Our mission at Songbirds Online is simple, yet profound, we are dedicated to preserve the songlike rhythm of Tanka and its predecessor Waka. In the wise words of established poet Amelia Fielden "to bring back the form of tanka, and its essential rhythm that's created by the short/long/short/long/long lines." (from an article where Amelia quoted the well-known tanka poet Mariko Kitakubo "Japanese tanka build and build so that the 5th line is the most important line, and should be at least as long as the second and fourth lines").
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The fourth annual Songbirds Waka Anthology, is now calling for your submissions and is open from 1 November 2024 until 15 December 2024 . (midnight) GMT). Results should be posted around 15 January.
Before submitting, please be sure to read this informative article on Waka from the Japan Times, https://sustainable.japantimes.com/magazine/vol27/27-02
#6 specifically talks about Waka composed in languages other than Japanese (English). To respect Japanese Culture, please study this entire article in depth. We hope to receive some lovely Court Poetry.
Submission Guidelines: (to become a “Songbird”.)
1. Please send your work in the body of an email with no attachments, and be sure to include your name, country, and email address.
2. Only works that have not been previously published will be considered.
3. Works submitted elsewhere simultaneously will not be considered.
4. No set theme or season, and no limit to the number of submissions.
5. Works must be in English, no special syllable or word count is required, however, a “songlike” waka rhythm of short/long/short/long/long is necessary.
6. Poets should be open to considering constructive suggestions.
Response Time: From Marilyn: “all entrants will be advised that I have received their entry, but if you haven’t heard from me within 7 days, please re-send.” Please resend if you’ve not heard back within a week of submitting.
Email your work with a subject heading of SONGBIRDS to the Songbirds Online Submissions Coordinator Marilyn Humbert: songbirdsonline@gmail.com
Results will be posted on this website for your perusal.
This website is Home to the aha Haiku contest (Hortensia Anderson Awards), the Fleeting Words Tanka Competition, and Songbirds Waka Anthology.
Awards
All Contest Entries are blind-judged and FREE. Award Certificates for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be sent in an email for printing out on the winner's computer.
Certificates for the three Editor's Favorites in the Anthology will also be sent via a Certificate in an email.
(2024) Contest Results
Fleeting Words Tanka Contest, May, 2024 - Results
It has been an honour to convene the Fleeting Words Tanka Contest. I was delighted to receive 543 entries, a diverse collection of tanka from across the globe, including the following countries, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A special thank you to friends on social media who distributed our competition flyer via their Facebook pages and posted our competition details on their personal Web pages.It has been a pleasure to work with an’ya the contest judge. Thank you to all entrants for trusting me with their tanka.--Marilyn Humbert
It also has been my honour to judge this Fleeting Words Tanka contest and work with our coordinator Marilyn Humbert. Thanks to her for making the contest run smoothly, and to peterB for keeping the website working. Thank you also to everyone who entered in support of our combined efforts.
FIRST PLACE
waxwing winterall my unsent lettersin a wooden boxwrapped in shadowshow you touch me still
C.X. Turner, UK
This lovely tanka by C.X. Turner from the UK was always at the top of my shortlist. The consistent “w” sounds are a rare plus. The opening line “waxwing winter” sets the stage and the closing line “how you touch me still” completes the tanka in a poetic manner that leaves readers on an up note and yet gives us closure. With that last word “still”, those letters will stay in a box, the reader’s mind, and the poet’s heart forever.
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SECOND PLACE
unopened coneson silvered jack pinesat rest untilthe fire’s passion givestheir seed to the wind
Debbie Strange, Canada
Yet another fine tanka by Debbie Strange of Canada takes a strong second place. In judging this contest I looked for “waka-like” entries and hers was a definite winner. The first line “unopened cones” rather than just saying “pine cones” caught my attention. Debbie has a way of turning her tanka in line 3 and skillfully completing it in the final line.
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THIRD PLACE
wind-swept hill—the smell of summer rainrises with birdsong,the brooding thundercloudsseem suddenly far afield
Benjamin Bläsi, Switzerland
For third place, this tanka by Benjamin Bläsi from Switzerland has multiple images that he manages to tie together nicely The key lines are 4 and 5; “brooding” is an excellent way to describe the thunderclouds, and “far afield” with the “f” sounds combined with short and long “a” sounds creates a dramatic close.
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HONORABLE MENTION
surreal colorsas I look upwardholding your handthe Northern Lights dazzlelike the thousand hues of love
Darrell Lindsey , USA
An Honorable Mention tanka by Darrell Lindsey of the USA that shows us a dazzling array of “Northern Lights” Darrel’s last line with the words “the thousand hues of love” gives this tanka its romantic touch.
It also has been my honour to judge this Fleeting Words Tanka contest and work with our coordinator Marilyn Humbert. Thanks to her for making the contest run smoothly, and to peterB for keeping the website working. Thank you also to everyone who entered in support of our combined efforts.
FIRST PLACE
waxwing winterall my unsent lettersin a wooden boxwrapped in shadowshow you touch me still
C.X. Turner, UK
This lovely tanka by C.X. Turner from the UK was always at the top of my shortlist. The consistent “w” sounds are a rare plus. The opening line “waxwing winter” sets the stage and the closing line “how you touch me still” completes the tanka in a poetic manner that leaves readers on an up note and yet gives us closure. With that last word “still”, those letters will stay in a box, the reader’s mind, and the poet’s heart forever.
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SECOND PLACE
unopened coneson silvered jack pinesat rest untilthe fire’s passion givestheir seed to the wind
Debbie Strange, Canada
Yet another fine tanka by Debbie Strange of Canada takes a strong second place. In judging this contest I looked for “waka-like” entries and hers was a definite winner. The first line “unopened cones” rather than just saying “pine cones” caught my attention. Debbie has a way of turning her tanka in line 3 and skillfully completing it in the final line.
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THIRD PLACE
wind-swept hill—the smell of summer rainrises with birdsong,the brooding thundercloudsseem suddenly far afield
Benjamin Bläsi, Switzerland
For third place, this tanka by Benjamin Bläsi from Switzerland has multiple images that he manages to tie together nicely The key lines are 4 and 5; “brooding” is an excellent way to describe the thunderclouds, and “far afield” with the “f” sounds combined with short and long “a” sounds creates a dramatic close.
------
HONORABLE MENTION
surreal colorsas I look upwardholding your handthe Northern Lights dazzlelike the thousand hues of love
Darrell Lindsey , USA
An Honorable Mention tanka by Darrell Lindsey of the USA that shows us a dazzling array of “Northern Lights” Darrel’s last line with the words “the thousand hues of love” gives this tanka its romantic touch.
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AHA Haiku Contest January 2024 Results: NOTICE: For 2025 the NEW contest dates will be August of 2025
Again, it has been an honour to convene the 2024 Hortensia Anderson AHA Haiku Awards (aha). A Total of 1124 entries received from across the globe including the following countries Azerbaijan, Australia, Belgium, Bharat, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, France, Ghana, Greenland, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy. Jamaica, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mexico, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, The Philippines, Turkey, UK, USA.
A special thank you to friends on social media who distributed our competition flyer via Facebook pages and posted our competition details on their personal Web pages. It has been a pleasure to work with an’ya and the contest judge peterB.- Marilyn Humbert, Contest Coordinator
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Judges Comments by peterB
Out of so many entries, this First Place haiku entered by Brad Bennett, I liked immediately. What grabbed my attention was that it ‘shows” us a happening without specifically “telling” us what actually created it. On a dark night, wind, rain and the tides steal the mornings clues, but with a calm bright overnight, we can now see two sets of flipper marks, going “from the sea and back” making this old sea turtle ritual easy to recall.
FIRST PLACE
moonrise...flipper marks from the sea and back
Brad BennettUSA
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What’s an ice flower? One is an actual “plant” the other a near-arctic nature phenomena. Window panes turn moisture into bizarre ice patterns, and empty window frames can have true “frost weed” that obscures the empty portal with frosty ice designs…you may have seen it and just never thought to write about it in juxtaposition with “lace curtains”.
SECOND PLACE
ice flowers –the abandoned house has lace curtains
Ana DrobotRomania
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In this Third Place haiku, a falling star episode certainly excites the senses, and breaks the visuals of an “orderly sky”. It also presents quite a unique perspective to a commonplace event. Thanks to the author for submitting this entry.
THIRD PLACE
sudden relieffrom an orderly skyfalling star
Lisa Anne JohnsonUSA
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Fresh hay lying where cut, or on the barn floor after stacking is both a great feedlot and playground for all the creatures, common sights like this are universal, memorable, and kitten-cute.
HONORABLE MENTION
fresh hay --kittens figure-eightingthe mare's legs
Julie Schwerin, USA
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NOTE: You can access the archives of earlier UHTS submissions, contests, and pages at https://theuhts.blogspot.com
Editor: an'ya
an’ya is a world-renowned poetess with more than 150 contest wins, 10 editorships, 15 websites, 25 books to her credit, and a judge of 50+ contests. She is the founder of numerous haiku/tanka societies, journals and haiku/ tanka competitions. an’ya has been represented in over 200 various literary publications, and her work has been translated into 95 language dialects. Her impressive oeuvre is at her website: tankaanya.com
songbirdsonline@gmail.com
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Submissions Coordinator: Marilyn Humbert
Marilyn Humbert lives on Darug and GuriNgai land in Berowra, NSW Australia. Her tanka and haiku appear in many International, Australian journals, anthologies and online. She is a member of the editing team for Echidna Track Australia Haiku Journal. Her free verse poems have been awarded prizes in competitions, published in anthologies, journals and online.
songbirdsonline@gmail.com
Webmaster: PeterB
PeterB is a promoter/webmaster/publisher for all project things an'ya. A haiku researcher, contest judge, webmaster, a well traveled retired marine/port engineer. PeterB is a part-time haiku poet, storyteller, still writing for technical and travel magazines in his spare time.
songbirdsonline@gmail.com
Donations
Songbirds Online is a bare-bones level effort, our time is "our" donation, and we only have our annual hosting service, domain name, and office maintenance as expenses, but they add up. Every dollar donated helps cover the cost of researching, writing, publishing, and promoting the poetry you read here, we welcome any financial amount you can afford to help keep us online. Making or accepting donations in 2025 has become a legality, but, we always accept private, non-traceable cash donations ... contact PeterB at songbirdsonline.com for details. Thank you for supporting the work of Songbirds.
Our values
History
Songbirds Online spawned out of the original United Haiku and Tanka Society founded by an’ya who created the journal cattails, the aha Hortensia Anderson Haiku Awards Contest, the Fleeting Words Tanka Competition, and the Samurai Haibun Contest. This UHTS was passed on to others who decided to continue only the cattails journal and drop the contests. Thus, an’ya and Peter her publisher husband decided to keep the contests going under the name of “THE" UHTS as a separate entity from the original UHTS. an’ya then added an annual Anthology. The premier edition was haiku and tanka, the second year was tanka only, and this third year Songbirds Anthology' is devoted to Waka’. Moving on, Songbirds Online Website will continue with three contests, plus the yearly anthology, We are joined by a well-known Australian poet Marilyn Humbert who coordinates and receives all submissions and contest entries.
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Our Mission
Our mission at Songbirds Online is simple, yet profound, we are dedicated to preserve the songlike rhythm of Tanka and its predecessor Waka. In the wise words of established poet Amelia Fielden "to bring back the form of tanka, and its essential rhythm that's created by the short/long/short/long/long lines." From an article where Amelia quoted the well-known tanka poet Mariko Kitakubo "Japanese tanka build and build so that the 5th line is the most important line, and should be at least as long as the second and fourth lines."
Publisher's Comment:
As the artificer/cohort/researcher/publisher/webbuilder behind the poetress an’ya, our combined Japanese poetry society activities, of online and in-print publishing, websites, from groups to societies, local and national event planning, literary newspapers, books, judging and and critique, our promotion efforts have been around since the very beginning of the web (1997).
I have witnessed haiku, tanka, senryu, waka, haibun, haiga, sedoka, and even choka all being impacted by fifty plus years of Western-Americanized misinterpretation, the beat, 5-7-5 , and hippie haiku years, rules changes, ego spinoff forms, and tradition breaking adaptations to the spirit and intent of each form… many offshoot forms were even corporatized/univeversitized for financial profits, further reducing Japanese poetry to where it is in 2025.
The gleaners of traditional Japanese short forms, are today few, but, they do exist, and we know who they are ... with this new undertaking , we attempt to resurrect and maintain the lost respect for these old forms by creating yet another start-up… Songbirds online. We hope to bring back the disheartened traditionalists, and encourage you to join us, visit, peruse, and consider where (and why) these disciplines need to be preserved, by your participation, or through just enjoying the legacy of traditional form Japanese poetry .
Look for us at songbirdsonline.com and contact us at songbirdsonline@gmail.com PeterB
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an'ya created the aha (annual haiku award) in 2006 as a memorium to Hortensia Anderson, the "aha" is a twist for "Annual Hortensia Anderson, and the " aha" moment". Hortensia wrote haiku and tanka, and collaborated with an'ya on many occasions before her passing. Submissions for entering are open between 1 August to 15 September of each year, with results showing up here mid-October, these contests all originated in the UHTS... after anya passed the torch at the UHTS, the contests were then dropped (Samurai Haibun Contest, Fleeting Words Competition, and the aha contest), we keep them alive here at Songbirds Online.
The songbirds Waka Anthology is the flagship of Songbirds Online, and the submissions envelope is"open" from 1 December to 15 January, the results will appear on this website mid-February, these contests all originated in the UHTS... after anya passed the torch at the UHTS, the contests were then dropped (Samurai Haibun Contest, Fleeting Words Competition, and the aha contest), we keep them alive here at Songbirds Online.
The Fleeting Words Tanka Competition opens for submissions between 1 April and 15 May of each year, results are posted mid-June, these contests all originated in the UHTS... after anya passed the torch at the UHTS, the contests were then dropped (Samurai Haibun Contest, Fleeting Words Competition, and the aha contest), we keep them alive here at Songbirds Online.