WD Poetic Form Challenge: The Haiku Winner

I'm glad I limited the haiku challenge to three days, because I don't know if I could've made it through three weeks worth of submissions. I didn't count, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn there were close to 1,000 haiku submitted! But don't get me wrong, it was fun reading.

With so many poems, the competition was fierce for the Top 10 alone--not to mention earning the top spot. Since the form is so concise, I'm going to try having a few included with my Poetic Asides column in the Writer's Digest magazine, but I don't know the exact number they'll let me squeeze in. Also, since the form is so concise, I'm going to include the entire Top 10 below (in the order they placed, which means that Cara Holman is our haiku champion).

Here's the top 10:

Cara Holman

another biopsy-
plucking at the flowers
on my hospital gown

mexmiel

morning dew sparkles
on sunlit grass
you are still gone

Brian Slusher

From the elm’s high branch
a red hightop sneaker swings
a suspended tale

Christina Nguyen

red fox
the autumn leaves
in chorus

Tracy Davidson

chasing bicycles
in his sleep
the old dog twitches

Marie Elena

sweet potato
in a jar
roots for you

Jane Shlensky

Hawk on power line
Watches traffic for road kill
Five second rule counts

ShannonYoungHK

The high tide goes out
A boot floating on the waves
I go hopping home

Terri French

winter’s chill
a stray cinder settles
in the hearth rug

Hannah

Desert rose in bloom
windswept sea of sand-dune flows
dung beetle rolls forth.

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Please congratulate the Cara Holman for earning the top spot and everyone else who made the Top 10! Believe me, it was quite an achievement. I have a feeling I wouldn't get nearly as many entries for a sestina challenge.

I'd like to thank everyone who participated. If your name did not make the list, that doesn't mean it wasn't in the running. I had to go through a few rounds of narrowing things down before I was even close to making a Top 10 list. So many great haiku.

Note for the Top 10: If you'd like your name to be fixed, please leave a comment below. I know sometimes the profile names do not match the writer names--or they're incomplete. Though I may have a feeling I know who some of you are, I've found in the past that when I make guesses or assumptions that I'm usually wrong.

Keep an eye out for another challenge soon! After all, I'm sure we all need something (additional) to do through the holiday season. :)

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Read the Poetic Asides column in Writer's Digest...

...with a digital subscription to Writer's Digest magazine. Each issue includes a poetic form and at least one winner of the WD Poetic Form Challenge! Of course, if you prefer a print subscription, those are available too.

Click to continue.