Haiku Kukai 11 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Fall 2025
1 wars on tv . . . Asa Pilger This haiku captures that sudden jolt of awareness when the comfort of your own life feels almost undeserved. Watching war on screen while sitting safely on the couch creates a sharp contrast that's hard to ignore. The poem reflects that quiet guilt, the feeling of being protected by chance while others face danger every day. In just a few lines, it shows how heavy that realization can feel, even in the middle of something as ordinary as watching tv. Chelsea Hammons, Fall 2025 |
2 cricket hops on the step |
3 colorful leaves Nicole Wells I like this haiku because trails almost become unrecognizable throughout the different seasons. You really only go on trails when its nice out so it is interesting to see them from a different perspective with leaves, snow, etc. I used to bike and the trails always looked completely different throughout the course of the year. Abbey Matthews, Fall 2025 |
4 the creak of the door Nicole Wells This haiku brings me back to being a kid, lying in bed long after I was supposed to be asleep, when the smallest sounds in the house felt huge. The creak of the door wasn't just a noise, it was a warning, a signal that my dad had noticed the light under the crack or heard the TV too late at night. I always knew it was him from the way he opened the door, slow but unmistakable, and I froze, eyes squeezed shut trying to look like I was asleep. That sound carried a mix of guilt and anticipation, the kind you only feel when you know you've broken a rule but still hope you can get away with it. The haiku captures that fleeting moment perfectly, how a single creak can hold an entire story, and how deeply those childhood sounds stay with us. Chelsea Hammons, Fall 2025 |
5 in a glass case |
6 tree in the front yard Asa Pilger I read this one and immediately thought of the year all my trees were cut down. My neighborhood was always littered with trees, up until I was a Junior in high school. That year, they re-did all the water pipes, and to do so they decided they needed to cut down 90% of the trees in the whole neighborhood. I went from 9 trees to 2 in one month, and they were all healthy, some huge and some small. It’s so upsetting to have this beautiful presence that’s been there forever just get… removed. Taken away. I think the pause in the last line really conveys this feeling. The people who cut it down usually give whatever reasons, sometimes valid, but it’s upsetting regardless. Coraline Nelson, Fall 2025 This haiku reminds me of when I had a bunch of trees cut down in my backyard, but it wasn’t for safety. They were ordered by our HOA to be cut down, and I was sad when this happened. Our house had a little more land than more modern homes, about an acre or so, and we had so many trees. I loved playing in our yard everyday with all the trees, and when I got older, having coffee on the back porch and watching deer come through. The ellipses in this haiku really add to the line break, and adds an extra pause, taking a moment for the loss of the tree. Jordana Samnick, Fall 2025 |
7 glass reflection Chelsea Hammons I liked this haiku because of the imagery and word choice. The person in this haiku could have fogged the glass or they could be seeing their breath during a cold morning. I liked how I was able to think about the haiku in different seasons. I feel like that does not happen a lot in haiku, and the season tends to define the rest of the haiku. I also liked that I could picture a quiet morning. I picture someone walking down the street in a quiet town. When we get up early enough, there are a nice few moments where it feels like no one else is awake, and I could feel that in this haiku. Nicole Wells, Fall 2025 |
8 blank screen Hannah Swan This haiku is so relatable. I am usually trying to write so many papers at once that it is hard to keep them all straight. Just getting started is usually the hardest part. I have stared at a blank page for hours just waiting for the inspiration to come. Most of the time, it eventually comes, but sometimes the cursor wins, and I give up. Emily Edwards, Fall 2025 |
9 unfolded laundry Hannah Swan This haiku is very relatable. I always find myself in situations where I cannot find a shirt. Then I realize it is in the pile of clean laundry that I just haven’t had time to fold, so I never really know what is clean or dirty. Hope Self, Fall 2025 |
10 shoes strewn about |
11 the willow droops with age Chelsea Hammons If I were to give an example of a haunting haiku, this would be one of the first examples. This haiku is an incredible example of showing and not telling. The haiku, like many people would, avoids saying the exact history of the tree, but implies it at the very end based on the word “plantation.” The connection between drooping with age and a heavy heart is incredible as well, almost as if the tree is sad about the activities it was forced to take part in during the past. This haiku doesn’t tell you what to think because it knows exactly what you’ll think, and that factor of knowingness, the idea that everyone will realize the subject matter without being told, is exactly what the best haiku strive for. Asa Pilger, Fall 2025 |
12 the open classroom window |
13 road trip Amanda Spotts This haiku is relatable because I was always in the middle seat of my brothers because I was the smallest and felt squished in between them. During long road trips that was the most uncomfortable because I could barely move a muscle and I could never nap because I was so uncomfortable with no room to move. Addison Weed, Fall 2025 I like this haiku because it is so relatable. There have been times when I have had to go places, and we all know that being in the middle seat is the worst. I like the word squished as well. Even though you may not actually be squished, it just feels like it in the middle seat. Hope Self, Fall 2025 This haiku brings me back to a trip where I had to sit in between my two sisters in the back seat of a small car. I always got stuck in that seat because I was the smallest in size and everyone had “longer legs.” The haiku captures a mix of annoyance and humor in slipping right back into old family roles, cramped, squished, and laughing about it anyway. Chelsea Hammons, Fall 2025 |
14 climbing the steps Coraline Nelson (11) This haiku is something all Millikin students would get. The shilling steps are brutal and no matter how in shape you are, I always reach the top out of breath and have to try and compose myself before walking into class. Hope Self, Fall 2025 |
15 listening to the piano Coraline Nelson (7) I really like this haiku because I interpreted it as a little bit of a play on words. If you are listening to the piano, you aren’t listening to anything that has words, you are just listening to the hum of the piano, so you aren’t necessarily listening to the words of anything. Jordana Samnick, Fall 2025 |
16 rolling down Amanda Spotts |
17 little bro’s Amanda Spotts (6) |
18 hear the lilacs |
19 two in love |
20 comfy in my bed Natalie Brodsky (6) I liked this haiku because it reminds me of one of the dogs I watched over this winter break. His name is Buddy and he is a 14 year old, tiny, white dog that couldn’t have weighed more than 5lbs. Every time I would lay down for bed, he would curl up in the crook of my arm, which made my heart absolutely explode. He reminded me so much of my childhood dog that passed away a month and a half ago, so getting to watch him was very therapeutic for me. Hannah Swan, Fall 2025 |
21 soft hummm Natalie Brodsky I liked this haiku because it was unique and it seemed to have a deeper meaning. The deeper meaning I perceive is the passing of time. I can imagine sitting somewhere doing homework and having a salad bar go on and off. I imagine it being a couple hours, not a short amount of time. Ridge Batchelor, Fall 2025 |
22 sorority initiation |
23 buttery hands |
24 Taco Bell date Abbey Matthews The impulsive dates I go on are almost always my favorite, and many of them end up at taco bell so this poem is especially relatable. The first two lines give the haiku a very positive and fun attitude, they’re going on a late night trip to taco bell, hell yeah, that’s awesome. Then the last line makes this haiku feel so cozy and endearing. “he always finds time” emphasizes his genuine and consistent efforts to spend time with his partner, and that’s one of the most important pillars of a relationship. Suddenly, the haiku becomes so warm, romantic, and close, while keeping its fun charm from the start. Coraline Nelson, Fall 2025 |
25 pollen on my skin Chelsea Hammons (11) I enjoyed this haiku because it represents someone's introspective mind. We can all relate to the moment we realize that we could improve or change if we allowed ourselves to. With age we learn our life is within our control, this haiku captures this moment. It has a feeling of longing and loss, wishing to be so much more yet not allowing ourselves to. Sam Ramirez, Fall 2025 I talked about this haiku in class, but I really liked this one. I appreciated the intersection of human and nature, that human and nature in the end are one in the same. Pollen is the Firestarter to all flora and fauna growing, becoming bigger and better. When that pollen brushes you, it's almost like fairy dust bringing you to life. I also feel like this haiku is about trusting the process. The last two lines really solidify this for me, taking a pause to just let it happen. Jordana Samnick, Fall 2025 |
26 study room silence |
27 soft paths of gold |
28 deadlines pile up Bella Griffiths (10) I really love the simile that she used here with the snow and the stress. It feels exactly like this time of year where it’s cold and every assignment is due at once. I always know that I’ll get through it, but that doesn’t stop me from absolutely stressing myself. Similar to what I said for Asa’s, it’s the fact that there are so many deadlines and you know you have a nice long break around the corner. Hannah Swan, Fall 2025 The main reason I really liked this haiku was because of the second line. I appreciated how it could go with either part of the haiku. It fits in with the first line since snow tends to pile up, and it fits with the last line because it also melts. I like when the middle line of a haiku can fit with both lines, and it makes it challenging to tell how to read the haiku. I think it is a hard idea to write around, and I enjoyed the execution in this haiku. Nicole Wells, Fall 2025 I love the simile that was used. I love that this haiku shows that it is the end of the semester in two ways. The first way is in the pile of deadlines. As the semester comes to an end, all of the deadlines that felt so far away all seem to show up at once. However, the snow simile also shows that it is winter. It is getting cold and there is snow on the ground. I love that the author used the word melt. I think it perfectly captures how you just feel like your brain is slowly slipping away because you are trying to do so many assignments at once. Emily Edwards, Fall 2025 |
29 alarm goes off Bella Griffiths This haiku was very relatable and that’s why I liked it. I am always tired in the morning because I have to get up for practice, and I always have to motivate myself by thinking about the next break. This is the same constant pretty much every morning, so I really like break. Ridge Batchelor, Fall 2025 This is relatable on so many levels that it feels physically painful. I spent the last week being thrown around with three appointments and repairing my car (the thing I originally wanted to repair), along with my computer (which broke the first night I arrived home.) The last appointment I had was my first sleep study, and by the time I got back home (sometime around 7am, if I recall correctly,) I was out of commission for the entire day. By the end of the week, I realized in horror that I only had a break for two days. And given my current situation with my schedule with haiku class now being the only useful class I have left for my degree, I can only say that I just want this semester to be over. Nissi Bamgboye, Fall 2025 This haiku is entirely too relatable. While I think the author’s intention was to ask when Thanksgiving break is, I saw this haiku on a broader scale. As a pre-med, you basically give up every vacation from the time you start your freshman year. If you are not getting a certification, you are working, volunteering, studying for the MCAT, or preparing applications. I am so ready for my semester off. I am ready for a real break where I have full control of what I do and when I do it. Emily Edwards, Fall 2025 |
30 clearing sky Chelsea Hammons I love the language of this haiku. It makes me think of how you can feel sound if it’s loud and close enough to you. I can just imagine someone being lucky (or unlucky) enough to feel the rumbling of thunder. It’s pretty fun to think about, and I almost felt like opening up a new document to start writing as soon as I saw this one. It’s great! Nissi Bamgboye, Fall 2025 |
31 trickling water Grace Felz The imagery in this haiku stood out to me. It reminded me of the haiku I really enjoyed in the beginning of class. It showed me again how some haiku can be enjoyable even without deeper meanings and such. I can feel the peace written in this haiku and the way it marks a certain moment in time. Nicole Wells, Fall 2025 In the search for novelty, it’s often easy to overlook things on the simpler side. This haiku is like many others: it creates a scene and appeals to our senses through its word choice. I can’t describe why, but this haiku really sticks out to me. The visual scene that it inspires is simply sublime and incredibly relatable. I can hear the stream and see the vibrant colors of fall. I can even smell the trees around me and feel the brisk air. Something about the descriptive words in this haiku are extremely effective for me, and the haiku still does well to keep itself short. Asa Pilger, Fall 2025 |
32 her hair braided Grace Felz (7) I liked this haiku because it reminds me of when my mom used to braid my hair before I knew how to do it myself. I would always be so excited to tell people that “my mom braided my hair!” when they complimented me. Now that I know how to braid myself, I always think of how my mom used to teach me on my American Girls dolls in our sunroom couch. Its a favorite memory of mine. Natalie Brodsky, Fall 2025 |
33 smell of your perfume |
34 one night stand |
35 tv on high |
36 butterflies flying Grace Felz |
37 buzzing crowd Sam Ramirez I love this haiku because of the contrast and the warm comfort of home. Language is part of culture. It reminds us of where we come from, who we come from, and the memories of our childhood. Language is important to who we are, and for most, it reminds them of home. I’m from the east coast, so whenever I hear someone use east coast slang, it makes me think of home warmly. I like the words murmur and buzzing. The haiku becomes more distinguishable as you read it. In the beginning, the word buzzing makes the scene seem indistinguishable. Murmur shows that the writer can hear a little better, and then the final line reveals that they have fully understood someone else in the crowd. I like that journey the author takes me on. Amanda Spotts, Fall 2025 |
38 winter, |
39 a split path |
40 weeping willow Ridge Batchelor This haiku was really interesting to me because it offered a very contrasting image. Weeping willows are my favorite trees and always look so beautiful. The long bendy branches and full leaves always look so flowy and full of life. That followed by “constricting vines” was really interesting to me. The waving branches feel like a breath of air. Constricting vines sound like a heavy weighted blanket that you can't quite move in. Natalie Brodsky, Fall 2025 |
41 darkness falls |
42 raw eggs |
43 asking a question, |
44 library hush Chelsea Hammons |
45 bike rack Chelsea Hammons |
46 hot tears Amanda Spotts This haiku captured my attention because the first two lines were shorter yet got the image across and the final line tied it all together. The hot tears express a deep sense of sorrow and hurt and girls not being allowed in the tree house gives the feeling of exclusion. It shows a moment in which someone felt outcasted over something they can't even control. It reminds readers not only of those moments of hurt we've experienced but also to have more empathy for others. Sam Ramirez, Fall 2025 |
47 running up the stairs |
48 third floor window Chelsea Hammons This haiku reminds me so much of last year. I lived on the 4th floor of Dolson and had a perfect view of the front of campus. It was really the perfect sight and I loved to look out the window especially when the sun was setting. Natalie Brodsky, Fall 2025 I like this haiku because it is relatable. I sit in the library most of the time to do my homework, and whenever I'm thinking I’ll look out the window. It's fun to look at people going across campus, some alone, some in groups. It is very similar to falling leaves, so I liked the last line. Ridge Batchelor, Fall 2025 |
49 church softball Amanda Spotts |
50 freight train |
51 cage opened Nissi Bamgboye (5) When a bird’s wings are “clipped”, it can’t fly. As someone who owned a bird, I am very aware that birds are pretty helpless without flight (my bird’s wings were not clipped). So here we have a sort of false freedom. An open cage gives the sense that the cage is a comfortable thing, that whatever’s inside is just fine staying there. Then we get to “clipped wings” and realize it couldn’t leave on its own if it wanted to. Luckily, it’s not all bad, as preening is a calming, relaxed activity for birds. Still, though, it feels… teasingly trapped. Coraline Nelson, Fall 2025 |
52 Woods parking lot |
53 gettingassignedeveryfinalprojectatonce Asa Pilger I really liked this haiku because it’s unique and also relatable. Towards the end of the year it feels like everything is getting shoved at you all at once and you don’t have enough time to catch your breath. However, when break comes around and you have no homework left to do, it is the most satisfying feeling in the world. Hannah Swan, Fall 2025 I liked this haiku because I can relate to it well. This is very true. I also liked it because it is unique and the squished words that are smashed together on the line gives a tense and tight feeling which is jhow I feel about having many assignments due at the same time. I like the fact that this haiku has different features than the rest. Addison Weed, Fall 2025 This. This haiku will be the last few weeks of my semester and I am absolutely furious about it. It honestly reminds me of the title of the series, “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.” While I haven’t read the book or seen the movie, the title alone does a pretty great job at explaining how the tail end of a semester goes. I’m trying to stay positive, but the sheer mental exhaustion I feel is making it impossible. Nissi Bamgboye, Fall 2025 |
54 professor’s wooden door |
55 mixingUpWritingStyles |
56 your wine carnation |
57 petals |
58 old toolshed |
59 left to right Hope Self (6) I love the beach. I go to the Jersey shore every summer with my brothers, mom, and cousins. It is the best meeting place to relax and play and reset. One of my favorite things to do is to wade in the water. Sometimes I go alone and other times I'm joined by my cousin. In those moments, I feel truly present and mindful. I am focused on the way the water feels on my skin, and that feeling is reflected in the inner tranquility of my soul. Amanda Spotts, Fall 2025 |
60 two sleep |
61 leaves change Hope Self This haiku is good to visualize mentally and physically. You can physically see the leaves that have fallen but you mentally feel the seasonal depression. I think that seasonal depression is very real and sometimes goes unnoticed. I think we as humans can be blindsided by it and not realize it until the seasons change once again. Addison Weed, Fall 2025 |
62 under stage lights |
63 jump in the puddle Hope Self I liked this haiku because I found it relatable. I have many pairs of white shoes, and it always seems to rain, or something gets them dirty. It is really hard to have clean white shoes. I took this haiku as someone getting out of the car and accidentally jumping into a puddle with their white shoes and ruining them. This happens a lot and I found it sort of funny and frustrating feeling. Abbey Matthews, Fall 2025 |
64 visiting home |
65 rhythmic beeping |
66 library desk |
67 6 . . . 7 . . . Randy Brooks (17) |
68 walking to class |
69 plump stray cat Coraline Nelson (6) |
70 snow sitting perfectly on my favorite ever Addison Weed (6) I adore haiku that make use of the shape of the poem to make the reader see something, regardless of if they break traditional haiku rules, and this haiku is a perfect example. I, personally, would never have thought to form a tree out of a haiku, especially in the way the author of this haiku did. Using the left and right sides of the words as borders was extremely clever, especially so in the lines with only one word, and the centered words at the bottom being the trunk is a great idea. Beyond the immaculate structure of the poem, the poem itself is very nice as well. It appeals to the senses by giving us a common visual and relatable temperature, and is applicable to many of our lives. When good words come together with clever structure, it makes for an excellent haiku. Asa Pilger, Fall 2025 |
71 (: ? Asa Pilger (5) |
72 sitting under the stars Natalie Brodsky A warm, night breeze in the summer always makes me feel nostalgic for playing manhunt or ghost in the graveyard when I was a kid. I have so many fond memories of playing with my neighbors late into the summer nights. We would run until our throats became dry and when it got too dark, we’d pull our flashlights out so we could keep playing. I had so much fun on those days. Now everytime the night air is just right, I remember how it felt to play, and I miss it, but I have the memories to cherish. Amanda Spotts, Fall 2025 |
73 visiting my dad |
74 at the bar Nicole Wells This haiku was interesting because sometimes people become different versions of themselves when they drink alcohol. The bottled-up emotions come out when people drink, and this is displayed in this haiku. Maybe some sadness, anger, or even happiness came out of the man mentioned in this haiku. This captures a small moment that commonly happens in a few words and I really like it and the word choice. Abbey Matthews, Fall 2025 |
75 she chatters away Natalie Brodsky (5) I liked this haiku because it shows a moment that is able to demonstrate caring for someone and doing it in subtle ways. When someone truly loves another, they care for their wellbeing and do things even when the other does not notice. It isn't done in order to receive praise; it is instead meant to keep that person safe. The first line gives the impression that she is carefree, and the last line gives the readers the understanding as to why he moved her. Sam Ramirez, Fall 2025 |
76 a butterfly flits by Hannah Swan (8) |
77 her smile glows |
78 peacefully asleep |
© 2025, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.