Submissions to tinywords 25.1 — and a new writing prompt

Black and white photo of a black, leafless tree in silhouette against a field of white snow. A single swing hangs from one of the branches.

It’s that time again. tinywords 24.2 has now ended with Elisa Theriana’s “until we meet again”.  We will be on pause until the next issue, 25.1, begins late in March.

The submission window for tinywords 25.1 opens on February 1st and closes on February 28th, 2025. Sending regular submissions to tinywords is a simple two-step process. Just check out our guidelines and send in your work using the form on the Submissions Page after the window opens on February 1st.  Please send us your haiku, tanka, small poems, haiga, or brief haibun to be considered for our next issue: tinywords 25.1. Our 25th year!

To keep things interesting while we work on the next issue, we present a new writing prompt: A starkly beautiful image of a winter scene in black and white that seems to speak of solitude, memory and perhaps longing. What do you see? We hope the image will inspire you to write a tiny poem or two. Please leave your best efforts in response to the photo prompt in the comment box below and the tinywords editorial team will share the best of the best at the start of tinywords 25.1, due out in late March, 2025.

Thanks again for dropping by. We look forward to reading what you have to say.

 

Be well,

The editors

 

123 thoughts on “Submissions to tinywords 25.1 — and a new writing prompt”

  1. waiting
    to take the first step
    into treatment

    riding the second swing
    a ghost
    leaves no footprints

    just enough
    snow
    to start anew

  2. winterlight
    at the window
    toddler’s handprints

    ***

    the stillness
    between songbirds
    winter light

    ***

    passing my days
    in your absence
    winter light

    ***

    separating wants
    from needs
    winter light

  3. the White Album
    another serial number
    filed away

    Alan Summers

    NOTE:
    The Beatles (album)
    commonly referred to as the White Album, is the ninth studio album and only double album released in November 1968.

    It featured a plain white sleeve:
    Each copy first featured a unique stamped serial number:
    “to create the ironic situation of a numbered edition of something like five million copies”

    Just like snow, each one unique.

  4. the White Album
    another serial number
    filed away

    Alan Summers

    NOTE:
    The Beatles (album)
    commonly referred to as the White Album, is the ninth studio album and only double album released in November 1968.

    It featured a plain white sleeve:
    Each copy first featured a unique stamped serial number:

    “to create the ironic situation of a numbered edition of something like five million copies”

    Just like snowflake, each one is unique.

  5. I see memories of my youth
    in the swing’s shadow

    ***

    A snow-covered swing awaits
    eager hands to grab it
    and climb onboard

    ***

    All a snow-covered swing
    can do is sleep until Spring

  6. the shadows that hang over us

    ***

    windswept

    the silence

    of swirling snow

    ***

    the way a memory

    can make time

    stand still

  7. middle of nowhere . . .
    free in fairy-tale ending
    fleeting snow angel

    North America all winter season word, kigo 季語: snow angel, yuki no tenshi 雪の天使
    [The Yuki Teikei (有季定型) Haiku Society (YTHS) 2023 Contest Kigo List]

  8. no more make-believe . . .
    not even a boot print where
    mittens went missing

    All winter season word, kigo 季語: gloves, mittens, tebukuro 手袋 or mittens, shutoo 手套 (しゅとう)
    [World Kigo Database]

  9. swings the earsplitting
    silence of Elysium . . .
    freshly fallen snow

    Late winter season word, kigo 季語: freshly fallen snow, new snow, shin setsu, shinsetsu 新雪
    [World Kigo Database]

  10. Don’t swing into the sun –
    the real of wood is today
    too much.
    Today, balance on the plank of shadow.
    Lean back into the frost and
    be you, too, the snow and
    falling

Respond here