IMPORTANT!
PLEASE READ THE RULES, FAILURE TO DO SO MIGHT COST YOU A PLACEMENT! PLEASE ALSO TAKE TIME OUT AND COME BACK TO CHECK FOR HEADS UP RE TYPOES (I'M BEING DIPLOMATIC) THEY'LL BE POSTED IN THE UPDATE OPTION BOX, THERE IS TEN IN THERE, MAKE SURE ONE IS NOT YOURS!
What to Submit?
1 One original, haiku on the theme of FISH
salmon leap... for life
shallow streams bid them welcome
otters... all well fed
© Mick Talbot 2018
2 The only acceptable title is 'haiku', (Not Haiku, nor haiku and a digit, as in haiku 10 or #10, or any other marker) any other and the haiku will not be placed. There is a good reason for my request for named poetry can be googled, or entered into PoetrySoup search engine and easily found. Yes, it can still be found, it'll just take a lot longer. The truth is I like surprises, much more fun finding out after judging who the winning authors are.
elvers... millions
passing salmon parr... seabound
smoked eel... delicious
© Mick Talbot 2018
3 Three lines, 5, 7, 5 or fewer syllables per line.
tench... the doctor fish
sought by the diseased... ailing
the river flows on
© Mick Talbot 2018
4 No punctuation, ellipses/dashes, (..., --) are permissible.
the great white shark swims
an ever hungry beauty
makes good poetry
© Mick Talbot 2018
5 No capital/s letter/s at the start of lines or elsewhere, the only exception to this rule are nouns.
6 Due to some doubt cast on some entries in my last haiku contest, all haiku must be new and dated. No date no placement.
7 Whilst the contest is open, please do come back and check for updates, thank you.
Prizes
First Prize, &
&
we pour all our wastes...
river drinks it silently...
giving back through fish
a hover of trout
forms an arc in the blue stream. . .
rainbow in the sky
goldfish swirling gems
in circles around around . . .
a turtle swims by
golden fins
compose on gilded parchment…
koi pond at sunset
last hurrah
for the school of fish
a bowl for two
oriental pool
koi on the surface feeding
bright vibrant colours ~
dive deep... daredevils
lanternfish... eels... vampire squid
darkness... luminesce
goldfish in glass bowl
swimming around aimlessly
kitten licks her lips
small fishes school splash
submerging deep in the stream
in quiet sunset
black googly eyes stare
as orange fins beat in pause –
spiny lobster lurks
freckled orange koi
backstroke bathing by coral
rainbow signatures
monkfish needle teeth
on sandy muddy bottoms
from ... beauty to beast
Second Prize, &
&
sun speckled small fry
dart riotously around
slow swaying sea kelp
scary viperfish
ugliness understated
devour at own risk
a host of sea stars
living mosaic wonder
ocean’s galaxy
upriver struggle
eggs laid...next generation
feasting bears fatten
Third Prize, &
Honourable Mentions
Preparing Your Entry
Submit one copy of your poem online. Format your poem. Please make your entry easy to read — no illustrations or fancy fonts.
English Language
Poems should be in English. Poems translated from other languages are not eligible unless you wrote both the original poem and the translation.
A Note to Poetry Contestants
You are welcome to enter this contest, whether or not you won a prize in one of my previous contests. Have fun with your muses, best wishes... Mick