Unless stated otherwise, all poetry on Swimming in Lines of Haiku is Copyright Kirsten Cliff and may not be reprinted in any form without written permission from the author. kirsten(DOT)cliff(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Sunday, July 1, 2012

The SILOH Tanka Contest Is Open!


It's July 1st and for my birthday month this year I'm running a tanka competition here on Swimming in Lines of HaikuThe SILOH Tanka Contest. I hope you'll come and join me in celebrating my birthday and our vibrant haiku and tanka community! :)

Entry Details:

  • One entry per person, to be posted in the comments section of this post.
  • Please also put your name, country and email address underneath your tanka - you can use the (at) and (dot) format to avoid spam.
  • Previously unpublished tanka only please; although it's okay to submit a tanka that has appeared on Facebook or your personal blog.
  • All tanka will then be transferred to this post where entrants can share positive feedback on each others poems. (Please note this is not a place for critiquing work.)
  • Please don't be concerned if you don't see your tanka on the page of entries - it may take me a day or two to do them as they come in, health permitting.
  • The theme is 'Winter Dream' – however you wish to interpret it. My birthday is in the winter months here in New Zealand so I always associate winter with my birthday, and dreams are a very important part of my life. The words do not need to appear in the tanka. Have fun with it!
  • Contest opens: Sunday, July 1, 2012 and closing deadline is Monday, July 23, 2012
  • Judge is myself – Kirsten Cliff
  • Winner will be announced on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 – My birthday :)
  • Prize for the winner is 26 Tanka Films (DVD) by Richard von Sturmer
  • Please note you will need to provide your postage address should you be awarded the prize.

If you have any problems posting your entry into the comments section below, you can email it to me here. Please feel free to ask any questions below, or email me if you are having problems.


59 comments:

  1. end of summer
    these cherries smell
    of snow
    suddenly I realize
    we have the same skin



    angie werren
    USA
    aewerren(at)yahoo(dot)com

    (happy birthday month, kirsten! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, Angie!
    I have transferred your tanka to the entries page :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. the shiver
    of a long-forgotten wish
    winter dream
    our days slowly become
    longer and longer

    Christina Nguyen
    USA
    cknguyen at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for your entry, Christina. Consider it received! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kirsten here his my tanka entry:

    winter parting…
    I’m leaving on the night plane
    won’t be back…
    on his pillow her last note
    in her bold perfect writing

    John Daleiden, Phoenix, Arizona USA in the Sonoran Desert
    daleidenj (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ...and oh yes, happy birthday; thanks for giving readers a chance to shara tanka.
    jd

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for your tanka, John. I have added it to the page of entries :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. suddenly awake
    to see a sharp sickle
    hanging low
    in the winter sky...
    I grasp the edge of my dream

    Chen-ou Liu
    Canada
    ericcoliu at yahoo dot ca

    Kirsten, Happy Birthday Month!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice idea Kirsten - and Happy Birthday. Here's my entry:

    mulling over
    the difference between
    haiku and senryu
    I buy courgettes
    out of season

    Dick Whyte
    NZ
    dickwhyte[at]gmail[dot]com

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. snow falls
    into the darkness
    beyond our back door
    a thousand dreams
    waiting

    Aubrie Cox, USA
    aubriecox [at] gmail [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for submitting your tanka - Chen-ou, Dick and Aubrie. I have transferred them to the 'entries' page.

    Thanks for the birthday wishes too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. crescent moon
    its winter companions
    crisp clear stars
    inside we dream
    the milky way

    ReplyDelete
  12. crescent moon
    its winter companions
    crisp clear stars
    inside we dream
    the milky way

    Jeff Hanson
    USA
    jshanson@luxsci.net

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm new here, among the stars of tanka, dare I? Well ... here's my entry:

    winter evening
    the choices I didn’t make
    the path I have taken …
    it is never too late
    to dream another dream

    By the way, an advanced happy birthday, Kirsten! Wishing you much love, good health and happiness.

    Asni Amin
    Singapore
    asniamin[at]yahoo[dot]com[dot]sg

    ReplyDelete
  14. wrapped up
    in my favorite book
    I resist
    the temptation to skip
    to the last page

    Cara Holman, USA
    cara[dot]holman[at]gmail[dot]com

    Very happy birthday wishes, Kirsten!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Many thanks to Jeff, Asni, and Cara for your tanka. They now appear with the others on the entries page.

    Always great to have a newbie, Asni :) And thank you so much for the birthday blessings!

    Cara, birthday wishes back to you, my July-baby buddy! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. even as I sketch
    you're softly erasing
    the dream...
    to the last beat of my heart
    deer tracks in the snow

    Claire Everett UK
    aelfette[at]gmail[dot]com

    Happy Birthday in advance, Kirsten!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you for your entry, Claire. Received and now on the entries page!
    Cheers for the birthday wishes :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. restringing
    your grandmother's pearls
    pure and white
    worn on our wedding day
    broken promises

    ReplyDelete
  19. snow caps
    lost in our view
    through smoke
    the full thunder moon
    refocuses our dreams

    Andrea Grillo
    US
    a65haiku(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Birthday blessings everyday Kirsten - thank you for your smile.

    ReplyDelete
  20. spectacular sea
    of clouds, I hope no one
    finds
    an alibi as I drift
    lazily to age(s)

    Ernesto P. Santiago
    Philippines

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you for your tanka Andrea and Ernesto. And I've found out who left the one above that has no name. Now Ernesto, I just need your email address to I can contact you if you're the winner!

    All your entries have now been tranferred to the 'tanka entries page'. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. thank you, Kirsten. here’s my e-mail: otsenrepogaitnas(at)gmail(dot)com, and a nice tanka day to y’all! Ernesto.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Got it! Thanks so much, Ernesto :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. sand peppered on rocks
    wind-powered balls of froth
    beach observations
    salted tears sting my face
    anger seasons memories

    Kylie Dinning
    Australia
    kyliedinning(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks, Kylie! If you look at the 'entries page' now your tanka will be there :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. 2like that wooden bench
    on which we first kissed
    in your garden
    you and I both have seen
    much better days

    johnny baranski
    USA
    jbsgarage@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. an old love
    remembered...
    beneath the snow
    does the meadow dream
    of spring


    Paul Smith
    England

    kp321 at btinternet dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thank you for your entries, Johnny and Paul! And I've taken that '2' out of yours as requested, Johnny. Both tanka are now up on the 'entries' page :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. my dream is one
    of winter long ago...
    my cold father
    whom first I met late in life
    helps me build a snowman

    André Surridge
    New Zealand

    Lovely seeing you again at HFA, Kirsten and Happy Birthday on 31st!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks, Mr Surridge :) Great to see your entry here!

    ReplyDelete
  31. winter dreams
    how they always show me
    the same thing...
    you waking from your sleep
    in the graveyard

    Tracy Davidson
    UK
    james0309(at)btinternet(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  32. A winter's journey
    Glow of candles light the way -
    Another year
    A handful of dreams
    For me and you

    Kris Kennedy
    USA
    Kennedy.kristin (at) yahoo (dot) com

    Happy Birthday...glad I was introduced to your site!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks for your entries, Tracy and Kris! :) You can now see them up with the others on the page of entries.

    ReplyDelete
  34. summer heat
    inching closer on
    the subway to read
    her tattoo
    Winter Dream

    Alan

    ("Winter Dream" is supposed to be in tattoo-like script but I am too dumb to do it. Ha!)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks for your entry, Alan. Please stop by again to leave me your country and email address! :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. Happy July B-day, Kirsten!

    crystal droplets
    and leafless branches
    of dark bronze. . .
    my chandelier becomes
    a winter garden

    Janet Lynn Davis
    USA

    janlda[at]hotmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks, Janet! :) Your entry and Alan's are now up on the entries page.

    ReplyDelete
  38. winter dream
    some clouds a bouquet
    of roses
    in sleep even emptiness
    is an embrace

    Alegria Imperial
    Canada

    Happy Birthday, Kirsten!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thanks for your tanka, Alegria. Consider it received! And thanks for the birthday wishes too :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. ‘brass monkeys’
    don’t care about origins—
    the wind
    coming off the North Sea
    pulls tight on my scrotum


    Colin Stewart Jones
    Scotland
    colinstewartjones[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  41. Thank you, Colin. Entry received and up on the tanka entries page now! :)

    ReplyDelete
  42. the transparent weave
    of this vintage tea-cloth
    my fragile dreams
    still hand-dried and polished
    by the faded green linen

    JulieThorndyke
    Australia

    Happy birthday wishes to you!

    ReplyDelete
  43. a frosty start
    and fog that hangs around
    all day
    I dream of coconut palms
    and a warm lagoon

    Elaine Riddell
    New Zealand
    a.e.riddell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  44. Thanks for your tanka, Julie and Elaine. Received and added to the other entries! :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. winter darkness—
    holding on to a light
    summer vision
    that field full of fireflies . . .
    each slight luminescence

    Happy birthday, dear Kirsten! I was going to wait to post this to you on my birthday . . . but I got antsy. Still, I can't get the last two lines to indent (tab over) as is my intention. Can you do that for me?

    Margaret Dornaus
    U.S.

    ReplyDelete
  46. :) Thanks so much, Margaret! And yes, no problem to indent. Check the entries post and let me know if it's not right.

    ReplyDelete
  47. a lacklustre moon
    upon snow-capped mountain peaks
    amidst dwindling stars
    I walk a desolate road
    to exit my winter dream

    Keith A. SIMMONDS
    FRANCE
    kasuls@yahoo.co.uk

    A happy, healthy and peaceful birthday, Kristen!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Thanks for your tanka, and the birthday wishes, Keith. I have added it to the entries page! :)

    ReplyDelete
  49. Your contest has inspired me to start learning how to write a tanka. Here's one of my first attempts. :-)

    by the fireplace
    the crackle of our laughter
    melting into a dream
    only the winter moon knows
    how long is forever

    Advance happy birthday! Each time you celebrate yours, always remember that I'm also celebrating my birthday with you in mind. *hugs*

    Christine L. Villa

    ReplyDelete
  50. I'm glad I could help get your writing juices flowing, Chrissi. You're the second person that I know of who has written their first tanka for this contest, and I'm so grateful to everyone who is taking part and brightening up my days. :)

    Happy birthday wishes to you too for July 31st! We have the same birthday as J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. :)

    ReplyDelete
  51. the tremble of pine
    in cardinal song
    from Vivaldi's dreams
    I measure my breath
    by candles not yet blown

    Kathy Uyen Nguyen, USA
    ambiguity DOT lotus AT gmail DOT com

    I thought a little "happy birthday song" could be squeezed somewhere in this "winter dream" theme. :-D *hugs* Happy birthday month, dear Kirsten!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Thank you, Kathy. Entry and birthday wishes both gratefully received! :)

    ReplyDelete
  53. Summer solstice
    Sweat wet days
    Cicadas scream love songs
    Bringing dreams
    Of winter

    ReplyDelete
  54. Up here
    The days are long
    The weather hot and wet
    Not short and frigid
    Like where you are

    ReplyDelete
  55. Hydrangeas
    Pink and purple and green
    Slurp water from the air
    Sparking dreams
    Of winter ice

    ReplyDelete
  56. Just one entry per person, Charles, so I'll take your first one here. Thank you for taking part! :)

    ReplyDelete
  57. The SILHO Tanka Contest is officially closed! Thank you to everyone for your tanka. Please go and read your fellow poets work linked above at the main post. The winner will be announced July 31!

    ReplyDelete