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Home Poetry Beauty

The 17 Best Haiku of 2020

August 15, 2020
in Beauty, Best Poems, Culture, From the Society, Haiku, Poetry, Poetry Contests
A A
8

Winner and Runners-up of The Society of Classical Poets 2020 Haiku Competition

Judged by Mike Bryant and Susan Jarvis Bryant

See all entrants here.

 

Thunder-bellied clouds
Move slow over heathered hills,
Pregnant with June’s rain

—Savannah Leahy, Competition Winner

 

Sixteen Runners Up

 

With soft clicks and clucks,
the hens watch the full moon rise—
the night’s great white egg.

—Rob Crisell

 

 

snapping the cherries
and crocuses all day long . . .
the moon walks us home

—Oluwasegun Oluseyi Adesina

 

 

The insect monarchs
Skimming with orange and black wings
Holding court in spring.

—Emory Jones

 

 

in the birth of spring
snow gilds the tips of tulips
lingering for a time

—Cindy Lou Bechtold

 

 

tiny white phlox blooms
exhale a whole hay field’s scent
cupped in your two hands

—Sharmon Gazaway

 

 

Footsteps approaching;
calling birds fall silent: sh-h!
The willows whisper.

—Patricia A. Marsh

 

 

two moons this clear spring
night—one drifts among the stars.
one floats in the lake

—Sondra Rosenberg

 

 

The vibrant canvas
Flutters on a sea of light—
Sailing Butterfly

—Shourya Vardhan Agarwal

 

 

A winter zephyr,
Fluttering the falling flakes,
Whispers wistfully

—Lucia Fisher

 

 

backyard birds gather
at the old baptismal font
splashes of summer

—Ernesto P. Santiago

 

 

Footsteps on hard snow,
Intense as soft-voiced secrets,
Whispers of winter.

—Dave Whippman

 

 

Falling like snowflakes
The smell of cherry blossoms
The vision of blood

—Vanessa Valencia

 

 

Sheep flock in the sun
Water doesn’t quench their thirst
The dam is empty

—Toni Newell

 

 

White cherry blossoms
Tinged pink by the setting sun
Gently drift to sleep.

—Douglas J. Lanzo

 

 

Jungle feverish
A sleek, yellow jaguar
stuck in traffic jam

—Mia

 

 

Green buds soon bursting
Birds are anticipating
Raspberries for tea

—Yvonne Longden

 

 

Note from the Judges: Some people did not follow the rules of the competition and were thus disqualified. If your poems were not traditional haiku, then this worked against you. Haiku are depictions of nature and many submitted poems fell under the category of senryu, which are  focused on human nature and are often cynical or humorous.

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Comments 8

  1. rohini sunderam says:
    5 years ago

    Well done, everyone! This was an impressive turnout. Thank you to the Society for hosting this challenging and wonderful competition.

    Reply
  2. Joe Tessitore says:
    5 years ago

    Congratulations to Ms. Leahy and to the runners-up, and thanks to the Bryant’s for judging such a formidable submission.

    Reply
  3. James A. Tweedie says:
    5 years ago

    Yes, indeed. These winning haiku are worthy of recognition. Well done, all.

    Reply
  4. Margaret Coats says:
    5 years ago

    Congratulations to the winner and runners-up! Thanks to the Bryants for judging, and to the Society for sponsoring the competition. There were so many good entries that I was able to find 22 winners of my own, and only one of them matched what Mike and Susan chose–although their selections are indeed excellent. I suggest that with a few more haiku competitions in upcoming years, the Society might be able to publish a slim volume of absolutely marvelous contemporary haiku in English, worthy to stand on a bookshelf beside the famed Peter Pauper series of classic Japanese works, all or most translated (I believe) by Peter Beilenson. But maybe next year there should be a senryu competition, as there were good examples of that genre, too.

    Reply
  5. Sharmon Gazaway says:
    5 years ago

    Congratulations Savannah Leahy and all runners-up–so many lovely images in all of the entries. Thanks to the Bryants for judging–you had your work cut out for you. And many thanks to The Society for hosting the 2020 Competition! Look forward to more in the future.

    Reply
  6. Mia says:
    5 years ago

    Well done everyone who entered. How marvellous to feel a part of such a great group.Congratulations to Savannah Leahy and to the runners up.
    Thank you to the judges who I think had such a difficult job and to The Society for providing access to such a quality site that inspires so much creativity.
    Wishing everyone all the very best,
    Mia

    Reply
  7. Adeniyi NewMann says:
    5 years ago

    Greetings to Oluwasegun Oluseyi Adesina

    Reply
    • Oluwasegun Oluseyi Adesina says:
      5 years ago

      Greetings to you, Adeniyi Newmann.

      Thanks for reading.

      Reply

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