There are moments when life hangs in balance, caught between what could have been and what actually is. A door almost opened, a word almost spoken, a touch almost felt. These are the moments that linger — small spaces of “almost” that weigh heavier than we expect.
For this month’s Haiku Feud, we invited poets to explore The Weight of Almost. In just 17 syllables, they captured the tension of near misses, quiet regrets, and fleeting opportunities — the bittersweet spaces where hope and hesitation meet.
What emerged were haiku that resonate long after reading. Moments frozen, sparks that never fully ignited, and the subtle truths of what “almost” carries with it. We’re honored to share this month’s interpretations.
🏆 Winner — Fabian Wadsworth
A match struck to flame
but blown thin before it blooms
smoke writes what might be
🥈 Runners-Up
Lisa-Anna Maust
Washed up on dreamland
Final bow; song swallows sand
How. Heavy. I. Am.
Shinae Galli
Some seeds never sprout
Keep planting with patient love
Make peace with regret
Every submission this month held a mirror to life’s fragile edges. Here are all the haiku that weighed on the “almost” and lingered with us:
Haiku Feud Submissions
Canned tomato paste
there is never quite enough
opportunity
by Jessica Whipple
Moonlight on closed lips.
A kiss that never was…burns
soft ash on my tongue.
by Imani Gordon
an almost bare tree
outside the hospice window
one leaf still hangs on
by Sari Grandstaff
Who am I but a
girl dreaming for everything
and never doing
by Tiffany Wells
Mirrors held many
faces. Here, now far, the fog
of your name: my body.
by Kourtney Jones
A white rhino dies
As plastic gallons bob on
Oversalted seas.
by Salena Casha
Past and present primed
Before the present has passed
Yet I still missed it
by Kyle Parker
Two little pink lines
Sluggish months of hurried prep
Ready to meet you?
by Kelly Schultz
We were in high school
On and off and on again
I wonder what if…
by Stacy Ronk
I never said you
had to measure up to me
You were so close though
by James Bason
Trapeze with no net
Leap, pause, gravity decides
Love's bloody circus
by Courtney McAllister
Close but no cigar
Are words my Father would say
If he were still here
by Allen Feldman
Frozen before bloom,
Magnolias die too soon;
Late March tragedy.
by Christy Umberger
onesies and soft coos
a promise my heart clung to
once upon a time
by Andrea Hunter
I am forty two
Just yesterday I was ten
Where did the time go
by Stacey Ronk
Almost fell again
Finally I caught myself
Might have saved my life
by Jacob Mercier
INNOCENTS
leveled in their cribs,
in middle school, in private
jets, too-late regrets
by Joy (Jem) Golson
anticipation
sets the pace, only to fall
like tears in the rain
by Rebecca Da Silva
midsummer rainstorm
fifth anniversary of
her unworn white gown
by Mark Farrar
The winds shifted and
Sprinkled my lips with the seeds
Of dandelions
by Melanie Bakay
Tobacco, lit and
Raised to lips–-fumbled! It drops!
Close, but no cigar.
by Kay Kro
throwing a bouquet
before the stream swallows it
text message breakup
by Cassady O’Reilly-Hahn
Join the Next Haiku Feud
Want to see your words featured next time? Follow us on Instagram @haikuists for the next Haiku Feud prompt.
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