Calling all island poets for a beloved contest and event — Mukai Farm & Garden’s annual Haiku Festival.

The contest, accepting poems from March 18-April 24, draws hundreds of submissions from Vashon residents and poets from around the world.

Poems — written in the ancient Japanese 17-syllable poetic form arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables — can be submitted and considered for the following themes and prizes:

• Nature, with an award for the haiku with the most elegant and poignant depiction of some aspect of nature.

• Heritage, awarding the haiku that best portrays the history of some other aspect of Mukai Farm & Garden.

• Reflections, awarding the remembrance of meaningful moments that are important or personally significant.

• Social Justice, awarding insight on social equity

• Young Poet, with awards for the best haikus written by youth in elementary and secondary grades.

In recent years, the popularity of the contest has grown to such an extent that a rule has become necessary: only one entry per person, please.

“That reflects the spirit of a haiku poet — to create the one poem that contains everything the poet wants to say,” said Kay Longhi, the festival’s organizer.

Founded by Issei pioneer B.D. Mukai in 1926 as a strawberry farm, Mukai Farm & Garden today is on the National Register of Historic places with a heritage home, rare Japanese garden and a fruit barreling plant. Open and free to the public, Mukai Farm & Garden celebrates Vashon Island’s Japanese American and agrarian heritage.

Find out more and enter the contest at mukaifarmandgarden.org. Donations to support Mukai’s programs, including the Haiku Festival, may also be made via the website.

Mukai Farm & Garden, during its annual Haiku Festival. (Courtesy photo)