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BETTY DREVNIOK AWARD

The annual Betty Drevniok Award was established by Haiku Canada in 1998, in memory of Betty Drevniok, who served as secretary of the society from 1977 to 1979 and president from 1979 to 1982.


The competition is open to all. Up to three unpublished haiku that are not under consideration anywhere else may be submitted. There is no charge to enter, and there are no categories or restrictions on the type or style of haiku that will be considered. The judge typically selects 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place haiku and about eight Honourable Mentions. Prizes in the amounts of Can$100, 50, and 25 are awarded to the top three winners.

Each year the winners, their haiku, and the judge’s comments are announced at the Haiku Canada Weekend in May, made available on the HC website in early June, and published as a trifold sheet distributed to Haiku Canada Members along with the society’s journal, Haiku Canada Review.

Winning haiku and judges’ comments from the 2006 contests to the present are archived on the Haiku Canada website. Submission guidelines for the current contest are posted here.

Betty Drevniok Award 2021

JudgeMarco Fraticelli
Contest coordinatorCarole MacRury
Number of entriesAbout 800
First Prize (Can$100)Antoinette Cheung,
Vancouver, British Columbia
something blue
I tie the knot
of your hospital gown
Second Prize (Can$50)Dejan Pavlinović,
Pula, Croatia
father’s suit
how he left it behind
without his smell
Third Prize (Can$25)Gina,
Tasmania, Australia
picking out
the brightest star
I ask Dad how he is
Honorable Mention (8)Meghan Elizabeth Jones,
Calgary, Alberta
after deep snow
water trickling down
the drain spout
Skylar Kay,
Calgary, Alberta
breath freezes
to my lashes—
just the sound of geese
Angela Leuck,
Hatley, Québec
fresh-picked tomato
the sun’s warmth
still on its skin
Pamela Cooper,
Montreal, Québec
lingerie drawer
making room
for my mask collection
Cezar Ciobîcă,
Botoșani, Romania
lockdown
from pane to pane
the hunter’s moon
Joanne Morcom,
Calgary, Alberta
nursing home
in all the bird feeders
mounds of snow
Nikolay Grankin,
Krasnodar, Russia
sunset
the butterfly’s wing
on a trail of ants
Ron Moss,
Tasmania, Australia
sudden thunder
the harmonica player
bends a note

Betty Drevniok Award 2020

Judgekjmunro
Contest coordinatorCarole MacRury
Number of entries660 haiku by 229 poets from 38 countries
First Prize (Can$100)Pamela Cooper,
Montréal, Québec
a stop sign
in Inuktitut—
the wind unyielding
Second Prize (Can$50)Ana Drobot,
Bucharest, Romania
first snowdrops—
my favourite songs
on repeat
Third Prize (Can$25)Barry George,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
moonlit
our cell phones charging
side by side
Honorable Mention (8)Sheila K. Barksdale,
Gotherington, Gloucestershire, U.K.
backyard barbecue
a curl of watermelon
with little rat feet
Lynne Jambor,
Vancouver, British Columbia
cloud-streaked sky
a pebble in my
hiking boot
Mark Miller,
Shoalhaven Heads, New South Wales, Australia
spring cleaning
finding her scent
in the unfinished scarf
Maxianne Berger,
Outremont, Québec
string hammock cat’s cradle
Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
river bend—
someone in waders
taming clouds
Hifsa Ashraf,
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
barbed wire fence
the jigsaw puzzle
of my homeland
Ngô Hồ Anh Khoa,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
spring cleaning
the echo lingers longer
in the vacant room
Brad Bennett,
Arlington, Massachusetts
all the songs
we know by heart
mountain stream

Betty Drevniok Award 2019

JudgePat Benedict Campbell
Contest coordinatorCarole MacRury
Number of entries471
First Prize (Can$100)Simon Hanson,
Tasmania, Australia
crossing the lake
the nightly journey
of stars
Second Prize (Can$50)Pamela A. Babusci,
Rochester, New York
first snow
he lightly brushes
her mastectomy scars
Third Prize (Can$25)Alan S. Bridges,
Littleton, Massachusetts
where we cast
handfuls of his ashes
the leap of a trout
Honourable Mention (8)Steven Clarkson,
Taupo, New Zealand
blackbird
she describes its flight
with her eyebrows
Angela Leuck,
Hatley, Québec
late summer
her foot swings
at a cloud’s pace
Sharon Morrison,
Montréal, Québec
november drizzle
smell of potatoes
being dug
Ngô Hồ Anh Khoa,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
cherry blossoms
mother sweeps away
her fallen strands of hair
Aparna Pathak,
Haryana state, India
custody battle …
the zigzag edges
of my nail
Pragya Vishnoi,
Uttar Pradesh state, India
first date
her chopsticks
pick air
Joshua Gage,
Pepper Pike, Ohio
power outage
I begin to listen
to the rain
Irene Golas,
Sudbury, Ontario
the old farm …
such a small place
for all that struggle

Betty Drevniok Award 2018

JudgeMike Montreuil
Contest coordinatorJoanne Morcom
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Bruce H. Feingold,
Walnut Creek, Calif.
fallen redwoods
the solitary walks
after illness
Second Prize (Can$50)Ann Magyar,
Brighton, Massachusetts
drift of leaves
my grandfather’s voice
calling the cows home
Third Prize (Can$25)Indra Neil Mekala,
Andhra Pradesh state, India
victory parade –—
the tire marks of
a wheelchair
Honourable Mention (6)Srinivasa Rao Sambangi,
Hyderabad, India
hazy moon
but I know what
the kick meant
Kevin Goldstein-Jackson,
Dorset, U.K.
funeral procession
             small girl asks
       “will there be cake?”
Dan Iulian Ciupitu,
Bucharest, Romania
refugee camp —
just the full moon’ bauble
in a Christmas tree
Helen Buckingham,
Somerset, U.K.
once a school …
tulips line
the hospice drive
Susan Burch,
Hagerstown, Maryland
Baskin-Robbins
we sample new
baby names 
Agnes Eva Savich,
Austin, Texas
a ripple carried
past a bend in the river …
her baby’s ashes 

Betty Drevniok Award 2017

JudgeLeRoy Gorman
Contest coordinatorClaudia Coutu Radmore
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Andrius Luneckas,
Vilnius, Lithuania
jump over
and once again—
spring creek
Second Prize (Can$50)Aalix Roake,
Rolleston, New Zealand
geese passing …
I have heard they mate
for life
Third Prize (Can$25)Carl Seguiban,
Burnaby, British Columbia
multicoloured sky
for once, the children 
pull the strings
Honourable Mention (8)Steliana Cristina Voicu,
Ploiești, Romania
cyclamen in bloom—
in the oncologist’s office
still pretty in pink
Iulian Ciupitu,
Bucharest, Romania
douane —
in the eyes of a refugee
the borderless sky
Harvey Jenkins,
Winnipeg, Manitoba
rusted mountain bike
wildflowers move
between the spokes
Andrius Luneckas,
Vilnius, Lithuania
summertime
in the cemetery
cuckoo
Irene Golas,
Sudbury, Ontario
blueberry pie
no need
to be perfect
Julie Bloss Kelsey,
Germantown, Maryland
barrier island—
the bray of wild horses
drifts on sea breeze
Christina Sng,
Singapore
spring weeds
in my organs
endometriosis
Joshua Gage,
Broadview Heights, Ohio
winter rehearsals
those strands of hair
that escape her bun

Betty Drevniok Award 2016

JudgeTom Clausen
Contest CoordinatorClaudia Coutu Radmore
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Ruth Powell,
Prince George, British Columbia
starlit night
only the sound
of my paddle
Second Prize (Can$50)Owen Bullock,
Canberra, Australia
I would have given up
so many times …
we mend the tent
Third Prize (Can$25)Liz Fenn,
Wellsville, N.Y.
soft light
in a room
of bare walls
Honourable Mention (9)Julie Warther,
Dover, Ohio
quietly joining
the conversation …
prairie stars
Chen-ou Liu,
Ajax, Ontario
home from the hospital …
a robin’s song
and nothing else
paul m.,
Bristol, Rhode Island
lilac breeze
the dog nudges the door open
with her nose
Sheila Weaver,
Gibsons, British Columbia
deserted
the spider web
still catching flies
Rodney Williams,
Trafalgar, Vic., Australia
inhaling deeply
at the kitchen doorstep …
summer rain
Helen Buckingham,
Wells, U.K.
first love
red-lipped
beneath the mulberry
Stephen Toft,
Lancaster, U.K.
late summer—
boys building a dam
in the stream
Ruth Powell,
Prince George, British Columbia
suspended
for a heartbeat
top of the ferris wheel
Rodney Williams,
Trafalgar, Victoria, Australia
open garden day—
swallows weave across lawns
between guests

Betty Drevniok Award 2015

JudgeCarol MacRury
Contest coordinatorClaudia Coutu Radmore
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Carl Seguiban,
Burnaby, British Columbia
last rites …
rain fading into
bird song
Second Prize (Can$50)elehna de sousa,
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
sunlit poppy …
                       the swirl
                   of her red skirt
Third Prize (Can$25)Carl Seguiban,
Burnaby, British Columbia
bluest
on forgotten graves—
wild myosotis
Honourable Mention (8)Steliana Cristina Voicu,
Ploiești, Romania
delivery room—
the gentle light
of the beginning
Steliana Cristina Voicu,
Ploiești, Romania
huckleberries—
capturing the night
in the jam jar
Jayashree Maniyil,
Melbourne, Australia
clearing sky
the gum tree bursts into
rainbow lorikeets
Judit Katalin Hollos,
Budapest, Hungary
child soldiers—
a young buck takes the moon 
on its antlers
Debbie Strange,
Winnipeg, Manitoba
the whistle
of a wood duck …
her last breath
Dina E. Cox,
Unionville, Ontario
still there …
soul of the caterpillar
in the butterfly
Mark E. Brager,
Columbia, Maryland
sunlight through fog …
the half-life
of falling leaves
John Barlow,
Ormskirk, Lancashire, U.K.
leaf-cast shade
a hoverfly moves around
a spot of sunshine

Betty Drevniok Award 2014

JudgeVicki McCullough
Contest coordinatorClaudia Coutou Radmore
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Darrell Lindsey,
Nacogdoches, Texas
snow in the treetops—
a lullaby too heavy
for her to sing
Second Prize (Can$50)Mark E. Brager,
Columbia, Maryland
moon and star …
a stray goose becomes
an echo
Third Prize (Can$25)Roland Packer,
Hamilton, Ontario
so soft the snow no heroic measures
Honourable Mention (8)Kathy Lippard Cobb,
Bradenton, Florida
first light—
the tree explodes
with blackbirds
Veronika Zora Novak,
Toronto, Ontario
solar eclipse …
folding, unfolding
moth wings
Mark E. Brager,
Columbia, Maryland
what was left
by the riverside …
deepening dusk
Harvey Jenkins,
Nanaimo, British Columbia
first pond freeze
a water beetle pushes
against the ice
Marianne Paul,
Kitchener, Ontario
white peony tea—
snow so fine the night
has flowered
Kathy Lippard Cobb,
Bradenton, Florida
white butterfly
drifting through all
she left behind
Sandra Simpson,
Tauranga, New Zealand
first autumn colour—
taking the heirloom
meant for my sister
Carolyn Coit Dancy,
Pittsford, New York
harvest moon
walking through
a Van Gogh

Betty Drevniok Award 2013

Judge:Dorothy Howard
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Kim Horne,
Saint Catherines, Ontario
the soft snow falls
            on the hill, on my roof and
                 on the homeless
Second Prize (Can$50)Janick Belleau,
Longueuil, Québec
cold winter day
she phones her mother who says:
«who are you?»
Third Prize (Can$25)Roland Packer,
Hamilton, Ontario
half-light a dinghy adrift
Honourable Mention (8)Alan Bridges,
Littleton, Massachusetts
late winter sunset glides across lake ice
Jacqueline Pearce,
Burnaby, British Columbia
spring melt
his ashes still
not scattered
Susan Constable,
Nanoose Bay, British Columbia
alone this winter
      counting the nights
      counting the stars
Alan Bridges,
Littleton, Massachusetts
        her owl 
(as if it were hers)
       holed up
  in the old oak
Ellen Cooper,
Montréal, Québec
fallen bread knife—
the waiter picks up
a slice of sky
Tracy Davidson,
Stratford-on-Avon, U.K.
dark shadows
trying to make sense
of her x-ray
Elehna de Sousa,
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
some wounds
take forever to heal
—tonight’s red sky
Carolyn Coit Dancy,
Pittsford, New York
_________________________________
_________________________________
through the screen door a cat’s meow and lilacs
_________________________________
_________________________________

Betty Drevniok Award 2012

JudgeNick Avis
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Bill Pauly,
Dubuque, Iowa
           honeycomb …
           everything she can’t
remember
Second Prize (Can$50)Timothy Russell,
Toronto, Ohio
a red ribbon
writhing on the street—
bitter cold
Third Prize (Can$25)Timothy Russell,
Toronto, Ohio
solstice—
the incense changes
direction
Honourable Mention (8)Kevin Goldstein-Jackson,
Poole, Dorset, England
fallen leaves
we kick thru
their beauty
Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
one way
into the labyrinth
a maple key
Pamela Cooper,
Montréal, Québec
grapefruit harvest—
the morning sun
left dangling
Bruce Ross,
Bangor, Maine
so much better
than we could do
the frog’s stillness
Grant Savage,
Ottawa, Ontario
                                   g
                           l    i  n
                                r
                              a
                            t
                          s


                    g           s
                  i           it
             w
      t
a
Earl R. Keener,
Bethany, West Virginia
sawdust
father pauses to finish
the story
Helen Baker,
North Vancouver, British Columbia
             parade day …
             another blue balloon
floats from reach
Chen-ou Liu,
Ajax, Ontario
American dream
in each shop window
a different moon

Betty Drevniok Award 2011

JudgeClaudia Coutu Radmore
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Earl R. Keener,
Bethany, West Virginia
folding sheets
the weight of a flag
still in my arms
Second Prize (Can$50)Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
snowbound:
the rosebushes
up to their hips
Third Prize (Can$25)Barry George,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
once before you go
receding snowbank—
tell me your secrets
Honourable Mention (8)Diane Descôteaux,
Saint-Nicéphore, Que.
          snowstorm—
you’ve gained at least a pound
            snowman!
Paris Elizabeth Sea,
Beaconsfield, Québec
tidy kitchen
knives all hidden
but handy
Naomi Beth Wakan,
Gabriola, British Columbia
a bikini top
pinned to the park noticeboard
end of summer
Lois Harvey,
Ottawa, Ontario
side by side
in the hammock
two unread books
Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
a red maple leaf
          that forgot to fall …
he fingers his shrapnel scar
Ellen Cooper,
Montreal, Que.
setting off beeps
in my smoke detector
a daddy longlegs
Guy Simser,
Kanata, Ontario
to that scythe moon
looming over the hospice
his tranquil yielding
Roland Packer,
Hamilton, Ontario
stargazer lilies
 my quantum
     of time

Betty Drevniok Award 2010

JudgeGrant Savage
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Ellen Compton,
Washington, District of Columbia
       whispers of a fragrance
my sister loved
          evening in spring
Second Prize (Can$50)Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
snowflakes …
all the little
self-indulgences
Third Prize (Can$25)Carole MacRury,
Point Roberts, Washington
star gazing …
one frog answers
  another
Honourable Mention (8)Alice Frampton,
Seabeck, Washington
night comes early —
the last of the potatoes
have eyes
Pamela Cooper,
Montréal, Québec
Indian paintbrush—
the myriad colours
of a fire rainbow
Roland Packer,
Hamilton, Ontario
the long day
a maple key’s twirl
wherever
Carole MacRury,
Point Roberts, Wash.
intermission—
a fly on the piano
walks a full scale
Catherine J. S. Lee,
Eastport, Maine
morning hush
the fisherman casts
a thread of sunlight
Marilyn Potter,
Toronto, Ontario
spring evening—
playing my piano
for all the street to hear
Ellen Compton,
Washington, District of Columbia
daylight moon
the chrysanthemums
have covered your name
Alice Frampton,
Seabeck, Washington
4-way stop—
everyone waits
for the red corvette

Betty Drevniok Award 2009

JudgeAngela Leuck
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
autumn light
just this much
to go on
Second Prize (Can$50)Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
mountain clearing
   a hawk carves
     all the rest
Third Prize (Can$25)an’ya,
La Pine, Oregon
farmer’s scythe
a harvesting song
in each sweep
Honourable Mention (8)Terry Ann Carter,
Ottawa, Ontario
endless rain
in my mother’s kitchen
the snap, snapping of beans
Natalia L. Rudychev,
Des Plaines, Illinois
a heat wave
the butterfly
fans its shadow
Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
autumn foliage past its peak—
the pathway home
in sepia
Catherine J. S. Lee,
Eastport, Maine
meadow pond
our blades slice figures
on the moon
elehna de sousa,
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
retirement home—
each time the heron comes
another goldfish gone
Michael Dylan Welch,
Sammamish, Washington
foreign airport—
a baby’s cry
takes me farther from home
Liz Fenn,
Wellsville, New York
          they all hush
     when she walks past
—sparrows in the hedge
Bill Pauly,
Dubuque, Iowa
cattails in moonlight—
no such
urges at my age

Betty Drevniok Award 2008

JudgeMarshall Hryciuk
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesMore than 200
First Prize (Can$100)Marilyn Potter,
Toronto, Ontario
the only sound—
a blue dragonfly
between bulrushes
Second Prize (Can$50)Peggy Willis Lyles,
Tucker, Georgia
the turning tide at standstill sandhill cranes
Third Prize (Can$25)Jim Kacian,
Winchester, Virginia
persimmon still hanging the extra day of the year
Honourable Mention (8)Susan Constable,
Nanoose Bay, British Columbia
light snow
a sweep of starlings
over the barn
Peggy Willis Lyles,
Tucker, Georgia
a strange cat
crouched on the welcome mat—
the short day
Barry Goodmann,
Hackensack, New Jersey
ice storm
the crackle of wood
in the fire
Cathy Drinkwater Better, Eldersburg, Marylandsundown
wild geese gather
on the silver lake
Pamela Cooper,
Montréal, Québec
sugaring off—
the staccato tapping sound
of a woodpecker
Roland Packer,
Hamilton, Ontario
father’s day
the kite string pulls
from my hand
Catherine J. S. Lee,
Eastport, Maine
waning moon
the fox’s bloody footprint
in the snow
Arch Haslett,
Toronto, Ontario
after the air show
turkey vulture
quietly soars

Betty Drevniok Award 2007

JudgeMichael Dylan Welch
Contest coordinator Ann Goldring
Number of entries170
First Prize (Can$100)Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
the paramedic feeling
for a pulse
                  fireflies
Second Prize (Can$50)Carol Pearce,
New York, New York
in her hand
the downed branch
dancing again
Third Prize (Can$25)Lin Geary,
Paris, Ontario
white ice on the willows
my hand slipping
                  into yours
Honourable Mention (8)Merilyn Peruniak,
Athabasca, Alberta
long spring evening:
double‑decker
gets fitted with new ads
Barry Goodmann,
Hackensack, New Jersey
a sliver of clay
flies off the potter’s wheel
the moon almost full
André Surridge,
Hamilton, New Zealand
fading harbour light
becoming brisker
her brush strokes
Irene Golas,
Sudbury, Ontario
first warm day
father gets out
his cap and cane
Leanne McIntosh,
Nanaimo, British Columbia
     The train’s whistle
for a moment long grass
      blowing west 
Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
the wad of paper
uncrumples
longest night
John Quinnett,
Bryson City, North Carolina
more news of the war
looking deeper
into my dog’s eyes
Roland Packer,
Hamilton, Ontario
sugar maple
the fingerless gloves
of the fiddler

Betty Drevniok Award 2006

JudgeAngela Leuck
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
  a whitetail flickers 
      into birch … 
what time I have left 
Second Prize (Can$50)John Ower,
Midland, Texas
valentine’s day 
the twinging 
of angina 
Third Prize (Can$25)Timothy Russell,
Toronto, Ohio
solstice—
minnows darting above 
their darker selves 
Honourable Mention (8)Grant Savage,
Ottawa, Ontario
silhouette
   the moon outlines
   her single breast
Patricia M. Benedict,
Calgary, Alberta
his sister’s funeral 
trimming his hair 
before he goes
Helen Baker,
Vancouver, British Columbia
wild geese in flight—
suddenly the sky
so wide
Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
call of a loon …
cove light and shadow 
ripple in
André Surridge,
Hamilton, New Zealand
summer afternoon 
settling into its shadow 
the old labrador 
Michael Dylan Welch,
Sammamish, Washington
keeping them for a day—
the broken pieces
of the heirloom bowl
Frances Mary Bishop,
Alexandria, Ontario
On the old wall 
pictures of the past—
the plaster falling. 
Ernest J. Berry,
Picton, New Zealand
            Easter Sunday 
neighbours on their knees 
               weeding 

Betty Drevniok Award 2005

JudgeTerry Ann Carter
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
         frozen lake
a crack, cleaving silence
         to silence
Second Prize (Can$50)Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
into his trousers
the old tailor
pressing winter light
Third Prize (Can$25)Phyllis Brown,
Port Colborne, Ontario
Quiet suddenly,
and crossing the summer lake
the rain comes in sheets
Honourable Mention (9)Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
autumn woods
a patch of low sunlight
just out of reach
John Ower,
Corpus Christi, Texas
the hurricane’s approach —
in the dark, a hickory nut
bounces off our car
Graham High,
Blackheath, London, U.K.
moon at our window—
the evening still bright enough
to sew that button
Blanca Baquero,
Canning, Nova Scotia
three days of downpour
my only horizon
an old umbrella
John Ower,
Corpus Christi, Texas
first day of spring—
mosquito larvae wriggling
in a dinosaur track
Bill Pauly,
Dubuque, Iowa
currents taking us beyond
all the time
we care to measure
Dina Cox,
Unionville, Ontario
heat wave …
a memory of ocean
rushes in
Graham High,
Blackheath, London, U.K.
dreaming in the flames—
the stack of burning twigs
falls into nothing
Bill Pauly,
Dubuque, Iowa
path of pine needles …
he adds her
to his Christmas list

Betty Drevniok Award 2004

JudgePhilomene Kocher
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Kathy Lippard Cobb,
Bradenton, Florida
passing train—
water droplets cling
to the pussy willows
Second Prize (Can$50)Nancy Prasad,
Toronto, Ontario
remembering dad
as the day of his passing
approaches
Third Prize (Can$25)Michael Dylan Welch,
Sammamish, Washington
relaxing my arm
     butterfly
on the bullseye
Honourable Mention (8)Steve Olson,
Colebrook, New Hampshire
looking for work—
the cold deepens
in the elbow joints
Bill Pauly,
Dubuque, Iowa
trying to call it off
her face keeps changing
in leaflight
Irene Golas,
Sudbury, Ontario
sudden shower
the boys dash out
without shoes
Barry George,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
first trick or treat—
the toddler reaches
for her mother’s face
kirsty karkow,
Waldoboro, Maine
Christmas Eve
the jostle of umbrellas
in a crosswalk
R. A. Stefanac,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
alone
even the moon
slips away
Martin Lucas,
Preston, England
all the departure times
have faded …
a thin autumn rain
Richard R. Powell,
Nanaimo, British Columbia
waiting-room radiator
paper leaves
tremble against their pins

Betty Drevniok Award 2003

JudgeKaren Sohne
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Scott Mason,
Chappaqua, New York
late December evening
     a fox tail tapers
          to nothing
Second Prize (Can$50)Bill Pauly,
Dubuque, Iowa
old couple worrying
what will eat
the crocuses this spring
Third Prize (Can$25)Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
this side of snow
steam rising
from the rice bowl
Honourable Mention (8)Michael Dylan Welch,
Sammamish, Washington
the clackity-clack
of the last roller coaster—
a crescent moon
Carolyn Hall,
San Francisco, California
grosbeak’s song
I brush on one more
wall color sample
Carolyn Hall,
San Francisco, California
the long day
he plants more tomatoes
than we can eat 
an’ya,
CCR, Oregon
north wind—
a glistening drop of snot
from the rancher’s nose
Garry Gay,
Santa Rosa, California
Resting
in the wheelbarrow
last year’s scarecrow
Michael Dylan Welch,
Sammamish, Washington
ringing phone—
the bathroom scale
recenters itself
Anne LB Davidson,
Saco, Maine
stillness …
the surveyor’s orange ribbon
divides the fog
Barry Goodmann,
Hackensack, New Jersey
Stuck in traffic
the white billboard
bigger than the moon

Betty Drevniok Award 2002

JudgeHans Jongman
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesNearly 500
First Prize (Can$100)Michael McClintock,
South Pasadena, California
the moon
has found it for me
a mountain path
Second Prize (Can$50)Earl R. Keener,
Bethany, West Virginia
shift change
a coalminer squints
in the snowfall
Third Prize (Can$25)Timothy Russell,
Toronto, Ohio
first snow —
how lightly
the cat steps
Honourable Mention (8)Bill Pauly,
Dubuque, Iowa
old priest,
his fingers dark
with newsprint
Jim Kacian,
Winchester, Virginia
saddle shop
the worn seat
of her jeans
w. f. owen,
Antelope, California
autumn evening
she lays out his clothes
on the bed
Jenny Thorson,
Dubuque, Iowa
   voices
     ring
in this old tree
Cindy Tebo,
Catawissa, Missouri
in the shadow of lilacs
   a cat with her nose
      in the air
Giovanni Malito
Cork, Ireland
the days shorten—
seeing less and less
of our neighbours
an’ya,
Pineville, Oregon
open market—
the gypsy baby clutches
a grape in her fist
Marian Olson,
Santa Fe, New Mexico
90 this year
the fisherman reels in
a fighting trout

Betty Drevniok Award 2001

JudgeGeorge Swede
Contest coordinatorAnn Goldring
Number of entriesAbout 450
First Prize (Can$100)Michael Dylan Welch,
Foster City, California
morning sun
      a patch of frost
in the holstein’s shadow
Second Prize (Can$50)Kathy Lippard Cobb,
Bradenton, Florida
autumn dusk …
a weathered hand waves
from the rain
Third Prize (Can$25)Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
first night of snow
sifting through
his box of old buttons
Honourable Mention (8)Terry Ann Carter,
Nepean, Ontario
checking the obituaries
the dead leaves
curl under
Jim Kacian,
Winchester, Virginia
our argument lasts
long into the night
the windy trees
Timothy Russell,
Toronto, Ohio
snowy morning
crows trading places
in the tree of heaven
Sandra Fuhringer,
Hamilton, Ontario
daydreaming child     cloud in a puddle
Francine Banwarth,
Dubuque, Iowa
cloudy day
giving the prism
a twirl
D. Claire Gallagher,
Sunnyvale, California
      after love
 this sweet burst
of cherry tomato
Michael Dylan Welch,
Foster City, California
dried tadpole
stuck with a pin—
ticking sleet
kirsty karkow,
Waldoboro, Maine
alone again
… the last raspberry
sharp on my tongue

Betty Drevniok Award 2000

JudgeMarco Fraticelli
Number of entriesMore than 300
First Prize (Can$100)Dina E. Cox,
Unionville, Ontario
leaves falling—
the sudden blackness
of branches
Second Prize (Can$50)Jim Kacian,
Winchester, Virginia
midsummer rains—
the glass on the stoop
half-full …
Third Prize (Can$25)Winona Baker,
Nanaimo, British Columbia
breast self-examination
a moth batters
the screened window
Honourable Mention (8)an’ya,
Pineville, Oregon
crosswinds —
just a black centre
on the straw poppy
Marian Olson,
Santa Fe, New Mexico
 autumn butterfly
       open
on the warm boulder
Elizabeth St Jacques,
Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
cold and overcast …
dipping my banana slice
in sunflower seeds
Giovanni Malito,
Cork, Ireland
fresh bloom
     of lilac
my steps slow
Angela Leuck,
Verdun, Que.
today the tulips
tightly closed—my little boy’s
sullen face
Giovanni Malito,
Cork, Ireland
fly caught
in an abandoned web
… summer solstice
Alice Frampton,
Delta, British Columbia
late August—
pushing through cornstalks
midnight raccoons
Marianne Bluger,
Ottawa, Ontario
opening slowly
in the warm kitchen—the last
frost-scarred red rose

Betty Drevniok Award 1999

JudgeSandra Fuhringer
Number of entriesNot stated
First Prize (Can$100)Grant Savage,
Ottawa, Ontario
from reed to reed
a blackbird follows
               its song
Second Prize (Can$50)Timothy Russell,
Toronto, Ohio
snow
the mourners
huddle closer
Third Prize (Can$25)Ruby Spriggs,
Ottawa, Ontario
full moon
bullfrogs
all night
Honourable Mention (8)Marje A. Dyck,
Saskatoon, Saskachewan
Shadows shifting
over the reed bed
 dark      light
Tom Painting,
Rochester, New York
mistletoe
his smile lines deepen
her blush
Hans Jongman,
Toronto, Ontario
Farmers’ market
a child follows her stroller
filled with potatoes
Naomi Beth Wakan,
Gabriola, British Columbia
Cormorants
On the dock wings open
To greet the ferry
Sexton-Page,
Indianapolis, Indiana
June:
a sprinkle of rain turning
bales to hay again
Elizabeth St Jacques,
Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
jagged hole
in thin lake-ice
the wolf’s eyes
Elizabeth St Jacques,
Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
    Lake Louise
silently I sit inside
   a photograph
Jeanne Jorgensen,
Edmonton, Alberta
reed shadows
merge into the pond
faint coyote’s howl

Betty Drevniok Award 1998

JudgeRod Willmot
Number of entriesNearly 400
First Prize (Can$100)Sandra Fuhringer,
Hamilton, Ontario
frost at the window
a bowl of white rice
steaming
Second Prize (Can$50)anne mckay,
Vancouver, British Columbia
so close the living the dying     roses in a blue bowl
Third Prize (Can$25)F. M. Black,
Columbia, South Carolina
    the carousel spins
a girl’s delirious laughter
       July evening …
Honourable Mention (8)Patricia M. Benedict,
Calgary, Alberta
My delighted dog
gives me the grand tour amid
the rain-soaked blossoms
Terry Ann Carter,
Nepean, Ontario
difference of opinion
the student’s
loud voice
Ross Figgins,
Claremont, California
their last picnic—
     a cold wind folds her corner
          of the blanket
Kim Horne,
Saint Catherines, Ontario
selfish mother
her voice does not reach
white chrysanthemums
Patricia Neubauer, Allentown, Pennsylvaniasmall stirrings
deep within the leaf pile—
the cat’s eyes darken
William M. Ramsey,
Florence, South Carolina
     planting tulips
for a moment
     liking myself
Grant Savage,
Ottawa, Ontario
months after chemo
     I find her hair
          in the bluebirds’ nest
Sexton-Page,
Indianapolis, Indiana
rain, song in a field
   grandfather’s long how flying
      sprouts row beside row

COMPILED BY: Mike Montreuil

ADAPTED FROM: Betty Drevniok Awards archive, Haiku Canada website, and Mike Montreuil, comp. and ed., Playing a Lullaby: The Betty Drevniok Awards 1998–2011

SOURCES / FURTHER READING (PRINT):

  • Montreuil, Mike, comp. and ed. Playing a Lullaby: The Betty Drevniok Awards 1998–2011. Ottawa: Éditions des petits nuages, 2012.

SOURCES / FURTHER READING (ONLINE):

RELATED HAIKUPEDIA ARTICLES:

  • Haiku Canada Review
  • Haiku Canada
Updated on September 21, 2022