Global Haiku • Fall 2018
Dr. Randy Brooks

Bittersweet

by
Emily Sullins

Author’s Introduction

I titled this collection Bittersweet because life is a mixture of beauty and sorrow, love and loss, light and darkness, and hope and fear. These haiku detail the many emotions and situations faced in life. My approach to writing each one was creating a scene that every human can relate to in some way. Life is a beautiful journey bestowed upon us, and there is joy to be found even in the hardest times. May this collection help readers celebrate life, even the bittersweet moments.

Reader’s Introduction

Emily Sullins has a talent for writing haiku that transport the reader to vivid settings. Whether it’s the White Cliffs of Dover, or her home kitchen, Emily never fails to make the reader feel as though they are experiencing it firsthand. She mixes humor and wit with relatable emotions to create a diverse collection of haiku. From

haunted house
screaming
I punch the clown

to

break up
he hides
the ring box

Emily never fails to write memorable haiku. She shows us the best of times, the worst of times, and everything in between. Please enjoy Bittersweet as it takes you on a journey through love and loss, joy and disappointment, and, most importantly, fun.

Isabella Loutfi

bio

Emily Sullins ("Sully")is a sophomore Musical Theatre major from the suburbs of Memphis, TN. Since coming to Millikin, she has been introduced to a variety of new subjects and expanded her knowledge in many fields, including the art of writing haiku. She has gained a respect for the haiku community and learned that it only takes a few words to create a compelling story. Although a novice in the haiku world, she is honored to have her work read aloud.

fish & chips
at the upstairs pub
laughs on the house

final kiss
waves lapping the shore
darkness

morning class
yawning
in downward dog

blue river
she watches his funeral
from the back

first date
Italian for dinner
please, no Lady & the Tramp

cool evening
mardi gras beads
in the trees

jambalaya night
soft blues
on the front porch

third wheel
ruining
the mood

homecoming
going solo
. . . once again

quiet evening
moonlight
showering her face

new mirror
highlighting
the blemishes

stray cat
at my doorstep
lost like me

walking home alone
a shadow
not my own

kiss on the hand
no longer
strangers

running down
the lawn
ice cream truck

tear-stained face
I replay
the video

new year’s eve
he kisses me
on the forehead

harvest festival
leaving with
hay in my hair

costume party
wearing my feelings
tonight

I walk faster
          the argument
pounding in my ears

corner bakery
red daisies
in the window-box

dancing in the kitchen
he twirls me
to Christmas music

my childhood
in a box
VHS tapes

clenched fists
counting the steps
until I’m safe

one of a kind
snowflake
in her hair

building a snowman
we have to
top the neighbors’

soft jazz
giant snowflakes
line Beale Street

Thanksgiving
no one touches
my brussel sprouts

snow day
my red nose
doesn’t glow

Christmas party
dodging
the mistletoe