Urgently seeking 419 haiku

Competition A recent Vulture Central investigation into an exciting new batch of 419 emails has provoked a spontaneous outburst of reader poetry.

We were innocently musing on the possibility of Nigerian advance fee fraudsters using Japanese haikus to lure potential victims and, sure enough, the 17-syllable emails started to flood in.

Accordingly, we decided to run a competition to give budding poet laureates the chance to win one of five lovely Strategy Boutique t-shirts.

Given that said t-shirt bears the inspirational logo "Innovative e-solutions to the sound of whalesong", we thought it only right and proper to allow readers to light up the joss-sticks, stick the cetacean compilation cd in the multichanger, and let the vital creative energy flow.

It all very simple: just get some pointers here and then assume the lotus position with calligraphy pen in hand.

Once your masterpiece is complete, email it to me right here. The deadline for entries is 5.00pm GMT on Friday and winners will be announced on Monday. The top five compositions will secure the must-have corporate apparel.

Those who have already submitted should not fear, for their efforts will go before the judging panel as well. Here's one from Michael Wojcik, just to get you started:

Money left behind,
Your assistance brings rewards -
After small advance.

Changing hats for a moment, The Rockall Times is running a parallel haiku competition to find an adequate Nippon-style description of the world's remotest islet.

There are a range of Rockall t-shirts to be won and two weeks in which to win them. Details are available right here.

Important information

It's haikus only for this one, we're afraid. So that's no Limericks, rewrites of Bohemian Rhapsody or variations on the "Mary had a little lamb" theme. You have been warned.