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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 Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment.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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refugee convoy
a lassie stops to gather
corn silk for her doll
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living the hospice
winter clouds deepen into
her window mirror
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first dream of the year
my mother emerging from
the induced coma
new treaty of peace
the wind leaves through the ruins
cherry tree blossoms
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cherry trees in bloom
looking over the color
of pregnancy test
Natures silent grace
Whispers in a quiet placeLife’s beauty we embrace
Moonlight on the sea
Waves sing a soothing melody
Nature’s harmony
Autumn leaves take flight
Colors blaze with pure delight
Natures final rite
Fall bees drink the bloom
Dance and thread at nectar’s loom
Spring waits, workers’ tomb
Tree to earth winds blow
Thrash and gnash its spirit woes
Ant and ilk abode
I am making a revision to my prior submissions by adding titles to two of the haiku. I am fine submitting these with or without a title. The contest rules do not mention titles, and I have seen poets taking positions on both sides of whether or not haiku should have a title, though none of your examples include titles.
Autumn Leaf
Departing the cold,
she casts her stemline adrift
amidst leafy seas.
Pine Warbler
Gathering needles,
she deftly stitches them round
the warbler nursery.
The rhythmic beat of
summer’s rolling waters, now
iced into silence
Whispers of the wind, Nature’s symphony unfolds, Peaceful harmony.