spinning in circles
the stars spin
with me

Georgia Martindale

floating through space
my dreams
have no limits

Trey DeLuna

staring into outer space
a green alien tells me
the answer

Austin Taylor

turtle in the stars
shield covering the sky
armor of the heavens

Alex Herrera

spinning in circles
the stars spin
with me

turtle in the stars
shield covering the sky
armor of the heavens

turtle in the stars
shield covering the sky
armor of the heavens

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

jar full of Skittles
close my eyes
to see which is which

bottom quarter champion

jar full of Skittles
close my eyes
to see which is which

jar full of Skittles
close my eyes
to see which is which

walk through the park
chill in the air
never ending converstion

jar full of Skittles
close my eyes
to see which is which

Kalli Farmer

they lean over the railing,
as the sun burns their necks
spitting contest

Lane Casper

walk through the park
chill in the air
never ending converstion

Benjamin Maynard

light breeze
the colored leaves
brush my bare feet

Mia Klek

TOP half champion

jar full of Skittles
close my eyes
to see which is which

CHAMPION
 

a laugh
from the apartment above
breaks the silence

a laugh
from the apartment above
breaks the silence

BOTTOM half champion

rippling tides
the bed sheets
wriggle

Georgia Martindale

lying on the beach
sand in my ears
a warm towel for my bed

Mackenzie Martin

unemployed friends
on a road trip to Ontario
music louder than the old car

Mackenzie Martin

car rumbling     long trip
so baby pull me closer
in the backseat of your Chevy

Mackenzie Martin

lying on the beach
sand in my ears
a warm towel for my bed

car rumbling     long trip
so baby pull me closer
in the backseat of your Chevy

lying on the beach
sand in my ears
a warm towel for my bed

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

a laugh
from the apartment above
breaks the silence

bottom quarter champion

a laugh
from the apartment above
breaks the silence

trying to think outside the box
brain says
taco bell

a laugh
from the apartment above
breaks the silence

click clink clank
little girl
drops her coins in the piggy bank

Kalli Farmer

trying to think outside the box
brain says
taco bell

Austin Taylor

a laugh
from the apartment above
breaks the silence

Georgia Martindale

he finally falls asleep
only to be woken
by a wet-willy

Benjamin Maynard

existential crisis
as I sit on the rusty swings
squeaking back and forth

Mackenzie Martin

chipped paint
rusted metal
she rides in circles atop the horse

Trey DeLuna

wrapping myself in my scarf
the wind like nails
on my face

Mia Klek

a cloudy night
the moon is covered
total darkness

Alex Pratt

chipped paint
rusted metal
she rides in circles atop the horse

wrapping myself in my scarf
the wind like nails
on my face

wrapping myself in my scarf
the wind like nails
on my face

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

wrapping myself in my scarf
the wind like nails
on my face

bottom quarter champion

broken promise
she slaps him
red handprint

broken promise
she slaps him
red handprint

engagement ring
sparkles in it’s box
she said no

black lipstick
no one
will remember

Mia Klek

broken promise
she slaps him
red handprint

Georgia Martindale

engagement ring
sparkles in it’s box
she said no

Maya Dougherty

valentine's day
a red paper heart
in a muddy puddle

Maya Dougherty

TOP half champion

wrapping myself in my scarf
the wind like nails
on my face

CHAMPION & GRAND CHAMPION!

dead flowers
I can't bring myself
to throw out

dead flowers
I can't bring myself
to throw out

BOTTOM half champion

dead flowers
I can't bring myself
to throw out

Georgia Martindale

crisp apple
filling a void
only to be turned to waste

Alex Herrera

closed casket
Is she really
in there?

Georgia Martindale

her hands too shaky
to dial 9-1-1
he opens the closet door

Mia Klek

dead flowers
I can't bring myself
to throw out

her hands too shaky
to dial 9-1-1
he opens the closet door

dead flowers
I can't bring myself
to throw out

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

dead flowers
I can't bring myself
to throw out

bottom quarter champion

her eyes blur as she sits
       miscarriage
after the baby shower

her eyes blur as she sits
       miscarriage
after the baby shower

babysitting
the young eyes
that have seen too much

her eyes blur as she sits
       miscarriage
after the baby shower

Mackenzie Martin

hitting the wall          . . .
I briefly pause . . .
              morse code

Austin Taylor

babysitting
the young eyes
that have seen too much

Lane Casper

Christmas break
furniture reorganized
again

Lucas Chatterton

spinning in circles
the stars spin
with me

Georgia Martindale

floating through space
my dreams
have no limits

Trey DeLuna

staring into outer space
a green alien tells me
the answer

Austin Taylor

turtle in the stars
shield covering the sky
armor of the heavens

Alex Herrera

I really liked this matched pair because of how both bring space and it expansiveness and mystery into the equation. I liked the first haiku because I can imagine myself out in a field looking up at the stars and just spinning. When you do this, it almost feels like the stars are right next to you spinning to. Its just really cool to think that something so far away and untouchable is right next to you. I liked the second haiku because this person's dreams have no limits and the fact that they are floating through space, where there is no ceiling to stop the dreams from happening, is really cool and inspiring to me. Ben

I also really enjoyed this haiku from the kukai because of how whacky and creative it was. It is a really out of the box idea for an alien to give an "answer" to someone that is staring into space. I imagine it is some kid doing math homework, and he is so frustrated that he goes to look through his telescope into the sky. He sees a flying saucer flying by, flashing the answer to his math problem he has been slaving over for the past hour. It also reminded me of the movie Arrival, in which aliens come down to teach humans a universal language and how to bend time. Trey

I think this was my overall favorite haiku from this matching contest. I just loved the imagery of it, and it is definitely a Mido haiku. It makes me think of a constellation shaped like a turtle, and his shell is the shield that protects the heavens. I feel like this haiku could be about a character in some fantasy novel. Maya

I absolutely loved this haiku because of how creative, interesting, and out of this world it was. A turtle in the in the stars is pretty unbelievable and an amazing image. It reminds me of Stephen King's it, where the protector of the universe is a giant turtle-looking creature that tells the main characters how to defeat Pennywise the clown. I am a huge fan of stars, galaxies, and things relating to the universe. I image an array of different colors of galaxies and billions of small stars shining, while a creature bigger than all of the galaxies floats and looks down upon them. He protects us from the dangers of outside our realm. Trey

jar full of Skittles
close my eyes
to see which is which

Kalli Farmer

they lean over the railing,
as the sun burns their necks
spitting contest

Lane Casper

walk through the park
chill in the air
never ending converstion

Benjamin Maynard

light breeze
the colored leaves
brush my bare feet

Mia Klek

The imagery in this haiku is very vivid and beautiful. I love how the first line offers an immediate sense of touch, and forces the reader to travel outside to live in the moment that the haiku is describing. I can clearly see the multi-colored leaves that are traveling in the light breeze, and how they move across the speaker's feet. I imagine the speaker of this haiku is sitting on the ground outside, and is watching as leaves travel in the wind and come into contact with their skin. I imagine it is a warm fall day, and the speaker is trying to take advantage of the nice weather before the colder fall weather comes. I am filled with a sense of contentment when I read this haiku; the speaker isn't doing much, and that's okay. They are enjoying their moment of peace, their respite from other responsibilities that they need to complete. The pacing of this haiku is strong, as well. The words are carefully chosen, and work very well together to create the wonderful image. Lane

I really like these haiku because the bright colors I get in my mind from reading them. Skittles' slogan is literally "taste the rainbow" and they come in all different colors. It gives the imagery of the skittles clearly and the haiku sets a colorful and vibrant picture. When I read the second, I get the image of bright red sunburn on the necks of boys spitting over the side. The atmosphere I get when I put them together is very vibrant and beautiful. It's almost like I can feel the heat of the sun on their necks. I'm instantly sent to the time of day and temperature outside. Other than that, my favorite thing about the first one is the way in which it plays with the sense of sight. It says "close my eyes to see" which is really interesting, considering they would have to use their sense of taste. Trey

turtle in the stars
shield covering the sky
armor of the heavens

Alex Herrera

jar full of Skittles
close my eyes
to see which is which

Kalli Farmer

I enjoyed this haiku because it is something that I try to do every time I eat skittles. It made me feel almost like a kid again thinking about how fun it used to be having someone hand you a skittle and you trying to guess the flavor from only the taste. Alex P

I liked this match pair because these were my favorite haiku in the matching pairs contest. These were both very imaginative haiku that made me smile. The first one appealed to me because of the imagery involved. The second one amused me because of the concept of closing the eyes to see the color. I also liked how the second haiku incorporated the use of multiple senses. These haiku went well together and it was very hard for me to choose a favorite during the competition. Georgia

rippling tides
the bed sheets
wriggle

Georgia Martindale

lying on the beach
sand in my ears
a warm towel for my bed

Mackenzie Martin

unemployed friends
on a road trip to Ontario
music louder than the old car

Mackenzie Martin

car rumbling     long trip
so baby pull me closer
in the backseat of your Chevy

Mackenzie Martin

click clink clank
little girl
drops her coins in the piggy bank

Kalli Farmer

trying to think outside the box
brain says
taco bell

Austin Taylor

a laugh
from the apartment above
breaks the silence

Georgia Martindale

he finally falls asleep
only to be woken
by a wet-willy

Benjamin Maynard

This is haiku is really cool because of the element of sound and the way it flows with a sort of rythm. The clink clink clank rhymes with the piggy bank, which almost makes it seem like a song. In fact, I imagine the dull silver coins dropping into the slit in the top of the ceramic piggy bank, and making a rhythm. I can hear the crystal clear high pitched sound of the coins dropping and hitting other coins. I also like how they add the element of the little girl because it reminds me of when I was little and would put all the little coins I had into my piggy bank with my name painted on it. Trey

This haiku definitely makes me feel relieved in the sense that I physically sigh when I finish reading the haiku. I can imagine there being tension between either two people that live in the apartment or a boyfriend and girlfriend getting to the height of the argument and then silence because they don’t know where to go from there. Then all of a sudden there is this laugh heard through the ceiling, and I think it is treated as a knock in the noggin to realize the good times are so much better and so much more important than the little arguments that mean nothing at the end of the day. Mia

jar full of Skittles
close my eyes
to see which is which

Kalli Farmer

a laugh
from the apartment above
breaks the silence

Georgia Martindale

I really liked this haiku, because it captures a specific moment really well, and made me imagine a particular scene. When I read this haiku, I picture a couple sitting at a kitchen table, avoiding eye contact. I imagine cups of tea sit in front of them, but neither of them are drinking them, and they have gone cold. The couple had been arguing for days, and had finally decided to sit down and discuss their problems. As they sit, they both wait for the other to initiate the conversation, and an awkward silence begins to fill the room. Suddenly, a loud laugh from the apartment upstairs breaks the silence, and serves as a reminder of how far the couple has digressed from the happy people they once were. I love that this simple haiku can transport me as a reader so easily into this moment in time. It is very well written, and phrased perfectly to capture this interaction. Lane

I like this match because it has to deal with two different senses. I like how in the first one the person closes their eyes to see which skittle they would like. I like the idea of being able to see through touch rather than just by looking at them. I like the second because I imagined someone trying to go to sleep or trying to do homework and focus when they hear this loud obnoxious laugh coming from the downstairs. Alex H

existential crisis
as I sit on the rusty swings
squeaking back and forth

Mackenzie Martin

chipped paint
rusted metal
she rides in circles atop the horse

Trey DeLuna

wrapping myself in my scarf
the wind like nails
on my face

Mia Klek

a cloudy night
the moon is covered
total darkness

Alex Pratt

I, like most of my classmates, are drawn towards the Kuro-style of haiku. I think that they have more meaning; and furthermore, can be very calming. I really liked this pair because of their calming nature. While I obviously liked mine - because I wrote it, I liked Trey's haiku for many of the same reasons I liked mine. The old, familiar playground brings feelings of nostalgia to me. I would have to say that Trey's is my favorite haiku in this pair simply because my haiku a step further, better illustrating how old and rundown this particular park is. I picture a little girl, almost eerily playing on an old horse in my hometown park. Her mother is nowhere in sight. Mackenzie

black lipstick
no one
will remember

Mia Klek

broken promise
she slaps him
red handprint

Georgia Martindale

engagement ring
sparkles in it’s box
she said no

Maya Dougherty

valentine's day
a red paper heart
in a muddy puddle

Maya Dougherty

broken promise
she slaps him
red handprint

Georgia Martindale

engagement ring
sparkles in it’s box
she said no

Maya Dougherty

These two were my favorite match because they just go so well together. I could almost picture the same person writing these in a sequence as if to tell a story with them.Alex P

dead flowers
I can't bring myself
to throw out

Georgia Martindale

crisp apple
filling a void
only to be turned to waste

Alex Herrera

closed casket
Is she really
in there?

Georgia Martindale

her hands too shaky
to dial 9-1-1
he opens the closet door

Mia Klek

This was my second favorite haiku from this matching contest. It just makes me wonder about all the possibilities about who the flowers are from. Maybe they’re from an ex, and the author doesn’t want to throw them out because when they do, they won’t have anything to hold onto from their relationship anymore. Or, maybe the flowers were from a funeral, and the author decided to keep them. Whatever the situation, I imagine that the flowers are starting to rot and smell, so the owner of them knows that they have to throw them away soon, but they still just can’t do it. This haiku is so painful. Maya

I can just feel the back story behind this haiku. For me, I picture a couple just celebrating an anniversary of a few years and then they get into a huge argument and decide to take a break or even end things a couple days later. However, around a week later, the girl still has the flowers her ex-boyfriend gave her for their anniversary. Although they’re wilted, she does not want to throw them away, as if they resemble their last memory together. And she doesn’t want that to get thrown away just like relationship just got thrown away after all that time together. It’s a very breathtaking haiku. Mia

I like this matched pair because they both offer suspenseful consequences that aren’t quite revealed until last line of the poem, which is a cliffhanger. Both have unsettling images in the haiku and contain mysteries yet to be revealed. Masha

I like this haiku because I think it does a great job of capturing the Kuro way of writing haiku. I personally have experienced this because I love having flowers in my apartment. I will not throw them out until they are literally welting terribly. I know I should realize that flowers only will live for so long but I just don’t want to face that they are always going to die quicker than I want them to. Kalli

I like this haiku because it again captures Kuro’s mindset and it made my heart race when I read it. I just picture this scene of complete terror and I imagine myself right next to the girl that is hiding in the closet. Seeing her physically shake but not being able to do anything and her death is probably going to come once that door opens. It makes me realize that there is an end to everything and sometimes the end is not exactly peaceful. Kalli

I like the negative feelings behind both of these ideas. They are both about how something was once healthy, living, and almost beautiful, but how it has now died or will just die in the future. It really captures the essence of what Kuro was talking about in the reading. I just love the colors that I get from this first one. There are a dull arrangement of purple, orange, yellow, and blue. There are kind of pale colors now and not as vibrant as they used to be. On the other hand, I imagine a very crisp red or green apple that is shiny and bright. However, it will eventually turn brown and rotten. Trey

her hands too shaky
to dial 9-1-1
he opens the closet door

Mia Klek

dead flowers
I can't bring myself
to throw out

Georgia Martindale

In the first haiku, I can feel the anxiety and how scared this girl is hiding in the closet from some stranger in her house. This haiku makes me think of the movie “The Purge”. I also like how it ends as a cliffhanger because we don't ever know what happens to this girl and then our imagination just goes wherever it wants. In the second haiku, I like the wording “I can't bring myself.” I also like that even though the flowers are dead, they still bring life to the person that can't throw them out.  It is a well-written haiku. Overall, I like the first one the best because of the vivid image that it created when I read it. Austin

her eyes blur as she sits
       miscarriage
after the baby shower

Mackenzie Martin

hitting the wall          . . .
I briefly pause . . .
              morse code

Austin Taylor

babysitting
the young eyes
that have seen too much

Lane Casper

Christmas break
furniture reorganized
again

Lucas Chatterton

This one hits you in the gut, and then hits you in the gut again in case the first hit didn’t hurt enough. The first line so accurately describes what the woman would physically have happen if she got this news, which can easily show what’s going on and what she’s thinking inside her head--both nothing and everything. Then to add on that she just had a baby shower for a child that will not be born alive is just torturous, as all of the gifts and the people are reminders are what could’ve been but will never be, and that’s a stab-to-the-heart kind of haiku. Mia

I enjoyed this haiku because it was a different twist on the idea of nothing lasting. Most of the haiku that had to do with things not lasting had to do with death, or lost, relationships, or something else along those lines. This haiku however looks at it in a different way that reminds us that even the simplest of things are temporary. Alex P