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Our 2023 Haiku Competition is on now HERE.
WHO
Anyone in the world, of any age or background, may participate. 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 resident in the United States, must have a PayPal account or a bank that accepts US checks, in order to receive prize money.
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PRIZE
$100
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JUDGE
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WHEN
Now until August 15, 2022. Results to be announced August 30, 2022.
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WHERE
Post your entries in the Comments below.
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WHAT
Each competitor may submit up to three haiku of traditional form: three lines per poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second, and 5 in the third. Entrants are recommended to conform to other traditional haiku requirements outlined HERE. They should be new poems, written since the closing of the 2021 haiku competition. Although this competition is held in summer, haiku dealing with any season are acceptable.
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 Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment.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who submits more than three entries will have ALL his or her entries disqualified, unless excess entries are clearly withdrawn by a later Comment.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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Renew
Sharp spearmint sprouts up
Crisp as cooling, early rains
Smiling senses shine
Revive
Luscious lemon balm
Sends sweet scent, refreshing splash
Summer’s citrus kiss
Restore
Roasted rosemary
November campfire embers
Earthy warmth within
Books recall the way
Of trees—they sigh and whisper
Of skeleton leaves
Books speak. Pages shift
And sigh, like skeleton leaves
Recalling wind’s kiss.
Shelved books feel echoes
Of rain, of wind, of sun. They
Dream in emerald.
I often wish that
Midnight’s sand could sweep away
Echoes of your kiss
*Hi, I forgot that this was only supposed to be 3 entries. Apologies! Please disregard the last haiku I submitted. Thank you.
Thanks, Stephanie. I took note!
Chilling with the cold
Unquestionable downpour
Beating… blabbing rain.
A duel with my chi…
Parading the market square
It’s masquerade festival.
The eagle’ talon
Piecing on the Y image
Giant of Africa.
The fish in the pond
breaks the ice at Zuikoji
whale songs in the breeze
“The fish in the pond breaks the ice” （魚氷に上る）is a seasonal word in spring.
A bridge at Zuikoji temple (雪鯨橋) in Osaka, which is made of whale bones, was constructed in the 18th century for praying for a good catch and as a memorial service for the sacrificed whales.
(Please note that whale fishing was one of major sources of livelihood at the poor fishing village at that time.)
Japanese version:
氷に上る魚の音を聞く雪鯨橋
That’s life don’t complain
On those pants a little stain
Because they were free.
Water is for life
If only I will drink it
Then I might survive.
Waiting for you here
While you decide to answer
And you never come.
I’m new to this and my first try to haiku poems. I didn’t know they had to do with nature. Can I try again and send 3 more and disregard the originals?
Yes, you may certainly do that. For help on the requirements, there are several places to click in the contest announcement above, especially the WHAT section. I believe the contest closes tomorrow night at midnight New York time. This area for posting poems will not work after that! Also notice that the results of the contest will appear on August 30. Good luck!
Thank you Margaret for your help!
with nowhere to be
the butterfly stops to sip
sunshine from the trees
I bring my chatter
to the crickets in the night
and become quiet
lake holds the shadow
sky holds the echo—the loon
is already gone
piano concert
hope hidden in every vibe
of the spider’s web
a violent wind
petals of cherry blossoms
among the ashes
Symphony of light
throbbing on a waterfall…
aroma of dawn
A caterpillar
hanging from a broken twig…
soon the miracle
Starry-eyed lovers
kissing under the full moon:
scent of cherry blooms
deep in the summer
two butterflies sharing a
small piece of shadow
the yesterday’s rain
held still in the palms of leaves
my tears left uncried
burning laces of
the sun blazed clouds, engulf me
a blood laden shroud
hiking in august in Israel
warm air and thorn paths
struggling and scared of snakes, and
sweat and dust and joy
all birds migrated
he remains empty handed
his fingers frozen
∞
midsummer party
air full of lavender scent
and sweating dancers
∞
such a sunny day
there’s not a cloud on the sky –
droughts everywhere
My offerings:
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now i understand
what she meant by the blue moon
… neelakurunji
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autumn swings in me
still can’t find the reason why
i cry in silence
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first colouring book …
the sun rises with four
thousand sunflowers
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a cup has a crack
abrading lips, and nectar
underneath its thorn
As the mist rumbles
A fallen snake sheds lightning
Clearing turbulence
Lustrum-long winters
Of my inner hemispheres
Await midnight suns
Brown stain on green grass
explodes to burst of sparrows
feathers in my chest.
Verdant leaves above
a torrent of squawks and sweeps
the cat walks quietly
Unbroken blue sky
breeze-brushed sun over all
God alone in charge
first homecoming trip
the headlights break the darkness
not tangled feelings
an unmoored sailboat
one-step-forwards, two-steps-back
of our love affair
Revision:
first homecoming trip
my headlights break the darkness
not tangled feelings
Cold evening,
A donkey bray’s,
While taking shelter with men.
A blazening fire,
A cat meows;
In the freezing of the night.
A weathered soul,
Treading a desolate moor;
Smell of Death!
Rains rinse off the night
from skies blurred into secrets
that still smell of time
The bird sits on songs
now woven from the dark light
of rumbling thunder.
The night condenses
Into black brown coffee drops.
They stain the morning.
Rain rinses the night
off skies blurred into secrets
that still smell of time
The birds sit on songs
now woven from the dark light
of rumbling thunder
The night condenses
into black brown coffee drops.
They stain the morning
unseen for ages
hunger stones reappearing
on the waterway
glory in the fall
a sagging barn in Vermont
draped in fresh colors
drought summer leaves droop
thirsting for absent rainfall
autumn comes early
pheasant taps on glass
dish of water placed outside
message understood
The maternal wind
that carries the sweet scents of
pollen and petals
In the bitter air,
Snowflakes dance delicately
and land perfectly
Golden leaves fall down
into a great pile, ready
for children to jump
this long July day
lingering over my wine
in backloaded light
a sudden rainfall
by open cottage windows
towels tossed on the floors
Mom’s dying garden
the sharp fingers of thistles
take it all at last
Great horned owl and I
Share the hours before morning,
Hunters joined in awe.
My child grasps a bud,
Full and fragile as her own
Youthful scent and hue.
The cat is outside,
Howling for some love and fun.
Take her. She’s ready.
to my cousins’ house
past wilting geraniums
the slap of sandals
5 PM nightfall
my wool hat dripping snowmelt
into red curry
held by its ribbons —
breezing past plum blossoms with
my box of eclairs
the rippling cursive
notating a bluer sky
in migrating geese
anniversary-
a single blossom floating
in my jasmine tea
slipping through the mist
a droplet from her paddle
the canoe at dawn
Blankets of moss draped
lavish furnishings help to
welcome insects home
The tide tells the moon
the dreamcatcher in the sky
to bring on the dawn
Fragments of pale light
cherryblossoms giggle and blush
dancing from the trees