The winning haiku can be found here
Write a haiku on any topic and post it in the comments section below. The haiku must adhere to the traditional parameters of a haiku to qualify (and may be deleted if it does not). It must…
1. Be three lines. The first line must have five syllables, the second seven syllables, and the third five syllables. Seventeen syllables total (5-7-5).
2. Contain a nature or seasonal reference: the crumbling leaves, the cold air, the smell of manure, the taste of fresh black berries, the cicadas’ buzzing.
3. Be in the present tense (swims rather than swam).
4. Be subtle and observational.
5. Contain some sort of twist in the third line: a shift in perspective or mood, a surprise, a new interpretation of the first or second line.
Read more about writing a haiku here.
When: Now until Saturday August 8, 2020 midnight EST. Winners Announced August 15, 2020.
Who: Anyone in the world, any age or background, may participate. From within the Society, anyone, including Advisory Board Members, not involved in judging the contest may participate. (If you are outside the United States, you will have to have a PayPal account or a bank that accepts U.S. checks to receive the prize money if you win.)
What: Each entrant may submit up to three haiku. Any topic. Must conform to traditional haiku rules above.
Where: Post your haiku in the comments section below.
Prize: $100.
Judge: Mike Bryant
Entry Fee: None
Tattered leaf fragments,
These paper ghosts, last studies
Haunt now childless rooms
backyard birds gather
at the old baptismal font
splashes of summer
1. Title – Drizzle
Drizzling of the rain.
Let the downpour lave away
my old timeworn pain.
……………………….
2. Title- Nature wonders in
pandemic
Why is air still , hushed
Why birds chirping, wondering
where is he gone now
……………………………..
3. Title – autumn leaves
Brown leaves drop to earth
Wither and fall, embracing
change for a rebirth
…………………………….
I
Seasons trickle on,
Only the clock-hand swims back,
Others are locked out.
II
Tired birds return
To a home of moist shadows-
Moss on fresh concrete.
III
The vibrant canvas
Flutters on a sea of light-
Sailing Butterfly
I like these haiku. I think the last one is especially good.
the end seems so near
it feels bitter like unripe fruit
a new beginning
Sunny days are here!
The beach is ideal and near.
It’s Fall already?
Racing with the leaves
Unknown where the winds lead me,
I drift endlessly.
I like it. I wish you had posted more.
exploding rainbows
surfing the curl of a wave
dolphins swim with me
summer sun does grace
dark illusions fly transformed
peacock feathers glide
walking through shadows
an owl taps my shoulder with
the scent of crushed leaves
I like these haiku–very perceptive.
an owl waits for me
wisdom sentinel for my
walk on the wild side.
first rain
of new monsoon
ripples in lake
This does not conform to the regular 5-7-5 form.
Rotting of bodies
Morning breeze in Covid times
Withered yellow leaves
The kin are all dead,
Who cares for the alive too?
Only the breeze blows…
let’s hold hands and walk
Life, a rough terrain of thorns
Hear flowers whisper
together but sole,
six feet apart, you are dead,
I live six feet up.
Love rots in alleys
The promises are shattered
Still a bee bumbles
Silvery, my hair
I hold a carved cane to trod
Yet golden dreams fly
Drink in the warm sun
Cherish the smell of rich earth
Emptiness awaits
This is nice. I wish the poet had submitted more.
For your consideration, three haiku
1. Stars on the Ceiling
Claustrophobic day.
Sit staring at the ceiling
imagining stars
2. Owl
On wild, winter nights,
the owl calls out to dreamers,
“Who-r-you? Who-ooo?
3. The Silent Night
The owls fly away;
swaying in the silent night,
a sad, leafless tree.
This submission is withdrawn – incorrect email provided, apologies
RESUBMITTED (incorrect email previous submission, apologies) for your consideration, three haiku
1. Stars on the Ceiling
Claustrophobic day.
Sit staring at the ceiling
imagining stars
2. Owl
On wild, winter nights,
the owl calls out to dreamers,
“Who-r-you? Who-ooo?
3. The Silent Night
The owls fly away;
swaying in the silent night,
a sad, leafless tree.
Exceptional, especially ‘Wings’
And The Silent Night. Very good.
1.
Naive, fallen seed
Is loved, is fed, has sunlight
‘Til bitter winter
2.
Rain pours, my heart beats
Soaked grass and branches shake slow
Lights flash, fallen tree
3.
Waves crash over rocks
Deep blue surrounds, the tides rise
The rock beneath, veiled
1. BE STILL
The boats carry bones
Under the Ha Long islets
Peace is within one
2. ABYSS
A boat submerges
A couple cries angrily-
The ships are sinking
3. DROUGHT
Petrichor in May,
our deep long kisses,
I miss the waters.
August 6th, 2020
Waves
Underneath the sky,
the waves lay without moving.
Now the moon pulls them.
Rose Petals
There in the valley,
where no roe petals soar in wind,
nature comes to life.
Clouded
I am so confused,
my mind clouded and misty.
Sunshine now shines through.
AUTUMN SOUP
a lonely yolk sits
silent in the rich, dark broth
the Harvest Moon swells
PYGMALION, 2020
beautiful statue
will you come alive for me?
The wind blows empty
MY MOTHER’S GARDEN
Drop garnet jewels
glisten in the summer sun
Fruit fresh on the vine
These are good. I like them.
beautiful imaginings of life! love this
I.
The wind sifts the sand
elegantly dancing grains
amongst my fingers
II.
Remember the sun.
Once your sunburn heals to tan,
Cold returns again
III.
Forming in the skies
Nature’s most gentle crystals
Falling down frozen
Three Haiku
1. Wings
When the eagle soars,
even the mighty oak tree
wishes he had wings
2. The Bridge
The bridge is rotting;
yet we cross, ever hopeful
it will hold our weight
3. The Last Words
See how they linger,
hanging in the silent night –
the last words spoken
I
my iris garden
unfurls its shades of purple—
waiting for van Gogh
II
red fish float along
our long embracing shadows—
bridge over the pond
III
smiles all in black and white
pressed with care in the album—
the shine of days past
how the days go by
go in the blink of an eye
they cannot be stopped
please disregard this entry