.
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 in the last twelve months and therefore are not a repeat submission from a previous year. Poems written using artificial intelligence (AI) are not allowed. Please submit using your first and last name, as we may find it difficult to distinguish between contestants who have similar first names.
.
PRIZE
$200
.
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 August 15, 2025, 6 pm EST (New York time). Results to be announced August 28, 2025. Please check back on August 28 or after to view the “Best Haiku of 2025” selected from this competition. NOTE: THE HAIKU CONTEST HAS ENDED! No more entries, the comments have been closed! Thanks to all who entered!
.
HOW
Post your entries in the Comments below.
.
WHAT
Each competitor may post in the comments below 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 Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment.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
.
.
Slicing the black sky,
Perseid meteors – flames
streaking to sure death.
Butterflies and leaves:
morning sunshine embroiders
pillows with shadows
Rain pummels the ground.
A turkey peers out, waiting
under a yew tree.
Scribbling thoughts; drafts pile.
Rain falling, pen twirls; thoughts whirl.
Pages fray; ink dries.
brisk air whips around
enclosed in Winter’s Ballad
boots crunch on the snow
soft pellets rush down
drop below the grey blanket
their time has ended
warm hues fill my nose
pebbeled cobblestone bridges
the leaves slowly fall
winter’s soft silence
snow blankets the sleeping earth
footprints tell no tales
storm clouds in his gaze,
I seek where dark mists soften
a place to vanish.
In dusk’s quiet glow,
your face appears like a dream
love’s quiet echo.
Parched and cracked, she calls—
Dry and bare, the desert thirsts,
Scorching sun at play.
last desert tree’ shade . . .
one yarn of grass has sprouted
eaten by a yak
solar’s clock lock down. . .
in trees’ town woodpecker drums
the final countdown
Manifestation
Characteristically
Appreciated
It’s the Season of the Year
look at the bright sky
it brings new start to the life
flowers start to bloom
Praying at sunrise
early cold air fills the chest
opening the heart
Gratitude today
for this new day, the first light
coffee breathes its steam
Mission accomplished
by late afternoon, footsteps
a brief sense of ease
Every August
Autumn stills and lies in wait
while wind braids her hair.
The sun is shy, yes
And breaks against the hill’s line
but something whispers:
Orange sky, draw near.
October chill graze my skin.
Be ready for change.
A tipsy hummer
sips—or kisses?—fragrant flasks
of red-lipped summer.
Pink mist at sunrise
enshrouds a pale, sunken moon;
your smile masks sorrow.
A firefly blinks
all night hunting a lost friend
in a million stars.
1.
Desert sand at dusk—
The hourglass empties again
Into starry sky
Authors note: My Haiku is translated from my poem “The deserts twin”. I wanted to explore the comparisons between the sands of time and stardust of creation and return.
Golden summer light
The window panes begin to shine
A new day is here
Clouds gather slowly
Then rain pours on thirsty ground
The air feels so fresh
Firefly in the night
Flashes a tiny, bright lamp
A signal of hope
Ice cancels my gloves,
Brings fingers to the arctic
And leaves them in pain.
Tree bark aged away—
Down to its smooth creamy bones,
Wintering and faint.
Daffodils rework
Winter’s plain even palette,
Zesty citron suns.
Gloomy day torrents,
earth goes spicy; glistening,
spread sweet aroma.
Magic in the air,
golden fluid, crystal-clear drops
a wand of wonders.
Thanks for your haiku, Segunola. Please reply here with your FIRST and LAST name!
wandering no more –
fireflies illuminate
the course to the moon
a billowing cloud —
my daughter has a mouthful
of cotton candy
snowman in the yard —
grandfather’s pipe fills the air
with old memories
Harvest moon rising.
High above Obon lanterns,
meteorites flare.
-o-o-o-o-
‘Tis not their fault, earth,
you were lush, warm, welcoming;
myriads swarm forth.
budding ficus tree
a hummingbird thrums beside
last year’s empty nest
on gossamer strands
a reclusive spider nests—
tiny eggs cocooned
summer’s spun threads send
silver kisses everywhere—
sudden flailing arms
Please withdraw these 3 entries. I’ll post my final 3 haiku entries for the contest after this comment. Thank you.
budding ficus tree
a hummingbird thrums beside
last year’s empty nest
Summer’s spun threads send
out silver kisses—oh, my!
sudden flailing arms
First spring rain post-war,
children splash in mud puddles—
wet, wormy minefields
Struggle for the view
Beauty like nothing before
The mountain is you
Two words change it all
Say them and watch my walls fall
“I am so sorry”
The moon shines tonight
And I am missing you more
Like stars without light
Why do you eat dogs
In purple and green rain suits?
Do you have ketchup?
Flying bird is free
Who am I what do I see
Island in the sea
A whiff of dogshit
And slow roasted coffee beans
Waiting for the rain
Tide, a force that bears
Witness to the steady rock
The subtle submerge
A piece of glass splits
The light from the hottest sun
To stunning rainbows
Gentle trick’ling stream
Taking care of fallen leaves
Wind softly lowers
Bare feet in the dust,
her laughter runs ahead quick,
shade waits at the well.
Two chairs in the sun,
your hand brushing mine slowly,
ice melts in the glass.
Train window half down,
the warm wind lifts your dark hair,
we miss our own stop.
an apple a day,
you must be able to find,
in your neighborhood.
privileged freedom,
you might also get bitter
when tasting worry.
drenching their sadness,
the clouds of a blood red moon
rain on blue flowers.
Mother’s pot simmers,
Steam like Victoria Falls,
Covered with a lid.
Crisp, cinnamon air,
Soft feet make music with leaves —
Harmattan dies too.