Haiku Attempts 2 names
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Fall 2018
pens in a hand-decorated mug |
large empty room |
exams cover the desks Logan Bader (3) |
Syllabus Day Alissa Kanturek (13) |
wrinkle in time |
fresh tube of mascara |
long table |
name, major, fun fact |
free nachos and ice cream |
watching the clock |
dark apartment Logan Bader (6) |
broken air conditioning Daria Koon (10) This haiku can be taken in both a literal and figurative sense. The literal being that when you are on a top bunk of a bed it does get hot especially because of how close you are to the light. The figurative meaning that there are often spats between roommates that can cause tension and awkward silence. I imagined someone not having anywhere else to go that was private away from their roomate other than their top bunk. The heat rising is the anger bubbling up between the two of them but not wanting to cause a commotion or confrontation since they are roommates. The use of the comma breaks up the haiku shows the tension since they are uncommon in haiku and show a large silence, which is felt in the imagined room between the roommates. Mary Callaghan, Fall 2018 When reading this poem, I imagined a freshman in college who has just moved into their dorm. It’s their first night at school, and they’re probably already having a hard time sleeping. They’re tossing and turning on the top bunk, trying their best to get comfortable. As time goes by, they get more and more frustrated, feeling sweaty and uncomfortable. Finally, they come to the realization… they should have chosen the lower bunk. Sophie Kibiger, Fall 2018 |
old faces Hannah Haedike This haiku brought me back to my hometown on a break from school. I image being at our local restaurant that everyone love and running into old friends. Maybe it has been months or even years since we have spoken but at one point in time we spoke everyday. It's weird seeing them post on social media or running into them at local restaurant and not knowing really anything about their current situation. Naomi Klingbeil, Fall 2018 |
shaky hands |
Friday Night |
I still see how |
your parking spot Hannah Haedike (5) I'm not entirely sure why I enjoy this haiku so much. It kind of reminds me of my friends who graduated last year, all the empty parking spots in the DISC lot or by the UC or by their houses. It's a very simple things that aren't typically noticed but I can imagine the fading lines and what that would mean. A car parked in front of somewhere is, of course, very telling and informative of a person's whereabouts, so imagining the lines so heavily faded is really sad. It's almost as if the spot was revered, maybe the former owner of the spot passed away and no one feels comfortable taking the spot where they were. Maybe it's also a metaphorical parking spot, it's the place in everyone's memory and they are slowing fading. Hannah Ottenfeld, Fall 2018 |
twinkling lights Emily Sullins (5) This haiku instantly takes me to my backyard patio during the summer time. We have a string of lights that hangs up along with one of the sun awnings that gives the backyard a super homey feel. Since my family has a pool, our house is the host of a lot good neighborhood parties. Some of my greatest memories from the summer are sitting outside on the porch with a bonfire and music going. Some parties even go to close to 3 am because everyone just enjoys each other's company. Overall this poem brought reminds me of a lot of good times with my family and friends. Sydney Rudny, Fall 2018 |
double shot of Isabella Loutfi (4) |
wet toes |
bird cage |
twinkly eyes . . . Isabella Loutfi (13) I really enjoy stargazing, so from the start of this I was imagining stargazing with someone I am interested in. It took me to this special stargazing spot I have about 25 minutes outside Decatur. If I drive out on the highway towards Lincoln, there is a random road that has a gravel road that goes right underneath a windmill. There is no light pollution out there. It is peaceful and I park right underneath the windmill and lay and look at the stars. I also could hear the spinning of the turbine. It all made me feel at peace. I have a desire to share this experience with people who are special to me. This haiku reminded me of that spot and how I would love to share it with someone special. Zachary McReynolds, Fall 2018 |
standing in |
clammy hands Isabella Loutfi This haiku makes me think about the auditions I go to. Since I am a musical theatre major, I am constantly having to audition for roles in stage productions. Usually at an audition, there is a long line of girls in front of me, waiting to perform their songs and monologues for the casting team. When the waiting room is cold, it feels ten times worse. My nerves are already high, and being cold makes me even more nervous. My hands get sweaty and shaky if I am really anxious, so I understand the “clammy hands” line. I get a feeling of uncomfortableness and nervous anticipation when I read this haiku. I picked it as a favorite because I can pinpoint situations where I am in this exact scenario! Emily Sullins, Fall 2018 |
concert queen |
heart locket |
december again |
stomach drops Mary Callaghan While most people would read this as a girl having a crush on a boy and being nervous about him being in her class, I portrayed the haiku a different way. This is the way that I, painfully, relate to this haiku, but I will present it in a third-person “story-telling” way. There is a girl who is madly in love with a boy. They have been dating for a while now and she is head-over- heels for him. But the boy begins revealing a dark side of himself. He begins changing the way he treats his girlfriend because he doesn’t like the way that she is trying to help him through this dark time. The boy begins cutting and self-harming in various different ways, and his girlfriend becomes increasingly concerned. She tries to get him to open up, to just talk to her about the things that are making him want to hurt himself, but he refuses. After 5 months of dating, the boy breaks up with the girl because she continuously pesters him about what is bothering him and seeing if she can help. It is a very bitter break-up, cold and angry, and the girl’s heart is absolutely shattered. Nasty words and rumors began flying around the high school, but luckily, the girl is graduating. Fast Forward a year, the girl is in college now and she is living her life just fine. Because there was no reconciliation between her and her ex boyfriend, she hadn’t had to face how badly her heart still longed for him, or how angry she was at him for spreading rumors about her. That is, until she realizes that her ex is coming to the same college as her. She comes to class on the first day of school, happy and ready to begin the day. She sits her backpack down and reaches down and pulls out her notebook. As she begins to lean up, her eyes linger at the doorway, where her ex-boyfriend is standing with his nice clothes, fresh face, and still sweet smile. Her stomach drops. Her palms sweat. He is in her class. Jenesi Moore, Fall 2018 |
Warrior Princess |
dancing dirty Hannah Haedike (8) |
bitter cold brew Jenesi Moore (6) |
a steam filled shower Mary Callaghan (7) |
pocketful of sunshine |
hot caramel mocha Jordan Niebuhr (6) |
hair-sprayed curls, |
Mother Mary statue |
my grandmother's van |
anxious family awaits the phone call Logan Bader (7) |
road trip Mary Callaghan (8) |
apartment reeking Mary Callaghan (4) |
swimming pool drained |
snow falls Melanie Wilson (3) |
sick of all the love songs |
working all summer Naomi Klingbeil (4) |
a crunch below |
rain taps gently |
coffee date |
the audience |
lips blocked by sandbags Sophie Kibiger (5) I love the imagery and metaphor of this haiku, but my favorite part is the relatability of it. When I read this, I somehow knew the author was a woman. Growing up as a woman in a male-dominated society, this is a very common occurrence, even for someone like me who has more privilege than many others in the nation. I saw the sandbags put there by external sources, by people saying that something wasn’t possible or that her statement didn’t need to be heard. The hurricane symbolized this massive, debilitating anger that cannot be let out or expressed. This haiku brought out such vivid emotion in me, but also a motivation to let everyone’s voice be heard. Alissa Kanturek, Fall 2018 This haiku perfectly describes that moment when you are so angry, or so heated that you want to burst out and shout at someone, but you know that you cannot do it. The sandbags during a hurricane are set up to keep the water from rising and getting into and destroying the house, just as the metaphorical sandbags in the writer's mouth, or perhaps the stiffness of the tongue is preventing the speaker from saying something that would destroy the relationship or reputation that is at stake. Melanie Wilson, Fall 2018 |
Freeway of Love |
wilted flowers Rachel Pevehouse |
busy block party Zachary McReynolds (6) I found this poem to be extremely moving. The first two lines brought me back to my old neighborhood, where we had block parties all the time. There were so many families that got together just to enjoy each other's company. We all brought food, games, balloons, etc. to share with each other. The "i stand alone" made me imagine someone who was standing in the middle of all this chaos alone and just staring at everything happening. Maybe this person is a child that feels like they have no friends, or maybe this is someone older that just cannot find happiness in anything. Being someone who deals with depression and anxiety, I know what it feels like to feel alone in the middle of a large crowd. No matter what is happening around you, you are so drowned in the negativity of your own mind that you can't even focus on what is happening around you. Jordan Niebuhr, Fall 2018 |
street lights reflection Sydney Rudny This haiku reminded me of my view out of the Alpha Chi Omega house. From my room's window, I can see Fairview, as well as the parking lot of KFAC. On rainy evenings, the street lights cast a spotlight on the puddles in the parking lot. Personally, watching rain drops in puddles is one of the most calming things in the world. Reading this haiku just brought me back to watching the puddles and smelling the rain as I woke up last Saturday while drinking my coffee. I was reminded of the cool air wafting in my window, providing respite from broken air conditioning, as the rain pattered on the sidewalk. Daria Koon, Fall 2018 |
red hair |
your picture |
can't wait any longer |
twinkling nativity lights |
long hair in knots |
grand dragon Hannah Ottenfeld (4) This haiku made me think of a book called My Father’s Dragon that my mom used to read to me when I was little. It’s told from the point of view of a little boy recounting his father’s journey to a faraway island with his pet dragon. Along the way they meet a whole bunch of random jungle animals and eat a lot of fruit. It’s a very odd book, kind of like a longer, less scary Where the Wild Things Are. The book had a lot of illustrations and a map of the island in the front cover. The dragon was blue, yellow, and red and was kind and gentle, just as a children’s book dragon should be. My mom and I would read a chapter every night, and then she would tuck me into bed. This haiku is just very specifically familiar to me all because of this book. Isabella Loutfi, Fall 2018 |
thunder clap |
a rumble of thunder |
the sun goes down Hannah Ottenfeld (3) |
all wrapped up |
favorite song Hannah Ottenfeld (10) I enjoyed this one and found it so relatable. My iTunes account has been linked to my cell phone for as long as about 6th grade, when I got my first iPod. This situation literally happens to me all the time! I will be working out, or studying, or doing some homework when I hear this song that was super popular years ago that I can barely stand to hear anymore. Yet, while I may skip these songs, they never get deleted from my account because they are such a nice reminder of who I used to be, and how much I have progressed from those old days, which is always something one should remember in my opinion. I realized reading this that I may not enjoy these old songs anymore, but they still have value to me as I look back upon my past self. Logan Bader, Fall 2018 |
old photograph Haley Vemmer (4) |
retracing the warmth Isabella Loutfi (10) |
flitter of wings |
traveling to Sophie Kibiger When reading this haiku, I picture myself curled up in the couch reading a book. There’s a fire in the fireplace, and it’s cloudy outside. The book I’m reading is one of those books that you just can’t put down, and you have to finish it in one sitting. Haley Vemmer, Fall 2018 I like the metaphor in this haiku of turning to a new page when starting a new journey in life. I feel like this poem gives off a sense of spontaneity and adventure. In referring to, what I imagine is, a move as traveling to a far off-place gives a feeling of excitement to the poem. Turning a new page is reminiscent of phrases such as “turning a new leaf” or “starting a new chapter,” which made me feel this person may be nervous, but optimistic about the changes that are happening. Isabella Spiritoso, Fall 2018 |
sand rolls around |
© 2018, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.