.
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 in the last twelve months and therefore are not a repeat submission from a previous year. Poems written using artificial intelligence (AI) are not allowed. 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
$200
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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.
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WHEN
Now until August 15, 2025, 6 pm EST (New York time). Results to be announced August 28, 2025. Please check back on August 28 or after to view the “Best Haiku of 2025” selected from this competition. NOTE: THE HAIKU CONTEST HAS ENDED! No more entries, the comments have been closed! Thanks to all who entered!
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HOW
Post your entries in the Comments below.
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WHAT
Each competitor may post in the comments below 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 Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment.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.
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PAST WINNERS
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With the water’s pace
pilgrims slowly make their way
to the warm spring’s call
Life’s winding path
like this curving mountain road
seeking peaceful rest
Path’s summit reached
warm comfort in a tea cup
green calm now finds you
summer solstice
on the historic river
poets, tears and dumplings
on the radio — war
on the table a couple’s
new wedding letter
Chinese New Year do
In the red packet money
and his love letter
summer solstice
on the historic river
poets, tears and dumplings
on the radio — war
on the table a couple’s
new wedding letter
Chinese New Year do
In the red packet money
and his proposal
Two hearts enfold each
other: origami of
love, union, fate, life.
a pregnant spider
swaying in the highest branch–
the breath of morning
the old cherry tree
blossoming in profusion–
little girl blushing
a missed encounter–
sighing through the narra leaves
the wind of summer
Felicity !Owoses
A Falling Leaf
The Tree’s Despair, Nature’s Quilt
There She Bud Again
Joanne Gram
Steps in the driveway
Crisp autumn oak leaf passing
me at my window
stillness in the pond
a dragonfly splits the light
without making sound
first frost on the grass
the morning sun slowly lifts
a veil from the earth
abandoned temple
moss climbs the forgotten gods
green reclaiming stone.
cast from a garden
as faint shadows on this earth
longing to return
a leaf folds and bends
to the pressure of rain drops
finding their way home
Sunlit dreamy days
Float through golden summer haze
Into memory
Musky amber scents
Swirl in sultry wistful air
Infusing my mind
White virgin snowdrops
Winter’s gems whisper to me
Immortality
casting light tackle
high into the wind above
crashing sounds of surf
ocean winds’ fingers
trace playful shapes in the sand
stirring gulls and tears
Hunter’s supermoon
somehow we forgot what we
mean to each other
Birds are yet to see
Through Shrubs home for pedes to be
Leap of faith unsought
Haze-Slogged mind and tired
Of weary words, uninspired
The sky cried today
Sky’s elocution
Moonless nights and scorching suns
Found calm in your storm
Title: The Sound
I always wonder
why it beated like that, now
I know why it bled…
sixteen million years
these white waves meet black cliffs.
My friend lies near death
Old trees, old darkness
summer nap on cool mosses
Trees are drinking light
it’s his song, whose choice?
“Video” or “Figaro”
wren’s familiar voice
1. Late summer dusk
dragonfly at dusk—
its wings catch the last warm light,
gone before I speak
2. First snowfall
hush of first snowfall—
lantern’s glow on empty road,
footsteps far away
3. New moon
bare branches shiver—
somewhere a new moon rises,
no one to see it
Diyora, please place your last name in reply here, to assure your haiku are entered in the contest. Thank you!
Bare trees do not speak.
The sky forgets your first name.
Even crows have gone.
Snow swallows the path
the one you once walked with hope,
now lost in the drift.
No fire, no sound here.
Just your breath against the glass,
clouding what once was.
Amie, please place your last name in reply here, to assure your haiku are entered correctly. Thank you!
summer thunderstorm
jumping in new puddles then
footprints to the door
chickadees return
five spotted eggs in the nest
until the jays come
waves erase the beach
starting anew highlighting
a single starfish
Bela J.
August 6, 2025
the old Turkish rug –
footprints over its patterns
lead far off this world
autumn cherry trees
mist veiling the bare twigs
the coolness of touch
Sweet bird sing a song
With horizon’s color hues
Paints blissful morning
I see ants’ long line
I look at the clouds and run
Heavy rain pours down
Trees are magical
Singing, dancing and alive
Paradise delight
Hot green chillies grow,
In cold northern hemisphere,
Climate feeds longing.
a warm summer rain
the green grass stands glistening
like the sky has sweat
This replaces
summer rain
grass glistens from
the sky’s sweat.
Thanks
mother cries softly
muted white chrysanthemums
muffle your musings
brilliant sunset views
painting red and yellow hues
chase away my blues
flying fireflies
flashing love of fantasy
fanning fairy dust
high half moon glow
Serenity Buddha
and my raised head
paper moth
rustles in sheets
without mating
last year’s cat
bell in grass–
one more spring
Jesse Self
dew on the cool grass
the fog clears in dawn’s new light
take me to the lake
Grey hair in hijab—
rain beats on her umbrella,
frog steals the puddle
*
Final hour in spring—
Newborn wails for mother’s milk
The swallows silent
*
Summer sun scarlet—
Lover’s hands loosen soft strands
New hair-do undone
Heart bloom-
a scarlet coxcomb unravels
in my hands.
Lovers are like Wines
Now Róse, ‘morrow Merlot
Shiraz as they Age
not yet autumn but
seed pods blanket parking spots
even now – they fall
cool summer morning
the singing birds bear witness
to the first gold leaf
summer rain
grass glistens from
the sky’s sweat
a warm summer rain
the green grass stands glistening
like the sky has sweat
Walking down the street
Our eyes meet at this moment
No one makes a move
Now time has passed by
Living two different lives
Making memories
But just one moment
Asking myself this question
What if I said “Hi”?
warm campfire coffee
one end of the wooden bench
covered with wet moss
•
fingertips over
scales of a fossil lizard
who remembers me?
•
Labor Day picnic
a checkered tablecloth spread
under a parked jet
•
Eric Owen
Never have I been
where hot springs peep through the soil
Even in winter
Verdant rolling hills
Geothermal salty ash
I wish I were there
I made my peace with
steely shapeless wandering
Hot spring under foot
summer butterfly
an automated email
from classmates dot com
spotted rose petals
discovering acne scars
on his school photo
the fading glitter
around an unread poem
a snail’s silver slime
Today’s not like old
In each era we’re told
The truth? Now is gold!
—
Aged, father time
In future still far will chime
Meanwhile, you’re fine
—
I just don’t know how
It has all vanished somehow
And when was it now?
I’m working on translating all my March poems about birds into haiku, and here are three of them:
Lank-winged as Ravens
Snow-flurried pairs of Crows
Claim their landscape share.
Sunny and springlike,
Snow almost gone from the fields –
Starlings’ sudden song.
A springtime Redtail
Upright on a flat-topped pole
Scans Cattails for prey.
She was narcissist
I was chauvinist for her
storm in the tea cup
He is playing guitar
strings vibrate his notations
feathers play thin air
“Goodbye”, she exited
“I am not your care giver”
Umbrella nodded
yellow tulips
among the bomb survivors
stains of blue
blooming chestnuts
white and pink mixture
forgetting myself
storks kissed by frogs
a never ending story
at the old lake
monsoon evening
a bulbul flutters its wings
to the breeze’s rhythm
—–
first monsoon rainfall
the river and clouds unite
in throes of passion
—–
autumn evening
the candle sheds waxy tears
a flame on its head
—–
hiss of meadow grass
a water strider drifting
across the horse trough
the scent of diesel
where the tractor crossed the lane
drifting willow seed
derelict farmhouse
a cloud of bats emptying
into the half-light
to err is divine
as if a wink in its eye
an elm tree squirrel
unceasing rustling
of leaves in the autumn breeze . . .
our search for housing
a rainbow appears –
in touch with expatriates
all over the world
golden eagle nest
a small miracle on top
of that mountain there
vultures waiting for
the remains of sacrifice
on the temple tree
knocking emptiness
I cross the valleys within
now stand at stone gate
on the river’s bank
his soul is lighted for peace-
lantern in the sky
Truth is uncovered
Wolves have gone away to feast
Men are abandoned
Sad dandelion
Met his certain destiny
Be gone with the wind
Sometime long ago
When birds were first in this world
People still had dreams
facing an ocean
alone on the promenade
grief comes on in waves
sheep in pouring rain
hard against a drystone wall
huddling together
Beautifully done.
A lone oasis,
beckoning parched travellers.
Water wrought from sand.
Carved by millennia.
Under the Saharan sand
a desert rose blooms.
Above the yellow
of undulating sand dunes –
infinite blueness.
Before time began
Water formed a thought of life
We bob in the waves
Before time began
Ripples in a Spring puddle
An ancient mirror
Before time began
Not in galaxies far off
I meditate still
meeting the in-laws —
the magpies in the yard at
their best behaviour
the silent treatment —
brooding thunder rolling in
on june beetle wings
making a big fuss
about the smallest of things — singing cicadas
Humorous haiku are always fun to read. There are poignant, deeply spiritual haiku and then there are the everyday simple life haiku. For me, they both have a place. Good job. Here is a haiku I wrote about Cicadas:
Evening cicadas
quiet rest before next song-
Good, good vibrations
Good luck on the competition.
still pond at twilight
a small frog contemplates
on a drifting leaf
*
sunlight and shadow
white lily gently drifting
across mirrored calm
*
warm June afternoon
beneath the golden sunlight
a frog claims its throne
heatwave on the land
if I am the main problem
how can I help her?
Approaching twilight
The dust from the cattle hooves
Beckoning banshee
Glistening like pearls
Adorned with water droplets
Purple lotuses
A wood-fired oven
Pepperoni and four cheese
Gossip aplenty
Storm clouds glowering
Dark foreboding shadows loom
Cut by bright rainbow
you forget they’re there –
the sacred spaces among
the inspired words
a raw green rainfall
and in the yellow kitchen
the chicken sizzles
myriad flowers
for one tablespoon honey!
but she likes her work
I am withdrawing these haiku from the contest and will post three new ones below.
Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.
Like a beard of ice
Preparing for a sun shave
Frost begins to weep
Solstice signals change
The seasonal shift complete
Shadow and light play
The steep cost of life
Even while the world burns down
The birds sing in spring
God makes no mistakes
A spring bird with a clipped wing
Plans hidden in song
She opens her eyes
To forests once out of sight
Gentleness of life
First green leaves unfold—
eyes awaken to the wood,
soft hum of spring rain.
Beneath plum blossoms—
a swallow, one wing broken,
hides dreams in its song.
Ash falls like petals—
while wildfire scorches the earth,
the nightingale sings.
Spring light in her hands,
yet she saw only the dusk—
gold in a pine box.
Ash falls like petals—
while wildfire scorches the earth,
the nightingale sings.
Beneath plum blossoms—
a swallow, one wing broken,
hides dreams in its song.
Hello poets. If I may? My name is Eric.
I have been reading and silently critiquing haiku by some aspiring poets on this site, and while I enjoy their imagination and various ways of expressing their surroundings in the most difficult task of fitting it all into three lines and seventeen syllables, I have noticed that a dependence on definite articles (mainly “the”) to deliver the cutaway line often breaks from the poem’s rhythm and loses its intended effect. Please keep trying to deliver those lines differently without the definite article, and sometimes a splicing comma that also tends to break from a poem’s rhythm. I hope this helps. You may respond if you have questions, and I will answer.
Capital letter or lower case to begin?
Hi Roy
Most often haiku start each line with a lower case letter
Peter
I am so sorry:
I don’t write haikus, ever;
Please stop all this, now!
Though you have zero chance of winning, James, this is a very funny anti-haiku.
Damn, ABB!!! I’d set my sights on winning this one: is it really so bad? I’ll have to stick to terza rima then!
Softly falling snow
Makes my back lawn disappear.
Abracadabra!
Wintry wisps of fog
Skim the surface of the lake
Lifetimes passing by
End of life draws near.
Winter sunset, final breath.
Will there be a spring?
a small kettle pond
left behind by the glacier
blinking in the dawn
—
a raft of otters
tied together in the kelp
we watch holding hands
—
the lone erratic
so much softer than bedrock
a cloud on the ridge
Mercury below
Zero, chimney smoke stripes sky
Heeling sundogs flare.
Near my feet hoppers
Spring out of the grass buzzing
Like a rattlesnake.
Red-capped cranes stroll
Trilling each other like two
Baritone crickets.
Thank you, David. These three stand as your entries for the contest, and I believe the moderator has removed the others.
in dawn’s early light
our boat makes it into shore
now swept out again
astro poetry
a haiku fit between words
the world opens wide
25 years
in this garden together
bright orange poppies
cold water rises
tree roots grasp at sifting soil
the bank collapses
ripening peaches
partially covered by leaves
basking in sunshine
a pretty spring dress
essential equipment for
twirling in the rain
cold water rises
tree roots grasp at shifting soil
the bank collapses
sheets off the clothesline . . .
carrying the scented breeze
inside for a nap
autumn solitude
a dark-roasted chicken rests
in the dutch oven
calling us all home
a flock of birds moves as one
deepening autumn
Frozen winter light
Sparkling like diamond gems
Priceless until spring
A ghastly gale slams
Against a crumbled castle…
Still no surrender.
Sifting ashen soils,
Between the black, wild-fired wood,
Grows a wry green wisp.
Fallen from its grace,
Blossom gathers in the drains—
Flooding closes roads.
midnight sale review:
monkeys take over our zoo
drinking from the loo
cuckoos build haiku
wire – duck tape – crazy glue
jimmy sing da blues
lawsuit – windfall – sue
yellow snow has soaked his shoes
booger in the stew
‘Are you lost?’ He asks
‘No,’ head shakes, moves through the mist
She is very lost
Golden leaf drifts down
I could catch it but instead
Let it fall and rot
Moth caught in a web
I could save it but tread on
To the flower field
only phlox and me –
suddenly an honeybee
buzzes between us
an old Texan died
of hemorrhagic fever –
last October moon
long live the shower!
the koi fish on my left calf
with its open mouth
wind through a cornfield
a sighing across the land
a scarecrow dances
a raging storm of leaves
on a windy afternoon-
an endless cycle
a flowered chalice
offering this spring morning –
a golden tulip
Humid night swelters.
Distant lightning flashes white.
No sound of thunder.
Darkness of storm clouds;
A gust shakes blooming pear trees.
White petals rain down.
Snow blankets the path,
Silent beneath clear starlight.
Crunch! I leave footprints.
My darling Sunny.
Sunshine that warms up my world.
Oh, I love you so.
My baby so sweet.
My sun, so tender, so warm.
So much love to give.
Gentle summer breeze.
Birds sing and vibrant blooms sway.
With each breath you take.
Color mandalas
Rest for your weary being
Enjoy life again
Nature everywhere
In the heart of the colors
Purity unleashed
Mandala is the
Geometric universe
A Buddhist symbol
morning dewdrops dry
as sun sizzles…petals
glisten with my sweat
asphalt on my street
melts in afternoon strong heat
sticks to tires, shoes, feet
water trickles from
our hose after watering
robin stops to drink
sun dog fills the sky
our pet’s let outside to play
with his own shadow
Creeping Bellflower
the slow spread of decaying
yellow aspen leaves
slung like a hammock
the heavy farmyard’s clothesline
kisses the hard ground
on the gloomy night
the moon is hiding its light
crickets sing with pride
a lonesome sparrow
severe rain ruptures her nest
quivering with fear
on the way back home
smells rotten egg in the train
man raises his hand
Through the window, birds
Red apple skins shrivelled old
Unpicked tree, birds eat
heat wobbles off roof
two girls bounce up red balloon
rising rising pop
scent of summer rain
rolling up all the windows
in dad’s jalopy
Spring light in her palms,
yet she sees only the dusk—
a coffin’s gilt edge.
Ash falls like petals—
wildfire splits the old oak’s spine;
the nightingale sings.
Beneath plum blossoms,
a swallow with one wing limp
hides its dreams in song.
Thanks, Jack McAuley, for the haiku you’ve posted. In order for any of them to be considered for recognition in judging, you will need to select the three you want to be competition entries, and withdraw the others in a further comment.
I would like this one to be my official entry and would like to withdraw the other ones.
How do I withdraw the others?
Thanks, Jack, you’ve done what’s necessary. Sorry I didn’t notice for a few days, but you can be sure now that your competition entries are the three above, the first one beginning, “Spring light in her palms.”
Poor Aegisthus. One
job & done. Had it in his
grasp; dude lost the axe.
When the whale leapt
I saw stars twinkle answers
Though the splash was gone
Very vocative. A thoughtful look at something ordinary. Excellent!
Thank you, David R. Solheim, for your haiku. If you wish any of the six to be considered as competition entries, please select no more than three for that purpose, and clearly state that you withdraw the others.
I would like the three haiku I posted on 24 June to continue to be entered in the competition and withdraw the three posted on 27 June. Thank you for the clarifying note.
spring foraging course
they say Dandelion flowers
do not attract bees
a squirrel’s new home
my unused table drawer
first monsoon showers
I follow a dog
to a panoramic view
Snowshoeing at dawn
Hello, I still don’t understand whether haikus should be related to Hiroshige’s print. Could you please clarify this for me?
Hello, Beryl. Your haiku does NOT need to be related to the Hiroshige print. All you need is any 5-7-5 haiku of your own composition during the past twelve months. You may submit three to be considered for the prize. Please use first and last name on the comment where you submit. Thanks!
Thank you Margaret for these clarifications.
in a church ruin
where the roof has given way
snow as a blessing
periwinkle dusk
I loiter in the garden
my parents tended
stumble-step pebbles
a horizon-skimming moon
ripples the neap-tide
garden stone Buddha —
the compassion in his eyes
salty tears in mine
thunder rolls its bass
hot summer days give thier way
to evening rain
dark speck in the sky
red kite soaring on thermals
looking for her lunch
sleet on the window
on his ninetieth birthday
flickering candles
*
din of cicadas
curtains blowing to and fro
in the evening breeze
*
a pregnant woman
holds her belly with her hands
snow on the gutters
Daniela Misso
emu in the Milky Way
always in the same place –
the longest night
bow-tie neatly pinned
his love pre-tied and fastened
all through the season’s
—-
broken hornet’s nest
sting in his words failed to upset
used to deeper pain
—-
monsoon bonanza
through the screen of fogginess
a haiku took shape
Winter has arrived
The lake starts icing over
Intrusive thoughts win
I open the door
Heat envelops me quickly
I like air con more
colourful rainbow
it’s not the same anymore
why is it a flag
The snow sprinkles down
The slipp-ery ice is covered
I fall to the ground
Serene, quiet, night
The moon exposes the dark
“Crack!” What was that sound?
The clouds float away
The bright sun dries the old trees
Disaster awaits
Canadian goose
Honking uncontrollably
My new alarm clock
The lake is frozen
The trees bare and without leaves
Where did the fish go?
The green grass rustles
The river beside gurgles
Tiny rabbits appear
Jesus came to us,
Teaching of rebirth and love.
We crucified him.
Hot night, college ground,
No one here to make a sound.
Cicadas screaming.
They tell us of hope,
Just let the ancient trees rot.
That hope is not mine.
lazy afternoon…
whistling through a blade of grass
on my umpteenth try
Goldfinches gather
On the weeping willow crown
Enchanting their charms.
At sunrise a flock of
Of geese fly into my dreams
Rude drivers wheeling.
Roadside chunk of tread
Shining the ditch like raven’s
Wings ready to fly.
Lilies scent the air
A hidden birdsong echoes
The truth of summer
The plum tree bares fruit
Sweetness and Color unite
In constant prayers
My eighty two years
Sailing still in calm waters
Breathe among the frogs
a pink lotus pond
in solitary beauty
as the sun rises
headless camellia
darkness thunder lightning rain
a samurai wind
the sunflowers smile
through a window of blue skies
a sip of sunshine
fall mountains ablaze
apples hang like bells from trees
a farmer looks up
crescent moon, your squint
tilts in the night sky eking
out eternal light
a finite number
of stars, an impossible
string of pearls to count
Hello again, poets. It’s Eric, still reading your work. And again, if you will allow, I wish to share an observation with you and hopefully provide an additional layer for using your wonderful talents in poetry.
Every haiku that I have read has included a form of “cutaway line” as its ending. Some were successful and some not so much. Perhaps the following will help: Try approaching the “cutaway line” using one of its synonyms, namely the “epiphany,” as your last line to accomplish the same goal.
Thanks for letting me share.
I am new, so please excuse my ignorance. I am not familiar with “cutaway line”. Are you referring to the Kireji?
Thank you for the sound advice!
Met at a party “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!”
neither one wanted to go that’s what all of the books say
Wed 51 years Then I guess I’m “NUTS!”
vaulting young squirrels,
flapping bats, and gliding birds—
we soar by watching
a soft, late spring rain,
four red umbrellas waiting
for the light to change
teeth bared, spine exposed,
umber fur in the gutter
shocks me walking past
New wedding season –
even the full moon is wearing
a veil of bride
The moon behind clouds –
the dog sniffles all around
for the lost shadow
The old clock tower –
a flock of crows fighting for
a place on the cross
1. Pink little blossom,
swaying in the gentle breeze,
tells of fruit to come.
2. Old and enduring,
white light shines on dusty road –
pilgrims and the moon.
3. White bobber plunges,
Hook floats among rock and weed;
red fishes dart – hide.
Childhood’s vibrant spark,
Shifts like shadows on the wall,
Springing of the soul.
Bird songs in morning,
Death’s mourning interrupted—
Selfish hearts in grief.
In shadows we walk,
Finding joy in fractured light—
Life’s dark jest unfolds.
just after the storm
a sound of water drowns out
late evening church bell
on the way to school
in the pocket there’s still left—
grandma’s apple pie
another full moon
brightens all the countryside
lushy cotton field
day of utmost blue
clouds drift across each other
to figure things out
June Surprise
Move, darling daughter.
Swim to the sound of my voice
Singing you lovesongs.
My Daughter, Baby
My daughter, baby:
My longing, mother-hunger for you
Has made you so sweet.
Ripening
The tree ripened to
Autumn as my baby
Ripened into real.
afternoon shower
suddenly chokes the warm sun
umbrella closeness
ahh spring ohh my spring
how great is a new spring day!
Mmm, etcetera
grey winter drizzle
draining the houses of life
an unwelcome guest
early morning dew
welcoming rays woo the pearls
my daydreams melt warm
Mt.Everest thoughts
chase away my winter blues
solitude’s splendor
yonder distant hills
setting sun meets rising moon
evening rendezvous
1. Fog
We bulge out of half-
viscous day. Fade on its blear
iris. Scale to grey.
2. hoary mustard
A bright weed by the
road, its moth snare netting dark —
and breath snags, star-meshed.
3. roadside mustard
Mind, tangled on the
nodes of nebulae — moth weed
that lures remembrance.
YES!
both thumbs up
YES!
and again YES!
YES!
Crickets still chanting
on Thanksgiving blind with hope—
joy in the sorrows!
*
An eagle fallen
weather-worn along this road—
just a newspaper.
*
Trout kisses rise up
across the pond reflecting
sky of puckered clouds.
YES!
you get it!!
summer afternoon –
resting on the sea surface
seagulls and the sun
little night music –
Mozart in the canopy
cricket on the leaf
an old octopuss
slides down the rock to the sea –
a morning sunrise
bodacious goddess
dew in sun’s glittering gaze
Spring flows to the drain
deserts myrrh rises
above the crust of a dune
Mary in a spoon
Haiku is a sham
Unlike Epic’s fertile ford
A seasonal brook
the last of the three –
reflection on poetry . . .
yeah! it REALLY works!!
joining in prayer
for my grandmother’s long life
her grieving village
cardinal returns,
hops along the picket fence,
little blur of fire
–
coarse beneath my hands
splintering bark, bustling leaves
truth, an oak with roots
–
petals in the grass
these lazy lilacs, spilling
their cursive secrets
spring wind song playing
the time between you and us
stick :: stick insect dance
a distant laughter
handfuls of childhood moss takes
the rest of the tree
two parallel skies
stomping at the edge of the storm
toddlers rainbow splash
the pine I planted
thirty seven years ago
whispers me to sleep
Enigma of earth—
Archetype & miracle
Playing in the sun
Over the eons
Imprinted in fossil rock
The dream of a bird
Under the vegetable eye
Of the winter moon
An orchard of snow
the oak tree grows on
my son helped me planting it
fifty years have passed
reincarnation . . .
the late gardner’s seed packets
ready for planting
the armchair hero
he turns down the TV sound
to stop the missiles
captured red starfish
in a little boy’s bucket—
the distant static
hunting the pheasants. . .
intimate relationship
with the food I eat
treasured memories—
becoming vermilion-tinged
the closest cranes
fragile ceasefire—
a battlefield becoming
an ice skating rink
Morning wind –
a scar on my knee,
no memory of the game
A dog without leash
sniffs a trail beside the road –
utterly still
A torn sugar sack –
grains spill into stillness,
one by one by one
Hello:
I’m confused. I sent three haiku entries by this comment section; but they only place anything appears is in some other section, not associated with the contest?
I’ll send this, then try to come into this comment section elsewhere and send
my haiku section once more. Yes, I’m utterly confused. GUY GRAYBILL
Judges,
Mr. Graybill placed his haiku on the “examples” post…
Here are his entries:
My three haiku selections:
Love stories abound,
‘Tho destined to end sadly,
As all loves must end!
We are ever lost….
We’ll never find the river!
Ahhh! There’s the fog bank!
Poem rejected.
An invalid count was found.
Seppuku’s my fate!
Thank you, Guy Graybill, for these haiku. Hope you are no longer confused, thanks to Mike Bryant’s explanation. And thank you, Mike, for scanning comments, noticing entries posted in the wrong place, and setting things right!
shuffling ankle-deep
through the fallen prophets
of a maple grove
the end of summer –
a toy pail and shovel left
behind in the dunes
in a fallow field
waiting for familiar hands –
father’s wheelbarrow
on the cusp of spring –
the return of the osprey
forsythia blooms
gliding through the reeds
a water beetle pauses –
stillness in the flow
tinkling in the breeze
crystal bell whispers coolness –
summer’s gentle song
let’s pick blueberries
then call Oma for the
streusel recipe
from ashes you rise
ignore the trolls, lacy Queen
who call you a weed
but your deadly roots
i’d love you purple lythrum
summer’s femme fatale
Home beneath the clouds,
Silver ferns sway in the breeze
Tui calls me home
Mist lifts from the sea
The pohutukawa burns
On a salt-kissed shore
I miss moana
I pine for the whenua
Aotearoa
A red garden bench
Is dotted with windfall limes
Colours in Winter
Autumn nights grow cold
While travellers sip their tea —
Red moon, aeroplane.
Red-hot pokers stand
Proud against the horizon —
The winter hills wait.
Tulips push their tips
Past their earthen carapace —
Spring is here to stay.
morning reflection
joining her hands in prayer
a moth rests its wings
Warning sirens blare
Continuing to look down
As birds fly away
Earlier this time
Branches against the window
Calmness with the storm
Ducklings cross the road
Beauty meets fragility
Slippery wet leaves
nicely done, Carl
well lineated, natural,
uncluttered, spare
On my window-sill
a cycladic
figurine.
reveals existential
knowledge with
threads of
connection.
5,000 years ago
as i wash my
dishes.
Pohutukawa
Water like paint in relief
Framed in a Landscape
I remember you
Sunlight formica kitchen
Brown knitted tie, shorts
Ionisation
Elevates mundanity
On a solar wind
Post apocalypse
Amongst devastation ruins
The cat enjoys the sun
Before the sunrise,
the waking world bares itself
with a warming face.
Stars in the cold night;
lights shining across dark tides
from so far away.
A flight of starlings
dances on the swirling winds
like dry autumn leaves.
BREEZE
The breeze passes by
Unnoticed, except by some
Yet is still a voice
LUNAR VIEW
A blue horizon
As seen from the darker side
And still there are tides
AUTUMN THOUGHTS
Leaves fall and settle
All in red and golden brown
Yet in peaceful rest
Learn about the pines
from the pines, and from the spine,
learn about the spine.
On the paved concrete,
the screech of the cicadas
sinks into my head.
In Kyoto too,
cuckoos long for Kyoto,
kyoo-kyoo, and cuckoos.
from winter to spring
velvet snow turns to water
flowers on the hill
old men laughing loud
speak of times long long ago
mind over matter
a river flows free
at the end the ocean waits
I will not forget
Grey skies in July
Garden waterlogged and drab
Then a daffodil.
Melancholy day
Wistfully recollecting
Fragrance of daphne.
Haiku 0 for my Rose (11012024) by Kyle Brogmus
In crunchy leaves jump
surrounded by death we laugh
within the Fall grace
rain’s deafening din.
scorching sun, dry wind, abate.
drip, again it comes.
dark clouds horizon.
ants scavenge, stash, shelter, wait.
pale lilac shrouds land.
sky darkens, wind howls.
volcano spews, earth devours.
sky lightens, wind calms.
The Crunch of the Frost
A Girl is flushed with Cold
The Horse waits for Day
this winter acre
of deep furrows, hare-hurtle
heart-hurtle, faster
clumsy hash of oars
watching riverbank whiskers
halt their dainty dip
scrabbling musty air
a porch mosquito inspects
old Sears catalogues
Dendrobium white
bedside in the filtered light
a cup of ice chips
reasons I stay here…
the geography of blood
in a rabbit’s ears
Ozymandias!
rising from the horse’s dung
freshly sprouted grass
A silent whisper
A voice lost in the deep sea
Deafening silence.
Veridian splendor
In the wilds, turquoise the sea
Face up to the sun
Drizzle, pour and pelt
Winter rain – a bleak outlook
We are warm inside
Paradise, this view
of gentle slopes and hues, I
know not all is lost
Pregnant ewes grazing
Grass shivers, southerly breeze
Spring biding her time
Stones grind underfoot
Driftwood litters onyx sand
Muddy sea claims all
Coriander sprawls
Pluck slender stems, pick a bunch
Gardener’s delight
1. outburst of my pain
lava of such volcano
in an overdose
2. pasive fugitive
blocked in body , free in mind
mixture of beings
3. blurred channel of view
bad signal from the
critics
any dream time stopped
Bogdana Găgeanu
Mess on the clean floor,
a breeze moves crumbs in sunlight-
things I’m not sorry for!
the first day of spring
I also dance to the tune
of the snake charmer
familiar sadness
somewhere I hear the echo
of yesterday’s rain
trying to fathom
what goes on under the sun
drooping sunflowers
open air café . . .
watching lovers hand-in-hand
on Champs-Élysées
rose petals fall down
my sense is to still smell them
knowing there is some
blue sky and white clouds
beauty I see from below
imagine the view up high
my spring has sprung now
I am more than done to go
dance into eternity
Hi, can you please remove my poem? It’s the one with the orange blanket. Thank you.
raging winter wind
turning one frost bitten cheek
and then the other
fast approaching storm
squeezing a thunder shirt
over the dog’s head
first day of the year
twenty twenty six fills up
with appointments
Tiny, crushed sparrow
Her wings still trying to fly
On wind from cruel cars
after the rainstorm
ant armies, in single file,
march into my house
red leaves and yellow
falling on the woodland path
slow me on my way
ripened heads of wheat
nod in the late summer sun
heavy with wisdom
Spring light composing
sonnets on blond fur, my cat
beheads a March hare
My cat dines neatly
on dragonfly al fresco–
earthly Paradise
My young cat riding
on my shoulders through autumn–
cooler than a Muse
A fading gold finch
Ravages the coneflower.
She trusts the outcome.
Quietly peeks out
Little creature of the night
Shy bashful gecko
*****
Perfect crescent moon
Big swing hanging in night sky
Stars dance around it
*****
Top of old pine tree
Mocking bird announces day
Sweet song of new hope
long after she’s gone
the memories mother left
in her cabinet
lending their fragrance
to the wind in a desert
notes of an old flute
coloring the space
between the concrete towers
all the shades of spring
in sweltering heat
the sudden screech of sirens
stilled streets jolt alive
smiling on my walk
a passing stranger asks me
have we met before?
loud gospel singing
coming from the Baptist Church
outside looking in
Flame consumes the trees.
Ashes leave black pocks below,
staining the fresh snow.
the red maple leaf
that you brought home from a walk
I treasure it, still
in everyone’s life
should be a time of kissing
under lilac trees
to the autumn wind:
I am yours, breathe me, turn me
into grass and trees
the gray tabby cat
curls up under the sunlight —
a perfect circle
mom’s summer cleaning
the one time of the year where
my clothes cannot fit
boy helps neighbor plant
rusted, red shovel-neighbor
shows boy a weed’s root
pomp and circumstance
the host hanging a fly strip
on my arrival
one river rising
so many lost in the flow
of what could have been
Dog haiku
I. Dog’s POV
This man gives me food
Same old shirt—rugged, dirty
Richest man I know
II. Man’s POV
A heart that struggles
Felt inside, hidden outward
Surely this paw knows
—
Passion haiku
Plucked a shriveled rose
markings of beauty arose
a withered passion
Fireworks symbols life
Soars, reaches a peak, gives awe
Then slips into hush.
Things I need to do
Piled up incoming deadlines
So I took a nap
A dog is barking
I barked back to make it stop
Two fools at midnight
sir I would like to put some changes on my first haiku. this is the updated one, thank you.
a firework ascends
sparks awe—then slips into hush
sur lives, brief but bright
Things I need to do
Piled up incoming deadlines
So I took a nap
A dog is barking
I barked back to make it stop
Two fools at midnight
Sir I would like to put some changes on my first haiku. this is the updated one, thank you. some typos again.
a firework ascends
sparks awe—then slips into hush
our lives, brief but bright
Things I need to do
Piled up incoming deadlines
So I took a nap
A dog is barking
I barked back to make it stop
Two fools at midnight
#2
pausing at the fork
on the horse’s braided mane
three snowflakes linger
hurtful words spoken
slipping from an angry tongue ~
echo eternal
~~~~
luminaries rise
circling a congregation ~
catching falling stars
~~~~
before the leaves turn gold
before the gray frosts our hair ~
we will remember
Hopeless romantics
Sketch initials in warm sand,
Waves wipe the beach clean.
Blossoms drift sideways
a scarecrow dances gently
when no wind passes
Cicadas crackle
a hammock folds with laughter
as sunlight stretches
Footprints fade softly
a mailbox leans in silence
beneath silver hush
snowflakes are soft, yet
the gentlest words cut like blades
and melt in the sun
Snowstorms ravaging
along the west cars sheltered
in snow unmoving
Hurt, Abandoned Fawn
(Haiku)
Hurt, abandoned fawn,
Searching the frozen white wood…
Does not find the dawn.
-Sinclair-
cherry blossom buds
are slowly opening up
a new found buddy
***
sipping orange juice
the tangerine sun slips down
the sea horizon
Hello Judges,
Making a small change in my first haiku. Forgot to put a hyphen in the word “new-found”.
cherry blossom buds
are slowly opening up
a new-found buddy
***
sipping orange juice
the tangerine sun slips down
the sea horizon
bare branches waving
twisting to heavens above
– a lightening bolt strikes
nestling amongst reeds
ducklings finding a way through
the shadows grow tall
some loquat flowers…
steeped in boiling water
exuding fragrance
Embrace the dreamer
Coming back through memory
Bridges of belonging.
Beauty in green light
Calm flows like wind in silence
Wonders drift through stars.
In a perfect city
Twilight dances on still hope
Breathing for a chance.
dusk meditation—
where the light meets the shadow
a pine needle falls
open chrysalis
the butterfly emerges
into present tense
through the bars of grief
uncontained by tomorrow
the laughter of children
beneath the rubble
voices of the not yet dead
already memories
the waiting willow
aglow with guilty secrets
cradles the spent sun
Birds dart like arrows
Shot from tree to tree to tree
Bullets of bird fire
Stop Mum wait keep right
Newborn snail travelling north
My daughters keen eye
Venus rises bright
Curving into the dawn sky
Seen from a pillow
avocado tree
wide and low, heavy with fruit
invites small climbers
red rose petals fall
do I mourn lost youth or love
these child-bearing hips
cloudless night eclipse
stars appear and fade away
hiding in plain sight
an autumn evening
wild geese in the melon sky
my only anthem
though now past midnight
voices of the mountain wind
acorns falling down
through the open door
the beginning of autumn
in the sweet gum tree
tiny seeds set low
in soil furrows full of hope
wait for water’s flow
hands of cherries ripe
dripping balls of red delight
picking time is here
full moon slips below
no curtain call to applaud
just the hand of God
Cut-eared yard cat
Claims poolside swap shop
chaise lounge
Grooms itself regal
Night Heron perches
Watching over GhostTown’s streets
The summer fog lifts
Thanks for your haiku, Michaelyn. Please provide your full surname as the competition instructions request.
The birds sharp whispers
Lift you from your nights journey
Bring you back to me
What could this mountain
Clear, green, and cast in dawn’s light
Have in store this day
Pebbles smoothed by time
live, moving on down. Clatter
as songs in the creeks.
Kahren Morris-Denby
mud squelches through toes
houses swirl through rising flood
tears flow forever
cumulus clouds float
across snowy mountain tops
immortality
raindrop on a wing
sunlight glimmers on puddles
sparrow ablution
life in perspectives
the golden hour flashing
in a mayfly’s eyes
still turning toward
the light beyond the darkness
sunflowers in bloom
the end of summer
a leaf moves through hopscotch squares
at the wind’s nudging
starry night silence –
in this cosmic indulgence
just a cricket’s song
after summer rain
my kiddy explores the sky
from every puddle
lotus flourishes –
the remainder of the day
becomes thinkable
the gentile hostess
prepares tea ceremony
weary travelers
a flock of swallows
emerges from drifting cloud
a happy omen
village revelers
celebrate in spring sunshine
talk of a wedding
The sound of a frog
Jumping into an old pond:
The haiku is born.
The lawn mowers and
The leaf blowers fall silent:
The birds sing again.
Bright clouds at night float
Behind the ash tree: a kiss:
And the dreamer wakes.
Father watches me
The old man watches me close
Sees who I will be
I will be him now
His time is done mine begins
He thinks I will fail
But I prove him wrong
He smiles and nods at me
The family is safe
1. Garden Party
sun stretches itself
over our grand carnival
On withering grass
2. Summer Pests
citronella cream
mosquitoes multiplying…
voracious vampires
3. Idols of Summer
lips crumpling in heat
summer wind scorching sundress
who will seek for rain?
When all creatures die
Those of feather, scale, and fur,
We’ll eat each other
About Losing My Dearest Aunt
A chaotic storm
Rumbling in the distance
Echoing our grief
A funeral shroud
Gathering dewy flowers
Panicked breathing—grief
Moonlit grief scrolling
Digital images dance
Flowering remembrance
Outside my window
the night air carries music,
and I sing along.
What we can not see
does not mean it isn’t real
faith has its own breath.
Have you ever felt—
that ocean of emptiness
surrounding your shores?
Lynn Carole Brown
sliver of silver
a rill that snakes through the drift
I pluck the grey hair
shaped by water
stones emerge from the deep
burned by the sun
the melancholy
of family pictures
first days of winter
the smell of green grass
lingering on my dogs feet
before I must part
bare trees show clear moon
my thought-moon growth gone shines white
inside leaves still grow
fading wildflower
resting in the church doorway
unties her worn boots
early morning mist
rising from the undergrowth
steam-birth of a fawn
frost-bitten blossom —
one by one I pack away
the nursery room
old age wanderlust —
a slug stretches its eyestalks
into summer sun
Amsterdam
Anne Frank Museum
Behind bookshelves, no one talks
Everyone listens.
the monsoon drizzling
jumping in the new puddles then
waves erase the prints
abandoned temple
dragon flies among monsoon
flowers lot of kids
the cherry blossoms
the day and night bright in side
bride blooms than the sun
soft suburban ache
no great shake, wait, slow words fall
happy birthday mum
Sliding in rhythm
Bathtub waves strike Tokyo
Godzilla spanks hard
Snow-melt waterfalls
Fill a crystal lake below
Peace transcending storms
Potter’s toil and tears,
Clay clings to clammy fingers,
Fortune’s wheel spins lives!
***
Pebbled river beds –
Trouts, tourists, shingles, selfies,
A cairn for the dead
***
Dusk rustles through pines
Sylvan symphony unfolds
Tempest in my heart
Hello there stranger
I’ve never seen you before
Good, now we are friends
Small leaves fall softly
A fox emerges from his home
Rusty clouds fading
Bright Sunlight dances
The tide comes over the sand
A seagull dosing
chilly breezes blow
Water now turned into ice
I put on my coat
My Garden blooming
Fruit buds appearing on trees
Air warming the day
Thirsty sun shining
Deep blue cool water shimmers
Boats dancing on lakes
Leaves float gracefully
Branches becoming naked
More seasons ahead
Crisp air cools my face
Ice frozen over a lake
The swoosh of my skates
Morning dew drops down
A leaf falls slowly into my hands
The horn beeps, its time
The heat makes me sweat
I throw my body in the water
My skin begins to cool
Orange leaves fall quietly
An owl come out to hunt
As it turns to night
The bare trees stand tall
The fox gently slinks around
While others sleep
The sun shines brightly
Reflecting off the water
As the children play
Smell of salt water
White sand hot under my feet
A shinning pink shell
The sky is so blue
The sun is so warm up high
Summer is here now
Lambs spring happily
Through the luscious and green fields
Now springtime is here
falling plum blossoms
a Chinese woman’s dou li
catches most of them
Light snow drifts slowly
Cold breaths fill the frosty air
Soft breeze tickles me
Vibrant falling leaves
Floating down from the bare trees
Autumn’s gentle touch
Pink cherry blossoms
Glistening in the sunshine
Mystical landscape
Red leaves hold my hand
As I take the path toward
Far colder places
Mists of cloudy breath
Lips stung by the freezing frost
Eyes blink away cold
Blossoms dance with nymphs
Pollen swirls like magic dust
Enchanted summer
Summer’s thirsty tongues
Clear cold raindrops start to fall
Kissing under leaves
Forked leafy branches
A black widow’s rumbling fades
Folded behind back
Day’s sharp blade of light
Darting voices raised in heat
Lovers’ ties are cut
Blood. Blood everywhere.
On the grass. On the tree barks.
And he sits there. Calm.
Unfazed. Unbothered.
Even he is surprised by this. Pretty sight, at least.
He holds his love close. Comforts her. Reassures her.
For now, she needs this.
What life is Spring?
Small breaths newly awaken
From the sleep of death.
~
Bittersweet is Fall!
Vibrant colors dance in swirls!
Nature slowly dies.
~
Quiet is Winter.
Nature’s death is stark silence.
Hushed, it rests in hope.
cold pink-faced macaques
soak in hot spring’s steamy mist
cooing to their young
a brief glow flickers
winter firefly phantom light
red fox prints snow path
millions of starlings
surging, swinging, swooping
autumn’s fluid flight
she is light years away
but I still smell her fragrance
in wild spring flowers
dipping in Ganges
winter mist hugs equally
both sinners and saints
autumn sea at dusk
dad is no longer with me
to show infinity
dying cherry tree;
copper sundial shows time:
dog days-spent in green
hot winds slow the mind
raining needles of white pine,
grapes firm on the vine
a peach is pulled from
the shading branch—so grasps the
mother’s loving hand
Many thanks, Melissa, for your many haiku! Please, in order to receive the judges’ consideration in the competition, choose three out of these twelve as your entries. Only three per poet are allowed, according to the WHAT instructions above. You may leave the others posted here, but please make a second comment copying the three you consider best, and stating that you withdraw others. Thanks.
I guess I should’ve read that info… sorry about that! Good thing though, as I found a couple typos.
I am submitting these 3 as my entries, and withdrawing the rest:
amaryllis blooms
resembling vibrant feathers
phoenix in disguise
two kittens hunting
within the emerald grass
a mama cat’s tail
dawn arrives astride
a golden hued chariot
sun’s awakening
Haze over green hills,
Northern forests smouldering—
FREE two-day shipping!
On April’s mirror,
Whirligigs dance in the sun
Between her teardrops.
below are my three offerings, the first was inspired
by the painting by Hiroshige shown at the top of this
page:
Humans trudge upwards
Gay water foams, rushing down,
Fog eaten by trees.
Swallow perches high
Seeking swarming insects fly
Mouth open: dinner!
Volcanoes heat the
Ocean deeps warming an earth
Humans do not own.
The gracious oak tree
Standing on carpet of leaves
Making an angel
Warmth is with us now
Daffodils now watching us
Lambs in the field
Snow everywhere
Squirrels scutter round the streets
Christmas trees inside
alone in his thoughts –
the water curls around rocks –
a welcome escape
–
where a river bends
little eddies of water
misplaced fantasy
–
wedding butterfly
why would I need a motive
when I have power
Ernesto Santiago
Agua de Mayo
children splash in the puddles…
sunken paper boats
_
Autumn night busking
the singer’s fedora falls —
a whole rest symbol
_
Phosphorescent stars
each on the ceiling outshines
all of my neck pain
First shy rays of light
The old relentless river
Guides my way to work
Early spring cleaning
Old items packed in boxes
Your memory too
A blanket of stars
The whispering sleepless waves
Bow under the moon
Handfuls of blossoms
Floating on the riverbank
Taking precious time
The sun beaming bright
On the bright green, glistening leaves
It feels like summer
I’m a little fox
Camouflaging in the snow
Im brave as can be
Hot summer days
Ocean breeze cold rush
Memories fulfilled
Snow collapsing
Covering up the ground
Stroking my cat’s ears
Cherry petals fly
Spreading pollen around bees
The smell of grass
Waves crash around
Hitting my brother’s sandcastle
Beach balls everywhere
sunbeams, soft, golden,
fracture midnight’s starry skies,
glowing hope of dawn.
***
impossible things:
the heavy weight of mudbanks,
wildflowers blooming.
***
summer is the sound
of waves whoosh, crashing to shore,
you laughing at me
Cicadas wail fire—
child’s laughter breaks through the storm,
hope drenched in warm rain.
***
Frost veils the cold night,
candle’s trembling breath reaches—
loneliness in light.
a frosty morning
in the song of the blackbird
my husband Martin
blossom in the square
bells ring from the Cathedral
the Godwits return
early morning fog
a man appears from nowhere
then disappears
old cemetery
on loudest days the sound of
dead leaves whispering
squirrel in the park
burying and looking for
my scattering thoughts
post-spring mountain creek
letting my quickening thoughts
meandre freely
Lela Northcross Wakely
Stillness over pond
Phlox gives its last perfume-sigh
No one to notice
Silence and singing?
Young bamboo shelters frogs while
Buddha meditates.
Strawberry moon tryst
Love nips skinny dippers- NO
Watch out for those Carp!
May I please withdraw the last haiku about the “Strawberry moon tryst/” I am concerned it is more a Senryu than an actual Haiku. I will submit another one in its place. Thank you.
Snowbound solitude
Evergreen bough holds…surprise!
One blooming sunrise
The Spring breeze whispers,
Such deep stillness in the trees –
The Creator speaks.
The river flows full,
Two Grebes ritually dance –
Creation’s beauty.
In the high azure,
Courting Buzzards are circling-
Wings touching heaven.
The July sun crowns
Tops of regal tulip trees –
Passing clouds douse fire.
Autumn leaves sweep way
Those windy tokens of love.
I watch alone still.
Poppies and tulips
Peek out from their gray foxholes –
Winter sends them back.
snapdragons explode
kimonos strung on a line–
swallowtail sails on
morning foragers
skunk tracks among strawberries–
my fingers stained pink
quail young traverse road
reach shoulder fast as wildfire–
foot eases off brake
one by one falling
the chestnut leaves making room
for the milky way
Between, stands the gate.
Green vines twine round man’s estate.
Hands reach through to bait.
Strangers’ sleeves brush past.
Autumn leaves fall in the breeze.
Someone leaves too fast.
Blizzard blows around.
Footprints show on snowy ground
Found, heart starts to glow. |
Chilly was the morn
I kissed the lips of the sun
afternoon smoldered
Autumn fog teases,
kisses me in dawn’s shadow,
steals my heart away.
An omen of light
snuggles in the breast of night
before dawn wakes her.
Night swallows the light
Stars whisper secrets untold
Each unique and gold
—
The fire departs
But still a lone flame remains
Bringing hope in pain
—
Sleep slowly dances
On a frosty windowsill
Inviting the night
pregnant pouring rain
music on a metal roof
flowers’ wakeup call
arid waterhole
under an African sky
hungry lioness
sweetly singing birds
on an early Spring morning
funeral chorale
first family trip
walk along a narrow path
ducklings with their mom
one by one falling
the chestnut leaves making way
for the shooting stars
one by one falling
the chestnut leaves making room
for more emptiness
A quiet morning
In the garden, young kitten
Catches butterflies
Walks by the river
Old man with an Irish hound
Geese call for winter
Wind rolls red petals
In the shade of a temple wall
Old robots tell tales
park bench in shadow
a boy sings to a sparrow
braiding sun through leaves
first frost on the stoop
a girl with torn shoelaces
waits for the school bus
spring rain on gravestones
a man rereads the same note
until it blurs ink
Why it hurts this bad
I wish we could just re-start
As strangers in school
——
Close your eyes and dream
A world filled with happiness
And good memories
——
A doubtful mother
Tries having faith in her child
Is that much to ask
Wintergreen upon
A crimson spilled abandon
Reclaiming blossoms
Vermillion shards
Overcast the mountainside
Amongst the Moon’s tears
Fields of petals lie
O’er my tired body now
Never two allowed
Tempest arguments
Dad firm, mum with deluge cheeks
Children’s howling screech.
Fingers trace my spine.
“I’m in Arcadia, too,”
Death whispers, hollow-eyed.
photographing ghosts
as they drift by unnoticed
carefree of life once lived
two doors, but one choice:
above, blissful ignorance;
below, truth and strife.
peeling back the year
every step on the mountain
autumn wind and I
accompanying me
one last time down the mountain
farewell autumn winds
not the autumn wind
that wound me up to the lake
breathless campsite night
Leaves flutter around
In the dewy spring morning
For another day
night sky fill with stars…
a silent predator flies
with prey in talons
at a florist shop
she practices ikebana
–an orchid corsage
a complaining crow
at the top of an ash tree
–rainy afternoon
Metaphor for death:
One soul abandoned in a
Vacant furnished room
Jealous verdigris
thoughts enter my brain and play
in my dead effigy
Synopsis of faith:
I believe in the unseen
and things I can’t feel.
My dad made nectar,
fermented for hummingbirds
to buzz when they fly
An iris opens
Frilly white edges surround
the deep purple base
The gossip of priests
is deliciously naughty,
delectable sin
The establishment
Insists that you refrain from
Showing compassion
Harper, thanks for these haiku! Please let us know which THREE of them you would like as your entries in the competition. That’s easy to do; you can reply here.
Amber orbs aglow
Beneath frostbitten fingers
Playing with fire
Summer sunlight shines
Upon sky blue waves of change
Paradise on earth
Crystal shards conceal
My deepest, darkest secrets
For your eyes only
out before sunrise
the stars keep me company
until their bedtime
worn-down path outlined
by lilies-of-the-valley
poet’s grave marker
birches intertwined
creaking, clinging together
against winter winds
#3
who can remember
when the stars first sang for joy?
the sound still carries
The yellow leaves were
dervishes at my window
till the rain started
Footpaths and tire
tracks obliterated by
parachuting flakes
Snowmelt discloses
a winterkilled fawn still in
geometric spots
parade floats idle
in stopped traffic—clusters of
crab apples pinken
.
crystal interlock
of water’s piscine quills: each
little wave, a leap
.
sun on the surface:
silent Roman candles in
rapid explosion
Here is my submission–
Yellow butterflies
Flitting above green meadows
Like dancing sunshine.
you’re not a body
with a soul, you’re a soul in
a sacred garden
haiku 2
homeless hermit crab
takes shelter in empty shell,
gulls squawk overhead
haiku 3
wistful willow tree
unique forgotten fortress
weeps with gratitude
Dear judges, please may I withdraw haiku 3 and submit this version instead. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
wistful willow tree,
unique, forgotten fortress,
weeping gracefully
1) Halfway, then again
she chases what flees the mind,
dust rising in spring.
2) Snow melts as she runs.
Each step closer is farther,
the world holds its breath.
3) All race toward stillness.
He counts motion with a blade—
leaves fall, unmeasured.
july thunderstorm
her funeral procession
finishes faster
watering roses
they slowly lower their heads
unrequited love
the smell of caught fish
a hungry cat creeps closer
mom scares off burglar
Three submissions read separately or together:
To be read shelf.
Infinite years divide books.
Will I finish them?
Words comfort my years
Shelter in safe hard cover
Writer and reader
Find grace in pages.
Solace with pens and journals.
Heartache soothed silently.
these spring showers again
with the softness of blossom
edging our footsteps
the musk of a deer
already belonging back
in the forest’s crisp ochre
rowanberry dusk
where the deepest clouds drift by
with every lost dream
Yellow crab spider
on a beach of greenery–
mayflies the seagulls.
Calm in her stony
Hermitage, the mason bee
Mocks the rowdy swarm.
Dreaming of nine days’
Majesty, the dragonfly
Bides three years his time.
Butterfly’s shadow,
Borne away on morning’s wings,
But so beautiful.
from a leafless limb
the empty swing remembers
the long, hot summer
~Patricia Carragon
after the tempest
the silence of fallen trees
roots severed from hope
~Patricia Carragon
storm clouds overhead
hurricane winds travel north
no relief in sight
~Patricia Carragon
as temperatures soar
slumber shuts the feral’s eyes
solace from the sun
~Patricia Carragon
with eyes half open
the cat curls up for a nap
feet and tail at ease
~Patricia Carragon
Please disregard my earlier comment. I’m submitting these three here:
from a leafless limb
the empty swing remembers
the long, hot summer
~Patricia Carragon
as temperatures soar
slumber shuts the feral’s eyes
solace from the sun
~Patricia Carragon
after the tempest
the silence of fallen trees
roots severed from hope
~Patricia Carragon
Please disregard my earlier comment. I’m submitting these three here:
from a leafless limb
the empty swing remembers
the long, hot summer
~Patricia Carragon
as temperatures soar
slumber shuts the feral’s eyes
solace from the sun
~Patricia Carragon
after the tempest
the silence of fallen trees
roots severed from hope
~Patricia Carragon
The new era starts
No hugs, kisses behind masks,
Six feet difference please!
Empty streets, doors shut,
chaos over empty shelves,
Unease filled the air
Big nation big mess,
Long lines, thin change, days await,
I awe how it ends
COVID-19 yes,
Once it starts it never leave,
Leaving scars for sure
Appreciate your contributions, Meliana, but please choose only THREE haiku as your contest entries. It’s simple to do by telling me which one of your four to leave out. Thanks!
Name: Wania Sajjad
Country: Pakistan
Unpicked Flower
I tore myself open for your hands—
but you walked past like I was dirt.
Still,
I bloomed into the silence
you left behind.
Petal Ghost
You grazed me like wind—
no blood,
but every inch of me
feels haunted.
False Spring
You arrived like a false thaw—
all heat-laced breath and lying light.
I cracked open,
thinking you’d stay
through the storm.
But you were winter
in a stolen spring disguise.
You kissed me with frost,
and I shattered.
reluctant leaves fall
from the old tree showering
the old man walking
old cemetery
abandoned by the living
waits eternity
alone, the young deer
ate the holly tree’s berries
soon dying under its leaves
Small, feathered body
still, on the side of the road,
your death will feed life
firefly dance and burn
jive resolutely down paths!
lead me homeward bound
far out open sea
tender faces stranger now—-
gentle crash of wave
bugs bite tender flesh
red blooms and swells a garden—-
blackbird song soothing
Water is shapeless
So how can it be defined
A frog dreams of air
striped pollinator
rave, roam, romp, be(e) rife, don’t sting
don’t waste what is sweet
O radiant sky
are you wounded or merely
temperamental?
blanket of snow, erase this
paved landscape, then erase yourself
melt into nothing
Apologies, updated version of #2
snow blanket, erase
paved landscape, erase yourself
melt into nothing
Just like Icarus,
And so we fall, endlessly;
Freedom tastes like wind.
The wounds of the sky
Open. Today, tomorrow.
Bloodlike life rains down.
So alienated
In this body; distorted.
Trapped briefly in skin.
Crimson maple sighs,
its branches bare to the dusk—
One flame drifting down
how shallow the shoals . . .
alone, upon reflection
we’re both pelican
midnight snow flurries,
a raindeer fawn’s long lashes
gathering stardust
oak tree canopy–
that old tattered fedora
atop her coffin
Hi, these are my three entries for the haiku competition.
1
Summer never wanes
In the glowing Pearl of the
Indian Ocean
2
The snow falls gently
Mimicking the glow of the
Twinkling stars above
3
Warm summer rain of
Dancing love soon lost in the
Slow fall of autumn
Showers of first rain
The aroma of coffee
Papa’s favourite
Alone on the porch
Forlorn wind heralds deadness
My muse awakens
Summer homecoming
Children play in the river
Childhood memories
at 7.00am
the bees in the lavender
already at work
bank holiday beach
barely room for flesh to tan
between the tattoos
The Earth wears a coat
The snow and ice pack her wounds
She rests safe and warm
Very nice imagery.
The rain sings and sings
The thunder replies, screaming
Never satisfied
Kind mornings, soft nights,
They are whole with your smile
Comfortably happy
Gray fog blankets the
Deep valleys and green forests
Stunning opposites
Leaves lull light’s looming;
shadows shower sundered souls.
Winter wakes what waned.
recess doors open
a gust of schoolyard children
swirling autumn leaves
heard without thinking
understood without saying
a walk through the woods
the bud that seeks the
bloom doesn’t need to search the
garden to find it
Michael Chaplin
As I wash my clothes
My Yiddish momma still sings
Songs of Yahweh’s praise
Death in the river
Souls coffined inside of mud
The LORD my Shepherd
In my green garden
Surrounded by its beauty
I hear sounds of war
atop lilac blooms
butterflies rest in the sun
Jupiter’s faeries
pork chop fat sizzles
ripe millet sway in the breeze
its all gravy now
summers juicy yield
bathed in the kitchens warm light
the frog and I feast
Laugh; stitch in my side
Trap springs in hippocampus
Splayed game on snow— you.
breathing in the soft
smell of night-blooming jasmine
moonlight sonata
Hello Judges,
I want to change a word in my 1st haiku. Thank you.
breathing in the soft
notes of night-blooming jasmine
moonlight sonata
the water is still
the mind is racing constant
flow is the challenge
is it possible
to love, to eat, to birth him
my husband’s logic
there is a shadow
light’s brightness is a falsehood
dark blots infiltrate
view of white landscape
evergreens are lacking hue
on a new year’s day
fragrant whispers
gently cascade from branches
carpet of blossoms
ruby red hibiscus
sweet pistil tongue emerges
hummingbird kisses
gossamer storm clouds
weave a cape for Apollo
Helios’ revenge
Golden sky shines
We set off a new journey
Swallow flies back home
Hands held through the storm
Unite in diversity
Winning with purpose
Turning to Nature
Baby bunnies, ducks and goats
Earth holds the best Tails
Each posture holds peace
Matching breath with intentions
Paid ticket to this moment
Title: Wash Away
The waves rise and fall
Cleansing souls who entrust it
Yet my worries stay.
Wrapped in pashmina
Half awake yet half asleep
A hungover dawn
Sparkling fiery eyes
Trapped in a dying embrace
Should have let you go.
A sharp stilleto,
Into my soul your words carve
A crimson ravine.
Spring river unwinds—
two hands, interlaced, drift on.
Nothing holds or halts.
Autumn wind pulls loose—
layers of masks on my face
scatter with the leaves.
Spring rain on still pond—
ripples rise and disappear.
A frog waits beneath.
Dear Society of Classical Poets
Please find below my 3 entries for the 2025 Haiku Competition
Entry 1
Old stone retaining wall—
a line of ants carries off
the morning glory.
Entry 2
The scent of cut grass.
A yellow kite is tangled
in the power lines.
Entry 3
The password reset
asks for my first pet’s name.
I close the laptop.
Hello judges,
This is my 3rd and final submission –
spirit animals
drifting clouds shift forms in an
autumn afternoon
Lord! I’ll pursue you
as the swift wave does the shore
breaking as I go
Galloping horses
leaving icy hoofprints
the coldest is me
Summer ocean
a huge container ship
blows my rocking mind
In the wind
my puppy happily
runs to Mt Fuji
The sun briefly peeks
From behind the cloud curtains—
It will rain again.
Pink reflections dance
as the flamingoes wade through
the quiet waters.
The reflection of
the arched bridge on the still lake
makes a full circle
Sorry, this is the second time I publish my comment. Last night there may have been problems.
1.
a lotus flower
always searching for the sky –
that is what i am
2.
pink cherry blossoms
painted on her baby bump –
just a new springtime
3.
still shining roses –
the white brocade dress my mom
could never finished
tuft of cumulus
running rills and daffodils
Spring, springing on us
high tide moving out
an empty shell washed ashore
someone picks it up
at the water’s edge
polliwogs among the weeds
children swinging pails
Merganser mother
guides her flock:sisters,brothers
Fewer swim today.
Flag waves in the wind,
may tomorrow shine brighter,
homeland glows with pride.
Stone house stands calmly,
Siveric calls out softly,
wind carries the voice.
Zagorje mornings,
cattle graze so peacefully,
earth softly births new dreams.
In Maslow’s thesis
The hierarchy of needs
Safety’s above love
I don’t think Maslow
Was ever really in love
Or knew who we were
Stars in the water
Algae is green in the sky
Reflections in streams
Are they who they say
They are not there, they’re their own.
We are what we do
Never who they are
Always who they want to be
Wonderful liars
Are they who they say
They are not there, they’re their own.
We are what we do
Never who they are
Always who they want to be
Wonderful liars
Stars in the water
Algae is green in the sky
Reflections in streams
Made myself a hell
With no blueprints for Heaven
And a lust to build
My mind hurts itself
It’s always fighting the same
Demons they invite
Parents with binkies
Try to cope with the hands of
Clocks doing cartwheels
For haiku contest:
lichen mosaic
rivulet of waterfall…
which is lovelier?
Good afternoon. Thank you for your consideration. Below are my three Haiku.
1.)
A drink sits idly
The whiteness gasps on the page
Autumn burns away
2.)
A tortoise plods on
Summer asphalt shifts below
Noon traffic backs up
3.)
Egyptian sun glows
Into deep-sanded oranges
Summer gold, squeezed out
Spring Whispers
whispers in spring air
maple leaves begin to bud,
secrets bloom in light.
maple leaves whisper,
soft murmurs in the hot breeze,
summer hums alive..
ice on the maple branches,
Breathless light shining through the unspoken trees,
Silence quakes in the endless wood
Sorry first line wasn’t meant to be there this is how it is meant to be:
whispers in spring air
maple leaves begin to bud,
secrets bloom in light.
maple leaves whisper,
soft murmurs in the hot breeze,
summer hums alive..
ice on the maple branches,
Breathless light shining through the unspoken trees,
Silence quakes in the endless wood
Golden sand
Smell of salty water
Sandy sea shells
Leaves dancing
Green to red orange yellow
One by one falling to the ground
Snow falls
Every snowflake different to another
Sun shimmering reflecting
The first breath of spring
A leaf can still fall away
Not only in fall
geese soar above clouds
flying to a warmer home
where the lilacs sing
————-
early spring morning
the fantail in the bird bath
her sweet song lingers
————-
a grasshopper sings
her newest composition
blossoms twirl in time
1.
Petals falling down,
Death in reverse, life in bloom,
Cycle without end.
2.
Winter freezes thoughts,
Ice words crawl out of my mouth,
Fragile proof of self.
3.
August heat clutching,
Suffocating memories,
Sticky grief clinging.
a cold winters night
smoke rises defiantly
extinguished at dawn
chartreuse grass rustles
August height hides maybe beast
cinnamon bunny
muggy midsummer
murky dusk, mellow meadow
flashing fireflies float
twisted forest stirs
secrets; coldest, darkest depths
grand ghouls glow golden
we open the window
and the wind blowing voices
of children fly in
scrubbing ma’s gravestone
black with soot from L.A’s air
and winter’s regret
when a child dies
it’s something you keep inside
you heart like a bomb
apple crisp morning
smatterings of orange, red, browns
falling quietly
early morning chill
shimmering icy waters
reminiscent blues
peonies blossom
delicate fragrant pedals
sweet heaven on earth
From dark spring slumber
Awake, sobbing – not knowing
Bulbs burst underground
——————–
Winter, sun – sets free
Deep, dazzling drifts of jewels
Wealth of common men
———————
Summer sky’s mirror
Blinding – shining stretch of mud
Tale of the glacier
Fallen leaves whisper
not an end, but painted breath
waiting for the spring.
Steam curls from my cup
words rise like birds in cold light,
morning warms their flight.
Footsteps fall in sync
two hearts pacing time and road,
parting, still they run.
Fleeting; haunting is
the silence stained in crimson
autumn’s moonlight weeps
The shadows lengthen
leaves succumb to gravity
crisp air on my skin
Blossoms dangle down.
Warm breeze makes them dance and sway.
Now comes yellow bee!
Sparkling snowflakes
Suddenly turn into rain.
Raindrops sparkle too!
Leaf drifts slowly down.
Butterfly, shadows entwine!
Now, which one is which?
Nathaniel Sexton
Title : To Nineveh
“Go to Nineveh.”
“From Sheol you heard, my Lord.”
“God bless Nineveh.”
Falls a drop unknown,
On the silent sands of earth.
quenching the soul’s thirst.
Oh look a brown duck!
Oh look a guy with a gun!
Oh look a dead duck!
So many places
You can go that I cannot
Flying with your wings
The gardens are teeming
With life: apples, peaches, pears
The hope that spring brings
Entry 1:
rain collects on leaves;
a melancholic Monday–
to stay or to leave.
Entry 2:
when birds soar a sky
while dark clouds come anon,
am i still to blame?
Entry 3:
green to gold to bare,
seasons tap the glass at me—
my tea is still warm
I’d just like to highlight the japanese words I subtly used for my first and second entry:
ame – rain
mondai – problem
sora – sky
anun – dark clouds
A ghost once told me
Things that go bump in the night
Are clumsy phantoms
Black and green teabags
Disrobe and seek your repose
In ancient caddies
Lemons’ true yellow.
A bee crawls across the shade
of the sunniness.
Cloudy all day long,
Raindrops to count on two hands:
Cool air in summer.
July rain washes,
douses me under the skin–
Grandest communing!
Amber, thank you for your contest entries! Please indicate also your last name–as requested in the paragraph above marked IMPORTANT. You may place it right here in reply to me, thanks!
sweet as sheer honey
buzzing sunny yellow bee
i see you in me
—
early morning rays
pigeons bathing in puddles
in hopes to belong
—
the sky is heavy
snowfall blankets the city
misery drowns me
all-encompassing
shades of sky greet me, and you
yet we’re much more blue
cherry blossom craves
crisp autumn leaves—echoes how
moonbeams miss the sun
Somewhere, violets bloom
Sapphic love singing for Spring
Under purple stars
a bee finds my sleeve —
I do not move or flinch.
some things just want warmth.
cicadas screaming —
your name in my mouth again,
but no one hears it.
cherry blossoms drop
into my open coffee.
grief can be gentle.
Humble postage stamp
carries weighty news afar,
graces my album.
ROOTED ASCENSION
I shall float once more.
My roots break through the Earth’s core.
Skies chant “Welcome home.”
REBORN
Won’t stay in and mourn.
Won’t be somebody’s failed hope.
Reborn: off your world.
SPIDERS IN MY ROOM
Spiders in my room –
Caught in a silky, sticky gloom.
Waiting for my doom.
Searching the mirror…
whose eyes stare back, unknown yet known?
Roots lost in the wind.
Papers, not stories.
A name given, not inherited.
Silence fills the gaps.
Two homes, neither whole.
A heart split by love and longing
ghost of a first cry.
Two lovers first meet
under a frail mistletoe
with a parting kiss
Mist hangs on the bridge
Steps echo in autumn’s leaves
You loved days like this
Children playing in a field
Dandelions at sunset
Natures lanterns glow
Working 9 to 5
Driving to work monday morning
Ghostly processions
Lithe iridescence
arcs through the light summer rain
to bask in the sun
Leaves brown and faded
cling to the wisps of summer
before hitting ground
Foamy ocean waves
cover me in briny sand
full of soft secrets
Corpse flower flocks crowds
At six, grandmother’s dream pleads
to inherit spring
Ma twirls in Lily
Autumn cracks the bumpy blooms
Frostbite on mangroves
Summer body grieves_
deserves dizzy tenderness
My lover’s last wish
The thunderous rain
Falls onto the quiet plain
A crane calls its mate
Trees dance near water
shimmering in the red sun
I must turn away
Resplendent quetzal
Sunning alone on a limb
I eat a pretzel
Sunbeam through cool dark
Between bench slats in the park
Lichen glowing green
electric air waits
sweet release of rolling sound
not for throbbing heads
summer oversees
every drop of juicy peach
hardened pits ignored
her warm little hand
touching everything in sight
returning to mine
tree branches tremble
a great quake of blackbirds strike
dark wings clap thunder
lovely the flower
on the branch yet I fall down
in soggy blossoms
a shadow crosses
the mouse stills quicker than light
nose knows no kitten
Look at the stars
Dots of unconnected paint
Splattered in the sky
I perpetrate
The sunrise over the dew
Resting in my heart
A mulberry tree
I picked from a dark alley
My life’s salad
Cynthia, please give your last name here in reply. Above you’ll see it’s IMPORTANT to submit contest entries using first and last name. Thanks!
In autumn, he came –
The flower prince, spring’s son, and
with stars, filled my sky.
—
O Rose, bloom and bloom,
and grow through hearts, dear hearts,
whisper to them: love.
Pine shadow stretches
A spine on the grassy field
Unobtrusively
***** ******* *****
Autumn-atic loss
From the time of spinning Earth
Inevitable
***** ******* *****
Late blooming daisies
Stuck in potential white green
As leaves brown, Fall calls
Thank you for reading and your consideration. Below are my three Haiku submissions.
1)
Tangled roots below,
a water lily above.
From such depth, life grows.
2)
Inhaling moss floors –
Dense, exhaling pines and ferns.
Circulating life.
3)
Golden rays peek through
gaps in trees, finding my face.
The warmth draws me up.
Greeting chirps and tweets
Little birdy pecks and sings,
“Welcome, welcome spring!”
Oh, beautiful night,
The darkness captivates me
May I hide away?
Butterflies flutter
Flowers open their petals
The glory of spring.
Snuggled duvet-deep,
Alarm roused before sunrise,
Exposed, oh – the cold.
Though golden wheatfields,
Embrace the coming harvest,
All ripe-ears, bristle.
empty autumn beach
I write your name in the sand
waves forget for me
gray skies slowly drip
frost clings to the broken fence
hearts freeze in silence
crimson clouds scatter
warm breeze carries fading light
summer’s final bow
New bag in his grip
a boy waits at the crosswalk,
cool wind at his back.
Autumn is coming
a boy kicks through brittle leaves
jacket zipped halfway
Changing autumn leaves,
warmth clings to the fading days,
winter draws its breath.
Japanese Maple
Your colors are turning now
My friend, this tree, glows
Iridescent rust
Colors of impending fall
Shivering delight
through endless ages
a thousand generations
together we are
together we are
fuller, able, thankful, strong
divided we fall
through endless ages
a thousand generations
together we stand
fog shrouds the river
mudlarkers on the foreshore
ghosts searching for ghosts
******
carpet of petals
lie below the rain-dashed rose
our summer quarrel
******
rearranging rocks
in the middle of the stream
I change the music
Summer’s gentle breeze,
whispers a calm melody-
a tale of passion
The world seems distant-
Claws at the nape of winter,
Reminds me of you,
withdraw this submission
I want to withdraw this submission
sunlight on columns
cast long shadows of marble
through an ancient space
sudden silver spheres
humming, strumming, now drumming
musical deluge
grey clouds overhead
purple jacarandas drop
lavender blossoms
Black smoke coats the well,
an oilman lights his cigar—
a girl claws the soil.
Dust clings to his feet—
he counts the crates overhead,
none fall near their tent.
Stillness in the air—
my breath fogs beneath the moon,
time forgets my name.
dormant cold ground meets
the warm rays of the morning
ice was only water
Withdraw this submission
wild winds walked wicked
as hollow spring seeds tumble –
a starved soil swan song
dormant cold ground meets
the warm rays of the morning
ice again water
The world seems distant-
claws at the nape of winter,
reminds me of you
I think I’m in love,
with the song of the crickets,
with you and the rain
in my garden pond
carp swim under dense duckweed
winter’s floral wreath
the breath of summer
cranes fly through wisps of sea fog
will they return soon?
a blanket of leaves
near the pedestrian lane
the old woman’s broom
after the first rain
a boy buries his sandals
beneath the wet field
dry-season sunset
a rooster crows at the truck
passing too slowly
evening monsoon
rice chaff dances in the air
but no one sings now
rap music blaring
pounding surf’s beat beat beat beat…
seagull’s mid-air dance
flip-flop metronome
walking to the pool alone–
laughter and splashing
behind glass seals dive
wide-eyed kid watches bubbles…
red snow cone mustache
Switch off from technology
And
Switch on and engage with Nature and Simplicity
fragrant night jasmine—
she hums plaiting her long hair
with the day’s first light
*
dust on ‘War and Peace’
even the armed spider pauses
before spinning on
*
autumn wind in reeds
a torn kite in the tree tugs
at deepening dusk
Haha!! Seems like my 1st entry has inspired your 1st haiku TOO MUCH 😀
The similarity is too uncanny:)
summer night concert–
leaves beginning to flutter
as the woodwinds play
tulip festival
a young artist arranges
all of his crayons
field of lightning bugs . . .
for an instant one perfect
moment of darkness
the warm summer sea
does not ask who I once was
it just lets me float
cicadas erupt
between the hush of my thoughts
summer holds its breath
moonlight on the dune
my shadow walks before me
summer wind behind
A pigeon prancing
While bright sunlight goes dancing
Mischief of spring fate
Ribbon of wet wind
Soaked petals search for shelter
Hide and seek they play
Paper planes out doors
Childhood lingers in scratches
Both sides beg for more
Autumn fog dissolves
In the fall of snow I breathe
Spring creeps silently
Radiated land
A bird returns to its nest
Among decaying remains
Whipping through the room
A baby croons in delight
The wind sings for one
Little rain falling
Nature’s weeping silently
Anticipating
“It’s taken a toll,
This long, dark night of the soul.
But now I’m whole.” -Fool
A dead grasshopper
All around, in withered grass,
Its neighbors still sing
A shaft of sunlight
Passing through August windows
Turns mere dust to gold
In the late spring snow
Standing there, in her bare feet
The first butterfly
they cared, loved, and lived,
like roots twined beneath one tree,
no world beyond them.
their eyes met, and stayed,
world faded beyond their gaze,
none but them remained.
Not sure where the ones i submitted before went, maybe i forgot to click submit? But here are the same three submissions!
1)the warm summer sea
does not ask who I once was
it just lets me float
2)cicadas erupt
between the hush of my thoughts
summer holds its breath
3)moonlight on the dune
my shadow walks before me
summer wind behind
Looks like only one of three appeared so here are my three entries
Full moon’s bright glow
Distant cackle in the night
Broomstick’s silhouette
Warmth of springtime’s snow
Crystal clear droplets falling
Taste the babbling brook
Hear silent echoes
Close your eyes and listen to
Colors making sound
I would like to withdraw my previous entries and submit the following:
Full moon’s bright glow
Distant cackle in the night
Broomstick’s silhouette
Fragrant cherry blooms
Bright pink and purple blossoms
Fall silently down
Loud crunch of an ax
Numbing cold winter’s morning
Bright crackling firelight
Sorry, forgot to edit the one mistake
First poem should read
A full moon’s bright glow
Distant cackle in the night
Broomstick’s silhouette
Thanks, Wendy, I’ve noticed!
Haiku:
open window light
barre beneath my wiser hands
I lift into grace
Artist’s Note:
This haiku captures a quiet summer morning in the ballet studio. The open window lets in light and warm air, carrying the season into the room. Summer, a season of ripeness and full bloom, was chosen to mirror the fullness of life that remains even beyond youth, countering the belief that a dancer’s bloom fades too soon. My wiser hands rest on the barre, a place of focus and discipline, as I prepare to rise onto pointe. This speaks to the journey shaped over time, every movement intentional and every breath carrying hope as grace meets me in this chapter.
1.
Burnt rose and cracked vase
withered leaves on dying twigs
and drought just begins
2.
Turkey vultures tear
the soldier’s eyes and entrails
in summer’s twilight
Seven pillars rise,
table set with bread and wine,
wisdom calls against the wind.
Inspired by Proverbs 9, this haiku captures Wisdom’s quiet, steadfast invitation in contrast to the louder calls of folly. The “wind” evokes both the natural world and the resistance faced when walking the path of understanding.
Shadows trace the mind
sweet water veils the grave’s mouth
your lips taste the lie
Note: This haiku captures the quiet seduction of false promises. The sweetness masks its cost, drawing the reader into the moment before awareness strikes. A choice is made and the truth remains hidden until it is too late.
Slicing the black sky,
Perseid meteors – flames
streaking to sure death.
Butterflies and leaves:
morning sunshine embroiders
pillows with shadows
Rain pummels the ground.
A turkey peers out, waiting
under a yew tree.
Scribbling thoughts; drafts pile.
Rain falling, pen twirls; thoughts whirl.
Pages fray; ink dries.
brisk air whips around
enclosed in Winter’s Ballad
boots crunch on the snow
soft pellets rush down
drop below the grey blanket
their time has ended
warm hues fill my nose
pebbeled cobblestone bridges
the leaves slowly fall
winter’s soft silence
snow blankets the sleeping earth
footprints tell no tales
storm clouds in his gaze,
I seek where dark mists soften
a place to vanish.
In dusk’s quiet glow,
your face appears like a dream
love’s quiet echo.
Parched and cracked, she calls—
Dry and bare, the desert thirsts,
Scorching sun at play.
last desert tree’ shade . . .
one yarn of grass has sprouted
eaten by a yak
solar’s clock lock down. . .
in trees’ town woodpecker drums
the final countdown
Manifestation
Characteristically
Appreciated
It’s the Season of the Year
look at the bright sky
it brings new start to the life
flowers start to bloom
Praying at sunrise
early cold air fills the chest
opening the heart
Gratitude today
for this new day, the first light
coffee breathes its steam
Mission accomplished
by late afternoon, footsteps
a brief sense of ease
Every August
Autumn stills and lies in wait
while wind braids her hair.
The sun is shy, yes
And breaks against the hill’s line
but something whispers:
Orange sky, draw near.
October chill graze my skin.
Be ready for change.
A tipsy hummer
sips—or kisses?—fragrant flasks
of red-lipped summer.
Pink mist at sunrise
enshrouds a pale, sunken moon;
your smile masks sorrow.
A firefly blinks
all night hunting a lost friend
in a million stars.
1.
Desert sand at dusk—
The hourglass empties again
Into starry sky
Authors note: My Haiku is translated from my poem “The deserts twin”. I wanted to explore the comparisons between the sands of time and stardust of creation and return.
Golden summer light
The window panes begin to shine
A new day is here
Clouds gather slowly
Then rain pours on thirsty ground
The air feels so fresh
Firefly in the night
Flashes a tiny, bright lamp
A signal of hope
Ice cancels my gloves,
Brings fingers to the arctic
And leaves them in pain.
Tree bark aged away—
Down to its smooth creamy bones,
Wintering and faint.
Daffodils rework
Winter’s plain even palette,
Zesty citron suns.
Gloomy day torrents,
earth goes spicy; glistening,
spread sweet aroma.
Magic in the air,
golden fluid, crystal-clear drops
a wand of wonders.
Thanks for your haiku, Segunola. Please reply here with your FIRST and LAST name!
wandering no more –
fireflies illuminate
the course to the moon
a billowing cloud —
my daughter has a mouthful
of cotton candy
snowman in the yard —
grandfather’s pipe fills the air
with old memories
Harvest moon rising.
High above Obon lanterns,
meteorites flare.
-o-o-o-o-
‘Tis not their fault, earth,
you were lush, warm, welcoming;
myriads swarm forth.
budding ficus tree
a hummingbird thrums beside
last year’s empty nest
on gossamer strands
a reclusive spider nests—
tiny eggs cocooned
summer’s spun threads send
silver kisses everywhere—
sudden flailing arms
Please withdraw these 3 entries. I’ll post my final 3 haiku entries for the contest after this comment. Thank you.
budding ficus tree
a hummingbird thrums beside
last year’s empty nest
Summer’s spun threads send
out silver kisses—oh, my!
sudden flailing arms
First spring rain post-war,
children splash in mud puddles—
wet, wormy minefields
Struggle for the view
Beauty like nothing before
The mountain is you
Two words change it all
Say them and watch my walls fall
“I am so sorry”
The moon shines tonight
And I am missing you more
Like stars without light
Why do you eat dogs
In purple and green rain suits?
Do you have ketchup?
Flying bird is free
Who am I what do I see
Island in the sea
A whiff of dogshit
And slow roasted coffee beans
Waiting for the rain
Tide, a force that bears
Witness to the steady rock
The subtle submerge
A piece of glass splits
The light from the hottest sun
To stunning rainbows
Gentle trick’ling stream
Taking care of fallen leaves
Wind softly lowers
Bare feet in the dust,
her laughter runs ahead quick,
shade waits at the well.
Two chairs in the sun,
your hand brushing mine slowly,
ice melts in the glass.
Train window half down,
the warm wind lifts your dark hair,
we miss our own stop.
an apple a day,
you must be able to find,
in your neighborhood.
privileged freedom,
you might also get bitter
when tasting worry.
drenching their sadness,
the clouds of a blood red moon
rain on blue flowers.
Mother’s pot simmers,
Steam like Victoria Falls,
Covered with a lid.
Crisp, cinnamon air,
Soft feet make music with leaves —
Harmattan dies too.
a morning aubade
Canaries sing so softly
the choir baton snaps.
Branches swaying arms
holding me at my worst
love me at my best
over nine o’clock
just looking sunset alone
end of the earth…
where, looking up
rocky peaks of Yosemite
summer becoming end…
Japanese snow crab
soaking hot springs
cheerful father
glove leather and dirt
crunching cleats, ding of metal
cloud drifts over fence
bees amongst flowers
alcohol made by taking
sweet stores of labor
voice beckons, boy looks
crossing pasture, heat subsides
sun gives way to night
Clear skies are preferred
But every once in a while
Rain is bearable
Midnight Sun is rare
Everyone is excited
Midday Moon is glum
Rose petals are fine
But before you go near them
Watch out for the thorns
My black berry bush
A shelter for lone ducklings
A river of frost
A farmers harvest
A crumpling weed aging
Breakfast for a mouse
Falling leaves
Pale building blocks
For mouses home
Tears fall like raindrops
Peace crowns the vast universe
Shadows dims our truth
Nigeria my home
Rich in treasured minerals
Echoes from the east
Ancestral voice leads
Colour weave our heritage
Symbols guard our past
crackle, flutter, chirp
ending dark prenatal night
song of fledgling spring
dingy, splotchy white
winter tiger’s toothless fight
shadowboxing light
color winds collapse
winter’s coat of autumn scraps
gift of a lifetime
Moonlight on still waves,
your eyes once lit my shoreline—
now the tide takes all.
Petals fall too soon,
whispers fade in autumn fog—
your warmth stays in dreams.
Under quiet stars,
I call where you cannot hear—
night swallows my voice.
Sadness everywhere
The world continues on
Still obliviously
Love was to be free
Yet you burned my tender skin
Two hands drunk on sin
Blood runs through my veins
You have always kept me sane
Yet you were the flame
Our love like thunder
Lightning striking down on us
Your skin didn’t burn
longest quiet night
the meteor between us
fades into her eyes
Noah Patullo
A search for nectar
Hungry is the hummingbird
Buzzing through the trees
cypress sentinels
one, two needles fall…silence
then the whole forest
fresh cedar kindling
the warmth of long winter nights
in his flannel shirt
There is an oddness
to it. How the drops hit dirt
hit the dry earth, cold.
So water permeates
In straight lines, watering earth
Clean down, dirty mud
Because what’s most off,
most foreign. How clean you fall
How much mud you stain.
NAME: TICHA ASANA
WRITTEN ON ; Monday 11th August 2025
SPRING – “GIRL’S EDUCATION”
Blossoms chase the light
walls of custom choke the air
books dream through the night
☀ SUMMER – “CHILD’S LABOUR ”
Sun beats on bare feet
factories devour the hours
hope wilts in the heat
❄ WINTER- “ALBINO CHALLENGES”
Frost on silver land
whispers coil around the path
sun strikes without hand
waiting for bad news –
watching leaves fall from the trees
outside the window
Computer predicts
Spring, snow, winter, rain, fall, fog
Look out the window.
Don’t flush your poems
No matter how bad they smell
Images clog sewers
Parking lot empty
Except where there’s some shade — one
hundred Fahrenheit
Haiku 1:
Between two worlds still,
silent threads weave my being
home is in the seam.
Haiku 2:
Light breaks through the fog,
truth blooms beyond the surface,
heart finds its own path.
Haiku 3:
Mirrors reflect me,
shadows dance with morning’s hope
love begins within.
Cherry Blossom
Moonlight
Trees swaying in the wind
Cherry blossom petals softly sleep
pink petals float in the wind
Their sweet smell
A maple leaf
In someone’s golden hair
Pretty are you not
The hot warm sun shines
Summer is finally here
My body is tan.
The new lambs are still
The foals in the paddock run
The spring breeze is calm.
The frost on the grass
The snow on the cold mountains
The winter sleds slide.
An icy frost
Sets down on the field
Rugby is a cold one
Winter is coming with snow
It’s here glistening in the sky
Flowing down to me
Spring is coming here now
Blossom trees sway in the sky
My hands full of pink
Summer comes quickly
Goes away faster than it came
I enjoy the beach
A baby gosling
Slowly hatching in the sun
The wind picks up
Poem#1
The hot warm sun shines
Summer is finally here
My body is tan.
Poem#2
The new lambs are still
The foals in the paddock run
The spring breeze is calm.
Poem#3
The frost on the grass
The snow on the cold mountains
The winter sleds slide.
Golden sand
Smell of salty water
Sandy sea shells
Leaves dancing
Green to red orange yellow
One by one on the ground
Snow falls
Every snowflake different to another
Sun shimmering reflecting
1.
Browned maple tumbles
Off seasons branch to concrete
Cradled by a breeze
2.
Skyline kindles
Sea foam slips between waves
Clouds wane for solitude
3.
Pirouette of wind
Snow sheds for forgotten fields
Frost etches the glass panes
Just fixed your hair,
You’d better not get it wet.
At 61, life over looks, splash!
A man swings his axe,
thunder striking fear above,
a branch shaking hands.
I, food for the worms
Worms become food for the birds
Birds, beauty and song
The barred owl cries.
His love does not answer him.
Children found her, dead.
Camilla gets drenched,
and soaks up the fall droplets.
She blooms all winter.
The pink peony
smells like June and my heartbreak.
She can’t stand upright.
(1)
can see the shadows
through the clear water of the lake
hear the stillness speaks
(2)
cherry blossoms
detaching from every stems
a dance of freedom
(3)
autumn sea waves
making silvery foam
fleeting pleasure
They say a mountain
can be erased with one word.
Accept my silence
–
Salt over my eyes
I see horses eat their lunch
silence around them.
–
Bared and wild to all,
the planets have yet to be
born, broken and bleached.
On a quiet night
The wind blows softly
The leaves fall slowly.
after date ,
wish ing
…..to watch
rain kiss
window panes ’til
morning rainbow.
weeping willow bends
shadow on water margin
reading an old book
dewdrops face the sun
tender earth sustains mountains
I breathe in and out
sun rises too soon
fog blankets blooming lotus
cobwebs on your mug
Fire marks fire migrant,
Fighting for the Summer-days?
Fond of hope and rays.
after date,
wish ing
…to watch
rain kiss
window panes’til
morning rainbow.
I am sorry, sad, I typed my haiku in the shape of a rainbow(6 lines) but it has not transferred that way.
Thanks for this poem, Jody. I see what you are trying to do, but the comment area at Society of Classical Poets does not accommodate shaping. However, your haiku with the traditional number of syllables will be taken into account as an entry for the contest.
after date,
wish ing
…to watch
rain kiss
window panes’til
morning rainbow.
birch trees towering
parting in a winding path
I feel I am home
Muralidharan Parthasarathy – email: [email protected]
This rare bold girl child
points her finger – will the wolf
be booked and punished?
——-
Why you are so keen
to unmask me? – A carapace
that shields me from stones
——
AI made it clear
“You unlearn and then use me”
To free from known? How?
greed, war, frenzied dust
deserted desert the land
as heaven doesn’t weep
rain and shine mirror
upside down colorful smile
unbound joyful end
ribbit ribbit splash
song of love interrupted
“don’t litter the pond”
Bidyutprabha Gantayat
Poem1
mountain shadow
fireflie winter carnival
enlighted valley
Poem2
fairies in ganga
paying tribute to the dead
a living for life
Poem3
dead of the night
a Cockroach in search of food
smashed under boot
© Bidyutprabha Gantayat, Bharat
Email: [email protected]
a hadeda ha’s
at the oblong moon, New Year
marks time awkwardly
snowman sports a hat
like yours, memories blizzard
you will not find me
white curtains rustle
over the bay, a blue ship
netting silver cob
where the still shadows
of lifeless birch branches meet
a feather ascends
August august rain
Pitcher pitched on maiden’s head
Profuse (in)fusion
May I delete this version? Resubmitted with updated style …
Tekii Pretty
Sunrise on dry hills,
camel bells hum through the heat,
dust swirls like old songs.
Acacia shadows,
soft lips of camels sipping
from cracked desert wells.
Across red sand plains,
camels follow fading light,
home is where they kneel.
Tekii Pretty
august August rain
pitcher pitched on maiden’s head
profuse (in)fusion
2. Bones on every side.
White curving dormant femur
Covered with clay dirt.
3. Bay outta season,
Are fishes cold in Winter?
I’d be quite crabby.
3. Minuscule cell walls
I wish our prison had plants
I’d break every pot
1.
The whisper of the wind.
Where is her baby fawn?
Tiny footprints in snow.
2.
Blooming morning
Off to feed baby badger
looking for honey
3.
hot sunny morning
a fluffy duckling circles
in a flowering pond
She inherits gold
And flies like a billionaire
The Cloudless Sulphur
I think of life
My degrees, lost aspirations
The cooker whistles
***
I think of life
Of borders dividing it
Blurring my own thoughts
***
I think of life
The beginning and the end
They call it cycle
***
bright moon paints the sky
the trees glow, their branches dance
and sway in the night
feet on the dash board
hair wild. tangled in the wind
it will be night soon
a bird takes flight.
soaring high over patchwork fields
gliding on the wind
after a hard day –
discovering the silence
in grasshopper sounds
return from afar –
under the rustle of leaves
the paths of childhood
alone in the dark
absorbed by the meadow’s scent
an evening prayer
touched by longing
tears ripple your reflection
in the quiet pond
finished in one go—
closing the hardcover book
first sunrise in spring
arch of the cat’s tail
his lover has whiskers too
the moon veiled in mist
aloha print shorts
on a wave riding the moon
to a bamboo hut
Sea breeze fog obscures
the sun, fuzzes the edges.
Dreams fuse then dissolve.
seeds become saplings
from a butchered sycamore
cherished life returns
long nights come early…
so do the carol singers
sadly out of tune
sky full of spring rain
the returning birds and I
shake our tail feathers
Your big, empty bed.
Worse than any hangover –
the reasons she left.
Sunflower seeds cracked.
Think of who I could have been.
All that time, wasted.
Hitman elegy –
forgiven, in the next life.
You are not your job.
forgotten sparrow
fallen among autumn leaves
her funeral shroud
greygrim winter morn
digging up this graveyard mind
bygone lovers’ bones
maria on pearl
alabaster on midnight
moon in medium
Whitecaps race to shore
Tumbling over each other
Summer’s far too short
December morning,
visible…invisible…
hastening headlights
Golden jubilee
nan rests a sheaf of lilies
by grandpa’s picture
First drop of monsoon—
a peacock unfolds its train;
wide-eyed spectators
dark clouds gathering
lightning splits open the sky
summer night suspense
rain strikes calm water
thunder cracks the sky in two
a child gasps, delight!
bird sings to himself
as he bathes in a cool stream
picture then fall in!
I watch my hands type
my mind far from work’s demands
somewhere full of trees
untended garden
a monarch butterfly rests
on the rusted rake
*
wisteria vines
on the forgotten farmhouse
this lengthening day
*
first winter morning
in grandmother’s heirloom cup
warm hibiscus tea
With a pastor’s eyes
I’m going to talk nicely
Thank you God for her
I climb blind up slopes
thin air is here on the peak-
Again, I have sight
Autumn with brown leaves
From the tree they fall, decay;
Finally, I see color
Wrinkly am I now
In youth, the green grass I loathe-
Here it enchants me
Coiled dreaming python
she’s gone by evening
I step on the hose.
Becalmed mirror sky
aqua blue in reflection
my splash , a ripple.
I , the crashing wave
will surrender together
in bubbles and foam.
Moonlit Sea (Shoda Koho)
a nonchalant moon,
the sentinel grass makes sure
there are no ripples
Song Birds on Persimmon Bough (Shoseki)
so fat and so round,
orange berries on branches:
songbirds weigh so light
Branches with Almond Blossom (Van Gogh)
sprinkle of winter
snow melting on the branches:
one morning it’s gone
the last cicada
sings into the silent dusk—
summer’s requiem
through the clover patch
swift bare feet speckled with dew—
a cricket leaps high
waxing crescent moon
slowly lifting the bride’s veil—
a pale cratered face
From her eye a tear,
Her loved one she sees no more.
Overwhelming pain
Is she gone really
My heart cannot take the pain
Heaven I will pray
When my time is up
I will embrace your warm hug
Until then my love
Tokyo morning
He asks me to marry him
Blossoms nod their heads
A frosty pine tree
Turns to the old temple
Receives the moonlight
Reeds in the river
Bowing to cherry blossoms
I row through the past
dew and choking smog
enclose the tops of buildings
but still, this is home.
vines split mined granite—
these claws of nature that try
and try to survive.
sweetness of sugar
and juice on innocent lips,
still, a seed chokes.
turquoise meltwater
rushing through the old city
another heatwave
late summer sunshine
at the end of a grass-blade
an ant turns around
the sound of crickets
getting deep into the drought
a water sprinkler
lonely maple leaf
kisses the cooling concrete
colors it autumn
Three haiku reflecting the turning of the seasons, each drawn from moments observed in the British countryside.
Winter
frost on the hedgerow —
a rook lifts into pale sky
above the frozen fields
Spring
blackthorn scent drifting —
a postman tips his cap to
the returning swifts
Autumn
mist in the reedbeds —
a fisherman’s torch sways past
the heron’s shadow
yellow leaves ahead
the rivulet meanders
yellow leaves behind
biblical torrent
the corn no longer knee high
…I search for Noah
Two old lovers kiss
in the glow of the full moon…
scent of cherry blooms
Echo of the bombs…
sombre shadows keep falling
upon the rubble
A fisherman’s oars
caress the glistening sea…
symphony of light
1
Footprints in the snow,
leading where I cannot go,
melt before I learn.
2
Old pine by the gate,
roots grip deep in ancient soil,
Wind hums through the years.
3
Empty wooden bench,
faces I will never meet
Wait in the sunlight.
despite the high heat
dry ditch of morning glories
still full of itself
two closest islands
watching me all of my life
eyes across the lake
against the warm earth
every inch of inchworm
eventually
a climate denier
waiting for a large blizzard
Dairy Queen – July
1.
Watching fireworks paint
colors across summer skies
while cicadas sing.
2.
Bon Festival, dead
loved ones dance home with autumn
voices, dried from heat.
3.
Colder nights came quick
whipping leaves around our feet
covering brown ground.
Motionless summer
Cicadas’ haunted humming,
Smoke disguised as air.
Playing hide and seek—
Where are you, ruby rooster,
With your sweet, sweet song?
Restless remedy,
The slow to my frantic flow.
Step, step— forest glow.
Snow-covered landscape —
Lonely footprints traverse
A light far away?
my father tells me
to go do, go be, go see
’tis the writer’s way
creativity
doesn’t fall far from the tree
from my dad to me
cold and refreshing
I think I like when it rains
it cleanses my soul
an unfinished letter —
the drops of water on the table
change into new shapes
at the bus stop
snow on the old man’s shoulders
slowly melts away
an old wooden gate —
in exactly the same light
blooming plum tree now
Blossoms bursting forth
Nature wakes from its sleep
A lone acorn sprouts
Fall moonlight waxes
Moths dance fearlessly although
It gives them away
Ill try forever
Ill grow wings someday fly high
Be it dead or alive
Unworn shoes stand still,
the world never heard her laugh—
now the angel flies.
Sun over the hills
burns my cheek with its old heat –
the touch I recall.
Anhedonia –
craving through an empty soul
to savor the earth.
Smoke I once adored,
now wraps around my body
closing every breath.
another meeting
the snowflakes on their noses
meet for the first time
the summer full moon
the astronaut and his wife
look at it anew
the orphan’s drawing
his dad dancing with his mom
amidst the Perseids
1.
nesting in the eaves
she sings a melancholy tune
in the spring drizzle
2.
snowflakes melt
rhythmically
in the hugs of the river waves
neglecting the pale moon
3.
child with the bare string
looks at his kite floating freely
among the blue clouds
ONE:
Mystery as it
Seems to turn away in seconds
Like clockwork
TWO:
Hostile lie the trees
As they sway over our wooden
Boat far away at sea
THREE:
Numb lies stolen time
When the minutes flee ahead
And hours subside
FOUR:
Sanguine the world lies
For never having to show
Their concealed disguise.
Deer huddle “neath pine
Snow pillows forest sanctum
Quietly hidden
Fog fades silently
Sun rays filter through branches
Yellow leaves clinging
Bitter snow at dawn
Island warmth welcomed by noon
Bare feet free at last
rose razzle-dazzle
daisy pandemonium –
star shenanigans
indian paintbrush
spikes like crimson firecrackers –
seeds of prairie fire
frog pond symphonies
dragonflies conduct crickets –
moon walks on water
Margaret, these two entries went astray… I’ll email their email addresses to you.
Adam Crawford
August 1, 2025
The stream’s steady flow,
stopped by stacked sticks, filters through
them and continues.
Cora a Vidrine
August 9, 2025
My life
Life feels like a dream,
pain too heavy for my hands—
still, I chase the light.
i envy the bee –
he doesn’t know he’s tasted
his last peony
to the uncaught fish
the rod’s sharp sudden sting
is nothing but myth
shadows on the path –
how suddenly they faded,
the bright autumn leaves
wiry vines longing
for rays of sunshine to climb ~
nature finds a way
Canada
wiry vines longing
for rays of sunshine to climb ~
nature finds a way
Kite soars high in sky
swooshing sounds of turns and glides
I stand still in awe
Paradise resort
An island of love and song
Sea and land, I do
Treetop crows gather
Frogs ribbiting along creek
Echoing full force
Clouds catch fire, throw sparks
Moon pasted on navy sky
Screens flicker, go dark.
Sinuous, sun soak’d
Sleepy, shadow-striped, dreaming
Cat-shaped contentment.
Petrichor and dust
Rain walking across the sky
The desert blooms again
dew-drenched rose garden
these shades of scarlet sunlight
still drip, drip, dripping …
tenth year in exile …
a blossom breeze of lilac
brings me home again
another war news
a spiderweb on the eaves
sagging with raindrops
1) chains break in daylight
shadows of faith cut the air
tricolour still flies
2)first breath kicks the ball
sun and storms across the field
whistle fades to dusk
3)Blossoms fall around
I seek her in every crowd
no flower matches
1.
dream of summer sea
inspiration of soft waves
rolling up, cold toes!
2.
sweet garnet lilies,
throats bright at twilight, mingle
their scent with our breath
3.
across bluest sky
ceaseless clouds collide, a gust
bears my gaze aloft
(1) Reflections on the Movie “Past Lives”
Threads of In-Yun weave
Two lives drift on distant seas
Eyes meet through the years
(2) The Conclave
Smoke twists in the sky
Whispers swell to thunder’s roar
Keys turn, doors open
(3) On a Visit to Saihoji, Kyoto in Autumn 2023
Velvet earth unfolds
Moss-keeper’s quiet footfalls
Stitch the shade with care
(4) On the Plane that Returns to Fiumicino Airport after a Parakeet Attack on November 10, 2024
Concrete sky trembles
Green monks scatter in engines
Rome holds its breath still
Thanks, Min Chen, for these haiku. Please choose ONLY THREE as your entries for the contest. You may give the numbers in reply to me below.
1.
coiled tongue extends
to unyielding pursed petals
better luck next time
2.
God’s smile taunts me
bound to roam the mossy earth
wish I were a bird
3.
miles of desert
cacti are my only friends
they look like gumdrops
War’s end
doll wanders her master
into nobody zone
Song of crane bird
seating fee for tree
with no discounts
Sunrise spills
into woods- drains night
remains on grapes
1. Mist melts in pink dawn
Rain-soaked cloth scrapped in thorns –
A name washes off
2. Tin roof leaks mid-sip
Swirl of rust, milk, cardamom
This is nashta too!
birds chirp songs of spring
seated on the iron rods of pillars
spot once full of trees
family photo
in front of the Christmas tree
missing your presence
digging up treasure
in morning excavation
unearths gem lettuce
precipitation…
cherry blossom confetti
showers park wedding
powdery snowdrift
low voices in the kitchen
whiff of burnt sugar
this morning glory,
cherries and sugar snap peas—
spring, forget-me-not.
reaching the old fence
between our garden benches—
budding daffodils
1. the rainy season
the gray sky is blurring
on the sidewalk
2. a pair of young swans
please, let’s don’t talk about love
while we’re at the pond
1) papilio palinursus
little stary night full of
green auroa and fireballs
2) new year day
table clock is floundering on mirror’s open mouth
3) inbloom cherries
simultaneously are cosmos’ begining and cosmos’ fate
Exuse me
Correct form if second haiku is following:
new year day
table clock is floundering on mirror’s open mouth
Sorry
Since it seems that arrangement of my haiku lines be messed up, I reposting them all.
papilio palinursus
little stary night full of
green auroa and fireballs
new year day
table clock is floundering on
mirror’s open mouth
inbloom cherries
simultaneously are cosmos’ begining
and cosmos’ fate
ruby rising sun
sampan seamen savor spring’s
salty sea sushi
jasmine permeates
portentous passions pursue
silhouettes in spring
spring, summer, or fall;
winter winds will never maul
growing Bonsai trees
graduation day…
a baby grasshopper jumps
through the barbed wire fence
*
ceaseless summer rain…
on every writing table
origami boats
*
fishing a river…
with my grandfather hip-deep
in the mackerel sky
*
rainforest rhythms . . .
woolgather midst a white-glove
Year of the Wood Snake
*
abracadabra . . .
last lily of the valley
lilting in limelight
*
a roll of the dice . . .
not a night for lullabies
moon plays peekaboo
*
Monica Kakkar
Luminous white dog
Leading us through the dark wood
Lighting the way home
Shadowed by the church
No-one sees the twisted tree
It sheds yellow leaves
Black elm silhouettes
Against the pale end of day
Stretch for the last light
back to the office —
busy migrating swallows
fill the leaden sky
blackbird on tree top
in the middle of the night…
whistling Beatles’ songs
under the bamboos
a sudden wind brings about
early morning rain
another hot day…
in the old beggar man’s box
many years of shame
families of toads
into a jazz -blues concert –
evening picnic
boat full of migrants…
a song about the green grass
face the horizon
Old traditions
A note in my daughters lunchbox
The cold northern wind
is whispering
About winter coming early
Pitter-patter
On my roof the announcement
Winter is here!
– Stef de Koker
from South-Africa
Vapor sweeps my eyes
Tearing up after, for you
Sky falls down on us
August dolour here
Airless sky, airless ticker
Longing your twister
It is winter and
this is God flushing our sins.
I am forced to muse
Snow shrouds the lantern,
footmarks fade along the path-
night swallows the light.
The street is holding
an assembly of bodies,
and bullets and bombs.
nettle for the sting
strawberry for the sweetness
my tattoo heals me
a sturgeon moonrise
brings the bereft abundance:
serendipity
ukrainian spring
even in the minefields, growth
is unstoppable
We are the soldiers
Spring’s breeze rising through the trees
Autumn’s falling leaves
strange how, in grief, the
whole world can unfurl upon
a tiny spring leaf
spring’s here, I say, my
words of course unheard – yet all
the birds are singing
in Willow’s deep shade
pasts and futures fade into
the soft ‘plop’ of now
Ticking of clock
Abyss stares darkly
Wave in sand
why are you still here
you know that we are finished
it’s time to move on
we were never good
we always just pretended
now we are both free
mosquito attack
hot summer
sitting by the water
mosquito attack
butterfly wings
my stress dissolves
into many colors
butterfly wings
The poor fortune-teller
Puts the lifetime of all time
Out for a cheap sale
Upon the cloud tops
A wandering thought walks slow
Freed from every chain
A child leaves alone
His wooden doll on the ground
He longs for the branch
Weathered photographs
cold stench of rot and wet moss
a lone crow cries out
A murder of crows
circles above winter snow —
red blooms stain the white
Cherry blossoms fall
staining the wet stone pathway
echoes of lost hands
Frown creases his brow
Even with month’s wage in hand
Wrinkles hold the day
________
New skin in the spring
Woven for unwritten tales
Past sleeps in the ground
________
He lowers his sword
Poverty sleeps in white snow
Sakuras in frost
Sunset above a sweltering city
Firebathes brick buildings in an apricot haze
Blue dusk relief exhales nightfall
Sometimes it isn’t the living
Who gently rock you to sleep, murmuring
“I’ll always be with you.”
Blossom glows and froths
Like curling surf in sunlight
A sweet treat for birds
One tiny snowdrop
Shakes a white head at winter
Passing by, we smile
Light’s gleam strokes the tree
Dancing its fingers along
A touched leaf trembles
Low swallows over
late summer grass – I wish I
had roamed more widely!
High summer, high winds –
white butterfly clings, angled,
to its bramble leaf
Coo COO coo coo coo –
high in a green tree, pigeon
begins a haiku
weary trees drop leaves
crispy from the heat of drought
aching for autumn
sweet soft breeze blows in
ousting steamy summer heat
which plots to return
crickets wake confused
spring eclipse calls for stellar
daytime lullabies
entangled up high
a boy unravels the kite
from the sky’s embrace
drifting paper boat
a child cups the hush of rain
in his trembling hands
evacuation
box after box after box
packing memories
Monarch butterfly
Emerge from green chrysalis
Magical beauty
-Stefeni Bartlett
Sunflower faces
Each to the north, south, east, west
Russian mammoth here
-Stefeni Bartlett
Feathers of a wren
Making their houses again
Next year they’ll be ten
-Stefeni Bartlett
1. if peace is the goal
then i must let you go, dear.
adieu, my love. bye.
2. why did you leave, dear?
i knew this would not last long.
it was just one word.
3. the house is silent
a man melts, a woman burns.
but finally- peace?
two monarchs flutter
around like petals, twirling
in the springtime breeze
ship beyond the sea
sings its centuries old song
hidden behind mist
figure in the pond
a reflection that ripples
i wave— it waves back
Mexico summer,
dirt droplets smear the windshield:
radio rain song.
after daffodils,
cicada summer sets in —
retreat to haiku.
salt-beetle roams on
cow plop, startles butterfly;
rippling rut-water.
Minuscule worries
Bother me, irritate me
Rationalizing
A single thought moves
From my head down to my toes
It commands my will
I watch her rise up
hands towards the new day sky
my blooming flower
My love bleeding out
gathering into one heart
a red rose bouquet
The intricate art
of weaving romantic lace
as spider prepares
Fountains, brightest rose,
Crimson red, growing, passion,
Love blooms on spring day.
Mystery, depth, soul,
Realm of the spirit, expansive,
Beginning and End.
Peak of mountaintop,
Glorious sight, revelation,
Eternity’s vision.
bird’s nest there you are
hidden by the summer leaves
now the leaves are gone
from a mountain road
the lights of Los Angeles
like thousands of stars
the way the trunk lid
bites down on the evergreen
Christmas in its jaws