winter night
just as I warm up
you sneak back in

Uriah Walker (4)

after my
morning coffee
said the female dog

Emily Mihalkanin (4)

today is the day
they keep walking
they never see me

the guacamole
with my sushi
my mouth on fire

Emily Mihalkanin (4)

When I first read this haiku, I was confused. I knew guacamole did not come with sushi, and I figured the writer just mistook it for Wasabi. After discussing it, I realize, that was the point. I liked this poem for that reason. It was funny and true. Many people who don’t know, think it is just guacamole and eat a large chunk. They are then surprised with the burning sensation in their mouth. I know from personal experience. The reader can put themselves in this and feel their mouth on fire from eating the wasabi. Uriah

placing my graduation cap
on the child's head
you're next

Uriah Walker (5)

I see a single mom struggling to balance life. There are many late nights she stays up crying and pleading to God. She needs help and knows she cannot complete her degree without his mercy. Though she goes to bed late and wakes up early she will forever have hope. She had this tattooed on inside of her foot. Whenever she has a hanging head it is a reminder to stand tall and never give up. God is in your corner. The mom feels blessed from all the support she has had throughout her time completing her degree. She is overwhelmed with happiness that her young daughter gets to see her graduate. Kailey

I like this haiku because I have a lot of younger siblings and when I graduate, I want to pass the torch off to them. As a kid, you always look up to someone older and want to be just like them and anyone graduating is a great role model. Then putting the cap on the child’s head encouraged them to do the same. If you think about it it’s a humor and happy type of environment because it’s like tag you’re it. TJ

dad's crackled baseball glove
escapes from
charity every year

Hannah Mahr (5)

I picture an old baseball glove, and a wife maybe trying to get rid of the glove, puts it in a box for Goodwill. For some reason, the glove always comes out of the box, maybe a kid taking the glove out because he can’t get rid of it, or the dad taking it out remembering his childhood. The glove could have belonged to a dad that passed away and the family is trying to get rid of his stuff but can’t get themselves to let go of it and pass it on. It is a great wabi haiku because it is written about a token of something cherished and reminds the family of something they do not want to forget. Emily

I liked this poem because of the message in it. The family could never really get rid of the gloves. The father could have passed away or it may just have too many memories to give away. This is important to me because it has that meaning of family in it. People love their family members and want to cherish them in many ways. I know in my family, it is tradition to pass down the woman’s wedding ring to the younger generation when that person has passed away. My grandmother has her mom’s ring. Both my great grandmother’s and my grandmother’s ring will be passed to my mom, and eventually to me. I understand this feeling. They may want to keep this glove in the family, use it as a lucky mitt to teach the little ones to catch or something. Uriah

crescent moon
greets two love birds
a warm smile

Hannah Mahr (4)

I like this haiku because of the connection between the crescent moon and the warm smile. A crescent moon resembles a smile, so I thought that was a cool connection. I picture two young lovers who have snuck out to meet each other. As them embrace, a crescent moon can be seen in the sky behind them. Alizarin

only one set of
footprints
remain in the sand

face planted in the ground
watering the grass
with her tears

Uriah Walker (4)

position slipping
stuck between rocks
amputated forearm

I've got plenty of
time . . .
overdue

Uriah Walker (6)

your scent,
constantly lingering
as if you never left

miniature pots and pans
passing down
family recipes

waves in the tide pool
rippling back
to a prehistoric time

cherry pie . . .
the last desert
before you went away

stuck in traffic
noticing the satin
glimmer from skyscrapers

cold dungeons
only my thoughts
to keep me company

Uriah Walker (2)

This one I think is a little darker. I like that they incorporate and connect the dungeon. I kind of see it as someone’s mind. Someone who is in a dark place and the only thing that is keeping them going is their selves. They are withering away and no one is helping them. Maybe it is someone who is bullied and no one understands them. The cold dungeon really sets the mood for the haiku right off the bat. I like that. I think of someone who is imprisoned by their own thoughts. Maybe they are bad thoughts that they wish they didn’t think. Maybe they are the only thing keeping this person sane. Megan

singing to themselves
          my girls
   in their own world

Emily Mihalkanin (4)

This is an interesting poem to me because The Temptations had a song called my girl and that was the first thing that popped in my head. I could see parents looking at their daughters outside playing and all they can think of is look at my girls. The last line mentions that they are in their own world which means they really don’t need anyone to have fun and can enjoy their own company. TJ

knocked to my seat
my face covered in saliva
he thinks he is a Corgi

Kailey Hurst

I like this haiku because I can relate to this. I have had two bigger dogs in the past and they used to jump on my lap and lick my face, knocking me down. I like that the breed, Corgi, was chosen as the dog of choice for the lap dog, because I can picture the dog jumping on the authors lap and knocking him over, as if he were small. I like the word saliva used so I can picture the dog slobbering all over the owner and his face. Emily

I like this haiku because of how much I relate to it. I have a St. Bernard at home who doesn't realize her size. It made me think of her as a puppy compared to now. When she was small, we would pick her up whenever we wanted. I remember how she couldn't figure out how to go up and down stairs. How easy it was to reach under her belly and lift her in the air. As she grew, she forgot her size. She has aged greatly and is not as heavy as she used to be, but when she was younger she reached a weight of about 150 pounds. She would sit on everyone's lap like she was small. My dogs favorite person in the world is my grandfather, and goes into a depression when he leaves the house. She gets so scared of him leaving, when he sits on the couch she plants herself in his lap. Once she is insured that he isn't leaving she will lay next to him and rest her head on his lap. I also remember sharing a bed with my dog. Before college I had a full sized bed, which is now used by a younger brother, and she would sleep on it with me. From this I had to learn to sleep in a small space on my bed. I really wanted her to sleep with me, but in order to be comfortable she would sprawl, leaving me not much room to sleep. I liked that I was able to remember these things about my dog. As she has aged she can't do these things that we have considered once to be cute anymore. I liked being able to remember them like they happened just yesterday. Samantha

winding road
up the mountain—
don't look down!

silent forest
breath in . . . out
she's finally free

your bedside empty
the warm blankets
I keep for myself

taking grandpa's boat
on the lake,
biggest catch all year

ready   1  2
accelerates my heartbeat
not looking down

grown man
home run ball
hand still stings

Heather Dolye (4)

floating . . .
a Beta in the water
however, not dead yet

Emily Mihalkanin

copy machine
out of ink,
just needed one more

Heather Dolye (3)

I love the humor in this haiku. The printers in Scovill are always on the fritz. The printers don’t have paper, are not hooked to the network, have a jam, or are out of ink. One time I was working in a time crunch. I started on a paper the night before and finished an hour before my class. I proofread my work with 30 minutes left to spare. I went to Scovill to print out my work. Just my luck, the printers were down.
It reminded me of the frustration that comes form the printers at Millikin. Hannah

jilted . . .
she goes to the beach
to be with the sun

Betty Hartnett (2)

sunny day
windows down . . .
hair in tangles

Heather Dolye

I would give anything for it to be summer and not cold out! This reminded me of a group of friends riding with the top down in a convertible. All have on a pair of sunglasses to escape the summer sun. They are laughing and cruising with the music blaring, preferably pop by Katy Perry or Sia. The wind is blowing their hair all over the place. Once they all get home they have a rats nest to deal with. Their hair has tangled so badly from the afternoon fun that they must brush through their hair and fix it up again. Hannah

dreaming dog
twitches her paws
chasing squirrels

Heather Dolye (3)

the clock strikes 12
ringing in a new year
the same loneliness

Megan McGurr (4)

the painting on the wall
two tall thin trees
and their shadows

rusty iron gate
a butterfly
takes its place

Megan McGurr (4)

I liked this haiku due to the striking imagery I was able to get from it. Immediately, I can imagine a tall gate, old, orange and rusted and with that I see the butterfly. When I imagine butterflies it's always a bright beautiful color. My favorite butterflies are the blue ones. I like the vibrancy of the blue that these butterflies have, that's why immediately I could imagine a butterfly in that color. I think it is interesting to think about the color of the gate and the color of the butterfly together. Orange and blue are complementary colors. That makes the contrast of the image greater. I am able to imagine a beautiful delicate butterfly sitting on top of an old broken fence that could fall at any moment. I was really able to picture the contrast of the two which is why I chose this as one of my favorites. Samantha

hesitant to jump
here goes nothing
free f
      a
       l
      l

Heather Dolye (4)

This is creatively written. I could really envision the person hesitating to jump off of a cliff. They love adrenaline rushes, but are terrified of heights. Every time they give themselves a pep talk they prepare to jump off the edge then chicken out all over again. Their peers, already in the water, are coaxing them to jump, jump, jump! Their heart is beating through their chest, legs trembling, sweat glistening on their brawl. Fiiiinnnaalllyyy, they are free falling. Kailey

I like the way this one was written a lot. I think people are getting way more adventurous with the style of writing they are using. It gives us an actual sense of us fall through the air. I really liked the way it was set up. More than that, I liked the words. It could be either really sad, and about suicide or something like that. Or it could just be about someone who is finally letting go. I can see someone on the edge of a cliff, jumping into a body of water. She is just finally letting go. She isn’t always thinking and overthinking about things. She is letting herself feel and have fun. Be a little dangerous and spontaneous. Megan

wet wipe
she removes
the day's war paint
sigh of relief

Samantha Bies (5)

I like this haiku because I can really relate to what is being described. The face paint is actually makeup that women wear to protect and conceal themselves. It is so relieving to be able to take all the makeup off after. Alazarin

behind the bushes
watching my cats on the deck
a coyote

Betty Hartnett (2)

sun shinning through the window
my cat takes his place on my bed
absorbing the warmth

twin fawns
resting in the grass
the tennis court gate

a broken chair
wooden porch
lightning in the sky

the deer
I couldn't look at . . .
hanging in the garage

under the blanket
surrounded by warmth
longing

mine, mine, mine
I met . . .
the girl of my dreams

forever and ever
family gathers
when he takes a knee

the coffee cold
in the thermos
still I drink it

rain pouring down
I tilt my head back
embracing it

Sand slides
down the hourglass—
she buttons her Sunday blouse.

windows down
the cool night breeze
wraps around her

she stops the traffic . . .
mama duck
leading her babies

Betty Hartnett (3)

Daydreaming
Powerball?
High School gym teacher

rocking the canoe
stuck on a boulder
splash!

Betty Hartnett

Two-year anniversary dinner
black velvet box!
. . . earrings again.

Alizarin Salmi (7)

I enjoyed the humor in this haiku and the punctuation that the author used. The author builds up the intense moment and gets her hopes up while she is at dinner. I can see a woman getting anxious to open the black velvet box, only to be let down by opening it up and seeing a pair of earrings. I like the describing word "velvet" of the box. I think that it is necessary to use because it immediately gives the reader the image and they know what could possibly be inside. The exclamation point heightens the level of anxiety and then the ellipses kills the mood and shows her disappointment. The haiku ends with a period punctuation and that also helps end it and give that sense of disappointment. Heather

my mother's old gown
I take it on my journey
down the aisle

Sweltering summer night,
their clothes
remain on the shore.

Alizarin Salmi (4)

the curse
WALKINIG in
Grandpa's sneakers

T.J. Grifin

wooden dock
her toes skim the water—
the lone wolf howls.

Alizarin Salmi (3)

my brother's secret
dad cries when
the phone rings

T.J. Grifin (4)

With this one I imagine that the secret is a "coming out of the closet" kind of secret and often parents, especially dads, have a hard time with it at first. The fact that he cries and is not angry to me shows hope of eventual acceptance. Also, because he cries when the phone rings, even before he is told formally, means that he really already know about it, as is often the case I think. I like the simplicity of the language in the poem, which reflects, too, that there is not much needing to be said, just the simple truth. Betty

other side of the bed
her pillow lies empty
the scent of lavender

sudden pain
he told her about me
I don't know her . . .

moment of silence
before we feast—
grandpa says grace

yelling frantically
held captive to the sight
urgent medical care

crescent moon hanging high
staring back
I find myself

full dinner table—
thump, thump
the dog's tail below us.

Alizarin Salmi (5)

I like this haiku because I think of myself being home and having dinner with my family and my dog is sitting next to my chair in the dining room. My dog always hangs out underneath the table and puts her paws on my leg. I can imagine her adorable little face with her big, watering eyes. My small dog doesn’t really have a tail, so I imagine a bigger dog being under a dinner table. I like how the extended dash line creates a pause and leads into the second line which tells the reader the sound that the dog’s tail is making against the table or floor. Heather

first snowfall
a young girl with rosy cheeks
catches a snowflake on her tongue

Megan McGurr (5)

bed hog
nudges, growls
after all I am your master

One shoe . . .
She walks to the bedroom—
Ahh, the other.

silent apartment . . .
a single candle
flickers on the table

Alizarin Salmi (3)

There is a definite feeling of serenity in this haiku. With all of the activity in the usual day, how nice to have a little time to be silent and calm. Candles create a sense of peace within. I often have a candle burning just to create a sense of stillness, especially if I’m going to practice meditation. Betty