.
The Winner and Runner-ups are listed HERE.
WHO
Anyone in the world, of any age or background, may participate (SCP Membership not required). 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.
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 2023. Please submit using your first and last name, as we may find it difficult to distinguish between contestants who have similar first names.
.
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 15, 2024, 6 pm EST (New York time). Results to be announced September 29, 2024.
.
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.
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 Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment.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who submits more than three entries will have ALL his or her entries disqualified, unless excess entries are clearly withdrawn by a later Comment.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
.
.
A tranquil moonrise
Embracing Lookout Mountain
In Laurel Canyon.
Foam, flashing white, red,
Spirit over the waters,
Ten thousand fishes.
The pain is my muse,
The city blurring through tears
Steel, remorse, night rain.
Eyelevel wasp nest
Startles us both. That branch there
Was bare last we looked.
Haiku Contest Submission, 3 separate haikus:
butterfly springs forth
in mind, dreamy nectar froths
in heart and garden
river soars on rock
with the birds and mid-year heat
my spirit dragged on
rickety autumn —
frail bones befriend the branches
fruiting memories past
Last haiku, a correction:
mem’ries, not memories
__________________
By the old brick wall
pear trees great-grandpa planted,
mossy wooden bench.
__________________
Swooshing from red woods,
train hoots at curved viaduct
near my parents’ grave.
__________________
Resinous bombshell
Explodes my hammocking daze:
A falling pinecone.
________________________
Cold air grips my bones
As I cross a bridge. Even
The water shivers.
________________________
My face wheels around
To catch the westering sun —
Field of sunflowers.
Wagging tail, so cute
When you look at me sweetly,
I bask in your love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mornings spent in chair,
Warm, occupied and content,
Reading in a daze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking with my thoughts,
Winding, striding in my mind,
When will I prevail?
Faith, a sanguine moth,
fluttering through the gloaming.
Lamps reawaken.
—————————————-
Basic radar glitch:
A bat bustling in the sun.
Recalibrating.
birches painting fall
barren, barkless, thickened pink
art of self defense
I am submitting one more haiku :
silhouettes of leaves
lacy cutwork appliques ~
patterns on canvas
(The haiku titles are in “quotes”)
“19”
Flowers should bloom now
But it snows in the springtime
Young girls have white hair
“Monsters Steps”
This year we will die
Winter has not yet shown up
But still I shiver
“Perennial”
Someday my lost youth
Will come back to me again
Like a fresh blossom
Thank you for your haiku, Leyelle. Please give your full name (first and last) as requested above in the section about WHO may enter the competition. You may place your full name in reply to me here. It is not necessary to re-type your entries.
round drops of dawn dew
delight on delicate thread,
fly in tangled web
sweet lavender breeze
each breath a caressing kiss
fragrant mystery
a rollercoaster
that dips and soars time takes all
to the earth’s embrace
Dear judges,
Please may I make a slight change to haiku number 3.
Thank you for your patience
it should read,
a roller coaster
that dips and soars, time takes all
to the earth’s embrace
Yes! I’ve noted this change, and a number of changes made by other poets.
Thank you!
at the edge of dawn–
trading secrets with the stars
lizard on the sill
a hibiscus falls–
the pregnant woman looks for
her engagement ring
through the hourglass–
in a matter of minutes
a sand dune appears
Summers hot fury
lingered in the azure sky
as autumn leaves fell
The winds melody
whistled blissfully through the
dancing forest trees
Autumn left before
the wilted leaves touched the ground
the cold came swiftly
untended garden
without any prejudice
the spring springs on it
following the breeze
through a rusty garden gate
a few autumn leaves
without permission
entering my daughter’s room
late September sun
in the gutter dust
a green pencil with bite marks
along the body
single buzzing wasp
twitches on the bottom sheet
the next election
a different green
every single day for
the rest of his life
Am i scared to start
Wondering and worrying
I’m scared to finish
home again once more
Father’s soggy old shoes steam
by the crackling fire
sound of coming of rain
a blind man hears once again
the ripples of light
our bedtime story
blackbirds sing a lullaby
with the starry night
like fly-tipped sofas,
cows hiding in tall rye-grass
lounge under grey clouds
Great image of a moment in time that I could see and feel.
an autumn evening . . .
the sweet sound of a piano
coming from downstairs
*
a nightingale sings
ripples of light and shadow
on the lace curtains
*
letter from a friend
a golden primrose peeps out
from under dry leaves
Daniela Misso
Empty pocket
Empty stomach
Hunger filled eyes
Cutting old trees
Building new house
Shelterless birds sheltered humans
Barking dogs
In street and home
For food and love
the forest at dawn
singing like a theremin
siren’s call heeded
Across the blue field,
my parents’ tombstones glisten–
each a heart, breathing.
Bats keen and flit out
Fanning the autumnal moon
Keeping it aloft
Withered mums and moms
Await springtime’s new cycle
One will ride away
Pumpkin tendrils grab
Thriving in harvest debris
Along with the deer
clouds slide through sunbeams
where whales migrate to rainbows
butterfly effect
dreams made in dark rooms
never find the light of day
sunlight breaks all hearts
changing seasons now
full moon reflects in birds’ eye
summer never comes
Stars of night skies, find
Morning at nadir, bring back
Lurking dark frightens
Prabha K, I’m glad to see your haiku, but we need to have your last name too. See the top of the contest information where it says IMPORTANT. Click the REPLY button below this message to type your full name. Your haiku is fine where it is, with no need to retype it. Thank you!
a quick crunch of peas
sunrise dewdrops fill each pod
pregnant with the day
piles of childhood high
where i work in the guestroom
snail without a throat
golden crunch of leaves
chortles from a wheelchair race
weight of the world lifts
Burning gems of old
Adorn chilling winter skies
Brilliant shining stars
Soft fur, beating heart
Warms both a lap and a soul
Summer sun with paws
A boisterous boom
Spring storm, or a lion’s roar?
New life comes again