Haiku Kukai 04 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Fall 2020
1 alone time Stark Winter •• I think this haiku is one of the most relatable ones, and that's why I like it. I must say that as much as I like spending time with my friends and family, I equally or more even like my alone time. As the haiku puts it, to recharge myself and for some quiet and peace. All the things I could do on my own, like reading a book, taking a nap, or watching my favorite show, or just staring out my window; endless possibilities. Binny Tamang, Fall 2020 |
2 stomach misfortunes Sydney Griggs • |
3 prayer filled breaths Sydney Griggs •••• When I close my eyes, I am taken back to one of the most important nights of my life. I wrote in a previous response about my coming-to-Christ story, and this poem takes me to a later part of that same evening. I remember that night being full of familiar faces asking me to join them in prayer. A lot of people were very happy happy for me and my newfound faith. However, this poem took me back to the fact that my best friend stayed at the school waiting for me. He was there for almost three hours after the service ended for me to be ready to leave so that we could go talk and get food at Steak ‘n' Shake. The two of us didn't sleep that night; we talked until the sun rose. Kyle Jordan, Fall 2020 |
4 flame society Sydney Griggs •• |
5 Beach Boys sing |
6 music in my mind Stark Winter •• |
7 windows open |
8 upstream Gage Whittington •• |
9 waiting for sunrise Gage Whittington • I like the message of this poem as a whole—that we can trust the sun to rise in the morning. People wake up early to watch the sunrise because it is pretty, but it is also a constant that I think we do forget about sometimes. I also like the em dash in the second line. It gives a good pause for us to think about the sunrise, to contemplate and have that moment of reflection before realizing that we can trust the sun to rise every day. The form of the poem also looks somewhat like a sunrise over a body of water, with the first and third lines as the sky and the water and the second line as the rising sun. It provides a slow, calming feeling as you read it. Maggie Kusar, Fall 2020 |
10 concrete spires Gage Whittington •• This haiku took me a while to think about, but it struck me when I first read it as something important and dark. The first image that came to mind was a church--a cathedral--held up by magnificent columns that are sturdy, made of concrete. Yet the word “machine” made me think about the church again in a different light. Often in religion people can be blinded by their devotion into not seeing that they are being taken advantage of. They cannot see that they have people a part of a machine, an idea or set of ideas that cause them to want to covert others. This inhuman concept grows through humanity and ultimately can lead to terrible things. Now that I've stepped away from Christianity, I can see the havoc it is wrecking on my family, community, and world. While some aspects of it are good and help people, this machine can be weaponized by those in power. Religion is a machine, that church a beautiful housing unit. Mara Currens, Fall 2020 |
11 therapy Sadie Scott •• I find this haiku really interesting because only recently I was wondering about how complex it is to understand a human being. Let alone to understand someone else, it is hard enough to understand me. I think about why I act the way I do sometimes, and the problematic and anxiety-inducing ways I deal with a problem do not seem conducive to my mental health at all. And I feel like I should be able to express my fears without hesitation but then I haven't really tried therapy, so a random object or just a mirror it is. Talking it out does help a bit but then it is hard to pin down the exact source of fears or issues I have and it's just hard to understand the underlying cause. Binny Tamang, Fall 2020 |
12 long drive Sadie Scott • |
13 cancer diagnosis Rebecca Murphy ••• |
14 clutching my rosary Rebecca Murphy • |
15 sun setting Rebecca Murphy •••• This is a great piece that plays with the double meanings inherent to the format. The contemplation of a life near its end is very well executed when played against the setting sun, an almost universal symbol for the ending of a period of time. It shows that the sun is setting, perhaps if not in the reality of the haiku then it's the sun of the man's life that is slowly setting, approaching its ending the way the sunset marks the end of a day. Shannon Gage Whittington, Fall 2020 |
16 her legs are Micky McNaughton • |
17 bee stuck Micky McNaughton •• This brought me back to a vivid nightmare I had as a kid. I was being chased by bees surrounding my head and I was swatting at them with a tennis raquet, but when I woke up I was sitting straight up with my pillow in hand and my cat looking at me like I was crazy from the other side of the room. It also is sort of humorous too because we often do things that seem like they will make a situation better even though there is no real reason it would make the situation better. Similar to knocking on wood, which scientifically will not change the outcome of a situation, running faster will not get the bee unstuck any faster. Danica Brezovar, Fall 2020 |
18 reach toward the Micky McNaughton •••• This poem is simply freeing. With my busy schedule, it can be hard to forget to enjoy simple things. Sometimes I walk outside and just remember that I live on this Earth and I have no idea how or why, but I'm lucky enough to be able to live on it and be warmed by the sun. I don't know how we exist or why, what led to the circumstances that permit human life to thrive on this planet and not any other; why we're lucky enough to live in a time where the sun is in view but in the time that may come as the sun crashes to Earth. We're lucky, and if we aren't lucky, well, we exist. You can dread it or praise it. Sadie Scott, Fall 2020 |
19 the piano man Nicole Dadoly ••• |
20 public aid phone call Nicole Dadoly • |
21 making the playlist |
22 woodpecker on the shaded Mara Currens • |
23 end of the day: sun's retreat Mara Currens •••• We've read so many haiku about sunsets that paint such beautiful pictures, and this one was so fresh and different. I love that each line gets shorter and shorter, sort of mimicking how there's less and less light as the sun sets, I love the change in tone from the first line to the second and third lines and how seamlessly the current slang is woven into the haiku, and I love the fact that it rhymes – I feel as if it makes it all the more lighthearted. Bryn Sentnor, Fall 2020 |
24 picnic by myself Mara Currens • This haiku absolutely describes the landscape of holidays during the pandemic. I thankfully had my birthday for 2020 around April before things got absurdly depressing, but the point still stands. No guests, no gatherings, just ourselves and our thoughts, whatever we can scrape together to make things better. It seems like an alright day, a bit of a mediocre lunch for a picnic by one's self, but the introduction of that last line gives the preceding lines so much more weight. Very well written. Grant Unruh, Fall 2020 |
25 diet Kyle Jordan • |
26 he sprints across Maggie Kusar •• |
27 blanket fort Maggie Kusar • I loved this haiku because it brought me so much comfort reading it. I imagine this soft and cozy fort and being able to relax and destress because there is nothing that I have to do. It was very calming and brought me to an ideal situation for just a moment which I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in. The image of staying until fully charged also made me think that maybe my phone is not in the fort with me so I don't have any distractions or emails to read and mull over. I have to stay in the fort until both my phone and I are fully charged. Danica Brezovar, Fall 2020 |
28 breathe in Maggie Kusar ••• There seems to be a pattern of haikus that I tend to gravitate towards, ones that are focused on the simplicity of life; which is why this haiku was one of my favorites from this kukai. The message is so simple, and yet, I find myself set at ease after reading those short six words. It was perfectly to the point, while still allowing the imagery of the haiku to envelop the reader. This haiku invites you to breathe with the author and experience the serenity of a good book and a cup of tea. Emily Kemp, Fall 2020 |
29 the man watches Kyle Jordan •• I assume in this circumstance, the woman is the sunken ship. He has wronged her, sunk her, sunk their relationship. There is a point of no return here. I love this concept overall. The image of a ship sinking is terrifying and definite, doomed to rot. Sinking also takes a while as the vessel disappears into the unknown, where we cannot follow. This alludes to how the relationship wasn't gone in an instant, but painfully, slowly. I also love how the author introduced this concept on the very last line, leaving the reader to sit and wait through the comparison. Mara Currens, Fall 2020 |
30 high school gym |
31 i walk Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez |
32 i fall in a pit of blood Gwen Klinkey •• |
33 it's okay Grant Unruh • |
34 four a.m. Gwen Klinkey •• As a child I was sick pretty frequently. I have pretty bad asthma so any time I caught a cold it would turn into something worse, usually ending with me in the hospital. I know the feeling of being exhausted but unable to fall asleep because of coughing or sneezing a little too well. Now compound that exhaustion with NyQuil and Benadryl and you would end up feeling a little loopy. One thing this poem made me remember was how I used to watch whatever movies would be on the “after hours” programming on tv. Kyle Jordan, Fall 2020 |
35 "Serve and Protect" Grant Unruh •• |
36 more water |
37 Friday night turn up |
38 four loko Emily Kemp • |
39 get up |
40 muscle stretch Emily Kemp • |
41 i Do thInGs aLl Danica Brezovar ••• |
42 you need to Danica Brezovar •••• This haiku just seemed funny to me at first but the advice within it is really helpful. I like the lighthearted tone it has to it. I also feel like this haiku is one that doesn't take itself too seriously, the very thing it is encouraging the readers to do. Even the punctuation around the word vibe adds to that. It is a really refreshing piece to read. Sydney Griggs, Fall 2020 |
43 the passing of a Tzadik Bryn Stentor •• |
44 her soul departs Bryn Sentnor • This one has a lot that's up for interpretation, but I think that works to its advantage more than it's detriment. The almost macabre description of the soul departing and the contrast with the idea of a sacred vessel works to add a sort of tension to the atmosphere of the haiku. In my opinion, the sacred vessel is the body, the soul departing it in death, but this is not a guaranteed meaning. To me the haiku plays as a half sinister, half reverent description of the moment of death. Shannon Gage Whittington, Fall 2020 |
45 fresh soil Bryn Sentnor •• |
46 rising up Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez • |
47 daisy blooms Binny Tamang ••• This haiku immediately put me in a luscious field and seeing the girl that the poem refers to. I imagined her as a young adult and in this moment her head is turned upward towards a setting sun. She looks at peace and introspective. It is a moment fully for her despite the fact that it seems she isn't alone. Someone is with her, presumably the person who wrote the poem but she is alone in her radiance and calm. Rebecca Murphy, Fall 2020 |
48 moonlit sky Binny Tamang • I really loved the beauty and freedom conveyed in this haiku. I pictured a full moon shining down across a sea of pines, illuminating the treetops as the starry night sky shimmers above. I don't know if this is a view from within a dream or the writer is actually there, but the energy and sense of wonderful urgency and energy conveyed is amazing. Also, this haiku has werewolves. Any haiku that features werewolves is a good haiku. Grant Unruh, Fall 2020 |
49 post-workout |
50 elastigirl and stickman |
51 I feel diStressed Gwen Klinkey |
52 life revolves Danica Brezovar •••• This one heated me up, but in a very very fun way. Some days ago I watched a video of a Karen acting very childish (no, that is disrespecting children, she was acting very karenish) and I just wanted to scream at my screen. “No Karen, life does not revolves around you. You just look (not to say are) very stupid doing what you are doing. Shut up lmao.” So yeah I get angry but in a very fun and non-violent way (I think it helps me as I relieve my stress by getting really excited when they get called out). Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez, Fall 2020 |
53 a reason? Danica Brezovar •• I resonated heavily with this haiku. Speaking as someone who is amazing at giving compliments but terrible at receiving them, I very often try to be positive to my friends and people who I think deserve such praise. In moments of doubt, that reassurance can make all the difference, but everyone - EVERYONE - has those moments of doubt. This haiku spoke to me as one of those moments where someone is asking a close friend what value they see in them, jokingly responding with the trash line, but hinting at a greater appreciation, which I think is wonderful. Grant Unruh, Fall 2020 |
54 been six hours Binny Tamang ••• |
55 foggy room Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez ••••• • This haiku is so beautiful and clever in its structure. I love the decision to have the words types backwards as if you were reading it from the mirror's perspective. I feel the steamy room as I step out of the shower and the self-hatred I've tried to scrub off with the burning hot water. As I step into the mirror, I feel the disappointment of feeling no change in your body, only more hydration in my sinuses. This haiku was so specific and so universal at the same time. It is not happy, but it is almost comforting to know that it is an experience that you are not alone in. Micky McNaughton, Fall 2020 |
56 a hole in my sock Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez •• I love how playful and lighthearted this haiku is. The image of fat goblins being “back at it again” (which is one of my favorite “zoomer lingo” phrases) gives it a sense of adventure waiting to happen, but also damning the goblins for creating the hole in the sock. Also, I loved the comparison of toes to goblins – it's a much better analogy than pigs. This haiku just goes to show how something so dull and mundane such as a hole in a sock can be made so interesting. I think I'm in love with this haiku. Bryn Sentnor, Fall 2020 I loved this haiku because it made me laugh. It got me imagining a big goblin who is only fixated on eating holes in socks. Maybe he has an outfit that is sock themed and he lives in a shoe content with eating socks. It was a fun picture to think about and imagine. I felt like I was reading a kid's story. One that was absurdly fictional but had a really well-built character that I related to in some weird not at all real way. It also served as a great explanation for why socks get holes in them! Danica Brezovar, Fall 2020 |
57 thin glass door Danica Brezovar • |
58 head laid down |
59 hand in hand |
60 ". . . ok boomer" Mara Currens • “Okay boomer” is such a funny millenial/gen z term. It's dismissive and sarcastic at the same time, and perfectly captures the attitude of a lot of people in that generation. I like that the phrase was paired with the image of Rome falling. It takes a humorous phrase and makes it a lot more loaded and powerful. I imagined a young man staring at someone older than him, having just been told some story about “when I was your age…” or given some piece of life advice that doesn't fit what he wants to do, and he says “okay boomer” and watches the confusion and annoyance in the other person's eyes with triumph. Maggie Kusar, Fall 2020 |
61 corpse pose Bryn Sentnor • |
62 from the depths of hell Bryn Sentnor •• As someone who suffered/suffers from depression and has experienced great grief, I understood this haiku in an instant. Great sadness is encompassing and dulling, blending together sights and sounds until everything is a blur. It is so, so powerful. It lingers. And it does seem to come from the depths of hell, as the author describes it. The way they phrase it is foreboding and almost story-like, like the sadness the subject is feeling is so intense that it must be justified as coming from hell. Newly contagious, she is infecting the people around her, unable to help herself or others. When I was at my lowest, I saw my friends and family distance themselves from me, as if I was carrying some physical ailment. It broke me more in that moment, but now I see that it isn't healthy to be so close to someone in the depths of depression. You may suffer, but it's never right to drag others down so you can feel accompanied. My greatest accomplishment was surviving that and learning how to be a healthy, maturing human being. While I and others still struggle, I have the strength to carry through most anything. Mara Currens, Fall 2020 |
63 mom told me Bryn Sentnor •• |
64 in for four hold for four
out for four repeat Bryn Sentnor •• I Use this box breathing method a lot when I get stressed out and it gives my brain something else to focus on. I really like the way that this poem triggers a rush of calm and peace that usually follows panic and stress. This is exactly how I get into my “zen” meditative state because it helps me empty my mind. When I read this, I found myself subconsciously starting to do the breathing exercise. The way this poem is written feels like a command. I feel an odd compulsion to just stop and take a breath. Kyle Jordan, Fall 2020 |
65 stick Maggie Kusar •• The format of this haiku makes it what it is. I love the playfulness – I could see a small child at the beach and how excited they are about building a sandcastle. I also love that you can read it from top to bottom or from bottom to top. The way I see it, if you read it from bottom to top, the story is that the child has the idea to make a sandcastle and gets all excited, and then as you go up, it's the process of building it: three buckets of sand stacked one on top of the other, with a stick stuck in the top to top it all off. If you read it from top to bottom, however, it's as if the child is presenting what she or he has created to an audience of parents or other onlookers. Bryn Sentnor, Fall 2020 |
66 c h a s s é Maggie Kusar •• This haiku made me smile. Unless you dance, the rhythm probably isn't clear. but the structure of this haiku perfectly captures the most common rhythm of your feet doing these steps. It captures the breath and the suspension of the moves so well. I also enjoy that it's a balance and not a leap that is going across the floor. It completely changes the momentum of the poem. It makes the haiku more grounded as I see the dancer compete with their partner across the floor to see who can balance longer before continuing. I hear the clunking of pointe shoes and I see the teacher enforcing the words with some bobbing movements. I feel the piano playing a waltz to support the rhythm. In general, this haiku brought me so much joy. Micky McNaughton, Fall 2020 I can hear my many dance teachers' voices when I read this haiku. There is a distinct way that many dance teachers say, “again”. It is stress-inducing and just hearing this haiku in my mind made me think I needed to be dancing and putting my full effort into it. In dance you are pushed to your physical limits, and when you are exhausted most teachers will say “again”. This haiku wonderfully captures the tone of a dance teacher and how it makes a dance student feel. Rebecca Murphy, Fall 2020 |
67 candlelight illuminates Kyle Jordan • |
68 shutting the book Emily Kemp ••• Oh my oh my, what a feeling. I have nothing else to say. Maybe I do. The only one thing I hate about reading great books is when I read the last word and then I read no more because there is nothing else to read. Emmmm excuse me author, I need more?????? Congrats to whoever wrote this haiku. I hate it (r/angryupvote) Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez, Fall 2020 I particularly like this haiku because it describes that feeling well after I am done reading a good book. I become really immersed when I am reading a book, like quoting its random lines to my friends or picking up the style of writing employed in the book or just trying to act a certain way as my favorite character does. After becoming really involved with the content of the book, when it comes to an end, it feels like now I must find a new purpose in life again and that the adventure I was on has come to an end. So, it does feel empty for a while but soon enough I pick up a new book and quickly start relishing the newfound book. Binny Tamang, Fall 2020 |
69 just drink some water Emily Kemp • I like how this haiku represents the usual vague and simple words that the general public gives us when we show that something is not ok. |
70 "reconnecting" with |
71 dark and cold |
72 unknown feelings Grant Unruh • You truly never know what you have until it's gone. I had been estranged from my father for years, but one of my teachers in high school talked about her father passing away. She talked about how he was sick in the hospital for months, and she slept on the ground next to him every day he was in the hospital. I didn't know why it affected me so deeply, but I started to sob. I thought about my own father dying. I decided to reconnect with him. My teacher's story about loss made me realize how I felt about my father. Sadie Scott, Fall 2020 |
73 ick |
74 "I'm fifteen" Gwen Klinkey ••• |
75 killers freed from Mara Currens • |
76 mom flies to California |
77 favoritelinenpantshugmythighs Mara Currens ••• If I were pairing two haiku from this kukai, I would pair this with 55. Their structures make the impact of the words so much clearer. Both of these haiku hurt so good. In this one, the first like emphasizes the tightness of the pants. I can feel the anxiety that comes with wearing pants that were once your favorite but don't fit right anymore. You seek the comfort that those pants once provided, and it can make you spiral into skipping meals. Wearing ill-fitting clothes can hurt your body image, especially when those clothes used to mean a lot to you. Micky McNaughton, Fall 2020 |
78 crow circles Mara Currens • I really liked the way this person used imagery. In my mind a pictured someone slaving away next to a large oil canvas, trying to articulate the image of a setting sky with paint. All the colors blended into one another, and in the corner tiny black crows searching the ground for some food. I also imagined the artist carefully placing a brush on the canvas to blend the colors to oblivion. The vibes it gave me were so comforting and peaceful, a wonderfully written haiku. Emily Kemp, Fall 2020 |
79 magicians Sadie Scott •• |
80 after the funeral Sadie Scott •• |
81 he might be your dad Nicole Dadoly •• |
82 cremation Sadie Scott •••• Going into this haiku, I was fully prepared to be sad. Reading the first two lines, I expected the piece to be mournful and full of grief. At that point, I ended up thinking of my grandfather who was cremated a few years ago. So, when I hit the third line it was especially jarring. I just sort of sat there in a state of shock before realizing the pun and laughing it off. Sydney Griggs, Fall 2020 Honestly, this haiku was one that made me laugh a little at the comedic absurdity of it. It was another one of those haiku where the last line really takes you by surprise, in a good way. The creativity with wordplay is incredible, and it really invites you, as the reader, to get a good laugh out of such a simple yet unexpected idea. Emily Kemp, Fall 2020 |
83 in church pews Micky McNaughton •• |
84 newlywed faces Micky McNaughton • I love the concept used here consisting of life vs death, new vs old. The circle of life, as it's called, described from how death comes new life. In my opinion, this is hardly ever true. People die, and it hurts, and it's sad. Nothing good comes out of it. Nobody new is born because of this loss. But, this haiku, or at least the picture it paints, would be an interesting situation. I wonder how each member from each party would feel facing each other. Sadie Scott, Fall 2020 |
85 friends . . . |
86 he imagines |
87 garden walk |
88 nine lives Sadie Scott ••••• Honestly, I really like this haiku. Mostly because I really love cats, but the piece also makes a good point, one that just kind of makes you think a little bit. This is another one of those haiku that are refreshingly light in terms of its content. It is enjoyably simple and funny. Sydney Griggs, Fall 2020 If a cat isn't an outdoor cat, they do seem very lazy, and they are stereotyped as animals who will only nap in the sun all day. I imagined a young kid learning the fun fact that cats are thought to have nine lives, and subsequently wondering why they need so many when all their pet does is sleep and eat. I like that this haiku begins with “nine lives and doesn't mention a cat by name at all in the following lines” I immediately pictured a cat because nine lives are commonly associated with cats, and I like that even without specifically naming the animal, that is what this haiku brings to mind. Maggie Kusar, Fall 2020 |
89 red bike Sophia Zinger •• |
90 sign on the door Sophia Zinger •• I imagined a young girl walking away from their home after being evicted. The eviction sign is printed in her mind from the day she first saw it. As she walks away from the home she has loved she tries not to cry. She grabs her mother's hand and puts on a brave face. They walk away from the home that has been taken from them with no certainty for the future. Rebecca Murphy, Fall 2020 |
91 letters sprawled Micky McNaughton •• I enjoy the way certain haiku break format in order to portray a certain concept. This one is interesting in that even though the letters are scattered, they're also out of order, meaning that the word is actually completely illegible. Though it is strange that even with the letter scrambled I would wager most people reading it could understand that the word is "illegible". A nice haiku for taking advantage of a quirk in psychology. Shannon Gage Whittington, Fall 2020 |
92 the windows creep Maggie Kusar • |
93 my birthday second time Mara Currens • |
94 finally I confess |
95 kindergarten graduation Sydney Griggs ••• |
96 funeral chatter Sydney Griggs ••• |
© 2020, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
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