Haiku Kuakai 1 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Fall 2017
beautiful day Trey DeLuna (4) |
not wanting Maya Dougherty (2) |
bright lights, noisy streets |
the house is pitch black |
pulling at the thread Madeline Delano (8) |
midnight . . . Mackenzie Martin (9) This haiku makes me think of friends having a sleepover. I imagine them trying not to make too much noise so that they don't wake up the rest of the house, and they giggle every time a bowl or a pan makes a loud sound. They come up with the “clever idea” to add mini marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs to their chocolate chip cookies to make them s'mores cookies. While the cookies are in the oven, they sit on the floor and talk together. They have a deep conversation about life that makes them even closer as friends, and then they oven dings. Although the cookies are too hot, they don't have the patience to let them cool, so they eat them anyways, smiling chocolatey smiles. Maya |
I miss my family |
crimson sun fading Lane Casper (2) |
watercolor sky |
one last weekend |
sunning himself on a rock Austin Taylor (6) This haiku definitely stood out to me among the rest. First of all, I loved all of the imagery I was immediately able to imagine when reading it: the sun, the smooth rock, the turtle, the pond. So many colors were involved in this nature-filled haiku. Secondly, I enjoyed the story of the poem. Turtles are one of my favorite animals, so seeing two turtles next to each other just being pals would be so beautiful. However, the twist at the end is what pulled me in, when the one turtle left his friend, his best friend behind. Also, I like how I could interpret this haiku in a totally different way by thinking that his best friend does not necessarily have to be a turtle either. It never clarified who the turtle's best friend was. It could be a dog, a stick, a person, anyone. But that was left for the reader to decide, and I really liked that. Mia |
cloudless blue sky Georgia Martindale (4) |
a professor lecturing Alex Pratt (8) This haiku I think has a sense of humor to it. It is realistic to imagine this happening in any college class. The fact that the author says the professor is specifically teaching on active listening and that is exactly what students struggle with. A student can try their best to have undivided to what their professor is saying but most of the time students will struggle with that. Also, I think the fact that the author of this haiku did not condense any of the words down reflects on the professor's behavior and the lecturing that is going on. Kalli |
spanish class Mia Klek (4) After reading this haiku, I was reminded of my time in Spanish class in high school. Spanish class was a bore for me causing my mind to wander many times. Many of these times my mind did wander to someone, a her, and I could never get my mind off of her. Head resting on my fist and staring off into space, I would day dream of he brown eyes, blonde hair, and smile until the bell rang. This haiku resonated with me because I, like everyone else, have been in a situation nearly identical to this one. Ben |
eyes are shut |
golden brown toast |
careless smile Masha Kostic (2) |
cracked like the desert |
catching my breath |
training all summer Austin Taylor Again, this haiku resonates with me as I have been in a similar situation. A situation in which you have trained all summer long to be fit. You have ran hundreds of miles and countless sprints, yet you stand at the line about to start your fitness test, unsure of whether or not you will pass. You passed it last week on your own but the pressure is on, can you do it with coach watching? The butterflies float in your stomach, you're ready to start. Coach brings the whistle to his mouth, you ready yourself to run, the whistle screeches, and your off! Ben |
the game ends Alex Pratt (3) |
tennis racquets drop |
cross court Madeline Delano (6) This is my favorite haiku because I can feel the moment so well. I am a tennis player, and I know what goes into each point of every game in a match. The struggles within myself and on the court are both big parts of the game. The final line builds the anticipation of the game ending, but the winner remains unknown. I imagine both the possibility of being the winner and loser in this scenario because I have been both. Everyone loses and everyone wins at times and both can be rewarding experiences. The biggest reward is seeing what I have accomplished, win or lose, through my hard work on and off the court. Alex H. |
the sun rises |
crystal blue sky Trey DeLuna (4) |
a grimy penny Madeline Delano (5) |
muggy summer night Lane Casper (7) |
the sun shines bright |
twirling turning laughing in the sunflower patch
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restaurant parking lot Trey DeLuna This haiku has me imagining two friends who have just finished getting breakfast together. They have been best friends for as long as they can remember, growing up three houses down from each other. However, after spending their entire lives together, it is time for each to go their separate ways. One is going to college on the west coast and the other is joining the military. Neither is excited about leaving their best friends with both holding back tears. They hug each other one last time and get in their cars, each starting on their new journey from the restaurant parking lot. Ben |
he touches my ring |
butterflies flying Trey DeLuna (5) |
scalding water |
break of day Alex Herrera (4) I really enjoyed reading this haiku, and it was my favorite out of the poems in the Kukai. When I read this haiku, I could really see the blinds in the early morning, and the light streaming in. I imagined a teenager laying in bed, trying to ignore the light and sleep for as long as possible. I also really liked the use of the verb “leak.” Usually, one does not associate light with leaking. I thought it was an interesting verb choice, and definitely added to the poem. Lane |
tans are fading |
paddling away |
the tight grip on a Lane Casper (5) |
eyelashes fluttering |
humid afternoon Austin Taylor (4) |
on lonely nights Georgia Martindale (3) |
the sun sets Mia Klek (5) This haiku transports me to my family's lake house at night. I am sitting on the peer looking at the still water and the sun has just gone down. The bugs in northern Wisconsin are very bad and so I can hear them singing so loudly and I can smell the bug spray and its very peaceful. There is no cell phone service so I cannot be bothered by the outside world. Maddy |
you're so sweaty Lucas Chatterton (10) |
too warm for blankets Maya Dougherty (5) This was my favorite haiku from the first kukai. I enjoyed it so much because of the nostalgia it caused me to feel. When I read this haiku, I immediately had an image appear in my head. I pictured a little girl with her frilly bed covers, sweating from the heat of the summer. She is too hot, but makes sure her feet are tucked in anyway. Her mother comes in, and asks her why she has so m any blankets on top of her, in this temperature. She replies by telling her she needs protection from the monsters, insisting that she keeps all of the blankets. This definitely reminds me of childhood, because I always had to be covered in blankets to feel safe from an unknown, evil force. Georgia |
key turns in the ignition Lane Casper (4) |
the print on her shirt Madeline Delano (7) I think this is the haiku that stuck out most for me. The first thing I notice is the use of the word "checkers" in the second line. This word applies to both the line above and below it. In once sense, it is saying that she has a checkered print shirt on, or that she used to play checkers with her papa, or both. It was a very interesting and clever thing to do. I also really enjoyed this haiku because the feelings of nostalgia it brought to me. "Papa" is often use by children, or in this case a little girl. I pictured my sister back when she was younger, playing with my grandpa. Now that we are all grown up we never experience these things as adults, and it is very sad. Haiku like these allow those memories to come back. Trey This haiku makes me think back to when my grandpa, dad, brother, and I would play checkers when visiting. We would gather around the steel checkerboard that my grandpa made and play for hours. All of us would be telling jokes, laughing, and trash talking of course. This haiku reminded me of the quality time that I was able to spend with my grandpa. I remember smelling my grandma cooking dinner while we were playing and when it was done she would yell, "Beans are on! Be quick before it gets cold!" Another note on this haiku that I really liked was the transitional word "checkers." At first, it is talking about a pattern on a shirt and then transitions to the game of checkers, which I find to be very clever and creative. Austin |
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clear starry night Alex Herrera (7) When reading this poem, I imagine a couple of different things. One of the images that I see is that of a dark starry night out in the woods, in a clearing. There are a group of friends sitting around making s'mores and telling stories from when they were growing up together. It is a unusually cold night so the friends are huddled around the roaring fire. Up above them, the stars are having their own get together. They are looking down at the group of friends having fun and even listening in on their stories. They laugh along with them and watch the dancing fire. Lucas This one had to be one of my favorite kukai readings. This was because of its clear visuals. I loved the contrast of each line, from the "clear starry nights" to bright, hot lights of the campfire. I also liked the contrast between "sitting around" and the personified dancing of the campfire. With this kukai, you can smell, hear, and feel the fire, and well as the feel of the cool night and the environment of your company. Mackenzie I really liked this haiku because it reminded me of the many times my friends and I would make a bonfire and sit around eating smores and enjoying one another's company. These are some of my best memories with my friends from back home. We had many deep conversations around these fires, conversations that were vital in making me who I am today and getting me where I am today. Sounds extreme, I know, but its true. Ben
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© 2017, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.