hearing your voice
in the home movie
warm memories

Sierra Birdsell

alive in her dream
ghost father's big hands
rocking the baby

Randy Brooks

wondering where
I'll see you again—
the leaves fall

Sierra Birdsell

deep in my heart
I know you live amongst the clouds
until we meet again

Courtney Ginigeme

hearing your voice
in the home movie
warm memories

wondering where
I'll see you again—
the leaves fall

hearing your voice
in the home movie
warm memories

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

hearing your voice
in the home movie
warm memories

bottom quarter champion

falling tears
and a black veil
   —St. Peter opens the gates

I shake their hands
and they give me a hug
who are you?

falling tears
and a black veil
   —St. Peter opens the gates

I shake their hands
and they give me a hug
who are you?

Lauren Bartel

this suit itches
the pillow isn't fluffy
eternal rest

Garrett Mayberry

falling tears
and a black veil
   —St. Peter opens the gates

Jeffrey Davis

although it hurts,
I'm glad you've found your peace;
release the doves

Courtney Ginigeme

TOP half champion

hearing your voice
in the home movie
warm memories

CHAMPION
 

hearing your voice
in the home movie
warm memories

final breath
"I'm sorry"
flatline

BOTTOM half champion

her side of the bed
always cold
now vacant

Garrett Mayberry

her picture
still sits on the stand
never forgotten

Aundrea Marsh

I wash the dishes
and you come flooding
into my mind. sobs.

Lauren Bartel

the harsh winds
remind me of my emptiness
"abortion clinic, next right"

Courtney Ginigeme

her side of the bed
always cold
now vacant

I wash the dishes
and you come flooding
into my mind. sobs.

her side of the bed
always cold
now vacant

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

final breath
"I'm sorry"
flatline

bottom quarter champion

final breath
"I'm sorry"
flatline

the autumn oak
burns away
its summer foliage

final breath
"I'm sorry"
flatline

the autumn oak
burns away
its summer foliage

Nicholas Scarpinato

pine tree curls
and blackens
among the inferno

Jeffrey Davis

all or nothing
a heartbreaking
ultimatum

Sierra Birdsell

final breath
"I'm sorry"
flatline

Garrett Mayberry

hearing your voice
in the home movie
warm memories

Sierra Birdsell

alive in her dream
ghost father's big hands
rocking the baby

Randy Brooks

wondering where
I'll see you again—
the leaves fall

Sierra Birdsell

deep in my heart
I know you live amongst the clouds
until we meet again

Courtney Ginigeme

This haiku just hits home for me. I've had a couple of people in my life pass away (as I'm sure everyone has at this point) and it's really hard to go back and think of old memories with them, let alone see them in photos of home movies. The auditory stimulants really do a lot to make this haiku mean so much more, though. Every one person's voice is different from another, so to hear and recognize someone's voice is a very special and intimate thing, I believe. It's just so upsetting when you can't talk back and have a conversation like you usually would after hearing their voice. Nick

I shake their hands
and they give me a hug
who are you?

Lauren Bartel

this suit itches
the pillow isn't fluffy
eternal rest

Garrett Mayberry

falling tears
and a black veil
   —St. Peter opens the gates

Jeffrey Davis

although it hurts,
I'm glad you've found your peace;
release the doves

Courtney Ginigeme

her side of the bed
always cold
now vacant

Garrett Mayberry

her picture
still sits on the stand
never forgotten

Aundrea Marsh

I wash the dishes
and you come flooding
into my mind. sobs.

Lauren Bartel

the harsh winds
remind me of my emptiness
"abortion clinic, next right"

Courtney Ginigeme

This haiku did a great job describing the feeling of loss. I could feel the cold and loneliness from this haiku. I think for anyone that's ever been heart broken, this haiku does a great job of bringing up that memory of what it felt like. It's simple but it grabs the reader's full attention. Courtney

the autumn oak
burns away
its summer foliage

Nicholas Scarpinato

pine tree curls
and blackens
among the inferno

Jeffrey Davis

all or nothing
a heartbreaking
ultimatum

Sierra Birdsell

final breath
"I'm sorry"
flatline

Garrett Mayberry

I shouldn't be biased on this one because it is my own haiku, but I was very proud of this haiku as it was incredibly powerful in the way that it sounds when it is read. This is such a depressing and almost regrettable haiku because the ways that it was read were rather interesting in variety. Some had interpreted it as that something bad happened to someone close and that they were sorry that this had to happen to them, while some others had taken it as that someone had pulled the plug on the others life support. Garrett