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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 a U.S. resident, must have a PayPal account or a bank that accepts U.S. checks, in order to receive prize money.
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PRIZE
$100
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JUDGES
J. Thomas Rimer, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature, Theatre, and Art at the University of Pittsburgh; former chief of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress.
Margaret Coats, Ph.D. in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University; retired from a career of teaching literature, languages, and writing that included considerable work in homeschooling for her own family and others.
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WHEN
Now until September 16, 2023, 6 pm EST (New York time). The original Sept. 15 deadline has been extended for those in other time zones. Results to be announced September 29, 2023 (corresponding with Tsukimi—the Japanese Moon Festival).
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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.
IMPORTANT: By submitting haiku to this contest, the contestant declares that the poems are his or her own work, and that they were written after July 2022. Please submit using your first and last name, as we may find it difficult to distinguish between contestants who have similar first names.
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 Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment.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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Hi, April fools’ day
the sunshine waking up soon
happy cherry blossoms
each light brings power
bounce the beats in the cold wind
just relax, my friends
above us a struggle
Mastering Frost is a friend
do with longer days
Rippling cool water
Birds flying between blue pools
Sparkling reflections of summer
long dry spell of cold
saintly orchid braves the storm
pushed but just holds on
old man squints through fog
spring dream beyond iron grill
giggling kids on swings
winter morning green
bicycle waits in the dew
warm croissant and tea
Dome of blue on blue
Canadians the pepper
And snow geese the salt.
Brown stalk, slain and robbed
Of its amber offering
Rests now on spent sod
Gaze upon the night
heavens full of countless suns
-dark a mystery
Worm:
consumed in dirt your
head, or tail, wriggling with
frantic exposure
Bear:
Your orange fur is
brown now, but your head is soft
like when you were new.
Thursday Afternoon:
Boots fill with water
as I jump, jump, jump,
in shallow puddles.
Moving my body
A concert of cicadas
In the trees above
Bright blue skies above
As far as my eyes could see
Yellow flower fields
Cicada sounds and
Summer heat bathe my body
As i rest in grass
tiny ants dodge tears
crawling through the crevices
– my son’s name in stone.
Wild flowers bloom, sway
shadows play ‘cross dates too close
sun rays warming stone.
Dry leaves near your stone
Resting, rustling, reassuring
sing you lullabies
the moon at fullness
radiance offers comfort
in the cold darkness
silent pond reflects
golden smile of autumn moon
thoughts struck in fullness
gold wheat’s gentle hush
bathed in the full moon’s glory
tsukimi embrace
One broken branch sways
As two squirrels race, unconcerned
Flaw flavors their fun
Cantankerous storm
Swirls the serene countryside
Into a challenge
Autumn’s breathe lingers
Kissing rose petals goodbye
Romantic ending
Now the river’s soul
stirs with surface blue, changing—
each hour, each new day.
The morning paper
arriving before birdsong
in robin’s egg blue.
first dawn of autumn
dew studded strands of cobweb
stretch over the moon
spring awakening
a butterfly emerges
from its sleeping bag
restless volcano
an alpine flower garden
erupts through the snow
The simple screen door
that rain has clung to all night:
a meditation.
a blanket of dew
on the bright morning glories…
autumn-colored sun
a bad summer cold—
defying the scorching heat
this blue butterfly
incessant drizzle
stretching out over the town
a cuckoo’s soft call
winter solstice wind
a snowshoe hare warms its coat
in the waning sun
growing full, the moon
swearing the seventeen sounds
it wants, i’m wanting
another cold front
the heated language clinging
to so many doubts
blackberry winter
reading a dead author’s work
about time travel
five years of ivy
somewhere still in the tangle
is a stone angel
a new supermoon
down along the waterfront
all the talk is work
R. Abramovich
standing still outside his house
a cherry blossom
listening to dawn –
songs of kiskadee emerge
clockwork from the sky
still delighting me –
all my tropical flowers
in this year’s heat wave
a heart shape cloud fades
its memory remains well etched –
fine inspiration
playing Solitaire
at war veteran’s window
autumn full moon
roasted chestnuts bowl
grandfather plays the cello
on the Christmas Eve
the train from the north
does not stop at our station
impossible love
Each and every one
Particular as snowflakes
But all from water