Kukai 05
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Fall 2020
1 the crowded airport Danica Brezovar •••• At first, I read this as a love story, where a woman is watching her love walk away from her, possibly forever, and then he turns back and her heart drops because she hadn't dared hope that he would stay with her. However, the second time I read it, I saw a woman watching another person leave, and when they turn back, her heart drops because she wanted him to leave. She wanted him to leave because her life would have been less complicated if he had left, but now he's turned back. The final line is such a powerful one because the first two lines set up like a movie scene, and then it breaks your heart at the end. Maggie Kusar, Fall 2020 |
2 my night Danica Brezovar •• |
3 Dad's voice Danica Brezovar •• |
4 I cross my legs Rebecca Murphy ••••• • |
5 healing old wounds Sydney Griggs ••• This haiku made me think of when I got new basketball shoes after we put my dog down. I had been crying all day and my friends decided that my sister and I needed to get out. So my mother, sister, friends, and I all went to the mall. We went into Journey's and my mother got me new basketball shoes. They didn't fix anything or make losing my dog less painful, but it gave me a few minutes of relief. The fact that someone wrote about shoes healing a wound made me question if I had written it myself. Apparently shoes are therapeutic for many people. Rebecca Murphy, Fall 2020 |
6 prince of her dreams |
7 sidewalk snow storm Sydney Griggs •• |
8 my skate leaves Rebecca Murphy •• |
9 12 a.m. Rebecca Murphy ••• My mom and I both love Silent Night, and while it's not my favorite Christmas song, it is my favorite religious Christmas song. We've never gone to midnight mass, but we normally go at 6pm when it's dark. Our church does candlelight services, not all of it by candlelight, but a couple prayers and then to finish it out we sing Silent Night before extinguishing our candles and continuing the service. They have us do the last verse without piano or anything and it always makes me want to cry. I'm not sure why because I'm not super religious, but I do believe in energy between people and in spaces and maybe there's just so much energy that my mind is overwhelmed by that. I'm really sad that we won't be able to do that this year. Gwen Klinkey, Fall 2020 |
10 sticky night Micky McNaughton ••• |
11 I cast a Mara Currens ••••• • I love this poem because it's so short and simple, but for me, it carries a lot of weight within it. I always bake banana bread for people, and it's because I love people so deeply that I feel like I have to express it physically. It's really hard to express how much you care about someone outwardly, especially if it's not romantic love, so I bake for the people I love. I want them to love what I bake, and of course I want them to love me back. Sadie Scott, Fall 2020 |
12 exhausted Micky McNaughton •• |
13 Chicago skyrise Sadie Scott •• The specific location of Chicago really stuck out to me in this haiku. I imagined this woman from her office, staring over the skylines and buildings of downtown Chicago from her newly acquired position at her dream job. Being able to do what she wants to do on her own terms, not being confined into certain roles or ideas. It's an image I only wish more people are able to attain - being able to live and love yourself, not having to do so for anyone else. Not to downplay the roles of others in their lives, but moreso that they understand who they are and what they're working toward long-term. Grant Unruh, Fall 2020 |
14 your birthday gift Sadie Scott •• |
15 laying next to you Sadie Scott ••••• I can't put my finger on exactly what I enjoy about this haiku. I just think that it is so joyful and happy. It leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy as I read each line, but especially the last two. I think many of us can relate to that emotion of just inexplicable happiness when we are around that one special person. This haiku portrays that moment so well. Sydney Griggs, Fall 2021 I thought this haiku was really sweet. It captures the bliss and enjoyment of being in a relationship very well - the other partner doesn't even need to say anything, all they have to do is be around them for them to feel happier and such. I think that's a wonderful relationship to have, not even needing to ask the other to say anything, because they already know. As cliche as it sounds, I do hope I can have that type of relationship someday. Grant Unruh, Fall 2020 I absolutely loved the concept of this haiku. For me, experiencing this type of happiness around someone has always been quite surprising because of how difficult it can be to make that type of connection. It wasn't until I came to college when this situation first happened. I found myself sitting with my best friends, and despite the prolonged silence that had been going on for some time a smile started to creep onto my face. The more I thought about how ridiculous I was being the bigger the smile got, until the people that had made me that happy noticed and we all erupted in laughter. Emily Kemp, Fall 2020 I smile just reading this haiku. I know that feeling of having someone I love lying next to me, and just their presence—hearing their breath, taking in their scent, feeling the heat of their body—is enough to make you want to lie there with them forever. It illustrates such a pure and wholesome kind of connection between two people, and it's beautiful. Bryn Sentnor, Fall 2020 |
16 wind Micky McNaughton •••• |
17 melancholy weekend Mara Currens •• This haiku is really relatable. During the weekdays, it is hard enough with classes and assignments, so the lack of time results in dishes under the bed but during the weekend sometimes it's easier to get chores done while other times I don't want to move or do anything. Some weeks drains us harder than other weeks and I think that is a valid reason to not want to do anything on the weekends. Another way I perceive this haiku is from the point of view of someone who's not in a good place at the moment. This haiku reflects the melancholic feelings associated with depression pretty well. Binny Tamang, Fall 2020 |
18 she kisses him Mara Currens ••• |
19 marked for life Stark Winter ••••• •• Oh my goodness this poem gave me chills and brought back so many memories it makes me teary-eyed. The semicolon tattoo is right where this haiku took me and that tattoo means so much to me and too many of my friends. Specifically, one of my closest friends who is essentially my brother - he goes out for coffee with my mom, comes to family dinners, and had a beer with my dad for his 21st. Over the years, I watched him go through some of the darkest times in his life, and I watched him come out of them stronger - scarred, but stronger. I look up to him and his resilience every day. As soon as he turned 18, he got the semicolon tattoo to remind him that there was a reason he didn't end his life. He adds onto it when he can. My personal favorite addition is an owl for his baby sister because she is one of the biggest lights in his life. This haiku made my heart so happy. Thank you for sharing it with us. Mickey McNaughton, Fall 2020 I love this haiku because I immediately thought of the semicolon, the symbol often used by suicide survivors to reconcile with their lives--that their attempt was only a pause in their life, not the end. The phrasing of the third line I especially want to highlight--the way Stark used the verb “shines” to make it seem like there is an inner light shining through my external wounds (alluding to self-harm), making them windows of light and not ugly marks. It also contrasts with the negative-connotation of “marked for life” in the first line. Mara Currens, Fall 2020 To me, this haiku is about the semicolon movement. For a long time now, people with mental health issues have gotten tattoos of semicolons as a sign of hope. The idea behind this movement is that, even though the author was given a choice to end a sentence but chose not to and keep going. The idea is that the semicolon tattoo would be a reminder to that person that even when life feels like it is coming to an end, you have the power to make the choice to keep going. Kyle Jordan, Fall 2020 I have several friends who have a tattoo of a semicolon on their wrist as a constant reminder that wherever they are in life, this is not the end of the story, and things can always get better. I love that the author chose to use the word “shine.” The image of the semicolon shining through their wrist almost makes it seem as if the tattoo is emitting light and that light is spreading throughout their entire body, as if the light is representative of worth and it's saying that every inch of you has worth and every inch of you matters. Bryn Sentnor, Fall 2020 |
20 warm glow in the east Stark Winter •••• I love poems about sunshine and warmth because I'm someone who just enjoys heat. I'm always cold and I gravitate towards warmth. I mentioned it in class that I'm like a cat in the way that I just enjoy sitting by sunny windows, taking in the glow. I love the way the poem makes sunbeams almost tangible, something that can be breathed in. You can't really smell sunbeams, but in a way, it almost feels like you can, and this captures that unreal feeling. Sadie Scott, Fall 2020 This haiku has a certain calmness to it. I like summer, and when I say I like summer I don't mean the scorching sun but the summer mornings before noon where the sun isn't too hot and it's just warm and fuzzy. This haiku reminded me of that where I'd just read a book under the sunbeams as soon as I wake up in the morning. There wouldn't be any noise and no one walking around. Just silence and warmth, a really nice feeling. Binny Tamang, Fall 2020 |
21 golden rays across |
22 I splash through the puddles Stark Winter •• |
23 he glances up as she passes Maggie Kusar ••••• • |
24 feuilles d'automne Maggie Kusar •• |
25 evening campfire Bryn Sentnor ••• |
26 wildflowers tied Mara Currens ••••• |
27 Mount Everest Mara Currens • |
28 unrequited love Mara Currens ••••• |
29 2 am |
30 cold winter night Bryn Sentnor ••• |
31 shout along Grant Unruh •••• |
32 roundabout way Grant Unruh •• |
33 dozens of old love letters Binny Tamang ••••• • |
34 fleeting glimpse Binny Tamang ••••• • This haiku makes me think of the transience of hummingbirds, with the slanted verse of the poem adding to the velocity of the moment. Hummingbirds always brighten my day, and while it's rare for me to see them where I live (and in our flowerless garden in particular), they always lend a moment of excitement. What I really like about them is that I don't have time to take out my phone and take a picture, I just have to let myself live in the moment and experience the lovely little birds before they disappear back into the air. Stark Winter, Fall 2020 |
35 summer evening— |
36 awkward slow dance Grant Unruh • |
37 annoying speech Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez ••••• |
38 she does debate club Emily Kemp ••• I spoke about this one in class, but this one was one of my favorites. This speaks to a boiling rage that we are taught to subdue, only expressing our true feelings through socially accepted means, like debate. These two individuals are so similar, even though they express themselves so differently. I imagine that they recognized a kindred spirit right away, their rage for the first time being justified. I love how, in this haiku, a scene is set so intricately and solidly within three simple lines. There is so much subtext that one gets right away. Also, I'm a sucker for romance haiku. Mara Currens, Fall 2020 |
39 I made a mistake Emily Kemp •••• |
40 target for wolves Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez ••• This poem is so specific and strange. I think it is very imaginative as well. I can just imagine someone standing stock-still, trying not to be noticed by a pack of wild wolves. And then, suddenly and involuntarily sneezing. Oh no. Being betrayed by one's own body in the most deadly of ways. I wonder what this poem is a metaphor for, or what prompted the writer to write it. |
41 time to question Grant Unruh ••
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42 carefully wrapping Emily Kemp ••• I like this poem because it has such strong imagery. It really is a feat to drive home with delicate items in tow. I can just imagine wrapping this tea cup in a newspaper, maybe placing it carefully in a bag, and hoping for the best. I wonder what kind of tea cup this poem is about. I'd like a bit more description on that front. |
43 small and dim Gage Whittington •• I love the idea of deep time, the study of time on an astronomical scale, where a million years is a blink of an eye. As the universe expands, the cosmic background radiation continues to bounce around. Part of TV static is actually this background radiation, so in a sense the TV static really does show other worlds. This haiku also makes me think of pareidolia, or the constant search for patterns and images that our brains do. I imagine a child staring into the static of a tube TV, finding little worlds, aliens, and imaginary friends buried within. Stark Winter, Fall 2020 |
44 she tells me she's a lap dog Gwen Klinkey •• This poem makes me feel the same way that I feel about the Government during this election. It feels like we continue to try the same things over and over, with no avail. We continue to have the same two-party system, the same old white men in charge, and the same old rich getting richer while the poor get poorer. Clearly, something isn't working here and needs to be changed. To quote Benjamin Franklin, “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.” Kyle Jordan, Fall 2020 This haiku resurrected a memory I had years ago back in high school. My best friend and I had made plans to watch all of the Emmy nominated movies from that year, and so over the summer we spent over two days straight watching movies. However, this was the first time I had ever been to his house so I was not aware of how his dog would act. All she wanted was love and attention, but what she didn't know was that her long claws were constantly scratching up my legs. It was a sweet gesture just poorly executed. Emily Kemp, Fall 2020 |
45 sound and fury Gage Whittington •••v |
46 for the first time |
47 ancient pines Stark Winter •••• This haiku filled me with a sense of calm. I imagined beautiful, tall pines that birds had made nests in. I imagined the birds chirping and the sounds of creatures rustling as I calmly read a novel. I saw deer look over at me and then continue on with their day. I love forests and pines are my favorite kind of tree so this poem was wonderful to me. Rebecca Murphy, Fall 2020 |
48 slip and slide in the backyard |
49 looking down Binny Tamang •• Flying on a plane, everything looks so big, but so tiny at the same time. We cannot even see people, but we say that they look like ants from a plane. Isn't that wonderful? Maybe during takeoff or landing, but that's just a very short amount of time, compared to the whole duration of the flight. For me, this haiku expresses power, knowledge, hope, innocence and realization. Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez, Fall 202 |
50 never too late Binny Tamang ••••• This poem seemed a little vague to me but I still like it. I get the sense that the writer is late for the library, but is still feeling good because they enjoy riding the train it took to get there anyway. If that is the case, I can relate to that. I love riding the train. I would do it even if I didn't have a specific destination in mind. So I do like this poem for that reason. It is actually quite a nice image and makes me want to write more about modes of transport. Sophia Zinger, Fall 2020 There's something calming about a city at two in the morning, riding the empty train that doesn't stop at stations to pick up passengers because everyone else beside you and the driver is asleep. Once you get off the train, there are only a couple cars on the road, streetlights turning green only for the roads to remain silent. A dog barks somewhere in the distance, and you can hear faint laughter as the bars close and the last few people spill out onto the street. It's dark, but all the city lights are there, the train horn sounds in the distance, and it's peaceful. Maggie Kusar, Fall 202 |
51 leaves crunch under Kyle Jordan •• |
52 sunlight filters through trees Kyle Jordan ••••• • This haiku made me imagine my friends and I hanging out at the park. Now that it is fall we have been out walking more and wearing sweaters. I imagined my friends and I laughing while we walked and enjoying each other's company. This haiku made me happy and I think it is beautifully written. Rebecca Murphy, Fall 2020 What I love about this haiku is that there's no real mention of the time of year this takes place, but the phrase “sweater weather” is such a common phrase now that it automatically invokes an image of fall: red, orange, and gold leaves falling from the trees mentioned in the poem, and the wind blowing through her hair as she smiles because she's wearing her favorite knit sweater. Autumn has arrived. Bryn Sentnor, Fall 2020 |
53 a table Kyle Jordan •••• This makes me think of when you just go out to a normal dinner at like Chili's or something and then people come in for prom and/or homecoming. Like they're dressed so nicely and they're going to Chili's. I get it, I would do the same, and honestly what I wouldn't give for some of their chicken bacon ranch quesadillas right now. But it's always inevitable that your dress drags on the floor and gets dirty and you can't really clean prom dresses unless you get them dry cleaned but that's really expensive. It's sad when you come home and the hem is discolored. Gwen Klinkey, Fall 2020 |
54 eighth birthday |
55 winter's pout Sydney Griggs •• |
56 quarantine in bed |
57 I grasp my sister Rebecca Murphy •• |
58 family dinner Sydney Griggs ••••• • This was the best “twist” haiku that I read in this kukai, so I had to mention it. There was a definite thought process here about how the author was going to sculpt the haiku, meaning that the pauses between lines are thoughtful and effortless. The dual-use of “salt” is genius--I wish I would've thought about that! The haiku is also visually pleasing. There is just enough simplicity--there are no extra words here. The haiku is succinct and to the point. I also love the use of “pouring” as an active verb. There is a definite imagery to pouring: heavy, active, purposeful. Mara Currens, Fall 2020 What I like about this is that I can be both, either the author or their family, who is pouring the salt. Maybe the author, knowing that there are family issues and that they will not have a good time, decided to show up. Or maybe the family keeps hurting–either physically or emotionally– the author for something that happened in the past, but they don't realize that what they are doing isn't good. Also, and as I have mentioned lots of times in the past, I like the surprise element, which is present in this haiku. Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez, Fall 2020 |
59 I breathe in Rebecca Murphy ••••• • My cousins and I always played in the rain during the inevitable thunderstorms that would come when we visited our grandparents in North Carolina during the summer. We would run out and catch toads and run around in the garage with our wet feet slapping on the concrete floor. We also had a bell we would ring when lightning struck. I don't know why, but it was fun and I have a lot of good memories surrounding playing in the rain. Gwen Klinkey, Fall 2020 The imagery included within this piece was fantastic. I'm a pretty big fan of the rain, and how it affects the senses is something few things can capture in just the way rain can. The focus on that oddly-specific scent of rain provided an interesting backdrop for the rest of the haiku - which I also thought was very nicely written. The multiple ways it can be read, just as “breathing in their laughter” or creating a bit of distance and separation with “i breathe in. their laughter” was really fascinating. The imagery is probably an experience I'll never quite be sure of, but with descriptions as loaded and well-written as that, I'm okay with that. Grant Unruh, Fall 2020 |
60 my tears soak Rebecca Murphy •• |
61 return home Mara Currens ••• |
62 roaring river behind Mara Currens • |
63 bipolar mother Mara Currens ••• |
64 rips in the plaster walls Mara Currens ••• |
65 vintage dress Mara Currens •• |
66 summer love Mara Currens •• |
67 driving to see Micky McNaughton •••• |
68 dancing Micky McNaughton ••• |
69 swipe left Rebecca Murphy ••• While I don't have a Tinder, or any experience dating online, this haiku makes me chuckle. The trend of people (particularly guys wearing baseball caps and shades) who decide that courtship should be based on classic hunter-gatherer tactics like fishing is too funny to pass up. Admittedly, the ability to catch fish worked for thousands of years. However, this haiku in particular reminds me of the shirts that say “Women Want Me, Fish Fear Me.” While this alone would really distance me from the haiku, I enjoy the parody shirts saying “Women are indifferent about me, and fish are unaware of my existence,” which I find a more palatable choice. Stark Winter, Fall 2020 |
70 he doesn't remember |
71 the homily is lost Rebecca Murphy •• |
72 the macarena circle Danica Brezovar ••••• This piece takes me back to middle school. Specifically, a sock hop for some reason. I just see a crowd of girls on the sidelines of the decorated gymnasium dancing the Macarena with all their friends. They laugh and poke fun at each other, just glad to be together as a group. There's something wholesome about that image. I just feel the joy that the girls feel, and it reminds me of all the school dances I went to with my friends. Sydney Griggs, Fall 2020 This haiku is so beautiful in its simplicity. It brings back the memories of my friends and I dancing in a circle because we didn't have dates and oh those were the only dances where I had a truly great time. There are no worries of judgement because you cannot see the people who are judging you - there probably aren't but we like to fool ourselves into thinking that people really care more than they do. The song doesn't even have to be the Macarena - we will do that dance to any song that comes on. The last line really lets it sink in - there are no men who are telling us what to do and if there are men, they are in the circle with us having a good time as well. The innocence of the moment is preserved and that last line hurts a little because we don't feel that free most of the time. Mickey McNaughton, Fall 2020 |
73 a deer |
74 leaves rustle Danica Brezovar •• |
75 I spin the globe— Rebecca Murphy ••••• I find this poem extremely exciting and empowering. Sometimes the only way when you can feel in control of the world is when you're holding the globe. Just to hold a tiny recreation of something so huge in real life, it can remind you of how small you truly are. Yet, to still want to make an impact, it seems impossible, but so worth the effort. Sadie Scott, Fall 2020 This poem takes me back to a thought I had a few days ago. I was watching a dolphin documentary to put myself to sleep, and while I sat there, I thought about just how big the world is. There is so much of the world that we haven't even touched. I thought about how there are nearly eight billion people in this world, and each of us expects to be significant at one point or another. Even with this poem's optimistic tone and message, I read it and got thrown into some sort of an existential spiral. Kyle Jordan, Fall 2020 This haiku sounds like a mantra to me and just saying it feels really empowering. Although it also makes me feel the powerlessness of my current self, this haiku just reminds me of what I am capable of. It makes one want to work hard because it makes one believe that they can, in fact, change the world. My love for globes is one of the reasons why I like this haiku. On a side note, this haiku gives me the vibes I usually get when I am watching “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” where Katara says, “But I believe Aang can save the world.” Binny Tamang, Fall 2020 |
76 two in the morning Binny Tamang •• |
77 you push and pull |
78 my hoodie engulfs him |
79 preemie diapers |
80 if you feel Bryn Sentnor •••• |
81 stage fright |
82 my yellow top . . . |
83 powdered sugar smile— Maggie Kusar •• |
84 thrift store Sadie Scott • |
85 end of watch. Maggie Kusar •• I am not religious, so I don't fully understand the Biblical story and significance of this haiku. However, it was still one of my favorites because of what I could get out of it. All I can see reading this poem is the end of the movie, It's a Wonderful Life. I see the end where Clarence finally gets his wings, and the family is back together, lives are saved. It is a wonderful scene, and crosses the secular/popular entertainment and the biblical. Mickey McNaughton, Fall 2020 |
86 mom jeans Sadie Scott •••• |
87 she butt-dials her ex . . . Sadie Scott ••••• • |
88 hoodie and hair down, I hide Maggie Kusar •• |
89 hot noodles |
90 breathbecomesviolent and s l o w s Micky McNaughton •• |
91 dinner table tales Maggie Kusar ••• |
92 never-been-kissed . . . Rebecca Murphy •••• This is a powerful haiku. The first line reads like a taunt that children would sing at someone, making fun of them for something stupid. The taunts never ask for a reason, but the reason is that the person doesn't want to settle for someone who isn't worth it. To this person, a kiss means a lot more than most people make it out to be, and they aren't going to kiss someone until they find someone who is worth it. Maggie Kusar, Fall 2020 This was definitely one of my favorite haiku from this round of kukai. The message of knowing your self-worth is so simple and there is no trace of shame anywhere. For people who are less experienced with relationships, it can be very difficult to admit it out loud for fear of ridicule from your peers. But this haiku has no hesitation and makes it clear that it is a personal choice not to be ashamed of. Emily Kemp, Fall 2020 |
93 maybes almosts and what ifs Nicole Dadoly •••• This haiku leaves me feeling hopeful. It opens sounding very contemplative and then leaves us with a broad statement. The rhyme between the first and third lines flows so well. I love everything about this haiku. I wish I could say more about it, but honestly, it has rendered me speechless. It is just that good. Sydney Griggs, Fall 2021 |
94 grandma's favorite mug Mara Currens •••• |
95 alleyway thoughts fall again Maggie Kusar ••••• As I said in class, I like how the format of this haiku expresses its content. As an alleyway, it is long and stretchy. Its last couple of words are breaking apart from the rest, and seems like gravity is doing its thing. They are falling, just like the second to last word expresses. Adrian Sanchez Rodriguez, Fall 2020 |
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© 2020, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.