funeral roses
the whiskey
goes down smoother

Madeline Wilson

gravestone
his whole life
summarized with a dash

Joel Ochoa

light path
still surrounded
by darkness

Michael Hoelting

road kill
where was
it heading?

Madeline Curtin

funeral roses
the whiskey
goes down smoother

light path
still surrounded
by darkness

funeral roses
the whiskey
goes down smoother

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

funeral roses
the whiskey
goes down smoother

bottom quarter champion

dropping the last picture
in the flames
his name burns

cool pillow
have I ever made
someone cry?

dropping the last picture
in the flames
his name burns

cool pillow
have I ever made
someone cry?

Jessi Kreder

fallen leaves
crushed forever
so am I

Rebecca Jaffe

love today
gone tomorrow
tulips

Victoria Stuart

dropping the last picture
in the flames
his name burns

Meghan Hayes

TOP half champion

funeral roses
the whiskey
goes down smoother

CHAMPION

funeral roses
the whiskey
goes down smoother

BOTTOM half champion

voice inside my head
you will never
fill those shoes

Madeline Wilson

suffocating me
the weight of an elephant
keeps me under the covers

Elizabeth Napier

cold coffee
my cup is chipped
so am i

Meghan Hayes

first snow of winter
all the trees
dead

Jonathan Kuebler

voice inside my head
you will never
fill those shoes

first snow of winter
all the trees
dead

voice inside my head
you will never
fill those shoes

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

voice inside my head
you will never
fill those shoes

bottom quarter champion

stagnant water
the dead fish
breeds live bugs

just when things start
going your way
detour

stagnant water
the dead fish
breeds live bugs

just when things start
going your way
detour

Madeline Wilson

stepping on gum
the ground asking me
to stay

Morgan Bode

stagnant water
the dead fish
breeds live bugs

Morgan Bode

the decaying log
sinks            waterlogged
wanton

Alexander Bergland

stars in the sky
stepping out of my shoes
for joy

Cassandra Reed

jumping
the crescent moon
my hurdle

Jonathan Kuebler

cascade of rain
the roof creates a symphony
never to be repeated

John DeAngelo

English Folk Song Suite
the jaunty melodies
never leave

Morgan Bode

jumping
the crescent moon
my hurdle

cascade of rain
the roof creates a symphony
never to be repeated

cascade of rain
the roof creates a symphony
never to be repeated

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

cascade of rain
the roof creates a symphony
never to be repeated

bottom quarter champion

old diary—
she finds the rose
from their first date

old diary—
she finds the rose
from their first date

her plaid skirt swishes
hips accentuated
by confidence

a ring
24 karat or plastic
means the same

Meghan Hayes

old diary—
she finds the rose
from their first date

Gillian Genardo

we fumble over one another 
and giggle an innocent giggle 
wine warming our cheeks

Madeline Wilson

her plaid skirt swishes
hips accentuated
by confidence

Morgan Bode

TOP half champion

cascade of rain
the roof creates a symphony
never to be repeated

CHAMPION & GRAND CHAMPION (both Kuro vs. Mido)

cascade of rain
the roof creates a symphony
never to be repeated

i don’t remember
the driving
just you sitting next to me

BOTTOM half champion

spinning in circles
i look up
dancing with the stars

Joel Ochoa

rain stings my face
I tilt my head
towards the stars

Jessi Kreder

morning walk
a bird call takes me back
to the mountains

Elizabeth Napier

i don’t remember
the driving
just you sitting next to me

Joel Ochoa

spinning in circles
i look up
dancing with the stars

i don’t remember
the driving
just you sitting next to me

i don’t remember
the driving
just you sitting next to me

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

i don’t remember
the driving
just you sitting next to me

bottom quarter champion

we should get coffee
five years catch up
to me

first snowfall
she follows the trail
of a rabbit

we should get coffee
five years catch up
to me

silent staircase
         my steps cease
       for a moment of peace

first snowfall
she follows the trail
of a rabbit

Gillian Genardo

we should get coffee
five years catch up
to me

Benjamin Kuxmann

the french press coffee
fresh smell welcoming me
spoiled cream

Morgan Bode

funeral roses
the whiskey
goes down smoother

Madeline Wilson

This was a favorite among many people in the matching contest and I can totally understand why so many people liked this poem. This poem struck differently because you get this cold and death feeling with the first line but a very warm feeling with the last two lines. We can all understand that feeling of sadness and looking for something that will calm your nerves and in this case this individual chooses to turn to a whiskey. I wonder if this person was trying to say that the death was a dreadful thing because the whiskey goes down smooth maybe to emphasize that the individual was not in a good place and this helped relax them. Overall this poem was just nice because I can feel everything that was occurring in this poem and that is why it was my favorite poem. Michael Hoelting, Fall 2019

gravestone
his whole life
summarized with a dash

Joel Ochoa

light path
still surrounded
by darkness

Michael Hoelting

road kill
where was
it heading?

Madeline Curtin

cool pillow
have I ever made
someone cry?

Jessi Kreder

fallen leaves
crushed forever
so am I

Rebecca Jaffe

love today
gone tomorrow
tulips

Victoria Stuart

dropping the last picture
in the flames
his name burns

Meghan Hayes

voice inside my head
you will never
fill those shoes

Madeline Wilson

suffocating me
the weight of an elephant
keeps me under the covers

Elizabeth Napier

cold coffee
my cup is chipped
so am i

Meghan Hayes

first snow of winter
all the trees
dead

Jonathan Kuebler

I think these two haiku pair very nicely together because they both involve personal feelings impeding on daily life. To me, it sounds like both of these haiku are dealing with mental illness. The first haiku seems like it’s detailing an anxiety attack, while the second haiku sounds like it is detailing depression. These haiku explain mental illness in a way that is very real. The word choices in both of these haiku make it easier to understand what the speakers of both of the haiku are talking about. They make these feelings relatable and easy to understand. Gillian Genardo, Fall 2019

just when things start
going your way
detour

Madeline Wilson

stepping on gum
the ground asking me
to stay

Morgan Bode

stagnant water
the dead fish
breeds live bugs

Morgan Bode

the decaying log
sinks            waterlogged
wanton

Alexander Bergland

First reading these haikus I was taken back by the blatancy of them. They are very similar in that they are both very foul acts. I liked how both haiku were so different than the average content haikus. These poems place an ugly picture in the reader's head of something that happens in nature but most people chose not to think about it. They are almost a reality check for the reader; not everything in life is pretty. They were very dark haikus without being depressing. Jessi Kreder, Fall 2019

stars in the sky
stepping out of my shoes
for joy

Cassandra Reed

jumping
the crescent moon
my hurdle

Jonathan Kuebler

cascade of rain
the roof creates a symphony
never to be repeated

John DeAngelo

English Folk Song Suite
the jaunty melodies
never leave

Morgan Bode

I enjoyed this pair a lot, and it was difficult to pick a favorite. The first has a light humour in it which creates a twist in the reader's mind and immediately attracted me to it. The subversion of the cliche of jumping for joy along with the image of taking off one’s shoes to enjoy the starry moment is very beautiful. There is also a moment of grace, as the speaker is stepping out, a phrase which implies such a gentle movement. They don't have to force the shoes off of themselves, they simply elegantly shed what is holding them back and continues to walk with the night. In the second, there is more action, and more of a struggle or obstacle although it is still a soft and appreciative aesthetic. The image of a crescent moon adds a lot to this poem and really enhances the readers understanding. The first line being simply “jumping” is also just a really fantastic image to open a haiku with. Morgan Bode, Fall 2019

These haiku mirror each other very well. Both give the reader a pleasant image in regards to space while giving the reader a feeling of elation. Each haiku also mentions some aspect of physically walking through life. As someone who is a collegiate track & field athlete, I appreciate the imagery of a hurdle. Even though most people may see a hurdle in life as a bad thing, that does not always have to be the case. Many people find enjoyment in running events with hurdles, and making that hurdle the moon, hints that this person’s life is in a peaceful place. They have nothing else to concern themselves with besides appreciating the lunar body. The first haiku is leading the reader to a pleasant feeling in a different way. It’s almost a complete wash of relaxing imagery that a reader experiences while reading the haiku. Even though the haiku differ slightly, they both allow readers to take a moment and relax. Ben Kuxmann, Fall 2019

a ring
24 karat or plastic
means the same

Meghan Hayes

old diary—
she finds the rose
from their first date

Gillian Genardo

we fumble over one another 
and giggle an innocent giggle 
wine warming our cheeks

Madeline Wilson

her plaid skirt swishes
hips accentuated
by confidence

Morgan Bode

cascade of rain
the roof creates a symphony
never to be repeated

John DeAngelo

old diary—
she finds the rose
from their first date

Gillian Genardo

I love these haiku together, it sounds like such a good day. I imagine the girl in the second haiku has a great Friday, seeing people she loves and getting her stuff done, staying really focus. She has so much confidence. Then, later that night, she sees her favorite person, sipping wine and giggling while hanging out. These two together just create such a happy picture that I want to happen to me. Maddie Curtin, Fall 2019

funeral roses
the whiskey
goes down smoother

Madeline Wilson

dropping the last picture
in the flames
his name burns

Meghan Hayes

This was one of my favorite matched haiku in the Kuro vs. Mido matching contest. I thought both of these haiku were so deep and written in an encaptivating way that it was very difficult to choose. They both have very strong imagery associated with them and it is evident that these haiku focus on a moment in the poet’s life. I ended up voting for the first one when the time came simply because I was very intrigued by the way the way the haiku was written. I thought the other one was very well written, but I thought the author told me more what to think then the other and I chose the first one because it did not as much. I thought they were both great haikus and a very good Kuro matchup in this contest. Joel Ochoa, Fall 2019

spinning in circles
i look up
dancing with the stars

Joel Ochoa

rain stings my face
I tilt my head
towards the stars

Jessi Kreder

morning walk
a bird call takes me back
to the mountains

Elizabeth Napier

i don’t remember
the driving
just you sitting next to me

Joel Ochoa

silent staircase
         my steps cease
       for a moment of peace

first snowfall
she follows the trail
of a rabbit

Gillian Genardo

we should get coffee
five years catch up
to me

Benjamin Kuxmann

the french press coffee
fresh smell welcoming me
spoiled cream

Morgan Bode