"This first, annual collection is the result of an online search for the best haiku. Here's the story... as a busy writing coach, manuscript editor, and school educator, I often told others that I couldn't find the time to read for my own pleasure. Then, during a trip to return a family member's overdue books, I was attracted to the library's poetry section. While scanning the many titles, I noted dozens of books about traditional and modern haiku. Standing there between shelves, I had an epiphany that was more like a confession: I easily could find the time to read 17 syllables a day. No excuse! "After finishing the library books, I set up a Twitter account and named it Haiku Crush @HaikuCrush so I could tweet my crushes on poets writing haiku. I quickly rediscovered and appreciated one of writing's oldest and shortest forms. If a haiku was reflective, inspiring, clever, or emotionally moving, then I liked it and shared it with others.

"Next, I recruited my son and two friends to help me launch the Annual Search for the Best Haiku on a new website I created -- HaikuCrush.com -- where many writers submitted hundreds of haiku. Haiku Crush's team judged each of them. The rest of the story is this inaugural anthology of winning haiku... which I hope you'll also find the time to appreciate!" -- Stephen FitzGerald