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Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards (2003– )

This annual haiku competition was launched in 2003 in memory of longtime Modern Haiku editor Robert Spiess, who died in 2002. Each year one of Spiess’s “Speculations” is selected as a theme. Poets may submit up to five haiku. Typically three prizes and as many as five honorable mentions are chosen double-blind by one or two judges. In recent years the competition has drawn as many as 577 entries. Results, including the judges’ commentaries, are published in the summer issue of Modern Haiku following the contest.


Competition Guidelines

(Based on the guidelines for the 2023 contest)

Theme: Haiku are to be written in the spirit of a “Speculation” selected each year by competition coordinator Billie Wilson from Robert Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku, Modern Haiku Press, 1995).

Deadline: In hand no later than March 13 (Bob Spiess’s death date).

Rules: The competition is open to everyone but the staff of Modern Haiku, the competition coordinator, and the judge(s). Entries must be in English. Each entry must be the original, unpublished work of the author, and should not be under consideration in a contest or for publication elsewhere. For purposes of this competition, appearance of a haiku in an Internet journal, on a website, in a blog, or in any other public medium is considered publication, but posting haiku on a private email list is not. Of course, entries should not be shared in an Internet journal, website, blog, private or public email list, or social media during the term of the competition.

Submission guidelines: Poets may submit a maximum of five haiku written in the spirit of the given Speculation, accompanied by the applicable entry fee. 

Email entries are to be submitted as follows: on the Modern Haiku subscription page, find the Donate button; make a donation of up to $5 (i.e., $1 for each entry); a payment confirmation number will be provided, and it should be copied and pasted into an email with the haiku submissions; the poet’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address; and the email sent to Billie Wilson at akwilsons@gci.net.

Postal entries are to be be typed or printed legibly on one sheet of paper that contains all haiku being submitted (not one sheet per haiku). The poet’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address (if any) should appear in the upper lefthand corner of the sheet of paper.

Poets should keep a copy of their submission; entries will not be returned. Instructions should be followed carefully: entries that are incomplete or that do not comply with the instructions are discarded.

Postal entries are sent to: 

Billie Wilson
1170 Fritz Cove Road
Juneau, AK 99801-8501 USA

Entry feeUS$1 per haiku, cash, check, or PayPal (U.S. funds); checks should be made payable to Modern Haiku. For email entries, follow the instructions above.

Adjudication: One or more judges are selected by Modern Haiku; their name(s) are announced at the time of the awards. Judging is double-blind, and the judge(s) do not know the identity of the entrants. The judges’ decisions are final.

Selection criteriaThe judge(s) look for entries that hew to Western norms for haiku as published in Modern Haiku and other leading English-language haiku journals and that best capture the spirit of the theme Speculation. There are no rules as to syllable or line count.

Awards: Currently—First Prize $100; Second Prize $50; Third Prize $25 and up to five poets awarded Honorable Mentions. Through the 2019 competition, until the stocks at Modern Haiku Press were depleted, winners and honorable mentions received copies of Robert Spiess‘s books. See the “Awards” sections in the table below for the prizes in each competition.

NotificationWinners are notified by email or phone before the general announcement. Winning entries are published in the summer issue of Modern Haiku, posted on the Modern Haiku website, and announced on social media. 

Participating poets may receive a list of the winners by requesting it in their email entries or including a stamped, self-addressed envelope (SASE) with their postal entries.

Competition archives: The complete results of each competition, including the judges’ commentaries, are archived by Modern Haiku webmaster Randy Brooks on the website and provided a principal source for this Haikupedia article.


21st Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2023

Theme SpeculationThe value of juxtaposition of entities in haiku, when appropriately accomplished, is that the often rather divergent qualities or characteristics of the phenomena act like the striking together of flint and steel: a spark flashes forth that is analogous to an illuminative experience or intuition.
JudgeGary Hotham
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries514
Results announcedModern Haiku 54:2 (Summer 2023)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100
Second Prize: $50
Third Prize: $25
Five poets were awarded an Honorable Mention
First PlaceAlan S. Bridgestrain tunnel—
sliding a bookmark
between pages of a mystery
Second PlaceScott Masonlace curtains
the visiting nurse
tries to find a good vein
Third PlaceRonald J. Scullyraking leaves
all the words
never used
Honorable Mention (5, unranked)Robert Witmerempty pockets
in a secondhand coat
Indian summer
MJ Mellomoonlight
lifted by the tide
the scatter of his ashes
Joe McKeonrobin songs
an immigrant’s child 
translates for grandpa
Alvin B. Cruzfinding where I belong
the empty space
in a jigsaw puzzle
Antoinette Cheungsweeping fog
her last breath
still in the room

20th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2022

Theme Speculation[T]he more satisfactory haiku are those that incorporate or juxtapose two (sometimes three) elements or perceptions in an aesthetic manner, rather than merely elaborating on one entity. The use of a season word, for example, has the function of relating ‘in absentia’ all the aspects and entities of the season to the entities put forth in the haiku.
JudgeAngela Terry
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries517 from 115 poets in 18 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 53:2 (Summer 2022)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100
Second Prize: $50
Third Prize: $25
Four poets were awarded an Honorable Mention
First PlaceJulie Schwerinthe too much of shoes that tie summer’s end
Second PlaceBill Coopertwilight chill
gumbo simmering to the voice 
of Sweet Emma
Third PlaceGreg Schwartzmidday heat
the lumberjack rests 
in the shade
First Honorable MentionDian Duchin Reedwinter’s blue sky
the missing boy
found
Second Honorable MentionFrank Hoovendouble rainbow
the trailer park
glistens
Third Honorable MentionGreg Schwartznight train
the trundle
of the coffee cart
Fourth Honorable MentionKat Lehmanflashes of
white butterfly
junkyard yarrow

19th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2021

Theme SpeculationIn the better haiku there is a surprisingly large amount of subjectivity beneath the objectivity of the haiku’s entities. This subjectivity is not stated as such, but is wordlessly perceived.
JudgeCarolyn Hall
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries530 from 116 poets in 16 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 52:2 (Summer 2021)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100
Second Prize: $50
Third Prize: $25
Five poets were awarded an Honorable Mention
First PrizeTom Bierovicorigami boat
the hospice nurse 
gives it a name
Second PrizeAlan S. Bridgesthistle seed 
a new spot 
on her spine
Third PrizeSandra Simpsonno headstone—
the rosemary bush 
finds its shape
First Honorable MentionFrank Hoovennews of his passing
I walk my feet 
through morning dew
Second Honorable MentionScott Masonfour walls 
I trace 
a nautilus
Third Honorable MentionAmy Losakempty begging cup
the old man builds a cross 
out of pennies
Fourth Honorable MentionAntoinette Cheunglullaby …
grandma’s hand 
cradled in mine
Fifth Honorable MentionFrank Hoovenmorning fog
the wail of saws 
against the sycamore

18th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2020

Theme SpeculationA genuine haiku … has … an inherent felt-rhythm that is in concord with that which is portrayed in the haiku.
JudgeAlan S. Bridges
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries552 from 127 poets in 13 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 51:2 (Summer 2020)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100
Second Prize: $50
Third Prize: $25
Five poets were awarded an Honorable Mention
First PlaceCorine Timmersprouting grass— 
the slaughter tag 
in the lamb’s ear
Second PlaceTerri L. Frenchin the center
of the cavern
a call to worship
Third PlaceJulie Emersondaffodils
in a jar of rain 
on her grave
Honorable Mention,
unranked (5)
Bob Redmondshearing season— 
before the first snip 
the boy’s wince
Sandra Rectora baby’s cry— 
her breasts 
remember
Tia Haynesgathering
the last of the sun …
a lullaby
Vicki Mikofour o’clocks in the bowl on the day she forgot my name
Eric Sundquistspring wind
the distant flute 
of a wood thrush

17th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2019

Theme SpeculationOriginality in haiku does not mean novelty but direct contact with things in their original nature.
JudgeScott Mason
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries477 from 106 poets in 11 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 50:2 (Summer 2019)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus an inscribed copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s Noddy (1997, out of print)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001, out of print)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PlaceMatthew Markworthfog …
it comes and 
it goes
Second PlaceCyndi Lloydnot a thought 
sparkle after sparkle 
across the lake
Third PlaceAngela Terrymoon glow …
an owl’s screech 
fades into it
First Honorable MentionTom Paintingold linoleum
a permanent scuff 
from the cottage door
Second Honorable MentionJohn Barlowthe long shadow of a standing stone midsummer’s eve
Third Honorable MentionGary Hotham       rain crosses
          the pond
a center for each ripple
Fourth Honorable MentionCelia Stuart-Powles springtime 
the cat’s tail 
a little higher
Fifth Honorable MentionAlan S. Bridgesinto winter
the last drop of oolong 
leaves the gooseneck spout

16th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2018

Theme SpeculationA haiku lets things become what they are.
JudgeMichael Dylan Welch
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries407 from 92 poets in 13 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 49:2 (Summer 2018)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print; previous owner’s name written on first page)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Cottage of Wild Plum (1991, out of print)
Third Prize: $25 plus an inscribed copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001, out of print)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PlaceTia Haynesafter packing
our quiet
embrace
Second PlaceChris Baysflapping police tape …
snow fills
a kiddie pool
Third PlaceJohn Hawkold sandbox
the weeds
all grown up
First Honorable MentionAngela Terrynight train …
the false positive
that wasn’t
Second Honorable MentionRobert WitmerBamiyan
the rock face
before the mountain was born
Third Honorable MentionMichele Root-Bernsteindeep snow
the whole day inside
myself
Fourth Honorable MentionPeter Barnesgarden project—
a little paint on
the ladybug
Fifth Honorable MentionDebbie Strangelonger days
I knight my sister
with an icicle

15th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2017

Theme SpeculationWhen haiku poets are truly stirred by a now-moment of awareness they respond with a simple, usually silent “Yes,” not because they “understand,” for that means the intellect is operating on the event- experience. This “Yes” is not one of considered approval but is prior to such an intellective judgment, it is an unqualified acceptance of the moment and its entities just as they are in their true nature at that particular and never to be repeated split second.
JudgeFerris Gilli
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries577 from 136 poets in 17 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 48:2 (Summer 2017)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001, out of print)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Five Caribbean Haibun (1972, out of print) (1982)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeAlan S. Bridgesan old song pours 
from a Navajo toehold 
canyon wren
Second PrizeCherie Hunter Daynightfall—
moths the color
of the dying pine
Third PrizeJohn Barlowmorning frost
the trunks of birch saplings
beginning to silver
Honorable Mention,
unranked (5)
Olivier Schopferday moon
out of the subway entrance
a saxophone solo
Debbie Strangelast campout …
sandhill cranes call down
the northern lights
Jacqueline Pearceafter the rain
the rainbow
in the fly’s wings
Michele L. Harveyanother notch
out of the tomcat’s ear …
spring breeze
Sandra Simpsonsummer solstice—
pulling the earth
back round a zinnia

14th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2016

Theme SpeculationAs haiku poets we can learn much from such sources as the traditional masters’ haiku and from contemporary haiku publications; but our best teachers are wind and rain, oaks and anemones, rivers and mountains, minnows and giraffes, eagles and earthworms, children and God’s fools.
JudgeChristopher Herold
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries505 from 121 poets in 13 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 47:2 (Summer 2016)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed copy of Spiess’s The Heron’s Legs (1966, out of print)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeAnn Magyartent city
somehow the children
make kites
Second PrizeJoe McKeonoil swirls
in a sand castle moat
screeching gulls
Third PrizeMichele L. Harveyso little left
of the no trespassing sign …
snowmelt
Honorable Mention,
unranked (5)
Sharon Prettinews of refugees
the pieces of sea glass
I decide to keep
Rita Odehheavy snow—
each branch with
its burden
Olivier Schopferafternoon stillness
a cricket leaps
out of its shadow
Lesley Anne Swansonordinary morning
the cat grooming
anyway
Brad BennettGrand Canyon
neither of us mentions
the silence

13th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2015

Theme SpeculationIt seems that those haiku that have an inherently melodious quality are the most expressive and contain the most felt-depth.
JudgeMarjorie Buettner
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries248 from 60 poets in 9 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 46:2 (Summer 2015)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed copy of Spiess’s The Heron’s Legs (1966, out of print)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Cottage of Wild Plum (1991, out of print)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PlaceRebecca LillyThe life behind the one
I think I’m living—
daylily pollen in wind
Second PlaceJudt Shrodemesa wind
flutes the mouths of clay vessels
spring snow
Third PlaceLesley Anne Swansonthat old tune …
knots in my shoelace
coming loose
Honorable Mention,
unranked (5)
James Chessinglosing you slowly
the incremental way light
leaves the day
Robert Witmerbutterflies feeding blossoms
a boy with a net
catching sunshine
Tracy Davidsonmy footprint fades
with the turning tide
hint of whale song
Natalia L. Rudychevdarkness falling into the stars between us
Robert Witmerwind chimes in winter
moonlight
through broken glass

12th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2014

Theme SpeculationAfter the awareness of a haiku moment, the poet must select and arrange the words of the haiku in such a manner that when the haiku is read or heard, the words arouse or evoke in the reader/hearer those immediate feelings that the poet had. The art of haiku is that of the haiku poet’s feel for words, the selection of the absolutely appropriate words and the exact positioning of them.
JudgeRoberta Beary
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries340 from 81 poets in 9 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 45:2 (Summer 2014)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print, inscribed to a former owner)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeErnest J. Berryalcatraz manacles of kelp
Second PrizeCarolyn Hallquince blossoms 
he stops 
the chemo
Third PrizeKristen Deming

alone now 
no ruby slippers 
to take me home
First Honorable MentionJohn Barlowthousands of feet of darkness above us sleeping swifts
Second Honorable MentionJames Chessinglullaby 
meteorites flash 
beneath heavy lids
Third Honorable Mentionkjmunrotall grass a hand drowning in snow waves 

11th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2013

Theme SpeculationAnother of the marvelous paradoxes of haiku is that the better they express the suchness of entities the better they intimate the essential mystery of these things.
JudgesEve Luckring and Lew Watts
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries256 from 66 poets in 8 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 44:2 (Summer 2013)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print, signed to a previous owner)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeErnest J. Berrymidsummer
under a leaf
hidden from
Second Prize (2 equal)Margaret Dornausalphabet soup
I practice cradling love
in a stainless spoon
Scott Masonsautéed fiddleheads
     dinner begins
        with grace
Honorable Mention,
unranked (2)
John Barlowovernight the spider’s mathematics
Julie Warthernightfall
no decision
required

10th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2012

Theme SpeculationHaiku have three forms or manifestations: the written, which enters the eye; the spoken, which enters the ear; and the essential … which enters the heart. [Prompted in part by a passage by Sa’in al-Din ibn Turkah.]
JudgesMelissa Allen and Carlos Colón
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries323 from 83 poets in 9 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 43:2 (Summer 2012)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Heron’s Legs (1966, out of print, signed to a previous owner)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeScott Mason      nautical chart 
   I touch the depth 
of my mother’s ashes
Second PrizeDuro Jaiyeslave quarters …
the shapes of their shadows 
in this dust
Third PrizeSusan Constableshades of blue …
the deer’s remaining eye 
cradled by bone
Honorable Mention,
in alphabetical order (4)
Margaret Chulawinter dusk 
my grief released 
from the crow’s throat
Michele L. Harveyformation of geese— 
a log opens 
to the woodsman’s maul
Kirsty KarkowI seem to be 
an intermittent shadow …
summer clouds
Scott Mason      bitter wind 
the towhee’s song
      three notes short

9th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2011

Theme SpeculationHaiku help to make our senses more alive to sounds, and colors, to  textures and odors.
JudgesWanda Cook and Paul Miller
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries433 from 108 poets in 7 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 42:2 (Summer 2011)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Heron’s Legs (1966, out of print, slight damage)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeCatherine J.S. Leefalling leaves
the clang of horseshoes 
in the crisp air
Second PrizeSandra Simpsonspattering rain the pulse in a sparrow’s throat
Third PrizeJennifer Gomoll Popolisweathered rail 
all those carved names 
through my hand
Honorable Mention,
unranked (4)
Melissa Allenmice
beneath the floorboards …
all her small noises
Catherine J.S. Leedaybreak 
the scent of crushed sweetgrass 
where deer have lain
Clare McCotterthe timbre 
of a horse’s heart 
winter sea
Angela Terrytrying to name 
the color of the sun 
yellow peony

8th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2010

Theme SpeculationMany haiku of quality combine unexpectedness with inevitability—that “shock of mild surprise” (Blyth), followed immediately by the felt-significance of “Of course, that’s just as it is.”
JudgesAllan Burns and Charles Trumbull
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries377 from 99 poets in 8 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 41:2 (Summer 2010)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Heron’s Legs (1966, out of print, slight damage)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeCarolyn Hallmayflies—
an unfinished painting
on the easel
Second PrizeJames Chessingopening the door
to an unexpected knock
the fragrance of plum
Third PrizeKirsty Karkowa box turtle
slowly unpacks its legs
first warm day
Honorable Mention,
in alphabetical order (5)
John Barlowso few feathers left
it barely has a name
the melting snow
Jennifer CorpeCaravaggios—
a passing cloud darkens
the skylit room
Carolyn Hallautumn wind
he wills his body
to science
Origadrive-in movie
the car surrounded
by fireflies
John Souleswoodsmoke—
the last long weekend
of the summer

7th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2009

Theme SpeculationIn haiku the juxtaposition or “confrontation” of entities produces a tension charged with energy that generates an insight, intuition or felt-depth of an aspect of reality; it is a movement, a birth, that leads to a new level of awareness [Prompted in part by a passage of C.G. Jung’s].
JudgesNatalia Rudychev and Charles Trumbull
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries309 from 80 poets in 5 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 40:2 (Summer 2009)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed and previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print, slight damage)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First Prize Anne LB Davidsonspring floods—
I move the sink spider
to a safer spot
Second PrizeNola Borrelladult walk
a skip
in the child’s step
Third PrizeBruce Rossa sudden tinkling
of the wind bell
winter stars
Honorable Mention,
in alphabetical order (5)
Stephen GouldA redstone church— 
still echoing its Angelus, 
the red stone hills
Michael McClintock 
square little windows 
the laughter of women 
at work inside
Scott Masonnear sunbathers 
     driftwood 
nearly bleached
Bill Paulyher therapy 
the basket 
unwoven
Marilyn Appl Walkerman in the moon 
a newsman reports 
a beheading

6th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2008

Theme SpeculationA haiku is a profound testimony that a most humble object of nature when put into the simplest of aesthetic forms can become a revelation.
JudgesLee Gurga and Peter Yovu
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries405 from 103 poets in 9 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 39:2 (Summer 2008)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed, previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeNatalia L. Rudychevletting go
   the heart
of a sparrow
Second PrizeLinda Jeannette Wardcog railway—
white sky
becomes snowflakes
Third PrizePeggy Willis Lylesdaffodils—
a laughing girl
with rain in her shoe
Honorable Mention,
in alphabetical order (5)
Janelle Barrerawide open
the roses we leave
on the motel dresser
ken hurmlantern shadows
two-teat harmony
in the milk pail
Dru Philippousparse shadow
of the plum tree
the pull of an old friend
Sandra Simpsonhot night
at the filling station
songs of love
Eduard ŢarăShop window—
winter light along
the violin strings

5th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2007

Theme SpeculationIf a haiku is to have life it must have rhythm or flow— for whatever life is, there is rhythm. Needless to say, this rhythm will seldom be a regular meter, but will be a rhythm or flow that is natural to the entities of the haiku and their particular relation. When the rhythm is proper to the haiku it simply will be felt in an aesthetic mode of “rightness.”
JudgesJeffrey Winke and Charles Trumbull
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries381 from 97 poets in 11 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 38:2 (Summer 2007)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print) signed to the previous owner
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeErnest J. Berry      childhood home
     i park in the shade
     of my cherry stone
Second PrizeOriga     the school bell rings …
the wings of a butterfly tremble
               on the pin
Third PrizeJim Kacianfollowed home
by a dog I don’t know
autumn dusk
Honorable Mention,
unranked (5)
Kenneth Elba Carrierblizzard day—
extra brown sugar
on my oatmeal
Raffael de Gruttolain the gutter
a crumpled scratch card—
ragweed in bloom
Scott Mason            gathering dusk
fragments of sky between limbs
              become one
Patricia Neubauersolar eclipse—
the rare silence
of seagulls
Marie Summersfamily secrets
a thicket full
of ripe raspberries

4th Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2006

Theme SpeculationJuxtaposition of entities in haiku cannot be simply the throwing together of just anything; the poet must have the intuition that certain things, albeit of “opposite” characteristics, nonetheless have a resonance with each other that will evoke a revelation when they are juxtaposed in accordance with the time-tested canons and aesthetics of haiku.
JudgesFrancine Banwarth and Charles Trumbull
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries 402 from 104 poets in 7 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 37:2 (Summer 2006)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed and previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print, slight damage)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First Prize
Carolyn Hall
plum blossoms
I make plans
for my ashes
Second PrizeJohn Barlowthe piano hammers
barely moving …
night snow
Third PrizeJim Kaciandusklight—
I read her poem
differently
Honorable Mention,
unranked (5)
an’yafirst snow—
my child’s footprints no longer
fit inside of mine
Darrell Byrd
late winter …
a king snake stretches
across the road
Peggy Heinrichevening news
the soothing weight
of the quilt
w. f. owensnow flurries
the square dancers
do-si-do
Linda Jeannette Wardsunglints
off falling snow—
the silent no in her smile

3rd Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2005

Theme SpeculationIt is [the] subjective aspect that accounts for very much of the difference between a haiku that is merely descriptive per se and one that engenders intuitional feeling—and this is the deciding factor between a haiku in which the poet simply records stimuli and one in which the poet is in accord with the haiku moment.
JudgesPamela Miller Ness and Lee Gurga
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries316 from 83 poets in 10 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 36:2 (Summer 2005)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed like-new copy of Spiess’s first book, The Heron’s Legs (1966, out of print)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001).
Honorable Mentions: Each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
First PrizeCarolyn Hallwild berries—
one training wheel lifts
round the curve
Second PrizeMarjorie Buettnerwinter light—
she holds the teacup
with both hands
Third PrizeDarrell ByrdOrion rising
she reaches to loosen
the pup’s collar
Honorable Mention,
unranked (3)
Marjorie Buettnerspring stars—
washing my daughter’s lipstick
off the mirror
kirsty karkowstill arguing
we swim the same river
further upstream
Marjorie Buettnerwinter rain—
   finding that part of silence
      which speaks to me

2nd Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2004

Theme SpeculationTrue haiku poets do not write to demonstrate how different their haiku are from those of other haiku poets. Goethe wrote, “I have reaped the harvest that others have sown. My work is that of a collective being and it bears Goethe’s name.”
JudgesCe Rosenow and Lee Gurga
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries191 from 104 poets in 8 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 35:2 (Summer 2004)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed and previously-loved copy of Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print, slight damage)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995).
1st PrizeGarry GayAutumn woods
yesterday’s walking stick
just where I left it
2nd PrizeLinda Jeannette Wardlate for work—
one empty space
petaled in wisteria
3rd PrizeMarjorie Buettnerfrozen eyes
of the just netted fish
winter rainbow
Honorable Mention,
unranked (3)
Tom Paintingthe foul ball lands
in an empty seat
summer’s end
Liz Fennrainy day …
a crow on the bare branch
sharpens his beak
Marilyn Appl Walkerhide and seek
among the hollyhocks
August moon

1st Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Awards, 2003

Theme SpeculationMost haiku of excellence are serenely vibrant. Although they seldom are concerned with grand or marvelous events, or employ highly charged language, or possess startling qualities, they nonetheless are intensely alive in their quiet and deep evocation of aspects of life and the world, aspects that can easily be overlooked. In and through these haiku we are able to live more fully and with a non-exclusiveness that lets us participate in and appreciate multitudinous event-experiences.
JudgesPeggy Willis Lylesand Lee Gurga
Contest coordinatorBillie Wilson
Number of entries376 from 193 poets in 23 countries
Results announcedModern Haiku 34:2 (Summer 2003)
AwardsFirst Prize: $100 plus a signed and previously-loved copy of Bob Spiess’s The Turtle’s Ears (1971, out of print)
Second Prize: $50 plus a copy of Bob Spiess’s The Shape of Water (1982)
Third Prize: $25 plus a copy of Bob Spiess’s Some Sticks and Pebbles (2001)
Honorable Mentions: each received a copy of Bob Spiess’s A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995)
First PrizeJames Chessingwinter solitude—
the lima beans soaking
in half-moonlight
Second PrizeEllen Comptonfirst light
dark limbs of the walnut
holding their snow
Third PrizeAngelee Deodharrumors of war
up into a darkening sky
—a child’s newsprint kite
Honorable Mention,
unranked (5)
Connie Donleycottsummer meadow
a blade of grass
becomes a whistle
Maria Steyndeep night …
a moth stirs
the windchime
Marjorie A. Buettnersteady snowfall …
I make hot chocolate
grandmother’s way
Marlene J. Eggerquiet night
the watchman bends
to touch a rose
Ellen Comptongentle rain—
a shimmer of pennies
beneath the koi

Compiled by Billie Wilson and Randy Brooks (for Modern Haiku), and the Haikupedia Editors

Miscellaneous Modern Haiku Awards

Modern Haiku

Robert Spiess

Updated on November 26, 2023