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Wearable Haiku Contest Judges Announced!

The contest for wearable haiku at Drifting Sands is now open through August 15th. Judges for the contest are as follows:

Peggy Bilbro
Richard Grahn
Frank Hooven

The theme for the contest is: "Haiku that speaks to the essence of poetry." The link to the contest guidelines is here.

https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/contests/

You can find latest issue of Drifting Sands here:

Homepage: https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/

Introduction Page: https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/7/2022/welcome-to-issue-16/

In this issue, editor Kala Ramesh has pulled together a dynamic batch of poems with a primary focus on repairing and healing. Poets from around the world answered the call from a wide variety of angles.

Monuments #1  results are in.

Dedicated to the late Rachel Sutcliffe, this contest features poems set to the photography of Christopher Seep.

Here is the results page: https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/monuments-no-1/

It is with great pleasure that we can announce that all the winning poets chose to donate their prize money to the Haiku Foundation. The donated winnings were matched by Drifting Sands and a donation of $100 was made to the Haiku Foundation in these poet's names. Here they are:

Arvilla Fee
Christa Pandey
Daniela Misso
Debbie Strange
Joanna Delalande
John Budan
John Hawkhead
Matthew Caretti
Milan Rajkumar
Oscar Luparia

Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up. Thank you for making this an enjoyable endeavor.

Greetings Fellow Poetry Enthusiast,

Here's your invitation to stop by and enjoy the latest issue of Drifting Sands.

http://drifting-sands-haibun.org/05/2022/welcome-to-issue-15-of-drifting-sands/

This issue features poems by over 70 poets from around the world expressing their feelings about the state of the world, its problems (from war to pending ecological disaster to human relations), and some ideas for solving those problems (from tiny gestures to grand movements).

It was a pleasure editing this issue, which was very eye-opening, humbling, saddening, and in some cases, shocking, but in others hopeful. The greatest source of optimism comes from the fact that there are people all around the world who care about the future of the human race and the planet.

Thank you, as always, to the poets who contributed to this issue. And thank you to all our readers. Together you make this journal tick.

Enjoy the issue,

Sincerely,

Richard Grahn (Editor Issue 15)
founding collaborative artist
drifting-sands-haibun.org

Monuments #1: A Drifting Sands Memorial Poetry Contest

Tribute to Rachel Sutcliffe.

Submissions: May (1-15) 2022

Drifting Sands, in collaboration with poet-photographer Christopher Seep, will host its first poetry contest, dedicated to the memory of poet, Rachel Sutcliffe, who was plucked, still blossoming, from our poetic landscape just a few short years ago, decades before her time.

In that spirit, we invite you to pair your English-language poems (based on Japanese short forms such as haiku, senryu, tanka, haibun, tanka prose, rengay, etc.) with Christopher's photos located on the contest gallery page. The contest page with submission details is here: https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/contests/

Drifting Sands Submissions Open

IMPORTANT notice regarding April Submissions:

Please read the Submissions Page (https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/submissions/)carefully. There will be a theme for the issue so read it through and then send us your best poem for consideration.

Starting with this issue, we will be accepting haibun, haiku sequences, tanka prose, tanka sequences, and rengay (no stand-alone haiku or tanka) on the above-mentioned theme. Please submit only one poem for consideration. All poems MUST have a title.

Also, take note that we are back to the regular email address for submissions.

Theme for Issue 15—Poetry for Change—Submissions open April 1st, 2022)


At Drifting Sands, we believe in the power of poetry to change the world. While corporate America contemplates temporarily suspending the flow of hamburgers to an aggressor nation, the world stands on the brink of nuclear annihilation.

It is now clear that a nuclear arsenal in the hands of a power-hungry thug provides license to run roughshod over other nations. The message, "We better start cooperating to heal this dying planet" hasn't sunk in. And now, war is simply fueling the agendas of those with more great ideas to destroy the planet, such as drilling for oil on once-protected lands.

Rain forests are disappearing, ice caps are melting, the ozone layer is evaporating, yet here we stand, fighting over territory, resources, religion, and other things that have nothing to do with securing the future of the human race and other life on Earth.

Earth is not an inexhaustible resource. We need to do more than learn to share. We have to figure out how to preserve what is left and how to foster the planet's recovery from centuries of abuse and neglect.

So, the gloves are off. Drifting Sands has never been theme-based, but the next issue (submissions open April 1st) will be devoted to the topics above. We (I) will be accepting poems that speak out against the insanity of the human race and/or offer insights into a better way of marching into the future.

Outrage is not enough. We must offer real solutions for the dilemma of peace on Earth. Maybe that's as simple as watching the wind among autumn leaves for a change. Maybe it's as complex as learning how to reconcile our differences in productive ways. We are the voice of reason, compassion, and understanding. So, let 'er rip. Let's apply the power of poetry to the truth of the human condition.

Toward that end, the next issue of Drifting Sands will focus entirely on the following topic(s):

• The problems we face, including the future of the planet and our inability to get along with one another (from interpersonal relationships to international relations)

• Solutions for peace on Earth and restoring the planet.

I will be the editor for this issue (Issue 15) so send me your best poems: haibun, tanka prose, and now tanka sequences, haiku sequences, and rengay (everything must have a title) on these subjects. The planet is still here, so there's still time to write a good poem. I look forward to reading your thoughts on these crucially important matters.

With a head of steam,

Richard Grahn
founding collaborative artist
at drifting-sands-haibun.org

Greetings from Drifting Sands,

Submissions Open
Submissions are now open at Drifting Sands Haibun through December 31st, 2021. Our guest editor for the month is Adelaide Shaw. As always, please, send her your best. The submissions page is here:

Submissions
Please read the submissions page thoroughly before submitting!

From all of us from Drifting Sands, may this season be kind to you and yours,

The November 2021 Issue of Drifting Sands (edited by Jo Balistreri) is now live. Many thanks to Jo for assembling this dynamic batch of poems through her warm interactions with this issue's gathering of poets. You can begin reading the issue here:

Issue 12 is Here

Many thanks also, to you, our readers. It's you who make all the efforts of our volunteers worthwhile.

Here's a list of our volunteers.
They were instrumental in bringing this issue to life:

Jo Balistreri (Guest Editor)
Gabriel Ertsgaard (Copy Editor)
Kathleen Trocmet (Formatting Administrator)
Gary Ford (Formatter)
Tom Staudt (Formatter)
Catherine Altimari (Formatter)
Lynne Jambor (Formatter)
Ray Rasmussen (Consultant)
Richard Grahn (Founder, Webmaster)

Enjoy!

*
Issue 11 of Drifting Sands, edited by Diana Webb, is now live. You can start reading here:

https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/09/2021/welcome-to-issue-11/

Acknowledgments

Drifting Sands is a 100% volunteer undertaking. Below is a list of those who helped bring this issue to life:

    • Diana Webb (Guest Editor)
    • Gabriel Ertsgaard (Copy Editor)
    • Kathleen Trocmet (Formatting Administrator)
    • Gary Ford (Formatter)
    • Tom Staudt (Formatter)
    • Catherine Altimari (Formatter)
    • Ray Rasmussen (Formatter, Consultant)
    • Richard Grahn (Founder, Webmaster)

Submissions

Submissions open October 1st – 31st. The submissions page is here:

https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/submissions/


The Drifting Sands - Poet's Hub

In the spirit of bringing writers and readers together (that's really the goal of any journal, right?) we've created a new dimension to Drifting Sands, that being the Poet's Hub, which you can see here:

https://poets.drifting-sands-haibun.org

The Hub offers writers a platform to share themselves with the readership. Each haiku, tanka, haibun, tanka prose, and/or haiga poet (whether a dsh contributor or not) can have a free, fully-customizable page in what is essentially, a directory of poets. A good way to look at these pages, though, is as bios on steroids. They offer the ability to publish a full bio or resume complete with photos, videos, and other visual content, examples of the poet's work and links to their online resources (including their own blog or website, social media accounts, and their published books online). Each author is limited only by their imagination and the fact that this is a poetry-centric resource.

If you would like our assistance with designing your page, please contact us using the form here:



We're offering live tutorials (group and in-person) on a first-come-first-serve basis to help people get up-and-running with their page. It that doesn't work, we can build the page for you, given the content to work with.

We hope you'll find this project beneficial to you as a poet because, in the spirit of community, it's there for you.

https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/submissions/

October 1-31 for the November 2021 issue: 2021 Jo Balistreri
December 1-31 for the January 2022 issue: Adelaide B. Shaw

Thank you for your continued interest in, and support of, Drifting Sands. We look forward to seeing you and your camel at the Oasis again soon.

Richard Grahn
drifting-sands-haibun.org

Drifting Sands Issue 7 is Live! Submissions open.

Greetings Poetry Lovers!

A belated, in some cases, but thoroughly optimistic Happy New Year to each and every one of you. There's no reason to dredge up that "other year" except to say that Drifting Sands was born and that's at least one reason to be thankful. Then there's the matter of every breath of air we take in—little things. And then there are you, the readers and writers. You deserve the praise. What would this world look like without you? Thank you for your inspiring contributions to the journal. It wouldn't be possible otherwise.

Drifting Sands Issue 7, January 2021—guest-edited by Marilyn Humbert—is now live!

You can find it here: https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/.../welcome-to-issue-7.../


January also marks the launch of our first Special Feature: "Girt by Sea." This collection of poems and photos by artists from Down Under, compiled by poet-photographer, Gavin Austin, is here:

https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/01/2021/girt-by-sea/

Submissions are now, as always, open. The current guest editor is David Kelly. Please reach out and grab his attention with your best work, and don't forget to check the submissions page

https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/submissions

for changes which include our NEW submission email address!

Editor Opportunities

Drifting Sands is seeking guest editors for future editions of the journal. If interested, drop Richard a line via the contact page.

The journal is a volunteer-based operation. For example, all dsh editors, to date, are volunteers from our pool of contributing poets. Some have experience editing; others have never tried it, yours truly included. Each brings their own outlook to the role, though, resulting in a unique collection of poems for your consumption. It's a work in progress, the editorial system at Drifting Sands. Most of all, this has been and continues to be, a journey of collaboration and discovery. So kick off your shoes and put on your reader's hat or roll up your sleeves and dive in. See what Marilyn and the other editors and poets have to offer and give it a little thought.

Other than that, have a great day, enjoy the issue, and stay safe. We've made it this far. Might as well go all the way. 😉

Blessings,

richard grahn
founding collaborative artist
drifting-sands-haibun.org

Drifting Sands now has open submissions - open indefinitely.

Issues will be published each time we've compiled a collection of about 20 accepted poems.
You can submit two poems (two haibun, two tanka prose, or one of each) no more than once per month.
Guest editors read until their issue is full. After that, a publication date is set and a new editor takes up the role. This means you can't be guaranteed a specific editor. It also means we don't guarantee a specific publication schedule.

Here's the latest submission/publication schedule:
Issue 1 – in the books.
Issue 2 – current issue.
Issue 3 – Diana Webb has CLOSED submissions. Release date: September 30, 2020.
Issue 4 – Pris Campbell is ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS.

Well, it's official. Cyndi and I, are overjoyed to welcome Autumn Noelle Hall to the team of drifting-sands-haibun editors. Autumn has enthusiastically embraced our invitation to serve as tanka prose editor and will be fielding your submissions starting with the August 2020 Issue. You can learn a little more about her here: https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/about-us/. You can leave a message for Autumn, Cyndi or me in the comments section below the editors' bios. We're all looking forward to a bountiful summer issue. As always, your participation is what makes it happen.

New essay by Ray Rasmussen on drifting sands haibun.

What Are We Writers Up To, Really?
https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/06/2020/what-are-we-writers-up-to-really/

Ray takes a look at what propels us as writers and examines the art of writing from a writer's perspective and particularly the haibun writer's perspective. A good read for anyone interested in writing or reading haibun.

We're up and running. You can read the issue here:

https://www.drifting-sands-haibun.org/

Submissions reopen during the month of July for the August 31 issue