.
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.
.
PRIZE
$100
.
JUDGES
J. Thomas Rimer, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature, Theatre, and Art at the University of Pittsburgh; former chief of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress.
Margaret Coats, Ph.D. in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University; retired from a career of teaching literature, languages, and writing that included considerable work in homeschooling for her own family and others.
.
WHEN
Now until September 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).
.
WHERE
Post your entries in the Comments below.
.
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 Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment.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who submits more than three entries will have ALL his or her entries disqualified, unless excess entries are clearly withdrawn by a later Comment.
.
PAST WINNERS
.
.
rhododendron bloom
my child learns how to spell her name
using syllables
mother’s walking stick
all the times she holds my hand
while making dinner
rose petals scatter
a crow’s dark feathers ruffling
in the autumn breeze
apple-scented breeze
through the dried sunflower stalks —
bidding sweet adieu
Beautiful night sky
Moon and stars so big and bright
Bright beautiful night
summer evening . . .
the call from minarets
& cathedral bells
a rusted cauldron
deep in the autumn forest
where birds never sing…
A praying mantis
Stands motionless in the grass—
There’s hundreds of them!
Ravens. Screaming birds.
Always coming into view
When meals are in sight.
Water. Streaming down.
Moving, shifting, splashing, repeat,
Always a good sight.
Uprooted. Replant.
Growing fruits and vegetables,
Then starting over.
Horny churches sit
on the curves of rapeseed fields
piously erect
Dear fish, caught and plucked
from life by a daybreak hawk
good morning, goodbye
Sidewalk dandelions,
defy your masters to death
hold fast for the wind
Late frost on hayfields
The old horse recalls the colt
And bucks the darkness
Pregnant clouds rumble
Pecans trees dance wildly
In the falling rain
Old beagles in hay
Snuggle against the cold wind
Waiting for sunbeams
kill all your close friends
drink their water, steal their sun
leaves still end in dirt
feed me stuffed grape leaves
pour olive oil down my throat
sweet oblivion
space is musical
here between our sundrenched skin
where words are not said
flower in the dark –
nature became agitated
waiting to wake up
the branch is moving
in a cloud of silence
just a breath of wind
summer has arrived
the stone and the thirsty sod –
dream has dried up
Tears join melting ice.
The bears simply trek inland
and join other kin.
The calm lake still hums –
buzz of deadly mosquitoes
adds to nature’s song.
Lone wolf stalks the deer.
His stealth never betrays him…
Stomach growls loudly.
Cherry blossoms bloom
Then fall slowly to the ground
Longing to be free
Patterns intertwine
To form a spider’s artwork
Complete masterpiece
Lone cocoon hatches
One more inch left to complete
Make it in the world
September 15, 2023
Haiku Entries
smoldering, dark clouds
a forest fire is burning
sirens in the night
egg yolk of a sun
with peace, settles in the West
first blue star just winks
bees’s legs, snugly embrace
surface of the sunflower
warbling robin, sings
To Judges, please note…..
Correction..Haiku #3:
Line 1 should be…
bee’s legs do embrace
I apologize for my oversight!
Patricia Allred.
The evening sky glows
with orange swirls and pink puffs.
Dessert is now served.
Shivers in a tree —
My fingers grip, turning white.
All the wolves growl.
Alexa replays
Elvis crooning the blue moon
I linger alone
a blue moon distracts
from after-dinner cleanup
the dishwater chills
a billion wishes
power the golden module’s
journey to the moon
NINE ELEVEN – a chapter of Haikus
War demons descend
Shocking to reality
Our purpose and truth
This great upheaval
Born to shake complacency
Awakes a stunned world
The sky exploding
On September Eleventh
Ignites the whole world
As fireballs rise
To a bright sapphire sky
Smoke snuffs out the Sun
Terrified, frozen
The Earth huddles in shadows
And shudders in fear
We must stay alert
Amend our complacent ways
Save democracy
Let nothing destroy
Civilization and peace
Man’s right to live free
Please edit the second Haiku which should read:
This great upheaval
Born to shake complacency
Wakes up a stunned world
A duet of hoots
serenades under moonlight.
Table for two, please.
Amid swirling flakes
a red cardinal perches–
nature’s own snow globe
smooth frosted sea glass
starfish feathers driftwood shells
treasures lost and found
the first snowflakes melt
on the chestnuts in the fire
autumn equinox
the displaced village
in the long overgrown grass
just leaning crosses
a drop of nectar
the lightheaded butterfly
flying in zigzag
As windmill of dreams
On plains of everyday life
We survive, we thrive.
A droplet on leaf,
A spill on wooden table,
joy leaves, regret roots.
Crunch of frozen grass,
Chukkars blast off strong and proud.
Eyes and smiles connect.
Years of handmade skill,
gentle flame ignites senses
Vitola’s great gift.
Dogwoods open act.
Sunrise bold proclaims the news,
All changes this morn.
Great, beautiful lake
Pristine, untouched, reflective
Symbol of beauty
A tall vantage point
Overlooking trees and hills
And a great blue sky
A delicate seed
Sapling sprouting from the earth
Size does not matter
Twirling through the air
Mother above and below
How does forever work?
Soar ever upward
On illuminated wing
The still puddle smiles
rare stories from Dad
about his refugee years…
hailstones in summer
wedding procession –
the groom pauses to admire
the cherry blossoms
clanging harbor bells
fishing trawlers return home
in the autumn mist
a hibiscus blooms
on the anniversary
of the day she left
*******************
the world condensed on
a dew drop on a bamboo
the old gray cat snores
*******************
3 in the morning
staring at the ceiling fan
half-life of a dream
**************
3 in the morning
staring at the ceiling fan
half-life of a dream
*******************
a hibiscus blooms
on the anniversary
of the day she left
******************
the world condensed on
a dew drop on a bamboo
the old gray cat snores
*******************