HAIKU JUNIOR results – NZPS International Poetry Competition 2025
HAIKU JUNIOR JUDGE’S REPORT – JENNY FRASER
It has been a privilege and honour to be asked to judge The New Zealand Poetry Society’s Haiku Juniors Competition, 2025. Thank you. I am grateful to Kim Martins for being my support champion and answering queries promptly.
The journey of reading and choosing what I felt to be the worthy winners became an adventure. I was looking for a tight, minimal-worded contemporary haiku that would ‘move’ the reader. Or, one that would carry a subtle depth where ‘the muse’ is woken. A haiku with pathos or humour, that would leave space for the reader to ruminate. Subjects ranged from current social issues and family life to New Zealand’s mountains, seas, sky, bush, birds, animals and more. I particularly valued a reference to Tangaroa, the Māori god of the seas, rivers and lakes. I also enjoyed several clever senryu, people-based haiku. I admired the way several poets attempted the leap from fragment to phrase. These are bold, original haiku with a colourful ‘twist’.
Undoubtedly, another editor may choose a different selection. If your haiku hasn’t been chosen, take time to polish it and resend. There are many publishing opportunities. Check the NZ Poetry Society’s website, Haiku NZ, for contemporary Online International Haiku Journals. I suggest reading these modern haiku and senryu, humorous haiku centred around people, that are currently being published. They could inspire different ways to craft your work. Thank you to all for your entries. I wish you well on your haiku journey; may it become a lifelong passion.
FIRST PRIZE – SECONDARY
Angelia Zhao, Burnside School, Christchurch
language slips away,
I forget how we once spoke.
home sounds out of tune
‘Language slips away’ evokes pity and sadness, particularly in this period of New Zealand’s growth as a multicultural society. A student’s time at school speaking English, may mean time given to mastering the mother tongue lessened. Even if English is our first language a note of compassion is struck. The last line catches us by surprise. ‘home sounds out of tune’ has a pun-like quality, it’s both sad and funny depending on how you read. Either way, it is unexpected and speaks to the heart. This haiku points to loss, drawing reflection and empathy. This is a classic five, seven, five syllable count haiku that is significant and compelling. Congratulations on First Place.
SECOND
Jed Croft – St Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
late evening
a rabbit nibbles
bullet shells drop
This haiku is succinct. The focus shifts from narrow to wide. It successfully brings together small-scale intimacy and large-scale conflict. Contrast is introduced from the peaceful scene of a rabbit nibbling grass to the blast of bullet shells. A leap from calm to terror. This could be a contemporary image of war and conflict found on TV news. Equally, it could be someone shooting rabbits. The haiku’s strength lies in the surprise of the last line and in its depth and ability to bring together contrasting themes. It leaves us with a challenge. It is a haiku to ruminate. Congratulations on Second Place.
THIRD
Charlotte Currie – St Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
tip of dusk
alone at the pier
I find the answer
This captivating haiku brings the writer’s strands of searching together in a ‘leap linkage’. ‘tip of dusk’, an unusual expression, alerts us to be vigilant. It could also be understood as the tip of darkness, of not knowing. Our attention is gathered. The second line brings a feeling of being defenceless perhaps vulnerable. Now we are in a moment of waiting. The surprise, ‘I find the answer’ is unexpected yet timely, relating back to line one’s ‘tip of dusk’. It’s as if we too have tipped into knowing and have found the answer. The last line is imbued with relief. I am touched by the simplicity and depth of this powerful haiku. Congratulations on Third Place.
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FIRST PRIZE – PRIMARY/INTERMEDIATE
Henry Peters, Russley School, Ōtautahi Christchurch
long thin skis
make tracks through powder
lost in my own snowy world
A world of skis and fresh powder. Already we’re out on an adventure, perhaps one we know or have yet to experience. Powder, how deep? We’re unsure and left to imagine. It’s a leap for most of us and speaks of the thrill of adventure that calls for courage. The ambiguity of the last line, ‘lost in my own snowy world’, brings surprise and room for reflection. This phrase could be both real and metaphoric. Either way, a dreamlike quality is hinted at. Adventure and wonder beckon. Maybe it’s the thrill of being in a different world, where we too can catch the excitement and find the courage to initiate new dreams. Congratulations on First Place.
SECOND
Zachary Gibson, 12 years, Primary/Intermediate, Kapakapanui School, Waikanae
I sit in the corner
Fixed to my screen
Grandfather sighs
The apparent simplicity of this haiku is misleading. A grandfather and grandchild will most likely see the world quite differently. The first two lines, ‘I sit in the corner/fixed to my screen’ is an everyday activity for school-age students, whether for homework or recreation. For the parents, this may now be taken as normal but for grandparents, two generations apart, another ‘way of seeing’ could be held regarding computers. [computers only became commonly used by the public in the mid-1990s] Hence, ‘grandfather sighs’, is perhaps because he’s worried about his grandson’s health and fitness from too much screen time. Maybe the grandfather’s sigh is because the complexity of his grandson’s skills way surpasses his own. Or maybe the grandfather’s sigh is because he wishes to spend more time with his grandson, off-screen. Whatever the reason, this is a compelling haiku for these contemporary times. Congratulations on Second Place.
THIRD
Thenuk Manikkabadathuruge, Write On School for Young Writers, Ōtautahi Christchurch
blue skies
clouds and wind
animal shapes
This is a minimal, tightly focused haiku of only nine syllables. The first two lines, ‘blue skies, clouds and wind’, already lift and expand our thinking. Cloud shapes can have extraordinary character. The clever jump from this expansive scene to a narrow one of ‘animal shapes’ becomes an ‘aha’ moment. It’s something we could have observed in the sky on a cloudy day. Either way it’s delightful and leaves us bemused. A well-crafted contemporary haiku that may well inspire us to search the skies too. Congratulations on Third Place.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Angelia Zhao – Burnside School, Ōtautahi Christchurch
now that you’re gone,
I speak to the vacant chair,
words fall into dust.
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Tom Heiler – St Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
in the hills
roar of the stag
through my veins
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Aysha Adair – St Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
after the storm
kōwhai trees hug
a tūī’s nest
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Alfred Lash – St Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
Kea drives
the mountain’s breath
through Tangaroa’s hair
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Dan O’Brien – John McGlashan College Ōtepoti Dunedin
yellow tidemark
leftovers in the fridge
goat curry
COMMENDED
Samuel Hu – St Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
in forest light
a green leaf
bows its head
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Dan O’Brien – John McGlashan College Ōtepoti Dunedin
discoloured rice
scattered on white porcelain
toenail clippings
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Austin Donaldson – St Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
cold mountain
the man hides
in its shadows
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Alex Balin – St Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
snow
wraps the mountain
a fur coat
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Hudson Blyde – Andrew’s College, Ōtautahi Christchurch
a cheery melody
soft keys
a zebra
Thank you to all the students for your entries.