The Best Haiku Anthology international competition awards $330 USD and is sponsored and judged by the team at Haiku Crush. The 2025 submission window opens on World Ocean Day on June 8th. All forms of traditional and modern haiku are accepted in this search to publish the best.
Zephyr morning stillness rhythmic movement zephyr and leaf
Leaf-whistles Needles oscillate Psithuric wind song
Trees shimmer Yawning deeply Anticipation stirs
long-awaited hues brilliant, buff, earthy wind song
long-awaited brilliant colors fleeting
burnt, buff, earthy, ushering in sienna hues, autumn's display
1. Magnolia Blossom elegant folds beautiful and simplistic cradling life
2. Captivated sense of errantry a whispered psithurism, she catches her breath
3. Zephyr morning stillness rhythmic movement zephyr and leaf
4. Mångata sea of midnight blue whimsical images skirt Mångata pathways submitted June 8, 2025
aureate
honeyed, tawny, burnt
Autumn's play
psithurism reeds sing in the wind howling change
a gentle psithurism passes through, catching her breathe
Captivated sense of errantry a whispered psithurism she catches her breath
a sea of midnight blue whimsical images skirt along Mangata pathways
night recedes behind the stars- no thought to pending troubles tomorrow sleeps
Evening's warm hues cast a spell of tranquility
a songless world yearns for echoes of a promised aria
Morning stillness Rhythmic movement Zephyr and leaf
life lives on in bifurcating branches of generational rings
leaf-whistles, needles oscillate in a psithurism wind
misty, moisty morning hovering fog clouds kissing the dew
Deep into winter Primrose’s colors delight. Stark against the snow
Pale Season of Titivated Lace (rewrite of Winter’s Lace)
Vibrant blooms ignite against a blank canvas under brooding, iron-gray skies.
Amaryllis gazes out from the window; a periwinkle winks back, whisper-warm.
Across a stark alabaster landscape, autumn falls silent while pansies thrive.
Bleak, bitter, yet, in defiance, Narcissus lifts its radiant face for all to see.
A little ray of sunshine, burnishing a crepuscular glow, Wendy’s Gold rises.
Lucille’s Squill’s whimsical scent swirls with the turning season.
Write an imaginative landscape poem without using snow, snowy or wintry terms.
Winter's Lace cont-
Varied highs and lows, February vacillates. Snowdrops appear.
Narcissus’ beauty shines for all to see, defying winter’s hold
Colorful and sweet Pansies’ cousin, Viola, a winter survivor.
Glory-of-the-Snow, star-shaped and whimsical, greets winter’s end.
Wassailing through their quarters, Holly and Ivy sang yuletide tunes. Preening on the desert table, a bourbon-soaked fruitcake that could render a sailor drunk in minutes. And next door, the inflatable dancing Santa, now plastered like an Andy Warhol-inspired Art Deco project. TopTweetTuesday challenge.
long-awaited brilliant hues fleeting
Long awaited brilliant, burnt, tawny fleeting
Extravagant Encore dance Nature's splendor
Dancing in the wind Feels like Freedom unabated
November's finest Harvest hues Beaver's night light
seasonal shift
burnt, buff, earthy, ushering in sienna hues, autumn's display
long-awaited hues brilliant, buff, earthy wind song
seasonal shift burnt, buff, earthy, ushering in sienna hues,
aureate honeyed, tawny, burnt Autumn's play
anatomy of a tree bare for all to see, bone deep artistry
Silent church bells Once a beacon of light God's Word still rings
shopping cart battle obstacles along the aisles thanksgiving gaming
Rustling leaves, trees shiver, yawing deeply- anticipation.
Fall's first scent hovers in between the blurred lines of a seasonal shift.
Leaf whistles, needles oscillate in a psithuric wind song.
Crimson hues slip through the mizzling mist of Autumn's play.
Seasonal timing grounding roots, true friends are the rings inside.
Oneiric trails ice feathers scrape the sky
oneiric impression dancing while tomorrow sleeps
oneiric interludes beneath your pillow, lies wonderment
o·nei·ric- dream-like quality Learning to use a new word in a haiku.
black silhouette dark blues and grays rippling thoughts
haiku for lake picture @KarynCurtis21 Early morning on the lake ❄️
Imaginative trails laced with ice feathers, Puck's in the wind searching for sky treasures. Oneiric trails ice feathers scrape the sky
burnishing cerpuscular glow Earth's kiss in terrestrial embrace Cold Moon rises
As autumn falls silent under evening's snow, sheltered seeds don winter's coat below. Sleeping silently beneath winter's breath, trees fold into a counterfeit death.
A magical moment when the sun stands still, winter begins with a brisk, cold chill.
Wintry winds whistle ceaseless threnodies, glistens frosty precip melodies. Amidst frigid fields, icicles drip. Cardinals swoop midstream for a sip.
Mice tucked warmly under subnivean snow, moonbeams prance across a snowlit plateau. Betwixt two astral stars, the moon hangs bright, eerie wolf howls echo through the night.
Playful trickery, a spring bud pops its head. Winter snaps, not yet, and tucks them back to bed.
Thank you for submitting your work to The Orchards Poetry Journal. It is our great pleasure to inform you that we have selected your poem, Threnodies, for publication in our Winter 2025 issue.
Submission November 2025 Thresholds traces the transition from autumn’s waning light through the deep stillness and renewal of winter, exploring nature’s rhythms, endurance, and transformation.
I. Thresholds
Trees shimmer yawning deeply- anticipation stirs.
Autumn equinox, the balance of light and dark, time juncture converts.
Facing eastward. Fall moon on the horizon blazing golden hues.
Extravagant colors! A migratory bird's last song. Light wanes for evening.
Granting Fall's wish for an encore flower dance. Winter procrastinates.
II. Winter Solstice
motionless sun the darkest moment light breaks through
climactic pause night tide meets at Winter's gate light connects
the sun stands still, a brief magical moment winter begins
III. Winter’s Deep Sleep
first snow falling softly warm thoughts
moonbeams prance atop the subnivean zone, a gentle nightlight
winter's shield snow blanket or hoarfrost, survive or succumb
silence broken predatory footfalls winter creaks
unyielding onslaught of graupel freezing, thawing, precarious, yet
safely tucked in the between, nestled deep, all sleep
IV. Winter’s Lace
Vibrant winter blooms cast against a snowy canvas, beneath brooding skies.
Amaryllis’ view from the window, warm thoughts. Periwinkle winks in winter’s chill.
A little ray of sunshine, that banishes winter blues, Winter jasmine.
Persistence cold first snow falling Pansies thrive.
Deep into winter Primrose’s delightful colors, stand stark against the snow
Varied highs and lows, February vacillates, Snowdrops appear.
Narcissus’ beauty shines for all to see, defying winter’s hold
Colorful and sweet Pansies’ cousin, Viola, a winter survivor.
Glory-of-the-Snow, star-shaped and whimsical, greets winter’s end.
V. Threnodies
As autumn falls silent under evening's snow, sheltered seeds don winter's coat below. Sleeping silently beneath winter's breath, trees fold into a counterfeit death.
A magical moment when the sun stands still, winter begins with a brisk, cold chill.
Wintry winds whistle ceaseless threnodies, glistens frosty precip melodies. Amidst frigid fields, icicles drip. Cardinals swoop midstream for a sip.
Mice tucked warmly under subnivean snow, moonbeams prance across a snowlit plateau. Betwixt two astral stars, the moon hangs bright, eerie wolf howls echo through the night.
Playful trickery, a spring bud pops its head. Winter snaps, not yet— and tucks them back to bed.
Rustling leaves, trees shiver, yawing deeply- anticipation.
Fall's first scent hovers in between the blurred lines of a seasonal shift.
Leaf whistles, needles oscillate in a psithurism wind song.
Crimson hues slip through the mizzling mist of Autumn's display.
Seasonal timing grounding roots, true friends are the rings inside.
Some friendships are seasonal leaves we experience briefly. Friends who support us through several season are like sturdy branches. Still a core group of friends who offer sage advice keep you grounded. Yet, there is one more friendship that leaves a ring on your heart, the indelaible friend. The heart rings' interconnectedness and resilience are linked like an aspen grove. This frienship leaves an ingrained mark guiding your life, creating a sublte beauty that is lasting.
Plantation swing, chatty girls, the evening wanes into darkness.
moonbeams prance atop the subnivean zone, a gentle nightlight
winter's shield snow blanket or hoarfrost, survive or succumb
silence broken predatory footfalls winter creaks
relentless onslaught of graupel freezing, thawing, yet
safely tucked in the space between, all sleep
Have you ever rewritten a poem that you like even more? This poem begins softly, intrigue builds, and then the twist at the end.
A Sanguine Hope
Anticipation, to the Father's delight, Emmanuel is born.
Cosmic reveal kalpa shift in God's plan, an awakening.
A whispered tune resonated, releasing a poignant message
The dawning light of a new beginning slates our thirst.
Arousing a sanguine hope for the coming year
A salubrious optimism laced with intent, tempered.
ideas moonbeams prance atop the subnivean zone, a playful cadence (Mangata reverie or gentle nightlight)
winter's shield snow blanket or hoarfrost, survive or succumb
silence broken winter creaks footfalls (predator footfalls or fox's footfalls or red fox
tsunami of thoughts tidal waves of ideas break free, cascading downward spilling on the page
reverberating loneliness
elegant folds beautiful and simplistic cradling life
simplistic purpose elegant folds a cradle
dreams that live beneath your pillow, lie hope and wonderment
Tanka
Dreams
the night sky frolics tomorrow sleeps, dreams dance on imaginative trails, whimsy skates on golden threads, knitting our hearts together.
Captivated
sense of errantry a whispered psithurism she catches her breath
Blasting its color red vibrates against its complementary opposite.
The sound of the wind, like whispered secrets, touches a captivated heart, and in that moment, she catches her breath.
Psithurism whisper of a wooed heart suddenly she catches her breath.
the wind gently plays psithurism whisper captivating heart secrets, she catches her breath
Captivated sense of errantry a whispered psithurism she catches her breath
[His whispered secrets, like psithurism, captivated her heart as she caught her breath, feeling a sense of errantry.] feeling a sense of errantry.knight-like purpose, behavior, or performance, conducting oneself with regency
fairy fingers mysterious dichotomy touching the heart #prompt foxglove
Seasonal Rhythms Autumn falls silent under the evening snow Sheltered seeds don winter’s coat below Spring buds pop their heads, winter snaps not yet March winds howl for spring’s warmth Worm Moon signals the nightcrawlers to rise Daylight and darkness reach duality Equilux achieved, permafrost relents Sleepy pods shed winter’s dark cloak Pollinizers emit an earthy scent Spring pollinators take flight Sunrays titillate Terra’s loam Touching life’s impetus
Winter’s Lace
Vibrant winter blooms cast against a snowy canvas, beneath brooding skies
First snow, falling softly, Amaryllis’ view from the window, warm thoughts.
A little ray of sunshine, that banishes winter blues— Winter jasmine.
wrapped by clouded storms, dark tornadoes, the March winds rumble
nature’s beauty shines from the eyes of the beholder beware of black bears
wintry winds whistling a graceful genuflection, mid-winter dance
the morning light hums dreams prance in dawn's shadow, the young at-heart dream
Death and Dementia
Fear and darkness abide side-by-side, hiding the old crone of despair. Cohorts of hatred entrench themselves against the light. Incoherent thoughts rattle the brain, searing the heart. Stirred agitation summons dementia.
Death grins from the abyss, as the human soul withers. Yet, darkness recoils at the light. The old crone flees, abandoning despair. Defeated, Death returns to the abyss.
Light dispells darkness. Love’s glow sparkes hope. Life embraces the soul.
Winter folds a tree-- into a counterfeit death gray, bony, lifeless. Better than Starbucks, February 2022 Publication p. 41
Imagine
Sitting on the back porch swing, high in the Ozark Mountains, I feel the last remnants of the cool morning breeze wafting in. The deciduous trees that blanket the rolling hills vibrate with vibrant colors. White clouds hang in the pale blue sky, hinting at rain in their underbelly.
Tree limbs sway gently in the wind, and leaves rustle momentarily before falling silent. A red-headed woodpecker glides past, wings outstretched as it easily navigates the air currents. With slight turns among the branches, it soon disappears.
Birds sing their early morning melodies, hidden from sight. From the clouds above, shaded areas dot the mountainside, providing a cool retreat from the day’s heat. As nature dances in the wind, life thrives in the warmth of the sunlight.
Yet, amidst this bountiful backdrop of life stands a stark contrast: a giant dead stick, gray, bony, and lifeless. Its haggard branches extend outward, out of place, and exposed. This lifeless form yearns for the cloak of winter, embodying a facade of counterfeit sleep.
Winter’s Deep Sleep
winter's shield hoarfrost, snow blanket survive or succumb
silence broken winter creaks lost footfalls
relentless onslaught freezing, thawing, footfalls of a screed heart
[relentless onslaught of a screed heart freezing, thawing, lost]
safely tucked under subnivean snow, revealing rain
snow falling lightly
dreams prance on silver moonbeams, nestled deep, all sleep
Night Treasures
the night sky frolics under silvery moonbeams in stillness, dreams come
dancing in joyous leaps, dreams skate on imaginative trails, hidden sky treasures
night recedes behind the stars no thought to pending troubles, tomorrow sleeps
wintry winds whistling a graceful genuflection, mid-winter dance
Winter Solstice
motionless sun the darkest moment light breaks through
climactic pause night tide meets at Winter's gate light concatenates
the sun stands still, a brief magical moment winter begins
Psithurism Wind
burnt, buff, earthy, ushering in sienna hues, autumn's display
a shimmering dance a seasonal rain blurred lines
tree whispers back-porch sharing changing seasons
leaf-whistles, needles oscillate in a psithurism wind
wintry winds whistling a graceful genuflection, Autumn's last dance
Eventide falls on one mountain range as dawn rises on another.
Apposite
morning’s blush slips through the mizzling mist
The Troubadour's Song
As Judas, in his willful rejection, walked daily beside Jesus, a contrasting hope was about to be born. Judas’ callous heart longed for an earthly king, which led to betrayal with a sealed traitorous kiss.
Blind ignorance prevailed. The Pharisees denied their Messiah, and Jerusalem cried out, unable to see.
A despairing loss, overcome by fear, caused hope to flee. Peter denied Him. Overwhelming grief filled John. He could not contain his tears as his Messiah died. Dementia cried out. Darkness enveloped the cross as death’s grip shook the earth.
We, too, walk daily beside the true Messiah, unmoved by the truth and unable to see the light of hope.
With a heightened sense of loss and impending danger, man’s despair descended to hell’s depths. Their dreams captured by death, nailed to an old wooden beam. A tragic story with an untold ending.
Yet,
The morning light hummed with renewed hope. The eternal, wrapped in clay, set Terra free. The Troubadour sang, illuminating the darkness with the song of salvation.
A dream no longer, the day wakes with understanding. His message rang true: a gift of grace freely given.
The church’s song is the gospel story of God’s eternal plan. When the harvest is complete, marking the end of the church age, Israel will again have a hand in redeeming man.
IF
A question, If rain no longer fell, would tears cease to flow? If blue dropped from the sky, would a smile return? If darkness engulfs the world, would light find its way? If longing is understood, would yearning fade? If sadness disappeared, would you be free?
An Answer Rev. 21:4 I will dry your eyes; I am the world's light. Isaiah 41:13 I will help you when cannot cope. God will carry you in His hand. Ps 119:105 Your word will guide my feet and light my way. Eph 6:11 Armor up, God will stand by your side. Ex 14:14 I will fight your fight. Deut. 31:6 I will hold you tight; you belong to Me Ps 56:8 I have bottled all your tears. You are free.
An Epic Event
Snow blanketed the landscape with deep, powdery white flakes. This was not the typical crusty flurries that barely make a snowman, but perfectly delicate snow so fluffy and light that it beckoned you to step out and play. Icicles hung in a row across the roof. The trepidation about a significant winter event melted away by a sense of wonder at the beauty of this rare snowfall.
Birds swirled and swooped, forming a collective. A round of robins landed in the backyard. An echo of mockingbirds congregate on the limbs of an old River Birch tree out front. A conclave of cardinals sat along the fence row, as a cloud of blackbirds landed in the trees behind the fence.
It was this sight that piqued my curiosity—birds gathering in unusual clusters. Yet, they seemed to be ignoring the scattered birdseed. Why? The ground was covered in snow and devoid of food. It was as unusual as a fifteen-inch snowfall for hungry birds not to eat. This was fascinating to watch. Clueless as to why the birds waited, the answer came suddenly.
A robin swooped in to catch a water droplet from an icicle in mid-flight. Adding to the intrigue, other birds joined in.
With their usual water sources frozen, birds migrated in flocks, searching for water. As I filled water trays and scattered them around the yard, I saw a bigger picture of nature's workings. A simple solution to the problem was provided. Still, it was a rare moment to witness the shared struggle for survival in the face of adversity. The birds drank, ate, and then disappeared.
Though clueless, God was not. Seeing a bird catching a water droplet in mid-air was fantastic and incredible. But more importantly, it was my clue to see an epic event. Cold, still, frosty white
The glistening sun stirs, icicle droplets drip amid a frozen field.
Winter’s fountain flowing freely, ready for an acrobatic display; cardinals drink mid-stream.
As Judas, in his willful rejection, walked daily beside Jesus, a contrasting hope was about to be born.
Judas’ callous heart longed for an earthly king, which led to betrayal with a sealed traitorous kiss.
Blind ignorance prevailed. The Pharisees denied their Messiah, and Jerusalem cried out, unable to see.
A despairing loss, overcome by fear, caused hope to flee. Peter denied Him.
Overwhelming grief filled John. He cannot contain his tears as his Messiah died.
Dementia cried out. Darkness enveloped the cross as death’s grip shook the earth.
We, too, walk daily beside the true Messiah, unmoved by the truth and unable to see the light of hope.
Heartbreaking loneliness, man’s despair descended to hell’s depths, impending sense of loss.
YET,
The morning light hummed with renewed hope. The eternal, wrapped in clay, set Terra free. The Troubadour sang, illuminating the darkness with the song of salvation.
His message rings true: a gift of grace freely given honors choice. The church’s song is the gospel story of God’s eternal plan.
When the harvest is complete, marking the end of the church age, Israel will again have a hand in redeeming man.
The Christmas Story: The Arrival of the Troubadour
The Arrival of the Troubadour
Anticipation filled the air. To the Father’s delight, Emmanuel was born as a beacon in a world shrouded in darkness. The Eastern Star shone brightly through the night, illuminating the path to future hopes.
The Word sang a melody for my heart, a beautiful and poignant tune that resonates within the soul. For those with ears to hear, it was soft and gentle. Like the tiny beats of a hummingbird’s wings, a whispered message arrived.
Gabriel announced the arrival of the King; Jesus dwelt among us. The prophecies of old were fulfilled, awakening a sanguine hope for mankind’s redemption.
The longing for heaven’s echo of the Troubadour’s aria in a songless world. The dawning light of a new beginning quenches our thirst, bringing renewed hope in man’s redemption story.
Beginning of a New Year
The dawning light of a new beginning slates our thirst.
Arousing a sanguine hope for the coming year.
A salubrious optimism laced with intent, tempered.
brontebrown2 
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