National Poetry Month’s Best Humanist Haikus
Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash THEHUMANIST.COM is pleased to announce the winners of the Annual Haiku Contest, which was held in April in honor of National Poetry Month.
The Contest requested entries of haikus about humanism and humanist values. Submissions were required to be in the form of a haiku, a seemingly simple form of poetry in three lines: five syllables on line one, seven syllables on line two, and five syllables on line three.
We received eighty-four entries, and our judges chose seven of their favorites. A huge thank you to all of the poets who submitted their haikus. And another big thank you to our panel of judges: Nicole Carr, Anna Clay, Emily Newman, Meredith Thompson, Kate Uesugi, and Peter Bjork.
Sharpen the mind’s quill
Fill the well with ink and draw
From experience
—Justin Hauxwell
It’s not very hard.
Common sense shows us the way.
Love is the answer.
—Steve W
Inhabit nature
Take hold of your destiny
Boundless potential
—Jean Waller
World humanity
A universe of wonders
My adoration.
—Russell Dick
What leads to progress…
Fantasy, faith, or prayer?
No, people move us
—Don Sturm
Live for the moment
And live for one another
That’s Humanism
—Justin Hauxwell
Pampas grass spreads plumes
Across this hill. Noon sun comes.
We feast on brilliance.
—John Laue