2025
⬥ Short List, Purple Ink Press inaugural chapbook contest (1 of 10)
⬥ Short List, The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for an Individual Poem. Originally published in ONE ART Haiku Anthology, 2024
another mother’s day band aid for the exit wound
2024
⬥ Sakura Award, 2024 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, Haiku Invitational.
but what if it all works out cherry blossoms
⬥ Top 9% (second round) in the 2024 Bridport Prize competition, poetry category (a non-haikai poem).
⬥ Winner (one of six) of the 2024 Trailblazers Contest for "In Concert" (a new type of multi-ku).
⬥ Long List, MacQueen Quinterly's Cheribun Challenge #2 for the braided cheribun "Take Only Photos"
2023
⬥ Ranked #8 in Rattle Magazine's "Top Poems," the journal's Most-Read Poems in 2023, for "Ocean Ancient and Evolving"
⬥Pushcart Prize nomination for "Ocean Ancient and Evolving", Rattle Magazine (2023)
⬥Best Small Fictions nomination for "Between the Flashes", Modern Haiku (2023)
⬥ Museum of Haiku Literature Award, Frogpond Best of Issue 46.2 (Spring/Summer 2023). Sponsored by the Museum of Haiku Literature in Tokyo, Japan.
an answer without end quotes the forest stream
— originally published in Frogpond 46.2 (2023)
⬥ Honorable Mention, 25th Haiku International Association (HIA; Japan-based) Contest. Judge: Toshio Kimura.
river-smoothed stone
the part of me
still here
⬥First Place, ZO Magazine & Sonic Boom Full Circle Haiku Contest (Winner of 115 entries). Commentary
to hold the whole moon and the parent of my inner child
⬥ Short List, The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for Individual Poems (1 of 31 out of 1294 entries)
morning sea
I shake the night
from my wings
— originally published in Kingfisher #5, April 2022
republished in: Triveni Haikai India's Volunteer Dhanyavaad Anthology (2022)
⬥ Long List, The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for Individual Haibun (1 of 15 out of 212 entries)
A Postcard from Ocean City (haibun)
— originally published in Contemporary Haibun Online 18.3
republished in Contemporary Haibun 18 (2023)
⬥ Winner (one of thirty) out of 1562 entries, 5th Basho-an International English Haiku Competition, 2023
spring melt
the moons rise in all
the low places
⬥Honorable Mention, Dwarf Stars Award, held by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (2023):
diameter pi
the lake solves
for moon
— originally published in Frogpond 45:3 (2022)
2022
⬥ Semifinalist, Ito En "Art of Haiku" New Haiku Grand Prix, August 2022
no matter how it ends a bluebird’s song
⬥Winner (one of multiple haiku featured), Neighborhood Haiku, Lexington Council of the Arts (artfully painted on the storefront window of a wellness store in Lexington Center, July 2022)
finding myself
where I least expect
puddle moon
⬥Nominee, Dwarf Stars Award, held by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (2022):
moonscape
not only / but also
mountains
(Frogpond 44:3; 2021)
⬥Winner, Haiku Newton (1 of 20 poems displayed in Newton, Massachusetts public parks; spring-summer 2022)
⬥Honorable Mention, 11th Setouchi-Matsuyama International Photo-Haiku Contest (set theme category; 2022)
⬥Second Place, Haiku Poets of Northern California, San Francisco International Senryu Contest (2022): commentary
owning my fragility white anemone
⬥Honorable Mention, 2nd Oku-no-hosomichi Soka Matsubara International Haiku Competition (2022):
fast allium
the small yellow dance
of a bee
⬥Two poems Selected, 14th Yamadera Basho Museum Contest (2022):
spring rain learning to balance the life of a water strider
⬥Honorable Mention, The Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Award Competition, held by Modern Haiku journal (2022)
2021
⬥Pushcart Prize nomination for "Axilla", Sonic Boom 21 (2021)
⬥Semi-Finalist out of 4,152 entries, Rattle Poetry Prize, for "Ocean Ancient and Evolving" (sudo-ku; 2021)
⬥Honorable Mention, United Haiku and Tanka Society, Samurai Haibun Contest, for "Not Yet" (2021)
⬥Finalist, Editor's Choice Award, Macqueen's Quinterly, issue 10, for "Sensory Revelation Tank" (haibun; 2021)
⬥Selected Poem, 13th Yamadera Basho Museum Haiku Contest, (2021)
2020
⬥Winner out of >1300 nominations, The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for an Individual Poem (2020): "This poem is set to be a haiku classic." commentary
what remains
after the river is gone
this empty bed
⬥Winner (one of thirty) out of 1,573 entries, 3rd Basho-an International Haiku Contest (2020):
sunlit branches
the childhood I seek
for my children
⬥Honorable Mention, United Haiku and Tanka Society, Samurai Haibun Contest for "Letter to Loss" (2020)
⬥Merit Award out of 33,940 entries, 31st ITO En Oi Ocha Shinhaiku (2020):
winter moon
the maple backlit
one branch at a time
⬥Two poems Selected, 12th Yamadera Basho Museum Contest (2020):
stillwater fish
the cormorant dives
into its reflection
bedtime yoga
I fold myself into
a dream
⬥Second Place out of >1100 entries, Haiku Society of America, Harold G. Henderson Haiku Award (2020): commentary
evening news
junipers consume
the moon
⬥Third Place, Sonic Boom Senryu Contest (2020):
alone at the viewing lilies
⬥Haiku selected for the cover haiga of Mayfly 69 (2020):
what remains
after the river is gone
this empty bed
2019
⬥Three Commended Poems, United Haiku and Tanka Society, AHA Haiku/Senryu Contest (2019):
deep winter
the bed piled heavy
with cats
packing the house
the heaviness
of old memories
the sky
as big as it gets
winter maples
⬥Selected, Best of Haiku in English, The Mainichi (2019):
beneath the weeping cherry
the children's laughter...
pink upon pink
⬥"Best of the Net" nomination for the haibun “Attend” (2019)
Earlier and Multi-Year
⬥Finalist, NHK (Japan) Haiku Masters (multiple; 2017, 2018):
swimming lesson
my daughter chooses me
instead of the wall
combing the air
my mother begins to speak
to angels
deciding
which way to go
frozen river
spring branches
finding
the shape of the sky
one after another
winter clouds
come out of my mouth
river canyon
the time it took
to reach you
⬥Runner-Up, Golden Haiku Contest (2017):
after hibernation
a deep-throated yawn…
daffodil
⬥Semifinalist, New Haiku Grand Prix, Ito En Art of Haiku (multiple; 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)
⬥Winner, Goodreads Newsletter Poetry Contest, for free verse poem "Emergency Department" (Oct 2016)
⬥Third Place, Connecticut Poetry Award (2016) for free verse poem "Skin". Judge's commentary: "This poem is remarkable for its stunning use of imagery...But beyond the poem's aesthetic qualities is something tangible to hold."
Skin
it is my ambassador to the world
my hot, my feel, my here but not there
an inexact barrier, heat and sweat
like a muddled language seeping through
if I wore a different skin
would you still know it is me?
it is recognizable enough –
a fancy façade for the shy self within
without it, I might not realize my perimeters
or whether I am part of everything else
why do we need to be so distinct?
it must not be that important
for what skin is worn in the land of souls?
what use is a costume when the pageant is over?
I dream of pure beings in butterfly bliss
intermingling like soft flames
what was once contained in a fragile glass
will be made free as water
when we drop these worn garments
I will still know it is you
as we reach the latent truths of ourselves
and fall together, sure as gravity, shapeless as stars
Copyright © 2014 - 2025 Kat Lehmann
⬥ Short List, Purple Ink Press inaugural chapbook contest (1 of 10)
⬥ Short List, The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for an Individual Poem. Originally published in ONE ART Haiku Anthology, 2024
another mother’s day band aid for the exit wound
2024
⬥ Sakura Award, 2024 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, Haiku Invitational.
but what if it all works out cherry blossoms
⬥ Top 9% (second round) in the 2024 Bridport Prize competition, poetry category (a non-haikai poem).
⬥ Winner (one of six) of the 2024 Trailblazers Contest for "In Concert" (a new type of multi-ku).
⬥ Long List, MacQueen Quinterly's Cheribun Challenge #2 for the braided cheribun "Take Only Photos"
2023
⬥ Ranked #8 in Rattle Magazine's "Top Poems," the journal's Most-Read Poems in 2023, for "Ocean Ancient and Evolving"
⬥Pushcart Prize nomination for "Ocean Ancient and Evolving", Rattle Magazine (2023)
⬥Best Small Fictions nomination for "Between the Flashes", Modern Haiku (2023)
⬥ Museum of Haiku Literature Award, Frogpond Best of Issue 46.2 (Spring/Summer 2023). Sponsored by the Museum of Haiku Literature in Tokyo, Japan.
an answer without end quotes the forest stream
— originally published in Frogpond 46.2 (2023)
⬥ Honorable Mention, 25th Haiku International Association (HIA; Japan-based) Contest. Judge: Toshio Kimura.
river-smoothed stone
the part of me
still here
⬥First Place, ZO Magazine & Sonic Boom Full Circle Haiku Contest (Winner of 115 entries). Commentary
to hold the whole moon and the parent of my inner child
⬥ Short List, The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for Individual Poems (1 of 31 out of 1294 entries)
morning sea
I shake the night
from my wings
— originally published in Kingfisher #5, April 2022
republished in: Triveni Haikai India's Volunteer Dhanyavaad Anthology (2022)
⬥ Long List, The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for Individual Haibun (1 of 15 out of 212 entries)
A Postcard from Ocean City (haibun)
— originally published in Contemporary Haibun Online 18.3
republished in Contemporary Haibun 18 (2023)
⬥ Winner (one of thirty) out of 1562 entries, 5th Basho-an International English Haiku Competition, 2023
spring melt
the moons rise in all
the low places
⬥Honorable Mention, Dwarf Stars Award, held by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (2023):
diameter pi
the lake solves
for moon
— originally published in Frogpond 45:3 (2022)
2022
⬥ Semifinalist, Ito En "Art of Haiku" New Haiku Grand Prix, August 2022
no matter how it ends a bluebird’s song
⬥Winner (one of multiple haiku featured), Neighborhood Haiku, Lexington Council of the Arts (artfully painted on the storefront window of a wellness store in Lexington Center, July 2022)
finding myself
where I least expect
puddle moon
⬥Nominee, Dwarf Stars Award, held by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (2022):
moonscape
not only / but also
mountains
(Frogpond 44:3; 2021)
⬥Winner, Haiku Newton (1 of 20 poems displayed in Newton, Massachusetts public parks; spring-summer 2022)
⬥Honorable Mention, 11th Setouchi-Matsuyama International Photo-Haiku Contest (set theme category; 2022)
⬥Second Place, Haiku Poets of Northern California, San Francisco International Senryu Contest (2022): commentary
owning my fragility white anemone
⬥Honorable Mention, 2nd Oku-no-hosomichi Soka Matsubara International Haiku Competition (2022):
fast allium
the small yellow dance
of a bee
⬥Two poems Selected, 14th Yamadera Basho Museum Contest (2022):
spring rain learning to balance the life of a water strider
⬥Honorable Mention, The Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Award Competition, held by Modern Haiku journal (2022)
2021
⬥Pushcart Prize nomination for "Axilla", Sonic Boom 21 (2021)
⬥Semi-Finalist out of 4,152 entries, Rattle Poetry Prize, for "Ocean Ancient and Evolving" (sudo-ku; 2021)
⬥Honorable Mention, United Haiku and Tanka Society, Samurai Haibun Contest, for "Not Yet" (2021)
⬥Finalist, Editor's Choice Award, Macqueen's Quinterly, issue 10, for "Sensory Revelation Tank" (haibun; 2021)
⬥Selected Poem, 13th Yamadera Basho Museum Haiku Contest, (2021)
2020
⬥Winner out of >1300 nominations, The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for an Individual Poem (2020): "This poem is set to be a haiku classic." commentary
what remains
after the river is gone
this empty bed
⬥Winner (one of thirty) out of 1,573 entries, 3rd Basho-an International Haiku Contest (2020):
sunlit branches
the childhood I seek
for my children
⬥Honorable Mention, United Haiku and Tanka Society, Samurai Haibun Contest for "Letter to Loss" (2020)
⬥Merit Award out of 33,940 entries, 31st ITO En Oi Ocha Shinhaiku (2020):
winter moon
the maple backlit
one branch at a time
⬥Two poems Selected, 12th Yamadera Basho Museum Contest (2020):
stillwater fish
the cormorant dives
into its reflection
bedtime yoga
I fold myself into
a dream
⬥Second Place out of >1100 entries, Haiku Society of America, Harold G. Henderson Haiku Award (2020): commentary
evening news
junipers consume
the moon
⬥Third Place, Sonic Boom Senryu Contest (2020):
alone at the viewing lilies
⬥Haiku selected for the cover haiga of Mayfly 69 (2020):
what remains
after the river is gone
this empty bed
2019
⬥Three Commended Poems, United Haiku and Tanka Society, AHA Haiku/Senryu Contest (2019):
deep winter
the bed piled heavy
with cats
packing the house
the heaviness
of old memories
the sky
as big as it gets
winter maples
⬥Selected, Best of Haiku in English, The Mainichi (2019):
beneath the weeping cherry
the children's laughter...
pink upon pink
⬥"Best of the Net" nomination for the haibun “Attend” (2019)
Earlier and Multi-Year
⬥Finalist, NHK (Japan) Haiku Masters (multiple; 2017, 2018):
swimming lesson
my daughter chooses me
instead of the wall
combing the air
my mother begins to speak
to angels
deciding
which way to go
frozen river
spring branches
finding
the shape of the sky
one after another
winter clouds
come out of my mouth
river canyon
the time it took
to reach you
⬥Runner-Up, Golden Haiku Contest (2017):
after hibernation
a deep-throated yawn…
daffodil
⬥Semifinalist, New Haiku Grand Prix, Ito En Art of Haiku (multiple; 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)
⬥Winner, Goodreads Newsletter Poetry Contest, for free verse poem "Emergency Department" (Oct 2016)
⬥Third Place, Connecticut Poetry Award (2016) for free verse poem "Skin". Judge's commentary: "This poem is remarkable for its stunning use of imagery...But beyond the poem's aesthetic qualities is something tangible to hold."
Skin
it is my ambassador to the world
my hot, my feel, my here but not there
an inexact barrier, heat and sweat
like a muddled language seeping through
if I wore a different skin
would you still know it is me?
it is recognizable enough –
a fancy façade for the shy self within
without it, I might not realize my perimeters
or whether I am part of everything else
why do we need to be so distinct?
it must not be that important
for what skin is worn in the land of souls?
what use is a costume when the pageant is over?
I dream of pure beings in butterfly bliss
intermingling like soft flames
what was once contained in a fragile glass
will be made free as water
when we drop these worn garments
I will still know it is you
as we reach the latent truths of ourselves
and fall together, sure as gravity, shapeless as stars
Copyright © 2014 - 2025 Kat Lehmann
