long day
mercury steadily rising
no relief at home

brothers return home
fighting for our country
and mom's pie

Hannah Gifford

white shells
pounded by waves
become softer

letter scrawled and stained
with sadness
April day

warm night
my brother sends a ball
toward the sky

nursing home
smells of death
memories are alive

Jarred Leeper

I like this haiku because I work in a nursing home over the summer and on breaks, and it feels exactly like this. Nursing homes always smell so weird. And death is almost exactly the right word for it. But there are so many memories inside those walls because there are so many years of life inside the walls of a nursing home, and the people love to tell you about their lives. Morgan

tootsie roll pops
hidden in tissues
ghosties with grandma

without the privilege
of wearing that crown
I still survived high school

a night of dancing
the both of us
encompassed by purple fabric

recent graduates
catch up
can she really have children?

borrowing my mom's
sweater
as a dress

Hannah Gifford

doing what you do in
a hotel bathroom
Florida green

orange cat
mouse in sight
homicide

innocent, young mind
staring at birthday candles
her first tight-eyed wish

Hannah Gifford

I like this one even though it's a 5-7-5 haiku because I like the way the author describes the little girl making wishes. the image of a little kid scrunching up her face so her wish is nice and loud now that she knows what is going on at her birthday is just adorable to me. Skya

leaves falling
cool breeze
from the mausoleum

thanksgiving warmth
black friday
chill

ignoring
the label
cookie dough

Hannah Gifford

radio tunes
as the griddle pops
Saturday morning duets

Ryan Fraedrich

I really liked this one, because it incorporated music into the atmosphere. A person is not mentioned, so it lets me see the personality of the objects in the room. Besides the words, this haiku gives me a homey feeling, like I slept in on a winter Saturday morning. I think this haiku was well written and emphasis some great points. Hannah

gently falling snow
her silence
is overwhelming

Jarred Leeper

mother in the spotlight
hearing
how she really feels

handing his old Pokemon cards
to my little cousin
I fall in love.

Hannah Gifford

cold sheets
an empty bed
to sleep in

tombstones shrouded
in fog and mist
witches approach

Morgan Ewald

foggy night
mountain drive
breakdown

her hands loosely
placed on my chest
mid-day siesta

Ryan Fraedrich

reading
by the light of candles
blackout

Skya Gentle

This reminds me of when I was a little kid. I used to read books at night at my desk when I was supposed to be in bed. As my desk lamp gave off too much light for me to get away with staying up late, I spent many nights reading by the light of a candle in my forced blackout. I used to love making up reasons why I was using the candle to read or telling the stories with shadows on my bedroom walls. Danielle Davis

the frail woman
drinks from a sponge
cancer takes her

Rob Spurling

silence of the night
a puddle
gains a raindrop

Jarred Leeper

I like this haiku because it deals with the continuation of time. Even when we are oblivious to the world in sleep time still slips away. The puddle still grows as the rain falls from the sky as the clock ticks ever forward. Change is constantly happening, the question is whether we can accept that or not. Danielle Davis

This is such a cool change-of-perspective haiku. It's a simple change, but instead of the raindrop being consumed by the puddle, we focus on the gain that the puddle makes. The setting is such a still, reflective scene that it allows for these strange switches of perspective to make sense more easily, providing a cool effect when you realize what the haiku depicts. Austin M.

new neighbors
peering across
the lawn

marshmallows melt
as I take a sip
the warmth spreads

cuddling on the porch
grey dusk
fireflies dance

wake at five
to finish work
there's two of them?

fading memories
trying to capture . . .
gone

fresh concrete
infamy
in the making

falling asleep
beside her
her hair tickles my face

winter
coming strong
fading fast

bathtub toy
mother's green eyes
adoring a toothless grin

running to see your
blue eyes
unexcited

James Farris

Ouch. The first character is clearly very excited to see this blue-eyed person, but the feeling isn't reciprocated. It's not clearly who they are or why this is, but there's nothing quite so heartbreaking as realizing someone you care about just isn't interested in whatever you're doing. Austin M.

lunch bell
I grab my paper sack
the bullies snicker

one set of footprints
through fresh snow
single

on the forgotten floor there is a book        about the future

for Christmas
an empty box
filled with thought

Skya Gentle

Around Christmas time people tend to lose sight of what truly matters. It's not the gifts, rather the thoughts, this haiku reminds people of that. Chrisopher

relationship advice
hypocrisy
from my—divorced—mother

Skya Gentle

lies
lies and sirens
and memories

apple cores
in the garden
runaways

Skya Gentle

smack!
scratch
mosquitoes

Skya Gentle

breakfast
your morning smile
is my sunrise

Skya Gentle

charm bracelet
of the missing girl
river weeds

Skya Gentle

to get you back
I'd give my life
but not my pride

ice cream
for breakfast
all-nighter

waxy purple
coloring pictures
for her valentine

sudden dread
he surprises me with
"Meet my parents."

he tucks her feet
beneath his warmth
snow flurries

Skya Gentle (2nd place)

I liked this haiku, because that feeling where you are cold, but then someone lets you put your toes under their legs is the best feeling in the world. It's nice to be warmed up, but it's even better when someone else is warming you up because then you have a connection with that person, and you are warm, and it's really just great. Morgan

I like the image that this haiku creates. There is a definite loving relationship between these two individuals. Not only does he know that she is cold without a word from her, he moves to help her. There is something about the tenderness of this relationship that I really enjoy. Danielle Davis

Some people absolutely hate the feeling of cuddling with someone with cold feet. The sudden chill must bother them. I, on the other hand, think there's a certain beauty to it. You share your space and you body heat until, together, you create one warm whole. This haiku captures, in my mind, all the best aspects of winter all at once. Austin M.

moon hiding
a lonely lover
waiting

Danielle Davis

don't ever leave 
she murmurs . . . 
summer rain

stars
hands lifted
to welcome them

fractured moonlight
all I see
is you

Danielle Mohrbach

horse's mane 
between my fingers 
we canter in the dust

an unexpected chill
from a noon breeze

tearing eyes
hidden by a smile
as he waves goodbye

Danielle Davis

This haiku spoke to my heart because it reminds me of all the times I had to say goodbye to my boyfriend whenever I left home and had to come back to school last year. Because I know that he was only being strong and not showing me that he was sad because he didn't want me to cry, and be upset when I was leaving. It was just really sweet of him, and this haiku reminds me of those moments when I had to hide my tears too, or we would both cry. Morgan

silhouetted in sunlight
the smiling woman

scream cut          short

Golden sky
World aflame
Sun falls below the horizon

weight loss commercial          I eat another cupcake

Danielle Mohrbach

I like this haiku because it's funny. This person so clearly doesn't care whether or not they are fat, they want to eat a cupcake and so they will. It makes me smile that this person does not care at all about the stupid be skinny stereotype. Skya

I loved this haiku because it is similar to the kind I create. Slightly grim outlook on life can be perceived while also taking the humorous side spoken by, "Well, I'm already fat." Chrisopher

tracing patterns
in the spaces
between stars

midnight flight
we race the moon—
and lose

Danielle Mohrbach

shivering
while the dog
chases leaves

the latch flips
as the dog goes crazy
I carry in my bags

midnight again
computer screen glows
empty document

open notebooks
on clean desks
drool marks the pages

children's laughter
fills up
the empty spaces

Danielle Davis

homeless man 
laughs 
through missing teeth

cold moon
gleams
upon cold corpse

humid afternoon
reading his final letter
I lower my head to the ground

a tiny pumpkin
holds mother's hand
leaves crunch underfoot

Shock,
Awe,
Shell-Shocked.

Freedom from the Beast,
freedom . . .
from final's week.

Christopher Potter

embarrassed,
I reenact
Chris Farley.

Take thy beak
from out thy
donkey.

canoe oar
ripples
the moon

Danielle Mohrbach

This haiku just has such beautiful imagery, the canoe out late at night when the world is peaceful, while the full moon is the only light in the secluded place where the author is rowing. It just seems so peaceful and comforting to me. Skya

swallow song
wingbeats
like whispers

cold glass
captures
fallen snowflakes

the knife enters
                            did not
see it                    coming

Still-beating,
I praise,
the deserving.

What joy is this,
when I have no sleep,
I have no mind . . .

zoo gates close
I say goodbye
to furry friends

beneath the rotten log
a robin's egg

rainbow of feathers
a peacock
crosses my path

the dead old woman
on the floor
the phone just out of reach

sleeveless in the cold,
i pretend to be a bald
you help me cross the streets

Swift winter winds
carrying my soul
out of my body

Ponded          Frog
                    is
                                   frozen

Christopher Potter

I like this one because I like the spacing of it and the harsh twist the author has put on the traditional haiku image of a frog in a pond. I wrote more about it in Christopher's reader preface because it's a favorite. That is all. Skya

October night
I lie down
my cheek on the cool dirt

Alas poor fellow,
my mind is not here,
alas poor fellow.

Christopher Potter

baby elephants:
savannah grasses
hide you from view

3 A.M. fire drill
sleep right through
thanks suitemates

Rob Spurling

Greatest haiku ever!
I forgot,
how it starts.

leaning on glass
sleeping animals
fascinate child me

in the jewelry store
a down payment
for Christmas in three years

Hannah Gifford

I liked this haiku because it was really sweet. It's really interesting to know that a boy could be planning to ask a girl to marry him three years in advance. It just seems really special to me that a man could be waiting to propose for three years. Like he knows that early on that he wants to. I could only wish for a guy who would do something like that. Morgan

after band camp
arriving home
to my dead dog

unlace me
such a small request . . .
it meant so much

sloshing through mud
to find my soul mate
I spot the orange globe

lightning flash
teddy clutches
his child in fear

Morgan Ewald

I like that the teddy wants to protect his kid from the storm! That's adorable. I like the idea of children's stuffed animals being their little protectors because that's how children see them, and I think it should be how they are. it is if they sleep with a puppy i=I guess. Skya

This haiku is interesting because of the perspective. The fact that the bear is the frightened one clinging to the child is an interesting idea. The child is now the protector of the teddy bear's innocence, not the other way around. It is an interesting commentary on the imagination of a child and how that imagination is often lost with age. Danielle Davis

an empty seat home
memories of
push-ups in the mud

trip to a football game
am I just
your ride?

Seth Harshman

red and yellow swirls
an autumn
in the wind

always the I,
we cheer for
a favorite professor

one thing from home
always desired:
fish tacos.

completely intact
poor dove
lying on cold grass

bright blue sky
nets-full of slime
in search of frogs

snowed in
hot chocolate
and foam 'staches

Hannah Gifford

rolls of blue and gray
on All Hallow's eve
Jack-o-Lantern's smile

notes float across
the web-covered wall
music quieted

Morgan Ewald

the pitter patter
of little paws.
newest edition comes home

Morgan Ewald

joining in
soft applause
the falling rain

Seth Harshman

A beautifully reflective haiku. One imagines a concert or performance of some kind coming to a close, and, just as the applause begins, the brief moment of silence after the performance stops making noise reveals the sound of rain. Rather than being down about the weather, this haiku makes the rain a statement of shared appreciation with the audience, another cool change in perspective. Austin M.

on my tongue
and the sidewalk
crackling and popping sounds

outside barefoot
water on the leaves
gets between my toes

newly fallen snow,
footprints
ruin the beauty

diploma in my hand . . .
Mom's Facebook page
still displays that smile

autumn leaves
the piles emerge
children line up for the jump

orange glow
illuminates puddles—
disrupted by ripples

hot summer nights
sweat tea on the porch
the ice melts

driving through tunnels
of yellow and orange
no more bumps in the road

trying to do homework . . .
and failing
can't stop thinking about our fight

fitting in
and breaking the mold
sunshower

the songbirds
herald in the sun
I conclude my thesis

upon returning
to thirty brothers I realize
home is where the fart is

on bended knee
unsure what I'll hear
or want to

awake to last night's conquest
sucking
her thumb

cigarette smoke
d i s s i p a t i n g
finding his own path

James Farris

turkey
in the pan
in my stomach

ladies night
men perusing potential
date rape victims

tattoo
art
for a scar

Hannah Gifford

home away from home
surrounded by brothers—
an only child

girl's night
she sets out
the fine china

finding time
for the people I love
cherry blossoms

Austin Myers

charcoal stories
in the old tree house
grandma's house

one-eyed owl
behind the glass
shaking—dead

Skya Gentle

diamonds in the sky
I get by with a little help
from my friends

a klaxon
the crowd surrounds
the other team

a sleeping house
trying to find
someone who's awake

talking into the night
suddenly remembering
the test tomorrow

making her mark
she steals
mine

friends outside
I still haven't found
a costume

sunrise
he slaps himself
awake

late night
homework
so many pop-tarts

their eyes lock
on the snowy walkway
he slips

Geoffrey Eggleston

she likes him
he likes her
but he's gay, right?

in the pond
the moon
twins

bedtime
the house creaks
monsters

Geoffrey Eggleston

midnight
broken dish
damn cat

under the bridge
a forgotten man
sleeps

Geoffrey Eggleston

This haiku is one of my favorites because of the imagery. A man sleeping under a bridge generally brings up sad images of people without homes so down on their luck that they have been stripped of everything. There is also the possibility that this man is a drunk who tonight chose to curl up under a bridge rather then make the long trek home. There is also the possibility that this man has chosen this life and feels most at home curled up under the bridge with no connections so that in the morning he can move on to wherever the wind takes him. I like this haiku because of its possibilities. Danielle Davis

his future
flashes before
her eyes

moonrise
going loony
like a toon

Geoffrey Eggleston

best friends
an entire conversation
with a tombstone

Geoffrey Eggleston (1st place)

I find this poem, though about a very sad subject, to be brilliant. I imagine these friends were those who did everything together. Even with one of them passing, the other still goes to talk with another, just as they have always done. The last line really changes the haiku, but I also find the meaning in that last line. It gives me hope that the friends is still finding time for that relationship and healing at the same time. Hannah

I pictured a father and son talking to one another, only one of them is of course six-feet under. It's a haiku that reminds us of our mortality and is an eye-opener to how fragile life really is. Chrisopher

I liked this one because I imagine someone sitting next to the grave of his or her best friend in life. They are just sitting there having a normal conversation like they would if the friend were still alive. One friend is telling the other about what has been going on, whether it is school, work, relationships, or anything. It's just really cool that the person didn't forget even after the friend is dead. Morgan

talking on the roof
we didn't notice
the rain

Geoffrey Eggleston

Sometimes you find yourself in such a peaceful, remote, place, with just the right person or people, and suddenly time and the outside world just disappear. So lost in the conversation and in each other, the most obvious details and what would normally be very important changes in weather suddenly become background noise at best. It's a really rare, magical feeling when that happens, and this haiku does a great job of capturing it. Austin M.