The Skylark’s Nest
Skylarks breed on meadows, salt marshes, farmland and heaths. The nest is a well-hidden cup on the ground, woven from grass and hair. The glossy eggs are greyish-white with heavy brown and olive spots, and about 23 mm by 17 mm. There are usually 3-6 eggs in a clutch. Incubation is the shortest of any British breeding species and is performed by the female only. However,the young are fed by both parents.
For each issue of Skylark, poets were invited to submit one tanka inspired by the image provided. With each issue 3-6 of the best tanka were published and the overall winner received a free issue of the journal. He or she was also invited to read "The Skylark’s Nest "submissions for the next issue and make the winning selections. The winners and each ‘clutch’ of selected poems will remain archived on this website.
Scroll down to view the winners for each issue.
*Please note the Cover Art Award has now replaced the Skylark's Nest Award. Please see the submissions page for more details.
Skylarks breed on meadows, salt marshes, farmland and heaths. The nest is a well-hidden cup on the ground, woven from grass and hair. The glossy eggs are greyish-white with heavy brown and olive spots, and about 23 mm by 17 mm. There are usually 3-6 eggs in a clutch. Incubation is the shortest of any British breeding species and is performed by the female only. However,the young are fed by both parents.
For each issue of Skylark, poets were invited to submit one tanka inspired by the image provided. With each issue 3-6 of the best tanka were published and the overall winner received a free issue of the journal. He or she was also invited to read "The Skylark’s Nest "submissions for the next issue and make the winning selections. The winners and each ‘clutch’ of selected poems will remain archived on this website.
Scroll down to view the winners for each issue.
*Please note the Cover Art Award has now replaced the Skylark's Nest Award. Please see the submissions page for more details.
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 5:2, Winter 2017
by Sandi Pray, USA
5:2, Winter 2017
**The 10th and Final Skylark's Nest Winner***
Selections by Hazel Hall, Australia
the gentle curve
of a fawn's spine
in tall grass--
how many springs
have we slept through?
Clayton Beach, USA
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
building our borders
higher and higher . . .
on either side
the grass withers
and dies in the shade
Urszula Funnell, United Kingdom
in my dreams
the sound of father's laugh
so quietly
as we picked neighbor's
raspberries by moonlight
Jessica Malone Latham, USA
beneath my fingertips
the texture
of a forgotten memory
inch by inch
I feel my way home
Jacquie Pearce, Canada
Congratulations to Clayton! It's the end of an era, but we look forward to seeing your cover art submissions and choosing the back cover tanka that harmonises with it.
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 5:1, Summer 2017
by Sandi Pray, USA
Sandi Pray is a retired high school library media specialist living a quiet life in the wilds of North Carolina mountains and river wetlands of North Florida. As a vegan she is a lover of all life and the rhythms of nature.
Sandi fell in love with the art of haiku/haiga in 2011 through a 'Band of Poets' on Twitter and then Facebook. With their inspiration and encouragement, she continues to share her encounters and observations of the natural world each day. Through hiking, running, yoga, photography and digital art she finds these moments everywhere.
Sandi's haiku, haiga and tanka have appeared in WHA Haiga, Daily Haiku, Daily Haiga, Simply Haiku, Modern Haiku, AHG, Frogpond, Cattails, Acorn, The Heron's Nest, Akitsu Quarterly, Hedgerow Poems, Brass Bell, Mann Library Daily Haiku, Under the Basho, Seize the Poem Anthology, DVerse Poetry Anthology, Fragments Anthology, Skylark, Moonbathing, Bright Stars and Atlas Poetica.
Sandi’s blog is http://ravencliffs.blogspot.com and you can also follow her as bigmax722 on Twitter. We are thrilled to welcome Sandi to the Skylark team as our new Tankart Editor from Skylark 5:1, Summer 2017.
Sandi fell in love with the art of haiku/haiga in 2011 through a 'Band of Poets' on Twitter and then Facebook. With their inspiration and encouragement, she continues to share her encounters and observations of the natural world each day. Through hiking, running, yoga, photography and digital art she finds these moments everywhere.
Sandi's haiku, haiga and tanka have appeared in WHA Haiga, Daily Haiku, Daily Haiga, Simply Haiku, Modern Haiku, AHG, Frogpond, Cattails, Acorn, The Heron's Nest, Akitsu Quarterly, Hedgerow Poems, Brass Bell, Mann Library Daily Haiku, Under the Basho, Seize the Poem Anthology, DVerse Poetry Anthology, Fragments Anthology, Skylark, Moonbathing, Bright Stars and Atlas Poetica.
Sandi’s blog is http://ravencliffs.blogspot.com and you can also follow her as bigmax722 on Twitter. We are thrilled to welcome Sandi to the Skylark team as our new Tankart Editor from Skylark 5:1, Summer 2017.
5:1, Summer 2017 **The Skylark's Nest Winner***
Selections by Margaret Chula, USA
her rainy day
that never came to pass
all those things
packed in boxes
ready for the thrift shop
Hazel Hall, Australia
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
squirrelling away
what little we have--
another winter
of make do and mend
with no sign of spring
Urszula Funnell, UK
the harshness
of this early winter--
my mother's
dwindling store
of memories . . .
David Terelinck, Australia
Thanks to Margaret who made all the selections by blind review. Her full commentary can be read in the Summer issue (see 'store' for details).
Congratulations to Hazel whose winning tanka graces the back-cover of the Summer issue. Hazel is now invited to judge the Winter 2017 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the current issue of the journal and will be posted here soon.
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 4:2, Winter 2016
Shadowplay 35 x 50 inches, oil on linen,
Michele L. Harvey, USA
Michele L. Harvey is a professional landscape painter living in New York. Her year is divided between the very rural central NY and New York City, providing a lively contrast. Her poetry has kindly and widely been accepted by most of the current short form poetry publications and she has won numerous national and international Japanese short form poetry contests, both in haiku and tanka. Although introduced to Japanese poetry in grade school, she didn’t attempt to write her own until 2005 when she discovered the contemporary poetry scene online. She’s drawn to both landscape painting and the Japanese poetry forms for their shared characteristic of nature expressed through art.
You may view both her paintings and examples of her poetry online at micheleharvey.com.
Poets are invited to respond to the image in any way that moves them. Please label your tanka ‘Skylark’s Nest entry’.
Paresh Tiwari, our previous winner, will be the judge for the next issue!
4:2, Winter 2016, ***The Skylark's Nest Winner***
Selections by Paresh Tiwari, India
second grade
the new girl's skin darker
than the others--
her stick-figures drawn
with black Magic Marker
Margaret Chula, USA
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
birdsong
filtering through
stillness . . .
she steps aside
for her daughter
Christina Nguyen, USA
this winter too
the stubborn snow
doesn't thaw . . .
now we sleep in
separate bedrooms
Vandana Parashar, India
our voices
rising to eagles
we stand tall
scarred and imperfect
among stars, you and i
Sandi Pray, USA
Thanks to Paresh who made all the selections by blind review. His full commentary can be read in the Winter issue.
Congratulations to Margaret who is now invited to judge the Summer 2017 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 4:1, Summer 2016
resurrection of spring by Pamela A. Babusci, USA
Pamela A. Babusci, is a self-taught artist. She paints abstractly using oils, acrylics, watercolors & oil pastels; she also writes some Japanese calligraphy symbols, sumi-e paints & is a haiga artist. Pamela with fine artist Larry De Kock, have collaborated together in several tanka/art exhibits at The Black Radish Studio, Steve Carpenter's Art Studio & I-Square Art Center in Rochester, NY, where she will write tanka to enhance/complement Larry's figurative or portrait oil paintings.
She has illustrated several books, including Full Moon Tide : The Best of Tanka Splendor Awards ,Taboo Haiku, Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka Vol.1, The Delicate Dance of Wings, Chasing the Sun: selected haiku from HNA 2007, A Thousand Reasons, 2009, Moonbathing: a journal of women's tanka. In addition, she was also the logo artist for Haiku North America in NYC in 2003 and HNA in Winston-Salem, NC in 2007.
Pamela is the founder and editor of: Moonbathing: a journal of women's tanka, the first all-women's international tanka journal.
She has published two tanka collections: A Thousand Reasons 2009 and A Solitary Woman 2013.
Poetry and art have been an integral part of her existence since her early teenage years. She has a deep desire to be creative on a daily basis. It feeds her spirit and soul, gives meaning to her life, and will continue to be a driving force until she meets her creator.
Poets are invited to respond to the image in any way that moves them. Please label your tanka ‘Skylark’s Nest entry’.
David Terelinck, our previous winner, will be the judge for the next issue!
She has illustrated several books, including Full Moon Tide : The Best of Tanka Splendor Awards ,Taboo Haiku, Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka Vol.1, The Delicate Dance of Wings, Chasing the Sun: selected haiku from HNA 2007, A Thousand Reasons, 2009, Moonbathing: a journal of women's tanka. In addition, she was also the logo artist for Haiku North America in NYC in 2003 and HNA in Winston-Salem, NC in 2007.
Pamela is the founder and editor of: Moonbathing: a journal of women's tanka, the first all-women's international tanka journal.
She has published two tanka collections: A Thousand Reasons 2009 and A Solitary Woman 2013.
Poetry and art have been an integral part of her existence since her early teenage years. She has a deep desire to be creative on a daily basis. It feeds her spirit and soul, gives meaning to her life, and will continue to be a driving force until she meets her creator.
Poets are invited to respond to the image in any way that moves them. Please label your tanka ‘Skylark’s Nest entry’.
David Terelinck, our previous winner, will be the judge for the next issue!
4:1, Summer 2016 * * * The Skylark's Nest Winner * * *
Selections by David Terelinck, Australia
teach me how
to hold spring
in my palm . . .
the book dog-eared
to a verse by Neruda
Paresh Tiwari, India
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
a swirl of starlings
weaving through contrails
of the topaz sky . . .
kindled in me again
this desire to break free
Yesha Shah, India
plum blossoms
against a gray sky
a tinge of red
daubed on the cheeks
of the aging courtesan
Margaret Chula, USA
as buds to blossoms
this swelling in my throat
in my chest
how close to grief is joy . . .
different rains, same sky
Autumn Noelle Hall, USA
Thanks to David who made all the selections by blind review. His full commentary can be read in the Summer issue.
Congratulations to Paresh who is now invited to judge the Winter 2016 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
teach me how
to hold spring
in my palm . . .
the book dog-eared
to a verse by Neruda
Paresh Tiwari, India
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
a swirl of starlings
weaving through contrails
of the topaz sky . . .
kindled in me again
this desire to break free
Yesha Shah, India
plum blossoms
against a gray sky
a tinge of red
daubed on the cheeks
of the aging courtesan
Margaret Chula, USA
as buds to blossoms
this swelling in my throat
in my chest
how close to grief is joy . . .
different rains, same sky
Autumn Noelle Hall, USA
Thanks to David who made all the selections by blind review. His full commentary can be read in the Summer issue.
Congratulations to Paresh who is now invited to judge the Winter 2016 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 3:2, Winter 2015

The theme for the next prompt is deer, and is dedicated to the memory of our poet friend Brian Zimmer. You may write about roe deer, white-tailed deer, or any deer that inspires you. Alternatively you might choose to focus on the qualities of these beautiful creatures: grace, lightness-of-being, sensitivity, instinct . . . You may wish to write of things we sense, but cannot see, of the ‘otherworld’ and all that exists “beyond our ken.”
You are invited to meditate on Amy’s drawing and use it as a source of inspiration. Include your entry in your normal submission, clearly labelling it as your Skylark’s Nest entry, or feel free to send your tanka separately when inspiration strikes!
in silence
deeper than the scent
of pine
we listen
for the eyes of deer
—Claire
Presence #43, 2011
3:2, Winter 2015 * * * The Skylark's Nest Winner * * *
Selections by Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy, UK
fleeting glimpses
between brindled leaves . . .
still I follow
those sure-footed steps
of each Manyōshū poet
David Terelinck, Australia
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order)
early spring
the soft growth of antlers . . .
a chill
when my eyes meet his
on the hunter's trophy
Janet Lynn Davis, USA
Northern lights
the eyes of a deer
breaking the stillness
of snow and
the forest pulse
Iliyana Stoyanova, UK
barely breathing,
on the cusp of death . . .
outside her window
a white-tailed fawn
takes its first steps
Mary Davila, USA
the eyes of a deer
caught in my headlights —
that moment
when I realized
you had already gone
Carmel Summers, Australia
Thanks to Shrikaanth who made all the selections by blind review. His full commentary can be read in the Winter issue.
Congratulations to David who is now invited to judge the Summer 2016 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 3:1, Summer 2015
Amy has chosen animal tracks as inspiration for the next prompt. These happen to have been left by a weasel, but poets may write about any tracks, human or otherwise. The prints left by wild animals and birds are fascinating and can tell us a lot about the creature that made them. For instance, roe deer make beautiful heart-shaped impressions when they are moving at a steady, deliberate pace, especially on firm ground, or in snow; in soft earth, the dew claws are sometimes apparent. However, if the prints have a splayed appearance, it is likely the animal was moving at speed.
As many of you are aware, our English badgers have been subject to a barbaric and senseless cull, so you can imagine our excitement when we discovered badger tracks which led to a rather magnificent sett in our local woods. Needless to say, we have kept a close eye on our friends whose kind lived peacefully in this green and pleasant land long before humans set foot here.
You are invited to meditate on this image and use it as a source of inspiration; it could be that you choose to write about specific animal prints, or you may widen the theme to include the many ways we make tracks, or impressions, and ultimately, what we leave behind . . .
Here’s one of mine that would ‘fit the bill’:
snow's reminder
that the fox took the path
before you . . .
on the hill above the town
when my dreams were making tracks
Claire Everett
Presence #48, 2013
We look forward to reading your tanka!
As many of you are aware, our English badgers have been subject to a barbaric and senseless cull, so you can imagine our excitement when we discovered badger tracks which led to a rather magnificent sett in our local woods. Needless to say, we have kept a close eye on our friends whose kind lived peacefully in this green and pleasant land long before humans set foot here.
You are invited to meditate on this image and use it as a source of inspiration; it could be that you choose to write about specific animal prints, or you may widen the theme to include the many ways we make tracks, or impressions, and ultimately, what we leave behind . . .
Here’s one of mine that would ‘fit the bill’:
snow's reminder
that the fox took the path
before you . . .
on the hill above the town
when my dreams were making tracks
Claire Everett
Presence #48, 2013
We look forward to reading your tanka!
3:1, Summer 2015 * * * The Skylark's Nest Winner * * *

Selections by Joyce. S. Greene, USA
little feet
dipped in rice batter--
years now
since you walked away
with our laughter
Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy, UK
*Note: In South India, as part of celebrating Lord Krishna's birthday, there is a tradition of drawing tiny footprints in the home by dipping little kids' feet in rice batter and planting their feet on the floor/ or getting them to walk.
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order)
dusting
an old diary
from oblivion . . .
i chase the contrails
of my mind
Shloka Shankar, India
muddy paw prints
on the kitchen floor
in a drought
the wet cat is a portent
or just a rascal who's left a mess
James Chessing, USA
half asleep
I feel the bed bounce
as if our cat had jumped up . . .
paw prints
on his box of ashes
Mary Davila, USA
Thanks to Joyce who made all the selections by blind review. Her full commentary can be read in the Summer issue.
Congratulations to Shrikaanth who is now invited to judge the Winter 2015 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
little feet
dipped in rice batter--
years now
since you walked away
with our laughter
Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy, UK
*Note: In South India, as part of celebrating Lord Krishna's birthday, there is a tradition of drawing tiny footprints in the home by dipping little kids' feet in rice batter and planting their feet on the floor/ or getting them to walk.
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order)
dusting
an old diary
from oblivion . . .
i chase the contrails
of my mind
Shloka Shankar, India
muddy paw prints
on the kitchen floor
in a drought
the wet cat is a portent
or just a rascal who's left a mess
James Chessing, USA
half asleep
I feel the bed bounce
as if our cat had jumped up . . .
paw prints
on his box of ashes
Mary Davila, USA
Thanks to Joyce who made all the selections by blind review. Her full commentary can be read in the Summer issue.
Congratulations to Shrikaanth who is now invited to judge the Winter 2015 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 2:2, Winter 2014

Amy writes:
The Great Auk was a flightless bird whose range spread across Northern Spain, the coast of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Ireland, and Great Britain. It bred on the rocks and cliffs of isolated islands. It was a stunning bird, standing up to 33 inches tall, with a heavy hooked bill, and in summer, a white patch could be seen over each eye. The Great Auk is now a symbol of the damage humans can cause— it very sadly became extinct in the 1800s due to being killed for its meat, eggs, feathers and oil. Despite this exploitation, the Great Auk was a very sacred animal for many people: A 4,000 year old burial site in Newfoundland uncovered 200 Great Auk beaks which were attached to ceremonial clothes. In 1844 the very last pair attempted to escape in vain from hunters, smashing their single egg in the process.
Poets are invited to meditate on the image of the Great Auk and write a tanka inspired by it. This does not mean the tanka has to be specifically about the bird; you might wish to explore themes such as extinction, erasure, loss, greed, absence, desolation, or any others that speak to you as you consider the image, especially in the context of Martin Lucas’ tanka:
200 years on
there are still
some days at sea
touched with sadness at
the loss of the great auk
~ Martin Lucas, Skylark 2:1, Summer 2014
2:2,Winter 2014 * * * The Skylark's Nest Winner * * *

Selections by Beth McFarland, Germany
gone now, those Great Auks
once buried with the dead
in veneration
a congregation kneels
before an ivory cross
Joyce S. Greene, USA
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
cruising waters
where the great auk once thrived . . .
what of me
is prized enough
for the greedy to seize?
Janet Lynn Davis, USA
signs and portents
in the lonely sea hours
when ocean and sky meet
singular and sacred
the Great Auk
Mary Frederick Ahearn, USA
heavy gray sky
that's what others say
who needs wings
when you can fly
under water
Yoni Hammer-Kossoy, Israel
wings clipped
by nature or by nurture
the spinster
who peeks out upon the world
behind frayed curtain lace
Michele L. Harvey, USA
not flightless under water . . .
the men with clubs
never knew the Great Auk
my grandson wears dresses
and soars . . . praise him . . . please
David Rice, USA
Thanks to Beth who made all the selections by blind review. Her full commentary can be read in the Winter issue.
Congratulations to Joyce who is now invited to judge the Summer 2015 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
gone now, those Great Auks
once buried with the dead
in veneration
a congregation kneels
before an ivory cross
Joyce S. Greene, USA
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
cruising waters
where the great auk once thrived . . .
what of me
is prized enough
for the greedy to seize?
Janet Lynn Davis, USA
signs and portents
in the lonely sea hours
when ocean and sky meet
singular and sacred
the Great Auk
Mary Frederick Ahearn, USA
heavy gray sky
that's what others say
who needs wings
when you can fly
under water
Yoni Hammer-Kossoy, Israel
wings clipped
by nature or by nurture
the spinster
who peeks out upon the world
behind frayed curtain lace
Michele L. Harvey, USA
not flightless under water . . .
the men with clubs
never knew the Great Auk
my grandson wears dresses
and soars . . . praise him . . . please
David Rice, USA
Thanks to Beth who made all the selections by blind review. Her full commentary can be read in the Winter issue.
Congratulations to Joyce who is now invited to judge the Summer 2015 Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 2:1, Summer 2014
2:1, Summer 2014 * * * The Skylark's Nest Winner * * *

Selections by Jenny Ward Angyal, USA
a badger safe
surrounded by warm breath
down in the tunnel . . .
I remember what it was like
to move by instinct
Beth McFarland, Germany
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
midnight--
a badger dashes
across white snow
its beating heart
in unison with mine . . .
Hazel Hall, Australia
the darkness
of a basement apartment
before dawn . . .
lighting up his office desk
a small lamp and her picture
Joyce S. Greene, USA
turning inwards
away from all I know . . .
still searching
for that flicker of truth
just below the surface
David Terelinck, Australia
Thanks to Jenny, who made all the selections by blind review. Her full commentary can be read in the Summer issue.
Congratulations to Beth who is now invited to judge the Winter 2014 Skylark's Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
The Skylark's Nest picture prompt for issue 1:2 Winter 2013
by Amy Claire Rose
1:2 Winter 2013 * * * The Skylark's Nest Winner * * *
Selections by Christina Nguyen, USA
a harvest mouse
gathering seeds
she didn’t sow . . .
in my seventh decade
a thin sheaf of poems
Jenny Ward Angyal, USA
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
this year's harvest
will be another struggle
at the kitchen table
i leave an extra kernel
for the household mouse
h. gene murtha, USA
ears of wheat
swaying beneath the weight
of a fieldmouse –
your bend-but-never-break
approach to life
David Terelinck, Australia
spent seed shells
left by a winter mouse . . .
my days
still long enough
to spin new dreams
Michele. L Harvey, USA
Thanks to Christina, who made all the selections by blind review. Her full commentary can be read in the Winter issue.
Congratulations to Jenny who is now invited to judge the Summer 2014 Skylark's Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
a harvest mouse
gathering seeds
she didn’t sow . . .
in my seventh decade
a thin sheaf of poems
Jenny Ward Angyal, USA
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
this year's harvest
will be another struggle
at the kitchen table
i leave an extra kernel
for the household mouse
h. gene murtha, USA
ears of wheat
swaying beneath the weight
of a fieldmouse –
your bend-but-never-break
approach to life
David Terelinck, Australia
spent seed shells
left by a winter mouse . . .
my days
still long enough
to spin new dreams
Michele. L Harvey, USA
Thanks to Christina, who made all the selections by blind review. Her full commentary can be read in the Winter issue.
Congratulations to Jenny who is now invited to judge the Summer 2014 Skylark's Nest award. The picture prompt can be found in the journal and will be posted here soon.
1:1 Summer 2013 * * *The Skylark's Nest Winner * * *
mid-career
we slow down
to build our nest
light and song
fill summer days
Christina Nguyen, USA
The Clutch of Runners Up (in no particular order):
oblivious
to men on mowers
she builds her nest
in a farmer's field . . .
the skylark's song fades
Joyce S. Greene, USA
blessings . . .
if you would sing
one more time
little skylark
I'll count them with you
Paul Smith, UK
brown-feathered bird--
if I could live nameless
on this earth
yet find my voice in flight
across a poem's lines . . .
Janet Lynn Davis, USA
a chickadee lands
on my palm filled
with seed . . .
to think i once trusted
you with my heart
Pamela A. Babusci, USA
by the tall grasses
where we learned to love
you return to me
on the sweet lazy whistle
of a meadowlark
Ferris Gilli, USA
what woven words
are poured into your nest
I lean into the grass
my long brown hairs are swept
into your song
Kath Abela Wilson, USA
Selections were made by blind review by Amy Claire Rose (Skylark artist). Her full commentary on the entries and winners can be read in the journal.
Congratulations to Christina who is now invited to judge "The Skylark's Nest" for issue 1:2, winter 2013.
The picture prompt will be posted here soon. You can also find it in issue 1:1, summer 2013.