Poetry Contest: Your best humanist haiku for National Poetry Month

TheHumanist.com is pleased to announce the winners of our third annual haiku contest in honor of National Poetry Month.

Three weeks ago, we asked for haiku entries on humanism and humanist values. Submissions had to be in the form of a haiku, a seemingly simple three-line form of poetry: five syllables on line one, seven syllables on line two, and five syllables on line three.

We received eighty-four entries, our judges picked seven of their favorites, and you can read them below. Many thanks to all the poets who submitted their haikus. And another big thank you to our jury: Nicole Carr, Anna Clay, Emily Newman, Meredith Thompson, Kate Uesugi and Peter Bjork.

Winners will also appear in the summer issue of our print magazine.

Here, in random order, are our top humanist haikus of 2022:

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Sharpen the pen of the mind
Fill the well with ink and draw
Experience

—Justin Hauxwell

It’s not very hard.
Common sense shows us the way.
Love is the answer.

—Steve W.

Inhabit nature
Take control of your destiny
Unlimited potential

—Jean Waller

World humanity
A universe of wonders
My worship.

—Russell Dick

What advances…
Fantasy, faith or prayer?
No, people move us

-Don Sturm

live for now
And live for each other
It’s Humanism

—Justin Hauxwell

Pampas grass spreading plumes
On the other side of this hill. The midday sun is coming.
We feast on shine.

—John Laue