i can feel the sun
on your lips
even after the ice storm

Courtney Ginigeme (5)

five in the morning
another pot of coffee
procrastination

Garrett Mayberry (3)

torn and frayed jean shorts
and a sweaty cotton t-shirt
music in my veins

queen bed
made for two
only me

Aundrea Marsh (3)

head in the clouds
staring at the words
retaining nothing

she always said
"That would never
happen to me."

Garrett Mayberry (4)

laying in bed
waiting for you to come home
everlasting

had no idea
how much I would miss
"Have a good day at school!"

Nicholas Scarpinato (3)

candy hearts
and paper kisses
newfound butterflies

Nicholas Scarpinato (3)

my only friend
we always talk
through the mirror

like a shadow
she haunts my every move
who is this woman in the mirror?

looking in the mirror
my reflection
winks at me

Garrett Mayberry (3)

deep brown eyes
the brush of soft skin
nuzzle

Aundrea Marsh (2)

one last breath
running start
"cannonball!"

Nicholas Scarpinato (3)

down my brow
on to my lips
salty

Sierra Birdsell

spending all my money
on Taco Bell
college

two weeks
pile of clothes
empty closet

Alex Zalar (3)

laziness
movies all day
surrounded by friends

crab, rat, cancer
stubborn in all signs—
no I'm not

Aundrea Marsh (2)

weed starts to bloom
her invitation to stay
for awhile

Randy Brooks

delicate pearls
black and white
a night to remember

trembling hands
her shadow    swallowed
by the hall

flipping through channels
five whole seconds
of Die Hard

Nicholas Scarpinato

painting my face
is there cover up
for the inside?

Aundrea Marsh (2)

jogging, sprinting
in a line
with the team

the sweet child's hand
never leaves mine,
attention she never gets

looking down
at the still woman in the road
i'm missing an earring

statue in a hurricane
sanctuary in the
silence

Aundrea Marsh (4)

reaching out
to save me from my darkness
a simple smile

the infamous meal
once again—
mac n' cheese

Lauren Bartel (4)

treading water constantly
they tell me to learn
how to breathe underwater

Derekah Williams (3)

2 am printer jam
paper due at 8 am
ah, there you are Millikin

Courtney Ginigeme (5)

saturday night lights.
the victory is
sweeter than Cherry Berry

anticipation mountain-high
first glimpse
deafening roar

she stole my heart
then she stole
my sweater

Nicholas Scarpinato (6)

visible breath
but the city lights
keep us warm

Nicholas Scarpinato (2)

shirt sleeves
stick to sweaty biceps
one more rep

Nicholas Scarpinato (2)

sweet honey water
on the tip of my tongue
dizziness follows

the light fades
silence
she's gone

in the shower drain
a clump of blond hair—
my hair is brown

Lauren Bartel

studying sucks
everyone's interruptions
taking my focus

she squeezes my finger
and looks at me
with her mother's eyes

Nicholas Scarpinato (3)

the gloss of the floor
reflects my dreams
a game

Sierra Birdsell (2)

college is
wearing pajamas all day
adulthood?

8 AM
good thing
I can rock these PJ's

Nicholas Scarpinato (2)

I long for arms
I don't, yet, know
alone

small hour talk
   we only forget to say
      goodbye

I live alone
a slight chill
her soft voice

Garrett Mayberry

hearing your voice
better than hiding
behind the screen

Alex Zalar (4)

by the light
of the moon
an eternal gaze

a year of silence then
our eyes exchange
those 3 little words

little girl, temporarily free
Grandma sticks out her tongue
to taste the snowflakes

a dim night
we're all alone
at the duck pond

Sierra Birdsell

"ily"
                   "ily 2"
—modern love letter

Courtney Ginigeme (7)

footsteps sink
into wet sand
no words     only waves

Nicholas Scarpinato (5)

airport—
on tiptoes looking for his face
first glimpse in months

touching the piece of you
around my neck
brings us a little closer

Lauren Bartel (3)

midnight drive
moonlight
keeps me awake

Nicholas Scarpinato (3)

not ashamed
I have listened to and loved
Nickelback

Derekah Williams (2)

the crunch
underneath my feet
time for a snow angel

Nicholas Scarpinato (3)

a healthy meal
screw it
Ramen noodles again

Garrett Mayberry (2)

roses are grey
violets are grey
I am a dog

Garrett Mayberry (3)

snakes in my pocket
knotted tightly together
hear them call to us

Jeffrey Davis (3)

she squeezes my finger
and looks at me
with her mother's eyes

had no idea
how much I would miss
"Have a good day at school!"

These two haiku were some of my favorites and correlate with each other. The first haiku, I imagine a small girl holding her dad's finger and in the second haiku I imagine the girl grown up and leaving for college. Alex

queen bed
made for two
only me

I long for arms
I don't, yet, know
alone

I actually wrote both of these. They feel like a pair to me. Both of them are referencing the same kind of longing. One of my favorite part of a relationship is the feeling of being wrapped up in my partner’s arms. I think that one of the most intimate feelings there is. Especially for me, my bed is my safe place. I didn’t intend either of these to be sexual either, just the idea of cuddling. Both are written from the same place, my bed, and the feeling of laying here and feeling like something is missing. I’ve shared this bed before and since then, it feels wrong to be the only one here when I’ve known the feeling of sleeping through the night with someone beside me. Aundrea

a year of silence then
our eyes exchange
those 3 little words

"ily"
                   "ily 2"
—modern love letter

I decided to choose these two haiku to match because of their contrasts and the idea of continuation. In the first haiku, it seems as though there’s a long history between the two lovers, whereas in the second haiku, maybe the two have been together for a couple of months. I say that this comparison points to the two haiku being a continuation of one another because not only are the “3 little words” in the first one used as an acronym in the second one, but maybe the second haiku is a memory of one of the lovers in the first haiku. Perhaps he or she sees the other person and, in that moment, the memory of the first time they told each other that they loved each other (albeit a more simplified version) came to mind. Nick

the infamous meal
once again—
mac n' cheese

a healthy meal
screw it
Ramen noodles again

These haiku are extremely relatable to because I am a college student. I cannot imagine the amount of Mac n’ cheese I have consumed this year already, and the same goes for Ramen. Part of being a college student is not having a lot of money which means sometimes eating the cheapest, but still good tasting, foods. Sierra

These two haiku are very relatable to college students. We idolize these microwavable treats because they are easy to make and they do taste quite good. The best part about these two meals is that they are both rather plain on their own, but that is where imagination and creativity come into play. There are so many ways to spice these two dishes up and really create a one-of-a-kind dish that you can call all your own. We always say that we are going to eat healthier and that we are going to take the time to prepare a proper meal while at school, but deep down we all know that time will be against us, and we will come crawling back to these goodies when our stomachs tell us to. These two haiku are also very comedic because reading them aloud makes them sound a lot more sarcastic than they should seem. It is always nice to read haiku about much less serious topics and just have a laugh once in a while. Garrett