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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.
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PRIZE
$200
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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 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!
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HOW
Post your entries in the Comments below.
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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 Once entries are posted, they can be revised or withdrawn ONLY by making another Comment.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.
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PAST WINNERS
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Haze over green hills,
Northern forests smouldering—
FREE two-day shipping!
On April’s mirror,
Whirligigs dance in the sun
Between her teardrops.
below are my three offerings, the first was inspired
by the painting by Hiroshige shown at the top of this
page:
Humans trudge upwards
Gay water foams, rushing down,
Fog eaten by trees.
Swallow perches high
Seeking swarming insects fly
Mouth open: dinner!
Volcanoes heat the
Ocean deeps warming an earth
Humans do not own.
The gracious oak tree
Standing on carpet of leaves
Making an angel
Warmth is with us now
Daffodils now watching us
Lambs in the field
Snow everywhere
Squirrels scutter round the streets
Christmas trees inside
alone in his thoughts –
the water curls around rocks –
a welcome escape
–
where a river bends
little eddies of water
misplaced fantasy
–
wedding butterfly
why would I need a motive
when I have power
Ernesto Santiago
Agua de Mayo
children splash in the puddles…
sunken paper boats
_
Autumn night busking
the singer’s fedora falls —
a whole rest symbol
_
Phosphorescent stars
each on the ceiling outshines
all of my neck pain
First shy rays of light
The old relentless river
Guides my way to work
Early spring cleaning
Old items packed in boxes
Your memory too
A blanket of stars
The whispering sleepless waves
Bow under the moon
Handfuls of blossoms
Floating on the riverbank
Taking precious time
The sun beaming bright
On the bright green, glistening leaves
It feels like summer
I’m a little fox
Camouflaging in the snow
Im brave as can be
Hot summer days
Ocean breeze cold rush
Memories fulfilled
Snow collapsing
Covering up the ground
Stroking my cat’s ears
Cherry petals fly
Spreading pollen around bees
The smell of grass
Waves crash around
Hitting my brother’s sandcastle
Beach balls everywhere
sunbeams, soft, golden,
fracture midnight’s starry skies,
glowing hope of dawn.
***
impossible things:
the heavy weight of mudbanks,
wildflowers blooming.
***
summer is the sound
of waves whoosh, crashing to shore,
you laughing at me
Cicadas wail fire—
child’s laughter breaks through the storm,
hope drenched in warm rain.
***
Frost veils the cold night,
candle’s trembling breath reaches—
loneliness in light.
a frosty morning
in the song of the blackbird
my husband Martin
blossom in the square
bells ring from the Cathedral
the Godwits return
early morning fog
a man appears from nowhere
then disappears
old cemetery
on loudest days the sound of
dead leaves whispering
squirrel in the park
burying and looking for
my scattering thoughts
post-spring mountain creek
letting my quickening thoughts
meandre freely
Lela Northcross Wakely
Stillness over pond
Phlox gives its last perfume-sigh
No one to notice
Silence and singing?
Young bamboo shelters frogs while
Buddha meditates.
Strawberry moon tryst
Love nips skinny dippers- NO
Watch out for those Carp!
May I please withdraw the last haiku about the “Strawberry moon tryst/” I am concerned it is more a Senryu than an actual Haiku. I will submit another one in its place. Thank you.
Snowbound solitude
Evergreen bough holds…surprise!
One blooming sunrise
The Spring breeze whispers,
Such deep stillness in the trees –
The Creator speaks.
The river flows full,
Two Grebes ritually dance –
Creation’s beauty.
In the high azure,
Courting Buzzards are circling-
Wings touching heaven.
The July sun crowns
Tops of regal tulip trees –
Passing clouds douse fire.
Autumn leaves sweep way
Those windy tokens of love.
I watch alone still.
Poppies and tulips
Peek out from their gray foxholes –
Winter sends them back.
snapdragons explode
kimonos strung on a line–
swallowtail sails on
morning foragers
skunk tracks among strawberries–
my fingers stained pink
quail young traverse road
reach shoulder fast as wildfire–
foot eases off brake
one by one falling
the chestnut leaves making room
for the milky way
Between, stands the gate.
Green vines twine round man’s estate.
Hands reach through to bait.
Strangers’ sleeves brush past.
Autumn leaves fall in the breeze.
Someone leaves too fast.
Blizzard blows around.
Footprints show on snowy ground
Found, heart starts to glow. |
Chilly was the morn
I kissed the lips of the sun
afternoon smoldered
Autumn fog teases,
kisses me in dawn’s shadow,
steals my heart away.
An omen of light
snuggles in the breast of night
before dawn wakes her.
Night swallows the light
Stars whisper secrets untold
Each unique and gold
—
The fire departs
But still a lone flame remains
Bringing hope in pain
—
Sleep slowly dances
On a frosty windowsill
Inviting the night
pregnant pouring rain
music on a metal roof
flowers’ wakeup call
arid waterhole
under an African sky
hungry lioness
sweetly singing birds
on an early Spring morning
funeral chorale
first family trip
walk along a narrow path
ducklings with their mom
one by one falling
the chestnut leaves making way
for the shooting stars