Haiku Society of America

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2024

The judges for the 2024 competition were Sharon Pretti and M. Shane Pruett. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

spring tide
the colored pencil box
she never used

Teo Contac — Grade 7, Botosani, Romania

 

cranberry sauce
in an antique bowl—
autumn deepens

Emme Doyle – Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

 

flower moon
touching the water
bullfrogs' thrum

Elsa Krol – Grade 9, State College, PA

 

rice cakes orbit
in a cloudy broth
lunar new year

Benjamin Moon-Chun – Grade 8, Decatur, GA

 

day moon . . .
mom still needs
a blood donor

Maria Negrut – Grade 7, Botosani, Romania

 

silent night
a cherry branch
hits the moon

Edi Parvu – Grade 7, Botosani, Romania

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Student Haiku Awards for 2023

The judges for the 2023 competition were Erin Castaldi and Scott Mason. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

held in winter branches
a fading moon's
broken light

Almila Dükel — Grade 12, Mugla, Turkey

 

wind-brushed pond
light breaks through
dragonfly wings

Almila Dükel — Grade 12, Mugla, Turkey

 

kingfisher chatter
in the wind
her tousled hair

Grace Keil-Vai — Grade 9, Pago Pago, American Samoa

 

farmer's wagon
dust settles
till dawn

Elsa Krol — Grade 8, Pennsylvania, USA

 

Rosh Hashanah
her apple cake recipe
scribbled in German

Rachel Morrison — Grade 8, Georgia, USA

 

night without clouds
she holds the moonlight
gently

Mingyuan Wu — Grade 12, Colorado, US

 

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2022

The judges for the 2022 competition were Alan S. Bridges and Shirley Brooks. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

sabbath morning—
dancing to the church bell 
the abandoned ribbon

Priscilla Arthur - Grade 12, Ghana, West Africa

 

ice-gloved branches
a crow clings
to the hedgerow

Almila Dükel - Grade 11, Mugla, Turkey

 

divorce papers
his signature
in black sharpie

Talia Ghose - Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

 

power outage
our house
comes to life

Henry Lew, Grade 12, Newport Beach, CA

 

a kick
of the pinecone
my journey begins

Kaeden Quarles - Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

 

outshining
the stadium lights
summer moon

Colin Thomas - Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2021

The judges for the 2021 competition were Tom Clausen and Sandi Pray. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

hide and seek
the smell of detergent
on Papi’s shirts

Aida Pardo Grade 8, Atlanta, Georgia

harvest moon
corn whispers
the wind's path

Gabby Short, Grade 7, Atlanta, Georgia

autumn breeze   
the cold chains           
of the old park swing

Amiya Bhattacharrya, Grade 7, Decatur, Georgia

eye clinic —
the medic squints
at my prescription

Ustat Sethi, Grade 11, Bangalore, India

summer rain
breathing in
the earth's smell

Oshadha Perera, Grade 10 US Equivalent, Invercargill, New Zealand

quiet library
dust particles suspended
in a ray of light

Angelina Georgacopoulos, Grade 11, Tewksbury, Massachusetts

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2020

The judges for the 2020 competition were Elizabeth Crocket and Michael Dylan Welch. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

summer night
the house creaks
a bedtime story

Sahil Gandhi
Grade 8

girl of my dreams
in the crowd
the ball goes through my legs

Gabe Jones
Grade 8

after my dog’s funeral
his imprint
still left in the bedsheet

Julia Kwon
Grade 10

rainy afternoon
once-loved gifts
in the donation bin

Catherine Dwyer
Grade 8

cold night
a stray cat
laps the moon

Gus Critz
Grade 8

New Year’s Eve
at midnight I kiss
my pillow

Andrew Reveno
Grade 8

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2019

The judges for the 2019 competition were Brad Bennett and Hannah Mahoney. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

year’s end
the smell of gunpowder
settles

Spencer Hollberg
Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

sliding home
the familiar taste
of Georgia red clay

Lucas Tangpricha
Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

mountain road
the high-pitched sounds
of spring peepers

Lilly Margolis
Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

fence hole
the cat with a nicked ear
slips through

James Propst
Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

twist by twist
knot by knot
mother braids my hair

Lilly Margolis
Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

spring fever
back to
the chemo ward

Vlad-Sergiu Ciobîc?
Grade 12, Romania

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2018

The judges for the 2018 competition were Susan Antolin and Charlotte Digregorio. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

crack of dawn
one blackbird
lifts the grief

Nadin Ghileschi
Age 16, Botosani, Romania

 

dad
home
without the tumor

Ben Miller
Grade 10, Newport Coast, CA

 

power outage
my imagination
comes to life

James Russell
Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

 

sewing sky
to sea
the horizon

Jamie Propst
Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

 

By the great oak tree
I bask in solitude
thoughts, the only noise

Rebecca Ferguson
Grade 9, Palm Bay, FL

 

the barren branch
impales
a full moon

Grace Ma
Grade 9, Newport Coast, CA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2017

The judges for the 2017 competition were Linda Papanicolaou and Brad Bennett. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

In the summer heat
endless jump shots
on a broken hoop

Stephanie Okeke
Grade 12, Gardena, CA

 

tea leaves
she stirs them
for something better

Olivia Shannon
Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

 

Amber alert
one desk
empty

Campbell Serrano
Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

 

our parrot shrieks
my father’s name
in my mother’s voice

Cole Mitchell
Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

father’s silhouette
cut from the photo
his hand still on her shoulder

Cole Mitchell
Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

millions of stars
my father
points out a planet

Daisy Solomon
Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2016

The judges for the 2016 competition were Joan Iversen Goswell and Alison Woolpert. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

hours after practice
just me and Dad
hitting into the dark

Connor Brock
Age 18, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

cracked tractor seat
waiting
for Papa’s return

Ashton Carroll
Age 15, Grade 10, Laguna Hills, CA

 

bare feet
dewy moss
between flagstone

Emma Jones
Age 15, Grade 10, Atlanta, GA

 

a hay bale
in the distance
the silent horse

Hunter Collins
Age 14, Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

 

late winter morning
a broken bench
alone in the woods

Ellie Woodcock
Age 14, Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

 

tinfoil boats
down the driveway
a child’s rainy day

Emma Jones
Age 15, Grade 10, Atlanta, GA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2015

The judges for the 2015 competition were Mike Rehling and Aubrie Cox. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

soon-to-be stepdad
blabbers politics
looking for my vote

Elena Bonvicini
Sage Hill School, Grade 10, Newport Coast, CA

 

missing puzzle piece
we blame
the vacuum

Maggie George
Sprayberry High School, Age 16, Grade 11, Marietta, GA

 

first day of school
eating lunch
in the bathroom

Catharine Malzahn
Sage Hill School, Grade 10, Newport Coast, CA

 

coffee crumble cake
my mom
brings up grades

Kian Etedali
Sage Hill School, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

Friday morning prayer
purple hijabs
dance in the wind

Claire Reardon
St. Ignatius College Prep, Grade 12, Chicago, IL

 

bedtime story
only pretending
to fall asleep

Sophie Sadd
The Paideia School, Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2014

The judges for the 2014 competition were Rick Black and Raffael de Gruttola. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

napping cat
her heart beating
on mine

Marisa Schwartz
The Paideia School, Grade 9, Atlanta, GA

 

abandoned trailer park
a pink flamingo
on the lawn

Aja Smith-Saunders
The Paideia School, Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

after the beach
five-day-old sand
between my toes

Mariah Wilson
Sage Hill School, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

my Grandma
watching her pine trees
for the last time

Grant Dunlavey
Sage Hill School, Grade 9, Newport Coast, CA

 

her greenhouse
16 plants
he knows by name

Ryan Shuman
Sage Hill School, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

El Morro
saltwater stinging
my sunburned back

Michelle Oglevie
Sage Hill School, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2013

The judges for the 2013 competition were Mary Stevens and John Stevenson. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

through the teeth
of the jack-o-lantern
the wind

Addison Owen
The Paideia School, Age 14, Grade 9, Atlanta, GA

 

family dinner
the lights
too dim

Danielle Murdoch
The Paideia School, Age 14, Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

 

late autumn
his callused hands
feed the line

Grace Futral
The Paideia School, Age 14, Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

autumn wind
the spool feeding
the thread

Olivia Babuka Black
The Paideia School, Age 15, Grade 9, Atlanta, GA

 

a crack
in the parking lot
I tightrope to the car

Liana Klin
The Paideia School, Age 13, Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

          words
come slow like honey
        Ohio rain

Coral Lee
Sage Hill School, Age 17, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2012

The judges for the 2012 competition were Geoffrey Van Kirk and Patricia Doyle Van Kirk. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

winter dusk
the crows
clotting the wind

Olivia Babuka Black
The Paideia School, Age 14, Grade 8, Atlanta, GA

 

at the funeral
headphones hidden
beneath my sweater

Dino Romeo
Sage High School, Age 14, Grade 9, Newport Coast, CA

 

summer waves
leave belly button sand
in my shower

Alex Manolakas
Sage High School, Age18, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

rainfall
grey sky
in big puddles

Siani Macklin
Sacred Heart School, Age 13, Grade 7, Camden, NJ

 

night on the lake
I touch
the moon

Abbey Shannon
The Paideia School, Age 13, Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

 

stair of roots
I step
on each knot

Ainura Johnson
The Paideia School, Age 13, Grade 7, Atlanta, GA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2011

The judges for the 2011 competition were Francine Banworth and Tom Painting. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

November sky
a lone seed drifts
on wispy wings

Martine Thomas
Wilson Commencement School, Age 14, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

 

August night
eau de rain
drifts on the wind

Martine Thomas
Wilson Commencement School, Age 14, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

 

AP Physics
my eyes
twitch

Heather Zadra
Sage Hill School, Age 18, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

story time
under the covers
the night’s warm whispers

Mariah Wilson
Sage Hill School, Age 14, Grade 9, Newport Coast, CA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2010

The judges for the 2010 competition were Janelle Barrera and Fran Masat. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

autumn rain
rinsing the color
from the leaves

Lauren Winters
Hilliard Davidson High School, Age 18, Grade 12, Hilliard, OH

 

cold night
the phone call
from a disowned sister

Hanna Amireh
School of the Arts, Age 17, Grade 12, Rochester, NY

 

on the window sill
next to the box of ashes
Jiro’s dog collar

Michelle Hosoda
Sage Hill School, Age 17, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

rural Peru
5 lollypops
for a handmade bracelet

Caitlin Sullivan
Sage Hill School, Age 18, Grade 12, Newport Coast, CA

 

Grandad’s funeral
she wonders
whether she looks fat

Alice Liu
Sage Hill School, Age 14, Grade 9, Newport Coast, CA

 

under the shade
of sunflowers,
my mouse decays

Laura Hansen
Capital High School, Age 18, Grade 12, Boise, ID

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Student Haiku Awards for 2009

The judges for the 2009 competition were Kristen Deming and Bill Kenney. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

winter night
cracks in the floorboards
widen

Mary Rice
School of the Arts, Age 16, Grade 10, Rochester, NY

quiet night
the gazebo
dressed with snow

Meredith Jeffers
School of the Arts, Age 16, Grade 10, Rochester, NY

saying goodbye
the river flowing
one way

Cindy Truong
School of the Arts, Age 13, Grade 8, Rochester, NY

tornado drill
the hallways full
of laughter

Nikki Savary
Wahlert High School, Age 18, Grade 12, Dubuque, IA

winter
the old man’s beard
frozen in place

Riley Siwiec
School of the Arts, Age 12, Grade 7, Rochester, NY

new snow
my footprints
follow me

Martine Thomas
School of the Arts, Age 12, Grade 7, Rochester, NY

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Student Haiku Awards for 2008

The judges for the 2008 competition were Tony Pupello and Pamela Miller Ness. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

winter stars
my father paints over
the old white walls

Asha Bishi
School of the Arts, Age 18, 12th grade, Rochester, NY

autumn night
one brick
darker than the rest

Gracie Elliot
School of the Arts, Age 12, 7th grade, Rochester NY

first kiss —
the tingle of coke
down her throat

Lauren Fresch
Perkins High School, Age 17, grade 12, Sandusky, OH

scent of spring
my sister paints
the rising sun

Asha Bishi
School of the Arts, Age 18, grade 12, Rochester, NY

silent graveyard
one tombstone
with a crow

Alexa Navarez
School of the Arts, Age 12, grade 7, Rochester, NY

light footsteps
across the snow
his alcohol breath

Desire Giddens
School of the Arts, Age 12, grade 7, Rochester, NY

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Student Haiku Awards for 2007

The judges for the 2007 competition were Ruth Eshbaugh and Susan Delaney. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

beep of the monitor
reminding me . . .
to hope

Nicole Grogan
Wahlert High School, Grade 12, Dubuque, IA

the wind
taking
her secret

Jordan Krueger
Wahlert High School, Grade 12, Dubuque, IA

early spring
the willowy girl
runs around the track

Sara Dill
School of the Arts, Grade 8, Rochester, NY

spring morning
her jelly shoes dry
on the back porch

Zoe Christopher
School of the Arts, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

empty house
echoes of laughter
in the rotting wood

Emily Onyan
School of the Arts, Grade 8, Rochester, NY

Valentine’s Day
the stop light stays red
too long

Pendle Marshall-Hallmark
School of the Arts, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

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Student Haiku Awards for 2006

The judges for the 2006 competition were Michael Ketchek and Jerome Cushman. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

Iraqi sun
an American soldier
pisses in the sand

Elishma Farquharson
School of the Arts, Age 18, grade 12, Rochester, NY

three stones on a fence

Cory Steinmetz
Vermilion High School, Age 17, Grade 11, Vermilion, OH

new year’s day
walking in yesterday’s
frozen footprints

Isabelle Bartter
School of the Arts, Age 17, Grade 11, Rochester, NY

fireworks
a boy nestles
into his mother

Fantazia Edic
School of the Arts, Age 18, Grade 12, Rochester, NY

the coarse wool
of my blanket
a cricket’s rasp

Giulia Perucchio
School of the Arts, Age 15, Grade 10, Rochester, NY

bean stalks
none of my clothes
fit

Gen Poehner
School of the Arts, Age 16, Grade 11, Rochester, NY

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Student Haiku Awards for 2005

The judges for the 2005 competition were Michael Moore (Desoto, TX) and Charles Trumbull (Evanston, IL). See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

grandma’s wake
my little cousin
shakes her etch-a-sketch

Alex Degus
School of the Arts, Age 18, Grade 12, Rochester, NY

memories
caught in my brush
long strands

Guilia Perucchio
School of the Arts, Age 14, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

 

pre-school
a triangle block
stuck in a square hole

Isabelle Bartter
School of the Arts, Age 15, Grade 10, Rochester, NY

 

harvest moon
the homeless man’s cup
filled with silver

Kate Bosek-Sills
School of the Arts, Age 15,Grade 10, Rochester, NY

my father
in the stubbled wheat field
scratches his beard

Asha Bishi
School of the Arts, Age 14, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

superstitious
a fortune cookie
seals my fate

Adrian DiMatteo
School of the Arts, Age 14, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

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Student Haiku Awards for 2004

The judges for the 2004 competition were an’ya and kirsty karkow. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

ocean shore
lost in a pile of rocks
a seal sleeps

James Kelly
Wahlert High School, Age 17, Dubuque, IA

 

cold in church
mother and I
move closer

Amanda White
Wahlert High School, Age 17, Dubuque, IA

summer cottage
the bullfrog
slips my grasp

Emily Cornish
School of the Arts, Age 15, Rochester, NY

 

shifting shadows
deep in the hills
a dog barks

Allison McCrossen
School of the Arts, Age 13, Rochester, NY

metallic taste
the cold stream spills
from my hand

Jenny Zhang
Cedar Shaols High School, Age 16, Athens, GA

 

koi
nibbling
my copper wish

Elizabeth Hetherington
School of the Arts, Age 16, Rochester, NY

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2003

The judges for the 2003 competition were Claire Gallagher and Anne Homan. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

summer breeze
the flutter of clothes
thrown over a chair

Laura Santiago
School of the Arts, Age 15, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

 

pebbles underfoot
in the cold stream
stars

Henry Aigetsinger
School of the Arts, Age 15, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

 

in front
of the meth lab
three children hopscotch

C. J. Welch
Walhert High School, Age 17, Grade 12, Dubuque, IA

 

Ash Wednesday
from lines of silent people
a cough echoes

Emily Cornish
School of the Arts, Age 14, Grade 8, Rochester, NY

 

spring evening
rain soaks through the newspaper
on my head

Laura Santiago
School of the Arts, Age 15, Grade 9, Rochester, NY

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2002

The judges for the 2002 competition were Raffael DeGruttola and Judson Evans. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

hovering
over a damp field
a cloud of gnats

Colin Murray
School of the Arts, grade 8, Rochester, NY

 

dawn
dust dances
on shafts of sunlight

Shannon Ryan
School of the Arts, grade 9, Rochester, NY

 

summer dusk
throwing stones
through a broken window

Travis Moore
School of the Arts, grade 9, Rochester, NY

 

on an old
cemetery stone
my name

James Isaak
Wahlert High School, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

 

mountain stream
trout dart
around watercress

Cory Hanson
Wahlert High School, grade 11, Dubuque, IA

 

Monday morning
kicking the slush
from behind the wheels

Colin Murray
School for the Arts, grade 8, Rochester, NY

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 2001

The judges for the 2001 competition were Randy and Shirley Brooks. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

autumn wind
rattles the glass —
a child’s breath

Travis Moore
School of the Arts, Age 13, Grade 8, Rochester, NY

 

walking
the pumpkin patch —
children’s faces aglow

Brooke Erschen
Wahlert High School, Age 18, Grade 12, Dubuque, IA

 

from the tanning salon
to her car
January chill

Deborah Meyer
Wahlert High School, Age 18, Grade 12, Dubuque, IA

 

strep throat
she kisses him
anyway

Heidi Streit
Walhert High School, Age 17, Grade 12, Dubuque, IA

 

after the dentist appointment
sister returns
all smiles

Katherine Welter
Wahlert High School, Age 17, Dubuque, IA

 

new beau
fingering the tattoo
with her name

Kali Smith
Wahlert High School, Age 16, Grade 11, Dubuque, IA

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Student Haiku Awards for 2000

The judges for the 2000 competition were Ruth Yarrow and Kathleen Decker. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

spring morning
the dewy grass
holds the shape of her step

Nathaniel B. Gach
Marple Newtown High School, Age 18, grade 12, Newtown Square, PA

Thanksgiving Dinner
Silence, and the
pendulum swinging

Dave Ferry
Marple Newtown High School, Age 17, grade 12, Newtown Square, PA

a whale’s last call
the blue sea —
red

Elizabeth Frank
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

autumn afternoon
hole in the stone wall
a perfect frame

Nathaniel B. Gach
Marple Newtown High School, Age 18, grade 12, Newtown Square, PA

from Orion
a bat flits
to the moon

Thomas Murray
School of the Arts, Age 15, grade 9, Rochester, NY

mountain view photo
capturing
the tourist’s breath

Kate Chapman
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

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Student Haiku Awards for 1999

The judges for the 1999 competition were Yvonne Hardenbrook and Cherie Hunter Day. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

farming
his hands
showing the work

Damian Stork
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

concentration
on the runner’s forehead
birdpoop

Heather Klinthammer
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

at the movie
their hands meet . . .
in the buttered popcorn

Paula Faber
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

mother’s crossed arms
a reminder —
of our argument

Heather Klinthammer
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12 , Dubuque, IA

Overhead projector
the lesson
over a student’s head

Joe Arling
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

after the rain
so visible
the spider’s web

Tony Leisen
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

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Student Haiku Awards for 1998

The judges for the 1998 competition were Ellen Compton and Jeff Witkin. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

photograph:
for a moment
everything still

Tyler Stoffel
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

smiling at him
in the old pictures
he smiles back

Crystal Wagner
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 11, Dubuque. IA

the quiet girl
wearing
a loud shirt

Tara Stecklein
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

finding myself
between the willows —
autumn evening

Adam Rauch
Marple Newtown Senior High School, Age 17, grade 12, Newtown Square, PA

signs of spring —
tanktop revealing
her butterfly tattoo

Dani DeCaro
Marple Newtown Senior High School, Age 16, grade 12, Newtown Square, PA

leaf pattern
arranged
rearranged by the wind

Bridget Leary
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque IA

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Student Haiku Awards for 1997

The Virgilio Contest for 1997 was suspended while the deadline date for entries was changed from autumn to spring in order to fit better with the school year.

no contest

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Student Haiku Awards for 1996

The judges for the 1996 competition were Lee Gurga and Paul Mena. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

first snow
the whole pomegranate
one seed at a time

Margaret Miller
Hopewell Valley Central High School, Age 17, grade 12, Pennington, NJ

silence I wait
for the starter’s pistol

Bryan Roberts
Waialua High School, Age 16, grade 10, Waialua, HI

rain
finding
the hole in my shoe

Adam Dodds
Wahlert High School Dubuque, Age 18, grade 12, IA

first date
her dog
likes me

Scott Splinter
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

dark street
a lit cigarette
moves closer

Brian Mulligan
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

Halloween
my feelings
behind a mask

Krista Dodds
Wahlert High School, Age 16, grade 11, Dubuque, IA

 

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Student Haiku Awards for 1995

The judge for the 1995 competition was Paul O. Williams. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

solitary swimmer
ripples
the early-morning sun

Anne Alfredo
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

old man
reeling in
the sea

Beth Paisley
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

after the flood
our flag waves
from the clothesline

Katie O’Connor
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

dandelion
wished
away

Tony Leisen
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

the tree
snowcovered
except one leaf

Maureen Reilly
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

two oak leaves
just the same
until a brown moth flies away.

Charlotte Stevenson
Castilleja School, 9th grade, Palo Alto, CA

two bold streaks of blue
split by the thin horizon—
ocean and spring sky

Katie Gallagher
University High School, 10th grade, Honolulu, HI

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Student Haiku Awards for 1994

The judges for the 1994 competition were Christopher Herold and June Hymas. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

digging potatoes
my dog barks
at the shovel

Lisa Tranel
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

pheasant hunting
his hand too cold
to pull the trigger

Adam Asbury
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

mountains the horizon

Brooke Althaus
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

turning the corner
he turns his hat
in a different direction

Nate Jenkins
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

Eucharist
white
on my dirty palm

Jessi Kurt
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

rain . . .
he holds out
his hands

Amanda Wetjen
Wahlert High School, 9th grade, Dubuque, IA

grandmother’s smile
spreads
into a yawn

Lisa White
Wahlert High School, 9th grade , Dubuque, IA

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Student Haiku Awards for 1993

The judges for the 1993 competition were Tom Clausen and Jack Ervin. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

In the corner
of my bedroom
in the silent house

Robin Grady
Wahlert High School, Age 14, grade 9, Dubuque, IA

I watch myself
walking
past the still lake

Cory Olson
Wahlert High School, Age 14 grade 9, Dubuque, IA

emergency room:
watching the spider
cross the floor

Keith Habel
Wahlert High School, Age 14, grade 9, Dubuque, IA

goodnight embrace
by the dusty road —
all the stars

Becky Atkinson
Eastern Alamance High School, Age 17, grade 12, Mebane, NC

earthquake . . .
on the chess table
the horse hits the king

Pascu Dumitru
School No. 39, Age 13, grade 6, Constanta, Romania

Inside the box
sits a doll
shoeless

Noelle Egan
Cherry Hill High School, age 16, grade 11, West Cherry Hill, NJ

striped fish
criss-crossed
by a salty net

Heather Caulberg
Eastern Alamance High School, Age 16, grade 11, Mebane, NC

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Student Haiku Awards for 1992

The judges for the 1992 competition were Carol Purington and Kathleen R. O’Toole. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

indian chant
only white men
dancing

Chris McQuillen
Wahlert High School, Age 14, grade 9, Dubuque, IA

silent study hall:
my stomach growls
anyway

Cindy Stierman
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

After his funeral,
the white line
on her tanned finger.

David Sickler
Wyoming Valley West High School, Age 16, grade 11, Plymouth, PA

I and the dog
hunting together
the evening mosquitoes.

Olivia Diana Bangal
Secondary School, Age 14 , Constanta, Romania

out of sight         o
                  ballo   n
and the child’s smile

Ben Meier
Wahlert High School, Age 15, grade 9 , Dubuque, IA

Inside its shell
a snail
and rain . . .

Yezmin Soberanes Albert
Hamilton School, Age 17, grade 11, Mexico D.F., Mexico

butterflies in the air
in the herbarium
deep silence

Diana Stanciu Constanta, Romania

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Student Haiku Awards for 1991

The judges for the 1991 competition were Joyce Walker Currier and Michael Dylan Welch. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

new mother . . .
her old cat appears
at nursing time

Gina Valentine
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

As the sun rises
the flowers open
slowly . . .

Paola Mizrahi
Hamilton School, Age 16, grade 11, Mexico, D.F., Mexico

Blowing out
a match
the sudden smell

Jana Juergens
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

Christmas Day
the hunters
feed the deer

Matt Richards
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12 , Dubuque, IA

Father home
late again . . .
my mother’s eyes

Angela Widmyer
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

chemistry between lab partners

Noelle Bellaver
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

day after the big test
the nurse’s office
empty

Noelle Bellaver
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12 , Dubuque, IA

beautiful girl
I turn my head and run
the red light

Matt Richards
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12 , Dubuque, IA

out of our flavor
ice cream man
swears in Spanish

Kristin Torgler
Wahlert High School, Age 17, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

train flattened penny

Gina Valentine
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

re la tion ship
broken

Scott Kluck
Wahlert High School, Age 18, grade 12, Dubuque, IA

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Student Haiku Awards for 1990

The judges for the 1990 competition were Harriett Bley, Minna Lerman, and vincent tripi. See the web page of comments from the judges. Here are the winning haiku:

 

Mad at myself . . .
the ball keeps hitting
its own shadow

Valentin Rader
Cedar Shoals High School, Age 16, 11th grade, Athens, GA

beside the waterfall
the little girl
wets her pants

Jane Schueller
Wahlert High School, Age 17, 12th grade, Dubuque, IA

light of a million stars . . .
still
the darkness

Andy Daughetee
Wahlert High School, Age 17, 12th grade, Dubuque, IA

seashells
take me
from the shore

Julie Ernst
Wahlert High School, Age 17, 12th grade, Dubuque, IA

 

under the tree
a planted feather

Tim Ehringer
Wahlert High School, Age 18, 12th grade, Dubuque, IA

he gives me
roses
and their thorns

Keri Haas
Wahlert High School, age 18, 12th grade, Dubuque, IA

I see his wholeness
through the gap
in his teeth

Andrea Stapleton
Wahlert High School, Age 17, 12th grade, Dubuque, IA

awakened from sleep:
cries
of my aborted baby

Keri Haas
Wahlert High School, Age 18, 12th grade, Dubuque, IA