Global Haiku • Fall 2018
Dr. Randy Brooks

Bio:

Isabella Loutfi is a Sophomore Musical Theatre major at Millikin University. Although very new to the world of haiku, she loves writing about her friends, family, home state of Minnesota, and her dog, Clementine.

Haiku to Start Your Day: Eggs

by
Isabella Loutfi

Introduction:

The full title of my haiku collection is “Haiku to Start Your Day: Eggs.” I think it will become quite obvious why this is my title once you begin reading. Throughout my semester long encounter with haiku, I have managed to write many haiku that include eggs. I would say that these haiku are about eggs, but they are not. They are about the people with whom I share my eggs. Sometimes it’s family, sometimes friends, and sometimes just myself. My haiku reflect how I associate eggs with communion and company. A haiku should, in theory, create a snapshot of a moment in detail. The moments that I wish to encapsulate in haiku are happy ones. Many of my haiku might seem fluffy or idealistic, but why not savor the best of times? Why not start your day off right with a happy haiku, or… an egg?

Reader’s Introduction

Isabella Loutfi brings a warmth and genuineness to her haiku that is refreshing.  Her relationship haiku are some of my personal favorites in this collection. She manages to find the humor and joy in simple moments such as cooking an egg for breakfast. After reading Loutfi’s haiku, I can clearly create a scene in my mind, which shows how well-written these works are. Loutfi writes for all audiences and ages, resulting in a wide range of topics to enjoy when reading this collection. I hope you enjoy Eggs as it contains thoughtful and compelling haiku that truly draw readers in. ~Emily Sullins

crack of dawn
I make myself
one egg

my mug is empty
you smile
and fill it full

sun setting
orange dreamsicle
sliding off the stick

cheek to cheek
5 o’clock shadow at
9 am

snow-caked
heels click together
there’s no place like home

twinkly eyes . . .
my favorite
constellation

rise and shine
crack crack crack
go eggs and my back

grocery store
mom’s shopping cart
my scooter

fall break.
re-introducing myself
to my dog

pine trees
please hold me
for a moment

eggs spit
fried bacon grease
his mischievous smile

light of the moon
big sister whispers
secrets

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

first time apart
we talk on the phone
you don’t see me blush

missing home
I burn the eggs
just like mom

mirror squeaks
finger drags
in the shape of a heart

feeling bold
I ask him to walk
me home

—blackout—
the simplicity in
candlelit conversations

blinking slowly
not to disturb
the eyelash snowflake

cherry popsicles
grandma and grandpa
compare red tongues

a twinkle in his eye
grandpa shows me
his sketchbook

breakfast table
grandpa and I
eating eggs