Haiku Kukai 6 names

Global Haiku • Millikin University • Fall 2018

fall break.
re-introducing myself
to my dog

Isabella Loutfi (7)

neighbor kitty cries
at the porch door
"come love me, again"

Halloween house show
we sneak Jell-o shots
from the fridge

Zachary McReynolds (5)

stale orange leaf
       I step on the sidewalk crack
                  and think of mom

Alissa Kanturek (4)

home . . .
couch after couch
i find places to sleep

Zachary McReynolds (7)

homecoming
i hope i don't see
you

Naomi Klingbeil (6)

favorite wool sweater
unfolded and taken out
of its box

Daria Koon (6)

I enjoy this haiku because of all the warm feelings it creates. Opening up with the image of a wool sweater, somebody's favorite wool sweater is so warm and comforting. I also like the image of it being taken out of its box. A box is such a cold, unwelcoming image, and I like the contract being created here. Now, instead of living all folded up in a box, it will be worn and used. Melanie Wilson, Fall 2018

I have a very specific sweater that I got at a thrift store when I was around 11, I wore it all the time in middle school. It's a huge black and grey patterned wool sweater, and it was always my favorite. I hated putting it away for the summer, and there always a little bit of a thrill to unpack my winter clothes and rediscover it every year. That excitement is what this haiku evokes for me. Hannah Ottenfeld, Fall 2018

crew neck
worn and torn
smells like you

Mary Callaghan (7)

steak n shake
no more late night visits
to our favorite waitress

Zachary McReynolds

I like the sentimental feeling of this poem. Though It specifies the restaurant as steak n shake, I am sure most people can relate to this poem with a restaurant of their choosing where they have become a “regular.” It reminded me of my favorite restaurant in my home town where my best friend and I would go once a week and the workers knew our orders be heart. This poem reminds us of good times while declaring that these times have come to an end which ultimately creates a melancholy feeling and longing. I enjoy the emotional draw of this poem. Isabella Spiritoso, Fall 2018

late-night diner
apple pie
like Mama used to make

Emily Sullins (3)

early morning walk
holding hands
through the neighborhood

Alissa Kanturek (8)

I actually imagine a boy and a girl, in the early stages of a relationship, who stayed out all night long. Maybe they were walking in the nearby park, or laying in the grass watching the stars, staying up talking all night long. Getting to know one another and enjoying one another's company. Then once the sun starts to rise and they actually realize what time it is, he walks her home. They hold hands as they walk through the neighborhood. It is a sweet haiku. Naomi Klingbeil, Fall 2018

I liked the peacefulness of the image that was created by this haiku. I imagined a couple that has settled down with one another, and has just purchased a house in a new neighborhood. While many people living here are so used to this place, the couple is just experiencing the neighborhood for the first couple of times, and the can see the beauty of the place more than old residents can. They are also very excited about this new stage in their lives, and they like to celebrate by walking through their new home. Logan Bader, Fall 2018

coughing relentlessly
the smoke follows me
around the bonfire

Zachary McReynolds (4)

This haiku brought me back to my childhood. I remember when I was little, I would go up to my grandparent’s camper and we would always have bonfires. Grandpa told me that if the smoke blew your way, you would say “white rabbit” and it would blow in the other direction. Of course, that wasn’t true, but we would try anyways. I remember running around the campfire yelling “white rabbit, white rabbit!” as the smoke followed the breeze I was creating. It smelled horrible and hurt my tiny little lungs, but it always made Grandpa laugh. Sophie Kibiger, Fall 2018

my head lay
in the soft crook
of mommy’s arm

Alissa Kanturek (3)

sitting under the tree
the grass tickles
my leg

I stop and stare
at the dried up leaves
fallen soldiers

Sydney Rudny (7)

I have a very large elm tree in my front yard that covers my lawn with brown, crunchy leaves every year. The tree is very very old and there has been much debate about cutting it down through the years, but it still stands. This haiku reminded me of that tree, the leaves are like soliders fighting for their home to stay, and the image of them covering the ground always reminds me of being home and comfortable. It's a very interesting imaege to think of the leaves as soldiers, but I really like it. Hannah Ottenfeld, Fall 2018

midnight milkshakes
we talk for hours
under dim diner light

Sophie Kibiger (7)

breakdown in the bathroom
wiping my face
so she’ll never know

Sophie Kibiger (9)

I know many people took this as maybe a girl trying to hide from her mom. Maybe her trying to hide the fact that college was kicking her butt because I know that the theme was homecoming. That may be the way the author intended it as well, and it makes perfect sense. But my initial vision was not of a mother and daughter, but of a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. A lot of men think it’s taboo or “feminine” to show their feelings. Many men believe that they have to be the strong rock in the relationship or of the household, and that showing emotion makes them “weak.” I envision a man who is going through a lot and is having severe panic attacks. Mental illness is as real in men as it is in women. He feels that he can’t show his feelings to his girlfriend/wife because he thinks she will view him as weak. Thus, he has his breakdowns in the bathroom, or in his car, or little breakdowns on the elevator at work. He feels that he can’t talk to anyone about his emotions. I’m not sure why this is immediately what I envisioned but it is. Jenesi Moore, Fall 2018

soft rustling
the breeze
kisses my face

feeling like I’m
lost in a corn maze—
midterms

Haley Vemmer (6)

Haley's haiku is something that resonates with all of us right now. Not only because of its fall theme but because of the workload we are all currently under. This is the turning point in the year that college goes from interesting and fun to incredibly stressful and it comes out of nowhere and hit you like a bus. A lot of students begin to forget their commitments or assignments, especially those without an assignment notebook. Not only do they lose their physical work but the lose their minds as well as they are overwhelmed with the upcoming work for midterms and finals. Mary Callaghan, Fall 2018

I feel this haiku on a spiritual level. I have not had any midterms yet but I have 3 midterm exams coming up this week. While most people are doing at least one fun thing on their break, I am trying to pull my life and all of my notes together so I can spend all break studying. While I am usually pretty organized, this semester has been a blur, so I definitely feel like I am lost in a corn maze right now as I try to prepare for this week. Jenesi Moore, Fall 2018

visitor pass
I walk through the halls
of my former life

Rachel Pevehouse (8)

This haiku hit me hard. Often, after I graduated, I would go back to my high school during school days to tutor during lunch or to hang out in the choir room during rehearsals. It was one of my favorite pastimes. The first year after I graduated, when I went back, I could just walk in because everyone knew me. As years passed, they got new security guards and new employees and the place that was once my stomping ground where I knew everyone and everyone knew me felt a little less like home. I would have to take pictures and sign sign-in sheets and take in my driver’s license. I know it was for security purposes and I had no problem doing it, but it just came as a surprise to me...idk. Jenesi Moore, Fall 2018

haunted corn maze
he holds
her hand

Emily Sullins (6)

first homecoming
little sister picks out
a fancy dress

Haley Vemmer (4)

cold hallway
old fears
rushing back

Emily Sullins (4)

winds whistle
through the gaps
in my ribcage

Hannah Ottenfeld (8)

I like the specific image the haiku creates. The use of “whistle” creates a stronger image of the wind’s action than “breezed” or “went”. The alliteration of “w” also reminds of the way wind sounds as it whooshes through something. Since the haiku mentions gaps in a ribcage, it alludes to the idea of being empty. That emptiness can then be interpreted as emotional or physical. Initially reading it, I picture someone with an eating disorder and her sadness is represented through her emaciated figure. Rachel Pevehouse, Fall 2018

car ride karaoke
man at bus stop
cracks a smile

Hannah Ottenfeld (10)

This one makes me smile because I often get funny looks when I sing and dance in public. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. It is lovely, however, when instead of a confused, annoyed look, I get a smile of encouragement or the look of someone who wants to join in the fun. It is moments like these that make you realize that life is too short to be serious all of the time. I am reminded of good moments when I can just let go and sing my face of in my car and not care who sees me. Isabella Loutfi, Fall 2018

overgrown backroad
my house peacefully waits
for me to come home

Logan Bader (3)

highway d
too many memories
lost in the accident

Hannah Haedike (3)

drive by
the highschool stadium
friday night lights

Naomi Klingbeil (4)

5-hour car ride
I’m not touching you
monkey butt

Alissa Kanturek (5)

My older step-sister and I always bickered in the car when I was younger. Although I do not see her often anymore, I still appreciate our friendship because we both were really relaxed kids. She was a joy to be around and we rarely, if ever, told on each other for doing things we should not have been doing. We had a great amount of trust placed in one another. Zachary McReynolds, Fall 2018

This haiku made me think of my brother as well. When we were little, my mom used to take us on road trips to Nebraska to see her friend. It was a 7½ hour drive, and we always drove her crazy with our annoying antics. We couldn’t get along for 5 minutes, let alone over 7 hours. Our mom would be furious with us, trying to do what she could to get us to be quiet. But, we were always relentless, continuing to fight and poke and prod at each other. This haiku made me realize how much I miss those days, even though I’m sure my mom and brother don’t. Sophie Kibiger, Fall 2018

I liked this haiku because it reminds me of family vacations. I have two older siblings, and I am in the baby in the family. Growing up, I always sat with my sister in the middle row in the car because I was small. My brother, who is the oldest and biggest sibling, always got the backseat to himself. Trying to annoy my sister and I, he would prop his bare feet up on our seats behind our head. He would shove his feet in our faces jokingly. I called him names back and tattletaled to my parents in the front seats. I could see myself saying “monkey butt” as a young child. Although my brother liked to mess with my sister and I, we always knew it was in good fun. Honestly, the fact that he did mess with us made those trips more enjoyable. My siblings and I have always had a good bond, and we still annoy each other out of love today. I would not trade the memories of my family vacations for the world, and I really wish I could turn back time to enjoy those days of stinky feet and cramped car rides again. Emily Sullins, Fall 2018

I pull into the driveway
almost hit my brother
playing basketball

going home for fall break
I pack up my things
to drive across town

fall break
my neighborhood’s road
has new pavement

Rachel Pevehouse (4)

Every time I have gone home there has been some sort of construction or change to my neighborhood. Whether it is the highway, or a train station, or my own house. I always expect to go home and everything be the same both in a physical way of my surrounding but also in my relationships I have with people. Hearing their stories and what has happened in the past year to them is always so odd because you expect everyone to be the same when you go home. In reality everything is different and people will more than likely always change when you go home. So Rachel's use of her neighborhoods road changing meaning they are physically changing but so are the people in the neighborhood. Mary Callaghan, Fall 2018

I like the simplicity of this haiku and how it is truly open to interpretation. Depending on your own personal experience and neighborhood that you come from, this will mean something different to you. For me, this poem reads as comedic because my neighborhood has been trying to get our road repaved for years, so if that finally happened after I left, that would be kind of funny to me. Also, the visual that the poem create is individual to each person because when I read it, I see my road, but someone else will see their own road; I really like the versatility of this poem. Isabella Spiritoso, Fall 2018

left turn lane
pass the town fountain
now I’m home

fall break
speeding home
for dad’s hotdish

Sophie Kibiger (3)

outside
for five minutes
a bugbite

he apologizes
with PBR
and a t-shirt

Hannah Ottenfeld (7)

I love this haiku even more knowing who wrote it because I know exactly who this haiku is about as well. But, outside of that context, when I read the first line I pictured a young man in his twenties apologizing over a stupid fight he just had with his friend or even girlfriend, trying to sincerely earn his forgiveness. But, with each line his apology is cheapened because he’s trying to buy his forgiveness rather than actually genuinely apologizing. With each line, the stage is set even more. Rather than this being a private apology I feel as if it’s at a party in front of a lot of people as well. Maybe this guy spilt his drink on the author or possibly even threw up on them and now their shirt is completely ruined which is why he’s offering a new shirt. And plus a beer makes everything better in the eyes of a college boy. He’s apologizing the only way he knows how in front of a crowd even though it may not be the apology this person was looking for by any means. Hannah Haedike, Fall 2018

fresh sheets
on my childhood bed
welcome home

Isabella Spiritoso (6)

This haiku also brought me happiness. There's something about your childhood bed that just makes you feel so safe at home. Even though my bed at home is worse than my bed at school (I still sleep in a twin size bed at home) it's still just so comforting to take in the smell of home and the bed that you grew up in. Sydney Rudny, Fall 2018

Skyline Chili billboard
a sign
I am almost home

puzzle pieces
my head
your shoulder

Hannah Ottenfeld (7)

I thought this haiku was very cute. There is just some people where you rest your head on their shoulder and you are just completely uncomfortable. But then there are those certain special people (or maybe even a family member) where you are just so comfortable. It seems as if you are the perfect puzzle piece to fit into theirs. Overall this haiku brought me happiness. Sydney Rudny, Fall 2018

I see this haiku in two different ways. One way in that her head fits perfectly in the dip of his shoulder as they are cuddling. Almost as if they were made for each other. But, I also see this in a way that her head could fit in the dip of his shoulder if she just squeezes it in there to make it fit. Like when you're doing a puzzle and you're trying to make a piece fit. It sort of fits if you really press hard on the two pieces, but there is also a more fitting puzzle piece that you may encounter later on. Naomi Klingbeil, Fall 2018

This is another cute and warm haiku. I like the physical image of a person resting their head on someone's shoulder. This is a symbol of reliance, comfort and support. I also like the use of the phrase "puzzle pieces”. It is a really sweet image, and makes me believe that these two people are perfect for one another. Without words, they can connect and become one being, one image. I initially pictured a young couple, but I also like the idea that this is an old couple that has been together for years and years, and is still fitting perfectly together. Melanie Wilson, Fall 2018

This was just one of those haiku that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Whenever my parents are sitting next to each other in public, one of them will lean their head onto the other's shoulder. I instantly thought of them when I read this. It's funny because, when I thought of them, I started thinking about how perfectly they fit together, even though they seem like such a mismatched pairing (my mom is both older and taller than my dad—she's six feet tall and he's five-foot eight). Daria Koon, Fall 2018

 

           child-
hood    home.   may-
   be              some
   day                I’ll
   go               back
   a    g    a    i    n.

Sophie Kibiger

 

KROGER IS CLOSING
freshmen and the homeless
out of opportunities

Jenesi Moore (4)

autumn breeze
chills the air
and your words

Jordan Niebuhr (3)

I like that this haiku sets up to be a simple poem about the seasons but ends with a heart wrenching twist. Autumn signifies change and the end of summer’s warmth, which the poem describes. The poem also describes a change in a person and that autumn has made them colder as well. The haiku gives a strong feeling of being chilled by the air and by the person’s words.  Rachel Pevehouse, Fall 2018

I picked this haiku because of the tactile imagery. Personally, tactile imagery is the hardest to capture in words because touch, I think more than any of the other senses, is so individualized. However, in Jordan's haiku, the feeling of autumn chill—the spooky, not enjoyable chilly days—instantly surrounded me the second I read her haiku. It just kind of lingers, pervading my senses for a minute or two after I've finished reading it. Daria Koon, Fall 2018

spooky season
there's a ghost
in my room

Jordan Niebuhr (5)

I enjoyed this haiku because its meaning is kind of ambiguous. Knowing that one of the prompt options was homecoming, I like to think that this is about a college student coming home for Fall Break or Thanksgiving, and feeling out of place with their family. I know that most people have felt this at some point. I remember coming home for the first time my freshman year, and not only forgetting so much about my old room, but also realizing how much I have changed. Now my room feels like a foreign place, with just the leftovers of a person that is no longer me. It is as if the ghost of highschool me is haunting my room. Melanie Wilson, Fall 2018

dad’s home
from rehab
i missed that smile

Jenesi Moore (5)

I took this haiku as a father returning home from drug/alcohol rehab. The child missed their father while he was away but was so glad that he finally got the help that he needed. Not only did they miss their father smiling in the short term but his true genuine smile Maybe the one the child remembered before the drugs/alcohol were such a problem. The child is happy to have their actual father back both physically and emotionally. Naomi Klingbeil, Fall 2018

tachycardic
then flatlined
she’s gone home

Jenesi Moore (4)

Although this haiku is very sad, it's very creative. This person took a very different and unique turn on the topic of home. Most people wrote about going back to their homes and seeing their families but the author of this haiku turned the meaning of home into something I would've never thought. I really admire the creativity of this poem. Sydney Rudny, Fall 2018

golden corn fields
down in the holler
nothing on but the radio

Logan Bader (3)

cobblestone porch
the dream
we used to have

Hannah Haedike (3)

a soft breeze
brushing my baby curls
tickling my neck

Mary Callaghan (6)

the only friends who’ll listen . . .
crickets
and the moon

Hannah Haedike (9)

mom and me
drinking on the porch . . .
we do that now?

Isabella Loutfi (8)

This poem is cute. I like the use of punctuation and how it adds inflection to the poem. The ellipses after the second line is almost like a moment where the writer is trailing of in their own thought before they come back with a direct question in the last line. I feel that this punctuation plays well into the subject matter of the poem; it is a slightly strange and baffling time when your parents begin to allow you to join in on “adult” activities with them. This poem made me smile. Isabella Spiritoso, Fall 2018

after several years,
i found my home
in you

Naomi Klingbeil (7)

I enjoyed this haiku simply because it strikes that notion of longing for something meaningful to come along and make one feel at ease. I feel this way and hope to one day feel the emotion that this haiku projects onto another person. I have always loved thinking of the phrase “home is where the heart is” in a way that means I can find my home in whatever makes me happy, whether that is a person or a passion. This haiku reminded me of that saying. Zachary McReynolds, Fall 2018

Memphis bridge
lit up
home

boys in blue
my dad
is the "bad guy"

Mary Callaghan (5)

lapping waves
the lake
calls my name

Mary Callaghan (5)

This reminded me of home, specifically of the days in early October where we take our boat out of its slip. It is always nice, chilly fall weather, but the water is too cold to swim and ski in without a wet suit. I always remember as a kid feeling very sad as we drove the boat to our trailer, watching the waves of the lake and knowing that I would not be able to ski or swim on that day. In this way, I could really relate to the last line of this haiku. Logan Bader, Fall 2018

homecoming weekend
i watch the festivities
on snapchat

Naomi Klingbeil (7)

funeral day
coffee and crumbs
at the bottom of my cup

Melanie Wilson (8)

This poem brings me back to the services that I’ve had to attend for my family. Specifically, it brings me back to my grandfather’s wake and funeral. When someone passes away, it is such a time of stress and mourning. There is so much to do to get the services in order, and there’s no time to really think or adequately grieve over their death. This moment that this haiku presents is very simple yet so sad. This person seems to just be sitting at a lunch or in the kitchen, zoning out due to lack of rest and emotional stress. In this case it’s on something as simple as the coffee cup. Jordan Niebuhr, Fall 2018

a soldier laid to rest
surrounded by
family and friends

lying still
your hands
really are cold now

Melanie Wilson (5)

trick or treat
my brother
is “too old” now

Mary Callaghan (5)

While reading this haiku, I imagined my own brother. He just turned 18, even though it feels like he was 5 just yesterday. I remember it was hard for me when I got to the age that my parents said I was too old to trick-or-treat, but it was even harder when my brother did. It made me realize that we weren’t kids anymore, and it was very bittersweet. Sophie Kibiger, Fall 2018

This takes me back to my childhood. I absolutely loved trick-or-treating and coming home with a bag full of candy. I often dressed up as a Disney character (Snow White, Cruella de Vil, etc.), and my mom always helped me look as realistic as possible. I often went with my friends, but once I became a teenager, my Halloween activities changed. I did not think it was cool to dress up and go out. I thought answering the door for other trick-or-treaters was more appropriate for my age. If I did go out trick or treating, it had to be with friends or not at all. I would not go only with my parents because that was “lame.” It’s bittersweet to think back and remember the days when I was a little girl who just enjoyed the little things – like candy and costumes! Emily Sullins, Fall 2018

father pulling a calf
a little cowboy hat peaks
over the stable

Logan Bader (5)

rolling green fields
the combine goes
another round

chili with a hint of cinnamon
over a bed of spaghetti
an acquired taste

Isabella Spiritoso (3)

castles
for corporate princes
steel capturing the sun

Mary Callaghan

I am not even sure I fully understand this one, but I like it. I have a vivid image of skyscrapers in Chicago. It’s a bright, blue day and the sun is reflecting sharply off of the angles of the buildings. Businessmen cover the sidewalks in grey suits. They all look the same. They all look like they think they are very important. They all are wearing sunglasses. I like that this haiku marries the new and the old. When I read the words “castles” and “princes,” I think of medieval times with moats and crowns. The tone shifts with when the word “corporate” added. The palate changes from royal blues, deep purples, and reds to grey and black. Isabella Loutfi, Fall 2018

corn cob water tower
a lone Canadian Goose
flies southward

Daria Koon (4)

a large truck
with a loud megaphone
silly boys

Daria Koon (3)

glimmering towers
reflected in a polluted river
Cincinnati skyline

Isabella Spiritoso (4)

night out at Billy’s Tavern
hoping to catch the ghost
of a saloon girl

Sophie Kibiger (3)

little sister
tied to a backyard tree
with glittery jump rope

Alissa Kanturek

I enjoyed this haiku because, as a kid, I enjoyed playing out scenarios with my friends/neighborhood kids. Reading this, especially the glittery jump rope part, brought me back to those times when we didn't have a specific prop, and, because it was the only thing we could find, substituted something wildly out of place—like a glittery jump rope—instead. Daria Koon, Fall 2018

high school mirror
did I really look
like that . . . ?

Melanie Wilson (5)

the girl spends hours
putting on a new face
boy ready in 5 minutes

Sydney Rudny

This is another poem I enjoyed simply for the humorous aspect. Most of my friends are females, and I usually have to wait forever for them to be ready to go do anything. It is not something that bothers me, but rather something I find to be funny. I usually am ready to go anywhere pretty quickly as long as I am not procrastinating leaving. Zachary McReynolds, Fall 2018

I can't resist
            crunching
                    every dry leaf

Sydney Rudny (8)

My mom and I really did this today. Our back yard is truly filled with trees and, since I’m from Minnesota, fall has already blossomed. The pathway at my backdoor is covered with dry crunchy leaves. When my mom and I got home from the grocery  store with fire wood and marshmallows for hot chocolate, we simultaneously made the decision to shuffle to the door in order to crush every leaf in our path. Stepping on leaves is something that anyone can enjoy, no matter their age. It’s one of the simple joys. Isabella Loutfi, Fall 2018

October night
chills down her spine
the haunted house

walking down my street
it’s greener than
I left it

Isabella Loutfi (6)

This haiku was a very nice image. I imagined a city suburb, with multiple houses right next to one another. The author was a person that may have left for college at the end of winter break, and now that it is spring break, they have come home to a brilliance of green lawns, and green tree leaves. I like this image, especially because it made me think of spring and all of the new life that the season brings about. Logan Bader, Fall 2018

end of the semester
returning home
with half of myself

Sophie Kibiger (10)

This haiku is very relatable to college students. While at college, you almost become someone else with an entirely new life. Returning home feels odd because you left that life behind. You trade the part of you that lived at home and was in high school for a completely new life in a new place. Sometimes, you lose part of yourself in the transition from home to college and you return as someone else. Overall, I like that the haiku leaves a lot of room for each reader to insert their own experience. Rachel Pevehouse, Fall 2018

When returning home at the end tof the semester not only are you completely worn out from finals but, for most people, the life you live at college is different than the one you live at home. When you go home you have to answer to people agian and are seeing people you have not seen in a while. There is so much that happens within a semester that often times can't be expressed to you family or friends because they were not there and would not understand. This slow burn most students experience during the semester they bring home with them only to recharged by their family, relaxation, and old friends. Mary Callaghan, Fall 2018

I talked about this one in class, but something about it really speaks to me. By the time we get to a break, I am always so drained. I feel like I am constantly going at 100 miles an hour and when I get to go home it feels like a full stop and it's draining. I also have so many close friends and different experiences at school and at home I feel like a different person, I've become acclimated to life at Millikin and forget how to let that go and reacclimate to home life, so in that sense it's like ai'm shedding that skin and leaving it at school. Hannah Ottenfeld, Fall 2018

This haiku is far too relatable. I read it in a few different ways – the first way being the most personal for myself. I tend to run my battery level near empty in a semester and by the time I head home I am completely drained of the happy lively girl I usually am. When you invest so much energy in everything you’re doing it drains you and takes part of you with it. But, another way in interpreted it is the simple fact that we play different roles at home than what we do at school. At home, I’m the youngest and will always be seen as the youngest who’s input on conversations can’t be beneficial because how could I ever know more than the people around me because of my age. When I’m at school, I’m respected and heard for what my opinion is and why I believe what I believe, so It’s like I have to leave that part of me behind – the part of me that is an independent woman who does everything on her own. Plus, leaving your friends is never fun and they’re a reflection of who you are! Hannah Haedike, Fall 2018

This haiku really strikes a chord with me. I always feel different and that I have changed when I go home during winter or summer break. I have matured mentally from the stress and tough spots I faced in the semester, but I also feel a little more distant to my family. I missed so many family get-togethers and lost the chance to make memories while I was at college, and it always hurts a little to think that I now live separated from my family. I am definitely a new person compared to who I was before I first came to college, and while I will never lose my roots, I go back to the South with new perspectives and thoughts. Emily Sullins, Fall 2018

 

stupid song stuck in my head
pushed aside again
I want to leave

new mirror
highlighting
the blemishes

Emily Sullins (6)

Although this poem may have an ulterior meaning behind it, I found it to be kind of humorous. We have ALL been there. I can just picture myself at home, looking in the new mirror that my stepdad just attached to the wall. One side is a normal mirror, and the other is EXTREMELY magnified... of course. That moment of terror when you see everything that is wrong with your face is just so overwhelming, and it’s reassuring that everyone else feels the same way about this. Jordan Niebuhr, Fall 2018

When people get new things, I feel like the majority of the time they’re obsessed with them for a bit, not wanting to be away from their new shiny toy. But when it comes to mirrors, I know personally for myself, the first thing I do is critique the person I see (which is me). No matter the mirror, I always see my flaws, whether that be on my face or my body—all I see are my flaws. And especially when it comes to new mirrors . . . new mirrors are clean and almost spotless and just like this haiku states, new mirrors highlight the blemishes. New mirrors force you to see everything clearly, contrary to when you look into a dirty mirror that may have smudges or dirt on it where you can’t see the whole image reflected in the mirror. Hannah Haedike, Fall 2018

 

thunder overhead
oh no
it was just O'hare

Mary Callaghan (5)

I related to this poem more than any of the others, considering I live 10 minutes away from this airport. Living near the airport my whole life, I’ve gotten used to the constant sound of planes. I remember sitting in my grandparents’ backyard watching the planes go over--they always fly in the same path. Sometimes it’s annoying when I’m outside and on the phone, but it’s nice to be able to drive a couple minutes, park, and watch the planes take off. Jordan Niebuhr, Fall 2018

no clouds
from train's bridge
we see the skyline

tumbleweeds
the wind carries
them away

© 2018, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.