) Martyrs
Candles flicker low
in the chapel’s quiet gloom—
sacrifice endures.
3) Summer
This season warmed us—
But the leaf went brown and curled,
And the bird, silent.
the sun after the cloud –
the sunflower field sway slowly
looking for the lost one
panic among tourists –
a rattlesnake follows its way
ignoring them all
near the bush of grass
an ant suddenly stopped
to adjust burden
I think these have interesting and beautiful images.
D.J.Etchell
where stubbled fields wait
cloying mists haunt low hollows
slow ploughs brow the earth
through barren branches
last light caresses softly
leaf burial mounds
grey snarling seas churn
bladderwrack rots on the beach
mournful gulls glide high
Trudging through the snow
up and down the hillside drift
A night for cold feet.
Wintry night’s portrait
Boshi lean into the wind
Six feet in the snow.
emptiness around –
between silence and silence
the heat of summer
sunny summer noon –
a temple’s shadow filled with
a prayer for rain
night summer puddle –
bare feet of a homeless man
immersed in the stars
Marek Kozubek
19th floor, earthquake
sirens blare, my mother screams –
tranquil clouds recline
meant to write out nineteenth instead of using the numbers, but did it absent-mindedly. Sorry about that.
Away from the sun
I sit alone with my thoughts
Light draws its curtain
Serene little friend
Walks past me in Summer’s noon
Tranquil in feathers
Purple flowers field
Fragrance pervades Nana’s room
Departure in spring
Palestinian
chick peas on David’s bagel
Israel bans hummus
I tried to join Men-
-sa but they declined the quest
due to my low Haik
Lame cat walks across
QWERTY keyboard creating
A Hieroglyphic Haiku
¡¢∞§¶
–≠åß∂ƒ∆
≈ç√∫˜µ
Leafless night summons
Old World Sparrows wheel away
Footfalls in the snow
Strike poems one and two submitted 08/10/2024. Consider the last submission on 08/12/2024.
Thanks!.
High cliff’s apple tree.
Lightning, falling, screaming nest.
Apples splash — silence.
Still emerald pond.
Howls of wolves. A deer jumps in
Splashing waters red.
Red sun, ruby lake.
Two cranes swipe with bloodied claws
While ladies sing.
Thank you for your consideration – Dismas
holiday romance
I walk along the white sand
infested with crabs
Perched on wires
Birds are separate, askew
Man’s mirror image
Through his prison bars
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Iron is obscured
White clouds battle black
On Virgin-blue arena
Armageddon waits
demonstration ground
a child holds a leader’s head
on his white t-shirt
shape of oasis
defying the sun’s strong threat
the umbrellas here
New Year’s reunion;
on the train with my mother
and her Alzheimer’s
Shelter from the rain;
I run a sakaki leaf
across your lips
crossing the threshold,
she forgets to water them:
the chrysanthemums
I like the first a lot. It’s very simple and almost factual but under the surface there’s a lot of complexity and feeling.
I am reading through some of the entries. I particularly like the first and last. Chrysanthemums have so much symbolism. And now I feel guilt for neglecting my plants.
on a cold stone floor
a candle burns to its end
ashes mark the day
in the thickened air
fireflies stitch the night with light
a trail through the fog
atop a mountain
a monk tears another page
in his diary
I. in our kitchen
friend brings a bouquet—
one week later, still golden
I can hear her laugh
II. gardening
the cucumber blight
bleeds wormholes through thriving vines
no salad tonight
III. visitor
lizard on our wall
drinks the drenching summer sun
at dusk, he is gone
August goosebump breezes
signal ocean’s upwelling—
autumn’s drawing near
waning crescent moon
smiles on Equator’s dung huts—
Maasi sleep soundly
childhood memories—
a rosary of prized pearls
sweet as bay oysters
an August evening…
cicadas buzz in the trees
vibrating their leaves
summer vacation–
on the top of the Rockies
sisters play in snow
autumn equinox
the Milky Way ribboning
across the night sky
Nancy Brady, 2024
chanced upon sketchpad
in autumn light the countless
pathways forsaken
bee balm touch-and-go’s…
between feeds the monarch stops
and refuels a soul
meandering stream
a tiny toad on a leaf
takes a carefree path
Candelabra Lily
splash of life like blood
stains through fallen acrid ash –
stem and leaf and bud
Ekphrastic haiku for three paintings
Monet’s House
Inviting me in
to images not yet seen
but to the artist
Tidal Marsh
Misty summer hues
weave litany of visions
times past spent dreaming
Todd’s Garden
Muted colors blend
forming a seamless display
with a path ahead
Under arched prisms
Kaleidoscope of jeweled strokes
God’s contract endures
hands scratched and juice-stained
after blackberry picking
spiders re-spin webs
heavenly blue drapes
over fields of sunflowers
the buzzing of drones
Respite from the heat?
No chance. Among the ruins
seeds await the rain.
Like them all, but especially the first.
Thank you for your kind comment.
I love these Haikus, sir. They remind me of Robert Frost. The first one especially is remarkable, and reminds me of After Apple Picking
I agree with Alan and Joseph. These are lovely, especially the first. Thank you for sharing them here.
Thanks to both you and Joseph for your appreciation.
in the biting wind
a pregnant girl wraps her coat
around her belly
Blessed are the sightless
Who being but blind believe.
Eyes they shall receive.
Blessed are the hopeless.
Homeless this side of heaven.
They are our leaven.
Blessed are the broken,
Hearts hallowed by human tears.
For joy moves the spheres.
fall meditations–
my hands move the rake until
the rake moves my hands
water reflections–
my face the face of someone
with a lotus life
dewdrops and sunlight
a kind word once in a while–
we thrive with little
taking in the view,
bees in purple-petalled rooms;
hyacinth hotel
***
hibernating bug
under tree-bark’s shingle roof;
icicle ice picks
***
not the way it thinks
each beast of burden’s burden ends;
Fluffy the collie
Michael Edwards
A Lovely Flowerstrewn Meadow
Ugh! how — how grisly —
to walk up on the carcass
of this calf, long dead.
Lurkers ’til lunchtime
Speckled sparrows spy from pine
Sunflower lady
Hummingbird hovers
Staring at my teal-green eyes
Seeing its same shade
Bright blues on deep reds
Large jays feed in apple tree
Sweet sensory feast
Thank you for this lovely contest, I had fun writing these poems .
Poem 1: My Firefly
Like a firefly;
You bring light to my dark life,
Guiding me back home.
Poem 2: Mighty White Willow
Mighty white willow,
Thy noble shade never fails;
always generous.
Poem 3: Bid Farewell
Mellow crispy air,
Time for trees to bare their souls,
Bid farewell to leaves.
Lavender heather
an elegant instrument
ringing with insects
Feathery grasses
a ring of spikey thistles
divergent neighbours
The delicate earth
longs to shed its blistered skin
grow a harder shell
on the woodland path
bracken bends to catch the wind
and then lets it go
I’m reading through the entries, and like this one very much. I can picture it in my mind.
Thanks Natalie
Silence of darkness
a twisting of tangled fates
before the world wakes
quiet_6/20/24
Sun’s height is today
feeling some new kind of way
a beautiful storm
sol_6/21/24
Fresh candles of pine
reaching towards the divine
can I grow with you?
grow_8/24/24
Thanks for reading!
Outside the headlamp’s
small light, claws climb a dim tree:
six young eyes gleam back.
Nettles sting my shins,
but here, too, grows jewel weed:
crushed leaves heal the hurt.
Just below the peak,
ancient trees stand tall, hidden
from winter’s harsh winds.
To the competition organisers: Both of these haiku were self-published earlier this year (June) in a book of poems, Digging for Water. I have given the titles because they are both ephrastic and based on Japanese prints.
Ushibori
Flow, friendly water,
lantern warming a window,
hush, cascading snow
Rain at Maekawa
so frail the pathway
of fading into darkness
and remembering
Reading through the posts- both of these are nice, but I love the second one because it can relate both to nature and to pathways in the mind.
Thank you.
chilly, cloudless night
on the hilltop we gather
just to view the moon
bird migration starts
at last I manage to fold
linen crane napkins
her first sakura
the child’s frenzy when seeing
those marshmellow trees
bonfire flaming red
children’s eyes spark at Grandpa
telling love stories
my shadow and me
on the forget-me-not path
this graveyard silence
the neighbor’s garden
fading into moonlit dark
a foreclosure sign
Nibble on the skin,
the small stone within the plum
begins its dreaming
Ragged edges, scratch
skin, red where the blood begins;
the rose resistance
Dirt fingers, like seeds –
in a sense, we’re playing God –
poking holes in Earth
Thank you for considering my poems.
Kevin
urgent ducks flying
in front of the brown burnt hills
liquid blue below
in a silent arc
the diving osprey strikes taut
then rises slapping
tiny yellow tail
the gull spying the fish swoops
leaving a feather
In reeds entangled
Hiding from helicopters
Skyclad and sunkissed
Claudia’s Poems:
1. The Beauty of Life
Is when you laugh at your past
Even when it hurts
2. Music can bring peace
To the mind, spirit and soul
Listen to your song
3. The view of mountains
Brought back special memories
From years in college
fully spring cleaning –
the housemaid trying to mop
her humble shadow
the scent of absence
in the attic with the moon
her shawl forgotten
the nights of full moon –
I’m reconciled to myself
and everybody
Good morning, all! I am a new member of the Society, and I’m happy to be with you all, here for these hearings. This is my haiku:
Crane stilting the lake
Lapping the cracked fence, strikes me,
Have they broken through?
Revision:
Cranes stilting the lake
Lapping the cracked fence, strikes me,
Have they broken through?
Dragonflies hover
and land on heron-swept reeds
darkened from high tide
Wild Mustangs caught
lower their heads and nicker
gentling cowboys
Chincoteague ponies
swim the highwater slack tide
heads bobbing near boats
fallen forest leaves
converse between sloping hills
hushed by early snow
morning semaphore
mirrored beach leaves glassy dew
signal sun’s approach
colored air ballet
whirling wind of gossamer
butterfly landings
Spring blooms on reef edge
Friends enjoy shallow lagoon
Deep blue Siren lures
On a flowered branch
Two doves sharing warmth of love
Squeals a stretched bowstring
Jogging in the morn
Cries beneath trodden dead leaves
I curse my knowledge
Mother’s Day flowers
roadside hawker sells enough
to feed her children
the sky bursts with song
angels dart across the sun
the martins are back
golden spring morning
the dog pricks her ears to hear
shoelaces tying
Powerful water
Turquoise river surges clear
Purifies sunlight
Grey clouds tinged with white
pass by with light intentions
Raindrops pelt evergreen trees
Puffy white clouds soar
Crystal clear blue sky canvas
Summer is the brush
Chipped and broken still,
Beauty hides in silent cracks,
Strength within them speaks.
Wild Woman roams free,
Wolf beside her, spirit calls,
In the Wild, her home.
Soul lost in shadows,
Chasing echoes through the dark,
Fires fade, cold remains.
Chipped and broken still,
Beauty hides in silent cracks,
Strength within them speaks.
Correction: (including last name)
Chipped and broken still,
Beauty hides in silent cracks,
Strength within them speaks.
Wild woman runs free,
Wolf at her side, spirit calls,
In the wild, she’s home.
Correction:
Wild woman runs free,
Wolf at her side, spirit calls,
In the wild, her home.
Soul lost in shadows,
Chasing echoes through the dark,
Fires fade, cold remains.
waves crash
on honeymoon beaches
horizons expand
***
time enough
to listen to a joke
senior center
***
under a canopy of stars
blinking fireflies await
the couple’s unfolding story
on the level plane
of a freshly trimmed privet
a new sprig rises
The sound of birdsong
On the path often trodden
Falls now on deaf ears
Ten thousand brush strokes
Cannot truly match the sight
That nature provides
At autumn’s approach
Each new breath becomes precious
Beyond any coin
There are some wonderful Haiku here. Here are my three.
March wind howls like wolves
Stalking herds of antelope
But I am safe inside.
Rainbow in the sky.
The sunshine split by raindrops.
Glorious colour.
Mist curls all around
Swirling like smoke in the air.
All colour has flown.
Much appreciate your contributions, Vivienne. Please reply here with your last name, as requested above where it says (boldface and underlined), “Please submit using your first and last name.” Thanks!
Twirling maple seeds
Gravity does not hold back
April pirouettes
Lithe sandpiper hops
Deftly dodging sun-glazed waves
Pecking for his prey
Tears entombed by sweat
Moisten fresh dug August earth
Of a canine grave.
Curious weather
The clouds roll in like staining
But it never rains
A garden of stars
But sometimes you disappear
I wish you’d take me
Pink across the sky
Somewhere a cardinal chirps
Early morning sigh
Thank you for considering these coffee haikus.
Keurig (Coffee Haiku #4)
Little plastic pods
wrecking the environment.
They have hot chocolate.
Microwave (Coffee Haiku #3)
Spaghetti splatter.
Odor of ancient lunches.
Where I find my cup.
Morning (Coffee Haiku #1)
How am I supposed
to drink water when there’s still
coffee in the pot?
I especially like the second one with the ancient spaghetti sauce, landing in your coffee cup
Dear Judges,
Thank you for considering my work for the competition.
*****
cricket orchestra
plays to cicada humming
an all-night soirée
*****
cotton flowers bloom
white fluffy clouds on brown stems
a late summer snow
*****
wind through bare branches—
a final autumn apple
falls with a dull thump
*****
I especially like you’re one about Cottonwood. It presents a very clear visual and very clever satori line.
Thank you Pamela!
Poem Title: “The Season of Fall”
The leaves turn brown now
The air is cool and freshens
We start something new
Ants gather slowly
to see what spring sun has brought
for their Easter feast.
Bull-frog sitting glad
catching flies on lily-pad
Bull-frog sounds so sad.
Dr Williams writes
poems on prescription pads
he knows that words heal.
I like the third one, especially. However, I think it’s more of a.senryu than a haiku. Haiku deals only with nature
Also, do you know that rhyming is frowned upon in a haiku?
a brisk summer breeze –
the sound of apples dropping
from a laden tree
faithful apple tree –
from Nana’s sunny kitchen
the scent of warm pie
cherry blossom tree –
the whisper of soft petals
falling to the ground
I like all three, but I thought in the first one that it would be more appropriate to say sounds rather than sound Since it’s multiple apple dropping from the tree
I like Nanas apple pie
Thank you for taking the time to comment Pamela.
I thought afterwards that to have used a word like ‘thud’
to onomatopoeia the sound of apples falling might have been nice.
Anyway, I appreciate your comment, Pamela. And, when I find time
I will try to do the same for other poets.
nothing is unmade
a language of resonance
radiates presence
those castaway seeds
pumpkins growing all over
our old compost patch
fresh picked peas quick crunch
sunrise dewdrops fill each pod
pregnant with the day
working on Sunday
childhood piles in the guestroom
snail without a throat
I like the one about the peas, the best about the pregnant pods. I guess that has to be distinguished from pregnant pause. Sic
I’m with withdrawing these three poems
Hello. I am submitting two more entries for the haiku competition thank you very much for considering my entries
purple flower face
sheds the drips of morning dew
ladybugs shower
red, yellow, green, gold
float on breezes to the ground
autumn leaf parade
Heavy steps in sand
Endless dunes beneath the sun
Heat scorches the earth
Cloudy sky, drops fall
Sounds like music whispering
Ping ping ping ping ping
Golden grasses sway
Roar, Serenity broken
The sun pours in red
Feedback
Sunset Haiku 3.jpg
Waiting in your smile –
The dawn of my tomorrow.
Today slips away.
There’s a sunset photo that goes with the haiku, but obviously it didn’t get transferred.
instinctve squawking
hunger building lungs to fly
purpose spring conceals
Curtains fill like sails
Hulls of imagination
Skimming whimsy strands
***
Afternoon Plunge
Sun hammers the hills
Pummel punch the summer drum
Crash! The cymbals splash
***
August petals yearn
The heart’s eventide lily
Opens to the night
On the Blue Himalaya Poppy
drenching rain and mist,
rich soil, cold and sunshine spawn
blue Himalayas
Through silent branches
Illuminating azure
Twilight’s offering
opaque beryl glass
edges smoothed in briny tide ~
treasures from the sea
~~~~~
vibrant autumn leaves
romanced by the whirling wind ~
shifting devotion
I absolutely love the imagery in both of your haikus.
Thank you for your lovely comment on my haiku.
Best Regards,
Paulette
Awakening day
comes later, silvery now,
leaving frosted glades.
When the thunder rolls,
the birds just continue on
about their bus’ness.
Spring’s indigo nights
gleam with miniscule diamonds,
greater than the sun.
In the icy pond,
there is no sound of water;
and no frog jumps in.
About the auto
i-dl-ing-in-the-traff-ic,
a dragonfly flies.
Beneath red yuccas,
and a white Adam’s Needle,
he stared at pebbles.
1)
merry bird singing
clasping branch: a whole world
’round my teacup rim.
2)
green brown fallen leaf
cupped catching frost melting slow
ladybug drinking
3)
lentic puddle floats
petals swirling in sunshine
tricycle splashes
golden morning sun
holy splendor bathes my room
fear envelops me
falling from the tree
stopping, birds’ body laid still
broken bird – cruel winds
What a beautifully striking image! I appreciate how the sudden caesura in line 2 creates a metrical mirror for the meaning of the poem. The line truly does “stop” itself–how wonderful!
In line three, the 3 + 2 syllabic rhythms of the metrical feet recall to me the traditional meter of the juéjù (quatrain) in classical Chinese poetry, from which the haiku evolved as a poetic form.
Above all this, thank you for an exceptionally well-crafted poem that lingers in memory.
You’re so very welcome! But I should be the one thanking you for commenting on my poem, it really means a lot to me! So, thank you so much! 😀
this Haiku is titled Still Bird
it’s december’s unending snow
i wait motionless to gather this small world
in my ordinary hands
cold hermit forest
i woke up in a silent night
what are the odds?
lost count of snowfalls
my neighbor left his gate open
and i feel cold in my room.
cracking the old book
a prism of dust hovers
above the pages
Like a nightingale—
A mother’s lullaby in moonlight,
She Rocks an empty cradle.
A leaf in autumn—
Falls dead, gives us breathing air,
We walk on, unseen.
Bees before winter—
Collect and store, like we hoard wealth.
Bees get wax, we get coffins.
flames rain from branches
delicious warmth on our tongues
by tame crackling light
shades and hues of hope
softly wakes as life begins
for hungry bear cubs
winter wonderland
sun shining, children laughing
while I long white’s end
A tranquil moonrise
Embracing Lookout Mountain
In Laurel Canyon.
Foam, flashing white, red,
Spirit over the waters,
Ten thousand fishes.
The pain is my muse,
The city blurring through tears
Steel, remorse, night rain.
Eyelevel wasp nest
Startles us both. That branch there
Was bare last we looked.
Haiku Contest Submission, 3 separate haikus:
butterfly springs forth
in mind, dreamy nectar froths
in heart and garden
river soars on rock
with the birds and mid-year heat
my spirit dragged on
rickety autumn —
frail bones befriend the branches
fruiting memories past
Last haiku, a correction:
mem’ries, not memories
__________________
By the old brick wall
pear trees great-grandpa planted,
mossy wooden bench.
__________________
Swooshing from red woods,
train hoots at curved viaduct
near my parents’ grave.
__________________
Resinous bombshell
Explodes my hammocking daze:
A falling pinecone.
________________________
Cold air grips my bones
As I cross a bridge. Even
The water shivers.
________________________
My face wheels around
To catch the westering sun —
Field of sunflowers.
Wagging tail, so cute
When you look at me sweetly,
I bask in your love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mornings spent in chair,
Warm, occupied and content,
Reading in a daze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking with my thoughts,
Winding, striding in my mind,
When will I prevail?
Faith, a sanguine moth,
fluttering through the gloaming.
Lamps reawaken.
—————————————-
Basic radar glitch:
A bat bustling in the sun.
Recalibrating.
birches painting fall
barren, barkless, thickened pink
art of self defense
I am submitting one more haiku :
silhouettes of leaves
lacy cutwork appliques ~
patterns on canvas
(The haiku titles are in “quotes”)
“19”
Flowers should bloom now
But it snows in the springtime
Young girls have white hair
“Monsters Steps”
This year we will die
Winter has not yet shown up
But still I shiver
“Perennial”
Someday my lost youth
Will come back to me again
Like a fresh blossom
Thank you for your haiku, Leyelle. Please give your full name (first and last) as requested above in the section about WHO may enter the competition. You may place your full name in reply to me here. It is not necessary to re-type your entries.
round drops of dawn dew
delight on delicate thread,
fly in tangled web
sweet lavender breeze
each breath a caressing kiss
fragrant mystery
a rollercoaster
that dips and soars time takes all
to the earth’s embrace
Dear judges,
Please may I make a slight change to haiku number 3.
Thank you for your patience
it should read,
a roller coaster
that dips and soars, time takes all
to the earth’s embrace
Yes! I’ve noted this change, and a number of changes made by other poets.
Thank you!
at the edge of dawn–
trading secrets with the stars
lizard on the sill
a hibiscus falls–
the pregnant woman looks for
her engagement ring
through the hourglass–
in a matter of minutes
a sand dune appears
Summers hot fury
lingered in the azure sky
as autumn leaves fell
The winds melody
whistled blissfully through the
dancing forest trees
Autumn left before
the wilted leaves touched the ground
the cold came swiftly
untended garden
without any prejudice
the spring springs on it
following the breeze
through a rusty garden gate
a few autumn leaves
without permission
entering my daughter’s room
late September sun
in the gutter dust
a green pencil with bite marks
along the body
single buzzing wasp
twitches on the bottom sheet
the next election
a different green
every single day for
the rest of his life
Am i scared to start
Wondering and worrying
I’m scared to finish
home again once more
Father’s soggy old shoes steam
by the crackling fire
sound of coming of rain
a blind man hears once again
the ripples of light
our bedtime story
blackbirds sing a lullaby
with the starry night
like fly-tipped sofas,
cows hiding in tall rye-grass
lounge under grey clouds
Great image of a moment in time that I could see and feel.
an autumn evening . . .
the sweet sound of a piano
coming from downstairs
*
a nightingale sings
ripples of light and shadow
on the lace curtains
*
letter from a friend
a golden primrose peeps out
from under dry leaves
Daniela Misso
Empty pocket
Empty stomach
Hunger filled eyes
Cutting old trees
Building new house
Shelterless birds sheltered humans
Barking dogs
In street and home
For food and love
the forest at dawn
singing like a theremin
siren’s call heeded
Across the blue field,
my parents’ tombstones glisten–
each a heart, breathing.
Bats keen and flit out
Fanning the autumnal moon
Keeping it aloft
Withered mums and moms
Await springtime’s new cycle
One will ride away
Pumpkin tendrils grab
Thriving in harvest debris
Along with the deer
clouds slide through sunbeams
where whales migrate to rainbows
butterfly effect
dreams made in dark rooms
never find the light of day
sunlight breaks all hearts
changing seasons now
full moon reflects in birds’ eye
summer never comes
Stars of night skies, find
Morning at nadir, bring back
Lurking dark frightens
Prabha K, I’m glad to see your haiku, but we need to have your last name too. See the top of the contest information where it says IMPORTANT. Click the REPLY button below this message to type your full name. Your haiku is fine where it is, with no need to retype it. Thank you!
a quick crunch of peas
sunrise dewdrops fill each pod
pregnant with the day
piles of childhood high
where i work in the guestroom
snail without a throat
golden crunch of leaves
chortles from a wheelchair race
weight of the world lifts
Burning gems of old
Adorn chilling winter skies
Brilliant shining stars
Soft fur, beating heart
Warms both a lap and a soul
Summer sun with paws
A boisterous boom
Spring storm, or a lion’s roar?
New life comes again
It is indeed a delight to write classical haiku in the 5-7-5 syllable format and with Kigo (season word). While the kigo is evident in the first two haiku below, in the third it is ‘acorn’ – which is an autumn kigo.
autumn riverbed
patches of moss holding on
to some of the stones
one more war coffin
the summer a teenager
suddenly grew up
acorn below ground
does it know a sprawling oak
lies within its womb
#1
Jacaranda tree
Lavender blossoming forth
Shower Spring on me!
#2
Piles of stacked flat rocks
Largest anchors the bottom
Brave waves, wind, and rain
#3
A flash of lightning.
In awe of Mother Nature,
I count the seconds…
Thank you for this opportunity!
mother’s braided hair
the exposed roots of an oak
covered in fresh snow
what will be will be
a world within a dewdrop
clinging to a branch
resting on the palm
of a stone Buddha statue
a praying mantis
a deer springs away
from the path of an arrow
a tree later stopped
the first drop of sap
hitting softly the bottom
of an old steel pail
the lonely seabirds
connecting with the mainland
an isle made of fill
Town of sandstone spires –
jacarandas bury my
eroding footprints
I’ve seen that this is the second jacaranda haiku in as many days! 🙂
I love Halli Steinberg’s beautifully vivid poem!
at work at my desk
a spider darns a web
in the window frame
daybreak
a girl skips across the lawn
picking buttercups
raindrops caught
on the branches of the quince
and my umbrella
Drought drives the dirt mad,
Vine’s fruit autumns and wrinkles.
Sad whine is fruitless.
Yellow False Foxglove
Sits at summer’s edge and lies
In Fall’s coming truth.
Fall’s first tree to drop
Its aged leaves halos the ground,
Deeply forgetful.
fireflies in the night
glowing with a golden light
like stars in my sight
everlasting spring –
maidens on a Grecian urn
always dance and sing
middle of winter –
an old friend and I part ways
before a black bridge
Monsoon rain of mine
and his rainfall in sunshine
Life at a crossroads
Two eyes in prison
draw a gritty black rod grid
on a cloudy sky
On a warm night, the
scent of night-blooming jasmine
revives the old grief
tulips awaken
late frost hits the snooze button
nature unfriends them
I sprint to dinner.
warm rain spatters my sweater,
leaving cheetah spots
like unruly vines,
barbed wire wraps the fence top,
piercing sky and dreams
cleats rip the grass,
revealing terrain teeming
with bewildered ants
Please remove my submissions of Sept 1 and replace with these revisions:
Awakening day
comes later, silvery now,
leaving frosted glades.
When the thunder claps,
the birds just continue on
about their business.
Spring’s indigo nights
gleam with minute diamonds,
greater than the sun.
Moon shining down bright
Dark woods bathed in brilliant light
Beauty sees twilight
The rain ceases now
Though the grayness will remain
Colors will not fade
Thank you for considering my haiku for publication.
morning light strikes fish
-ing boat small ripples big SPLASH!
dog jumps overboard
wind gust.. picking up….
even the scarecrow will pay
homage by resting
dog gnaws on a dream
-sicle sunset while right paw
guards large set of twigs
Thank you to the respective judges for considering my haiku’s!
Whispers slash the night,
Grotesque truths drip like fresh blood;
I drown in your lies.
Falsehood consumes me,
Gore paints the walls of my mind-
Truth’s malformed disguise.
Blood paints the silence,
Love’s facade now stained with red-
Tear-stained hearts collide.
1) september flower
no scent but adores roaming
bees and butterflies
2) dancing and singing
a sky lark on the branch of
the cemetery cross
3) deep meditating
a monk on river water
neck drown for the rain
I here by declare these haiku are my own haiku and written after july 2024
-Arunachalashiva Ravisankar
the monsoon raindrops
held on a wild grass cobweb
diamonds on hammock
late summer heat
walking in the pine forest
butterfly fans me
somnambulism
I turn on my new laptop
and shut it down
Haiku 1:
Rough clear ocean waters
Like a soaring ballerina
A whale shows splendor.
Haiku 2:
Close the warmer months
Mayflies rising from ponds, ready
Their fleeting lives mourned.
Haiku 3:
Prestine marks on snow,
A striking red fox fix gaze,
Aiming on its catch.
Haiku 1:
What a misery
My once delicate feathers
Nothing but mere shreds
Haiku 2:
For all of your words
That are cruel and unjust
I’ll still love the same
Haiku 3:
Tears will only flow
Somewhere where I’m all alone
When I let them fall
I declare that these haiku are my own haiku and are written after July of 2024
-Angela Quintanilla
Unmistakable!
Kingfisher’s trusty twitter,
Drought, pond life teeters.
Deep woods mystery,
Puzzling quiet, forecast moot,
Cicadas are mute.
Summer’s snow stings legs.
Wind sifted, sugary sand
Fills fleeing footprints.
restrained, bound, enchained
wings rent and torn – burned to ash
fly; I shall never
this Haiku is titled Severed Wings
“Thymos”
Blood is down your wrist,
Elbow deep within my chest,
Do you twist your arm?
“14,000 ft”
Do you remember
the mountain? You cut
the rope, and I screamed.
I’ve already entered two haiku earlier; this one is my third.
lengthening shadows
fall on the chair in my porch:
an early candle
Respected judges and fellow poets,
Is there a way to get notified of the winning poems, or perhaps a daily/weekly digest of poems submitted? The poetry is beautiful, and I don’t want to unsubscribe, but my email inbox is becoming crowded (and I don’t want to set up another filter). Suggestions would be appreciated!
Warmly, Halli
Halli Steinberg,
Every entry in this Haiku Contest is in this comment section.
Simply scroll up from my reply here and you can read every single entry. Thanks, Mike the Moderator.
Dear Halli Steinberg and others interested,
The WHEN section near the beginning of this competition post says results will be announced September 29. “Results” means the winning poem and runners-up judged to have composed the best haiku submitted here. If you subscribe, but cannot find the results in your inbox on September 29, come to classicalpoets.org, click on POETRY, and look for the same snow scene picture as above, with the title BEST HAIKU OF 2024.
I was bleeding out
I thought my cuts were sewn up-
Healing takes its time
The leaves left quickly
But the tree did not bargain
It knew things had changed
I was bleeding out
I thought my cuts were sewn up-
Healing takes its time
pinks whisper of gold
bees buzz oblivious as
red mites hitch a ride
something in common –
hermit thrush and I, our throats
full of lonely song
war cemetery
moonshadow slowly swallows
the names of the dead
a snowy owl’s swoop
she startles a woodpecker
from his busy beat
decay striking red
turning memories to ghosts
soft death for new life
branches and empty
a coat of silence to wear
anticipation
ghosts moan through the trees
yellow orange and crimson
blurry transitions
We long for bright dreams
where angels’ wings flutter by
Behold, butterfly
Sunset as promise
Red clouds dancing over waves
At dawn an omen
Seeking attention
snowdrops knock against the cold
Keep the door open
hanging the laundry
tiny perfect sets of clothes
for my unborn son
silence on the beach
she seems happy holding hands
wind tousles her hair
jewels on brown skin
apples set in golden leaves
orchard at evening
Sabaras spiral
Soldiers braving brisk breezes
Bull finch on alert
birds at the window
holding empty chair he talks
to his late father
a sudden downpour
on an unwanted journey
brown grass turning green
countless tiny moons
illuminate the stone path
a frozen koi pond
humid cricket song
and quiet breezes deserve
a cat at full length
ice-cold stormy sea
a pair of otters surface
in designer furs
submerged paper boat
the toddler retrieves his tears
from the puddle’s edge
bees in the snowbell
busy with floral treasures
that nourish and heal
warm sand’s embraces
rhythmic seaside alpha waves
bestow healing balm
the start of spring break
all those heavy books stay still
deep in the backpack
hands limp on the bed
my mother throws all the pills
into the twilight
Fistfuls of oozing
sweet flesh slips from sticky hands.
Mango stones lay bared.
Cracking thunder beats
to Kalboishakhi lilting
on darkened grey stage.
Vibrant brolly tops
brush Mumbai’s louring canvas –
painting in motion.
The sea cloaked in mist
as I grieve the loss of you
a seagull cries out
Grandmother’s lilacs
Craft cloister where children
And chameleons play.
Flowers are wilting.
Dry seeds lie scattered beneath.
Tomorrow’s glory!
Wild geese glide downward.
A down-covered flotilla
Splashes on the creek.
ancient ice expanse
quietly drips, drips cold tears
of the universe
the fleeting snowfall
how each of us might entwine
into its promise
Meadow daises bow.
Eagles soar, clouds pause, taps play.
Rain mingles with tears.
into the thickness
of legerdemain snowdrifts
red scarves of robins
who was there again
signing in yellow colours
it’s the snow bunting
He lived by Walden.
So immersed had he become:
Seasons were his clock.
From zinnia’s pink
to petunia’s purple –
the chameleon
Bolting roller skates
scare the road-perched crows away –
summer vacation
Working overtime;
prodigious black clouds sew up
the last silver rift
Dear Judges,
My second haiku got swapped with another accidentally. Therefore, I am making a fresh submission of the batch. Kindly pardon my mistake and please accept this new submission. Thank you so much.
From zinnia’s pink
to petunia’s purple –
the chameleon
While mother’s garden
nears vernal blue and yellow,
she nears wintry grey
Working overtime;
prodigious black clouds sew up
the last silver rift
(Haiku contest entries):
Cityscape A.M.
Colors bring the day
Pink and periwinkle play–
All below stays gray
Centenary-ing
Just one hundred four
Garden, girlfriends, gourmet store
Why not live some more?
A Cluster of Birds
A cluster of birds
chirping in the tallest tree
looked very lovely
Winter sun bathes me
through icy-cold window panes
The Comfort of Home
Autumn leaves decay
yet I only stare in awe
at their amber leaves
Ravaging wildfires
paint the sky red– all will see
the death we must face
her tight city yard
just one daisy in the crack
of the old sidewalk
the blind girl’s dinner
the scent of food in the scent
of lilac from him
the second first date
the last golden leaf sparkles
in her silver hair
I appreciate the opportunities to learn from the experienced poets on this website, as well as to participate in this contest. Thank you for extending the invitation to beginners like me.
Respectfully submitted,
Chelsea Bushman
Here, out on a limb
Fledgling, trembling, leaps then soars.
Courage, then, my heart.
Winter’s threat’ning gale
Drives perilous waves to shore…
Foes attack my land.
Fragrant, freshened air
Springtime’s efflorescent flair…
Precious newborn life.
bullet pierced the mind
The dirt is soft on my skin
Here, the lilies sprout
I lose a fair child
in dense dark woods and I weep
for the child was me
Very glad to see your haiku! Please enter the competition with your full name. If you forgot, just place your full name at the REPLY box after your poems. Thanks!
birds on migration
reaching my arms up to them
I become all flame
with each falling leaf
dead father’s sigh of relief
free now of raking
river still flowing
heron soaring above it
some things never change
newly leafed forest
the magnificent bareness
of a dying tree
contrails intersect
just over the horizon
where winter deepens
the faded sunrise
in our family photo
just dust in Mom’s eyes
funeral bouquet
putting a dandelion
between the roses
I
equanimity
petal by petal she drops
the rose letting go
II
eugenia sprouts
waiting for the wars to end
day by day older
III
endless monsoon rains
what else could I do but pray
for the swept aways
Dewdrops spark the blades;
humid morning sparkling.
Rich in the moment.
Waves go in and out,
the great cosmic breath of life.
Welcome this moment.
Haiku gods hold court,
settling syllabic spats.
“Twas six!” “No, seven!”
Rain of September,
emanating petrichor
cat seeking shelter
Mother and daughter
same tale, over and over…
A bamboo hairbrush
Eyes brimming with tears –
reverberating thunder…
At last, looking up
the monsoon raindrops
held on a wild grass cobweb-
diamonds on hammock
late summer heat-
walking in the pine forest
butterfly fans me
somnambulism-
I turn on my new laptop
and shut it down
Toddler in the park –
a snowflake on the eyelash
another in the palm
The apple blossoms
recalling of grandparents –
I write a haiku
the evening concert –
big waves breaking on the shore
full of broken stones
September Sunset:
With a sinking gleam,
Summer’s sun admits it’s done,
Now a fading dream.
Desert:
Only sand and dread.
Sunset looms in bloody red.
Buzzards overhead.
November:
The leaves are falling,
Bloody red, then flat and dead.
The dark is calling.
One fallen leaf alone
hanging on propeller drone
bird view happiness
Ladybug, pink flower
wiped by sudden monsoon
softly veiled lady
Crystalline raindrop
gently drifting from beyond
transient wonder
Black snake slithers
up dark tree bark, seeking bird
eggs, ignoring me.
Cricket’s concert says
it’s cold. I open windows,
warm up to its song.
The orchid smiles
as rain mists its face. No tears
in today’s shower.
Dry dust invading,
Omni ant tracks everywhere
Nature’s small footprints
Needles tremble, sing,
Echoes of ancient songs past
Lost in autumn’s breath
Burls cradle secrets—
Sprouted growth from knobby stumps,
Knots of life untapped
Serenading leaves
Brooklet sings a lullaby
Summers’s choir whispers
Consuming hunger
Obliteration, struggle
Butterfly’s freedom!
Cherished blossoms fall
Delicate sanctuary
Spring nestled above
I am an absolute novice of haiku poetry, or an kind of poetry. I only began studying it more intently within the past few days. I don’t know if it was Basho’s intent when he wrote The Old Pond, but I saw/experienced a deeper understanding in the plain and simple capture of the moment. Very Zen.
I am Native Hawaiian, and we use a similar principle in our poetry, story-telling and mele (songs) called kaona. I don’t know if my work conforms to traditional haikus since I employ kaona, but it has been a fun and enlightening exercise.
Thank you for this opportunity to share.
Hard prairie rainfall
Golden rays pierce the black sky
Please cue the songbirds
Bright red maple morn
The Crimson King is aging
Deciduous chum
Super blue blood moon
All the heavenly glory
See what else is on
#1
“Poppies delight me…”
your innocence vanishes
within your blushing
#2
where is the cricket
which used to sing “Summertime”
all along the night?
#3
here comes my evening…
no worry, for the fireflies
lighten the footpath
shaking maracas
in the pale yellow moonlight
dancing with the stars
#1
in the spring dawn
an elderberry bush blooms
the smell of childhood
#2
the end of summer
I put a drop of the sea
under my skin
#3
heatwaves
harvest in the vineyard
ahead of time
I hear you call from
bright sky, young one, learning what
it means to be hawk.
***
Birdsong tiptoes through
thick gray fog and testifies
hope rises again.
***
This old tree whose roots
weave with mine in the deep earth
breathes enduring joy.
what remains from the
rain clouds deep in the forest:
mist and mushroom smells
heavy, humid sky—
the song of a soaring lark
barely stirs the air
a lone Roman snail
crosses the Way of St. James—
dripping summer rain
Dear Mr. Rimer and Dr. Coats,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit three haiku with seasonal words, kigo.
*****
01
silver at sunup
echoes by the sacred well—
a sweep of Peepul
02
a staccato gnaws
canisters in the courtyard . . .
tapioca snow
03
a cold spell white outs
canopy of conifers . . .
first flush Darjeeling
*****
01
All summer kigo: Peepul (Ficus religiosa)
02
All winter kigo: tapioca snow
03
All winter kigo: cold spell
[World Kigo Database]
*****
Thank you for your consideration. Best wishes.
Sincerely,
Monica Kakkar (she/her/hers)
Autumn breeze sweeps by—
a child races fallen leaves,
learning how to fly
Winter wind commands—
chimes ring out in crisp cadence,
frosted notes take flight
Winter snow falls soft—
a sly fox treads silent trails,
white world hides its tracks
The rains, finally
are here. Reaching for the sky
the plants celebrate
Debris from the storm
covers our path. Another
reason not to fight.
Suddenly right there
a deer outside my window
my heart skips a beat
Pale round moon sailing
the vast cloudless winter sky—
snowdrop buds peeking.
Dark grey clouds looming,
slow murky waters rising—
kids swimming, laughing.
Blinding blazing sun,
scorched fields and cracked earth waiting—
typhoons blossoming.
I just want to say thank you so much for organizing this contest! I have had so much fun reading through everyone’s delightful haiku. I submitted my entries a while ago and have been reveling in the talent as people are submitting..
Thank you, Cindy! I very much appreciate the high quality of so many haiku, the interaction of writers in comments to one another, and the grateful appreciation you and others express for this competition. Although it will close soon, entries remain visible indefinitely. Be sure to check back on September 29 for announcement of the winner in a new post that day, along with a list of runners-up chosen by Dr. Rimer and me.
Once strong father’s arms
desert willow drops its leaves
now frail in winter
pairs of sunbirds flit
amorous and musical
lonely cat watches
moonless summer night
in stillness, two things certain—
loneliness and God
maple leaves set alight
a lone path in the graveyard
at autumn sunset
mirage of rainbows
flickers over winter clouds
on a bus window
a leaf and a worm
lying wet on the wayside
after a spring storm
Cricket-chirps spouting
from lone, hidden nooks converge –
envelop like night
Brittle clattering
as patio-blown leaves sweep
away solstice warmth
A feathered white wisp
wafts over beaming rose-heads
only at wind’s whim
The sky, on fire,
Man blithely wraps in desire
And condemns his child.
Ma’s verdant coat’s swiped
by just eight billion bairns.
She now wears grunge grey.
The flood of sun rays
wash away all those yesterdays
morn’s new hopes float by.
Haiku 1
Bouquet of roses.
Say the old great grandmother
what am I living for
Haiku 2
The willow blossoms.
From the teeth of the caiman
drops of water fall
Haiku 3
On the way home
the light of the cocuyos,
the overcast sky
Last call for beauty-FULL NAMES to go with your haiku, if you entered the contest without them! Enough hours left to claim your entries. Thanks!
Haiku 1
Spring time, breeze calls me
walking by pink rose bushels
petals waving hi
Haiku 2
Autumn afternoon
whistler walking by fish ponds
to old tunes, they splash
Haiku 3
Dreary winter night
moon weaves in and out of clouds
whistling wind at sea
Remembrance Sunday…
on the unknown hero’s cross
a few paper cranes
*
deepening autumn…
the people in the hospice
talking about spring
*
old railway station…
the fragrance of linden trees
filling the wagons
old railway station…
the fragrance of linden trees
filling the wagons
Remembrance Sunday…
on the unknown hero’s cross
a few paper cranes
deepening autumn…
the people in the hospice
talking about spring
Hello
Trying my hand to write a classical 5-7-5 haiku with kigo
silent summer breeze
a blind boy laughs as he breaks
his birthday balloons
rainy autumn day
mother manages to walk
post leg surgery
intense summer heat
the leather bag starts to peel
its sticky odour
1) spring afternoon
the city have hypnozed
thousands_ eyed cherries
2) summer night
beneath the stary sky
I have no name
3) moonlight
crickets gnaw the night
knit the moon
In winter, a sheet of
snow was seen on the mountain
Fog was seen everywhere.
Birds are sitting in
the tree to avoid the raindrops.
Wet birds shiver.
The whole world wakes up
when the sun rises and goes to
sleep when the sun sets.
Best wishes all, my three for consideration
Construction season
Where forests once stood
Cultivated concrete blooms
Construction season
Cracks
Sun’s touch, cracks garden
Jagged fissures of torn soil
Rain soothes earthy wounds
Awaiting
Heavy vines dangle
Tomatoes now ripening
Raccoons awaiting
Rocket scientist
Calculates his wedding vow
Ignition Launch kiss
Breathless, cold beauty,
Light flickers like a heartbeat,
Your love, a waning moon.
Haiku 1:
Hours stretch, then snap back
Clock hands blur like fading stars,
Threads entangle, day and night
Haiku 2:
Moonlight sculpts the sky
Silver veins in endless dark,
Night bleeds into dawn.
Haiku 3:
Falling autumn leaves
Crimson whispers on the breeze,
Summer slips away.
Chirping chickadees
rouse me from my Sunday sleep
with rapturous song
A sliver of moon
floats in silver summer skies
sailing through night
Along the lakeshore
silence disturbed by a breeze
breaks the water’s peace
Title: Basketball
It soars through the air,
The crowd roars like a lion.
A buzzer beater
Thank you for considering my poem
The mud beneath me,
Calmness stirs inside my soul.
Earth swallows me whole.
Tiny feet splashing
A rainbow in the puddle –
Wonder in his eyes
Dark clouds streak the sky;
A Rain Lily, bright and still
The sole sign of hope
Cherry blossoms wake
Have long been in a slumber –
Outstretched rosy arms
scrimshaw made from spark
lightning spiders the fissures
of a fractured night
spider constructs a
God’s eye delicate as breath
more complex than death
standing smug and louche
the dandelion strikes a pose
on my well coiffed lawn
On the shore they learn
To breathe underwater past
The lines in the sand
crescent moon…
mentally arguing
with my sleepless wife
Halloween eve
wife rubs dirt
of the Dead Sea
Indian summer
I admire the shapes
of wine bottles
Withdrawing my previous submission and resubmitting w/ edits.
#1
Black snake slithers up
dark tree bark, seeking bird eggs.
The wind holds its breath.
#2
Cricket’s concert says
it’s cold. The breeze agrees—my
window stays open.
#3
Orchid smiles but
does not bow; royal as rain
now misting its face.
burgeoning springtime . . .
poets desire to sow the seeds
of enduring change
the cry of a crane…
the sharp adam’s apple of a man
looking at the sky
the first frosts
slightly pointed
facial features
“The Seasons”
I know by heart
how the snow falls
full September moon
a copper gong hums in the
symphony of night
footprints near the door
a brass knocker cloaked in snow
just a strolling cat
Circling
hands pluck at bedsheets
tracing lines, ending stories
returning to sleep
We hide from the dark
Fearing fated, endless night
And rise with the sun
Tears hide in raindrops
A reminder that heartache
Is so natural
Soothing coos of doves
A new day dawns, and with it:
Possibility.
Vividly fuzzy
Memory of someone who
Otherwise unknown.
Rose, color word task
Touch me not,seldom listen
Conflicts never end.
How fifty changed me?
Watching robins take a bath:
Friday night delight.
—-
I pull in the oars
to honor river’s silence.
Mergansers don’t care.
—-
First snow blankets peaks.
Leaves and needles blanket trails.
Autumn blankets souls.
“Harmful algal blooms”
the sign warns. Precarious,
you perch above, glad.
“You don’t know me.” True
enough—so many barriers.
Yourself, for instance.
I crash through the gauze
between consciousness and more.
Oh. Life. There you are.
Colorless
You were a painter
And I, your canvas. But now
I rest colorless.
Teta leaves home to find
Too busy wiping away tears like windshield
To build a new one.
Prayed for the rain much
The crops are now fully satisfied
Enjoying bodies swallowed by rivers.
The bird flies away singing
From my room I watch her mocking
Caged person with grilled windows.