Matching Contest 1 - Health & Well Being

Helath & Well Being Matching Contest - 1 - Janaury 2016 • Millikin University

crisp autumn day
she ties her shoelaces
and takes off in a flash

Alizarin Salmi

jog, jog, jog
coach is looking
sprint!

Heather Dolye

running the dirt path
nature created for her
rich woods

Heather Dolye

early morning walk
my shadow
so tall

Betty Hartnett

jog, jog, jog
coach is looking
sprint!

early morning walk
my shadow
so tall

jog, jog, jog
coach is looking
sprint!

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

jog, jog, jog
coach is looking
sprint!

bottom quarter champion

sprint down the track
I left my heart
at the start line

summer sun on my face
collapsing on the grass
fighting to catch my breath

sprint down the track
I left my heart
at the start line

Uriah Walker

5K race
she pulls him
through the finish line

Betty Hartnett

the wind rushing
hair flowing behind her
bike clicking with motion

Samantha Bies

summer sun on my face
collapsing on the grass
fighting to catch my breath

Megan McGurr

TOP half champion

CHAMPION

first game jitters
fly ball to 2nd
the black eye trophy

BOTTOM half champion

cold bar on her shoulders
one lift closer
to earn her spot

Heather Dolye

heart pumping
sweat dripping
just one more

Uriah Walker

pulling himself up
abs glistening with sweat
up and down

Megan McGurr

sweat dripping
legs quivering beneath me
push harder

Megan McGurr

heart pumping
sweat dripping
just one more

sweat dripping
legs quivering beneath me
push harder

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

first game jitters
fly ball to 2nd
the black eye trophy

bottom quarter champion

first game jitters
fly ball to 2nd
the black eye trophy

the crowd roaring behind me
I hear nothing
focus. take the shot

first game jitters
fly ball to 2nd
the black eye trophy

Hannah Mahr

stadium jammed pack
a pitcher's look of dread
after one huge WHACK

Hannah Mahr

river out in left field
made by the player's
game winning catch

Hannah Mahr

the crowd roaring behind me
I hear nothing
focus. take the shot

Emily Mihalkanin

breathe in,
now out . . .
let yourself go

Emily Mihalkanin

breathe out
push away everything
relieving pain

Megan McGurr

practicing mindfulness
I let go
images of you

Betty Hartnett

quiet whispers . . .
chaturanga
slow exhales

T.J. Grifin

breathe in,
now out . . .
let yourself go

practicing mindfulness
I let go
images of you

breathe in,
now out . . .
let yourself go

top half champion

Second Page & Grand Champion

engulfed by water
and unable to breathe
I find peace

bottom half champion

engulfed by water
and unable to breathe
I find peace

my mother preaches
it really is just a hangover

stretched body across
the sandy beach
spiritual peace

Uriah Walker

engulfed by water
and unable to breathe
I find peace

Emily Mihalkanin

my mother preaches
it really is just a hangover

Kailey Hurst

dinner plate broccoli
she eats
small trees

Heather Dolye

Reader Responses

crisp autumn day she ties her shoelaces and takes off in a flash Alizarin Salmi	jog, jog, jog coach is looking sprint! Heather Dolye	running the dirt path nature created for her rich woods Heather Dolye	early morning walk my shadow so tall Betty Hartnett
I really like this pair up. On one side gives a lot of imagery and involves your senses. On the other side is more of a playful and fun feeling. I like the second better. I think, as a soccer player, that I can really relate to this. Waiting for coach to turn her back, so that I can relax just a little bit. Then as she looks up, making sure I work harder. I just think it’s really humorous. It really got my attention. I like how they used punctuation too. I think it brought even more to the haiku and effected how it was read. Megan I like the similarities and differences between these two haiku. The first similarity is that both haiku are about a runner, who is or will be sprinting. One difference is that the first haiku is a descriptive haiku, from the perspective of a person looking at a runner from a distance. The second haiku is written from the perspective of the actual runner. I like the descriptive words “crisp” and “flash” in the first haiku, however, I like the word “sprint!” in the second haiku and the emphasis placed on that word. I feel that the first haiku has a lot of imagery and the reader is able to easily picture this scene, but the second haiku has humor in it. I feel that any athlete, as well as myself, can relate to the second haiku, when the coach is looking, the athlete works harder. This part of the haiku made me laugh and that was the deciding factor for me, making me chose the second haiku as the winner. Emily		These haiku are very interesting in comparison. To me, the first poem “wins” because I like the mental image it creates. It paints beautiful natural scene with a spiritual sense. Health to me is physically active, spiritually awake, and connected with nature. The female in the first haiku knows that nature is made for her, and feels the connectedness. The class chose the second haiku, but to me the first one exemplified a complete picture of health. Alizarin

sprint down the track I left my heart at the start line Uriah Walker	5K race she pulls him through the finish line Betty Hartnett	the wind rushing hair flowing behind her bike clicking with motion Samantha Bies	summer sun on my face collapsing on the grass fighting to catch my breath Megan McGurr


cold bar on her shoulders one lift closer to earn her spot Heather Dolye	heart pumping sweat dripping just one more Uriah Walker	pulling himself up abs glistening with sweat up and down Megan McGurr	sweat dripping legs quivering beneath me push harder Megan McGurr
These were matched in the first round of matches. I think they were a very interesting match. Both haikus were describing a person and how they were feeling at that time of activity. The first one brings you to the weight room with that person. You can feel the bar chilling her shoulders just as she is about to begin. You can feel the tension in the room as if everything is riding on what happens right then, right there. It allows you to create the ending as well. The second one is very similar. You can put yourself in that person’s shoes, or recall your own memory of an activity that had your heart pumping through your ear drums, sweat dripping from your face and other exposed parts of your body. You are thinking to yourself, “if I could just do this one more” and that is all you need to push through. The second won the match. I believe it won because it allows for more people to understand the feeling. If a person doesn’t lift weights, they can see it happening, but might not be able to put themselves in that situation. The second opens it up to everyone and allows the reader to take more control of their interpretation. Uriah

first game jitters fly ball to 2nd the black eye trophy Hannah Mahr	stadium jammed pack a pitcher's look of dread after one huge WHACK Hannah Mahr	river out in left field made by the player's game winning catch Hannah Mahr	the crowd roaring behind me I hear nothing focus. take the shot Emily Mihalkanin
I think first game jitters wins the match based on perspective. I can relate to softball injuries. I imagine myself playing second base and feeling nervous before each pitch. Trying to stay alert predicting where the direction of the ball might go. I was so nervous I miscalculated where my glove needed to be and paid for the mistake with a black eye. Not enough makeup in the world can cover this error. The second haiku is more of an outsider perspective. I don’t feel as much of a connection because I am placed in the stands. I have never had enough money to sit in close seats at an professional sporting event. Kailey

breathe in,
now out . . .
let yourself go

Emily Mihalkanin

breathe out
push away everything
relieving pain

Megan McGurr

practicing mindfulness
I let go
images of you

Betty Hartnett

quiet whispers . . .
chaturanga
slow exhales

T.J. Grifin

stretched body across
the sandy beach
spiritual peace

Uriah Walker

engulfed by water
and unable to breathe
I find peace

Emily Mihalkanin

my mother preaches
it really is just a hangover

Kailey Hurst

dinner plate broccoli
she eats
small trees

Heather Dolye

I find this pair interesting firstly because they both rely on spoken or unspoken advice. In the first the mother is preaching, while in the second I assume mother’s preaching has occurred some time before the action in the haiku. Mother probably has preached in the past on how broccoli is so good nutritionally for you. The pair is also interesting to me because I usually favor haiku that are “in the moment,” but I didn’t in this case. I think the second one describes something that happened right then while the first could have been more ongoing or even a little earlier in time. Maybe it is because I found the topic a little more interesting—preaching about a hangover wins over eating broccoli. I’ve nothing against broccoli. I eat it all the time. Perhaps I also felt that the second was a little too simplistic. Betty

breathe in,
now out . . .
let yourself go

Emily Mihalkanin

engulfed by water
and unable to breathe
I find peace

Emily Mihalkanin

stretched body across
the sandy beach
spiritual peace

Uriah Walker

engulfed by water
and unable to breathe
I find peace

Emily Mihalkanin

Was my favorite match in the matching contest. I really like both of these haiku. I find that they are both very personal and that they connect with a feeling inside yourself. What I really liked is that even though they ended up being matched together in the end, they have completely opposite meanings with almost the same feeling. Both feel tranquility around them, but one is more intense than the other. The second one is the one that I would choose as the winner, and it ended up being the one that the class chose as well. I really liked how powerful the feel is of the haiku. When you read the first lines, there is a sense of panic, it sounds as though someone is drowning, but once you finish, you realize that everything is fine, there is a relaxation in the water and that the person truly wants is at peace. That is what makes me think that this haiku is incredibly powerful. Samantha

These two were against each other to become the second page champion and I thought that they were interesting because they both talk about breathing and letting yourself go or finding peace. However, the difference between the two haikus was that in the first one, the person was able to breathe, while in the second haiku, the person was not able to breathe. The first one seemed to be very light and airy, I did not feel any tension like I did with the second haiku. The first two lines of the second haiku mention being totally under water and unable to breathe. While reading this for the first time, I noticed that I held my breath until I read the last line about finding peace. When this haiku was discussed in class, I was not the only reader to do this. I think that the second haiku has more intensity to it and it helps the reader feel the experience. The experience the second haiku gives the reader is why I really enjoy it. Heather

I thought these two haiku were a very great match. Both included finding that peace, almost Zen like. In both, I can place myself in that exact moment. It was easy to feel myself stretching across a sandy beach soaking in all the rays of sun. As the tide went in and went out, it was soothing. Almost like a lullaby drawing me nearer and nearer to myself. In the same aspect I could feel the water surrounding me, almost lift a drifter lost in time. I felt as if I was drawing in the water to my lungs like a fish, in no need for the air above. Both great poems by the “engulfed water poem” really took it home. I liked the fact that the moment I was finding peace in, most people would be panicking for air. Water is a very scary object, especially when you find yourself trapped by it, running out of air, and no where to escape. I thought it was worded beautifully. It reminded my of my first journey scuba diving in Pensacola, Florida. Hannah