Matching Contest 1

Matching Contest - 1 - January 2019 • Millikin University

one after the other
pushing onward
the hiker climbs

Alex Collins

country road
gravel crunches
beneath my running shoes

Margaret Comerford

the quiet of the meditation room—
someone’s stomach
growls

Toni Macon

face and face
at the gym
new friends

Alex Collins

country road
gravel crunches
beneath my running shoes

the quiet of the meditation room—
someone’s stomach
growls

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

stepping off the field
one last time
embracing dad

bottom quarter champion

stepping off the field
one last time
embracing dad

summer tournament
fifth game
ball lost in the sun

season after season
playing through my head
last time at the plate

Kailey Lyons

stepping off the field
one last time
embracing dad

Margaret Comerford

bounce
bounce
SWISH!

Tyvon Johnson

summer tournament
fifth game
ball lost in the sun

Margaret Comerford

TOP half champion

stepping off the field
one last time
embracing dad

CHAMPION

stepping off the field
one last time
embracing dad

leg day
hopefully the result is
not noodle legs.

BOTTOM half champion

rebounding ball
elbow to face
ouch

Margaret Comerford

football—
scratch, claw, fight
for every inch

Taron Jones

bleeding hand—
the guitar
on the floor

Toni Macon

the nail
in her foot
killing her soul

Tyvon Johnson

football—
scratch, claw, fight
for every inch

bleeding hand—
the guitar
on the floor

football—
scratch, claw, fight
for every inch

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

leg day
hopefully the result is
not noodle legs.

bottom quarter champion

leg day
hopefully the result is
not noodle legs.

familiar emergency room
ice pack numbs
crooked nose

dirty cleats
conjoined to the grass
adrenaline pumping

Conner Cloney

leg day
hopefully the result is
not noodle legs.

Christian Zenon

familiar emergency room
ice pack numbs
crooked nose

Margaret Comerford

lifting weights
moving quickly
back out of place

Taron Jones

cheesy eggs
ah, white rice
pancakes

Tyvon Johnson

table for four
one hamburger
on the stove

Toni Macon

still hungry
the snack that smiles back
Goldfish

Christian Zenon

stomach cramping
missed breakfast
“on the line”

Christian Zenon

table for four
one hamburger
on the stove

stomach cramping
missed breakfast
“on the line”

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

stomach cramping
missed breakfast
“on the line”

bottom quarter champion

a red high-heeled shoe
unaccompanied
in the alley

honking
the impatient occupant waits
wagging her tail

a red high-heeled shoe
unaccompanied
in the alley

Toni Macon

a single shoe
between buildings
we find her shoe

Conner Cloney

honking
the impatient occupant waits
wagging her tail

Conner Cloney

dogs barking
at the whistling—
full moon

Taron Jones

TOP half champion

stomach cramping
missed breakfast
“on the line”

CHAMPION

the lies
she tells—
pierce the heart

BOTTOM half champion

fake smile
fake love
hasn’t been clear til now

Kailey Lyons

the lies
she tells—
pierce the heart

Taron Jones

others whisper
he fools me again
heart broken

Margaret Comerford

he holds her hand
blue, green, red, black
feelings tumble

Alex Collins

the lies
she tells—
pierce the heart

others whisper
he fools me again
heart broken

the lies
she tells—
pierce the heart

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

the lies
she tells—
pierce the heart

bottom quarter champion

struts down the pavement
long black hair
sways with the wind

wishing the same wish
always on a different star

late night
she walks into the bar
one drink turns to 2

Kailey Lyons

struts down the pavement
long black hair
sways with the wind

Taron Jones

wishing the same wish
always on a different star

Kailey Lyons

the stripper’s bra strap
s l i p s
as she lifts her hymnal

Toni Macon

Reader Responses

one after the other
pushing onward
the hiker climbs

Alex Collins

country road
gravel crunches
beneath my running shoes

Margaret Comerford

the quiet of the meditation room—
someone’s stomach
growls

Toni Macon

face and face
at the gym
new friends

Alex Collins

Dr. B actually brought this matchup to my attention. To the eye they seem as though they might not match up. however, they both portray a sense of meditation in a way. the peacefulness of running on a country road and obviously meditating is peaceful. The sounds of gravel and a stomach are the only two sounds to both be heard in the setting of these two Haiku’s. As one can tell, the second haiku takes more of a humorous route. I may be biased, but I believe the country road haiku takes the prize. I feel as though you can picture the scene better and put yourselves in their shoes, no pun intended. Maggie Comerford, January 2019

season after season
playing through my head
last time at the plate

Kailey Lyons

stepping off the field
one last time
embracing dad

Margaret Comerford

bounce
bounce
SWISH!

Tyvon Johnson

summer tournament
fifth game
ball lost in the sun

Margaret Comerford

stepping off the field
one last time
embracing dad

Margaret Comerford

football—
scratch, claw, fight
for every inch

Taron Jones

football—
scratch, claw, fight
for every inch

Taron Jones

leg day
hopefully the result is
not noodle legs.

Christian Zenon

This brings me back to when I use to play football in high school. It was the fourth quarter and we had a few drives left to win it and we ended up going into over time. It took us three overtime’s to win and to let that team know we weren’t going anywhere. If they wanted this win they were going to have to out fight us and we were not going to let up.Christian Zenon, January 2019

This brings me back to my last soccer game as a senior in high school. I could not play with the school but I had a club team and my games were numbered. I finished my final game and I played so hard because I did not receive any offers yet so to me this was it. I finished and my mom was there and we just hugged and she helped me through it. Christian Zenon, January 2019

The football one should’ve won. The reason being is because it's mine and also because it gives off this feeling that we have to fight for something. And gives us a purpose to scratch, claw, and fight. The leg day haiku isn’t the best because its relatable and just something everyone does, but when you look at the football one, it gives this intense setting. Taron Jones, January 2019

rebounding ball
elbow to face
ouch

Margaret Comerford

football—
scratch, claw, fight
for every inch

Taron Jones

bleeding hand—
the guitar
on the floor

Toni Macon

the nail
in her foot
killing her soul

Tyvon Johnson

In my opinion I wanted the second to win of course because it was mine but I feel that it was very descriptive of what that nail the foot pain feel like that. Although the first one took the victory I understood why everyone choose it to win. I felt that everyone could relate to the pain of a musician playing their heart out until their finger bleed. Most people feel that pain just by listening their songs. . Von Johnson, January 2019

dirty cleats
conjoined to the grass
adrenaline pumping

Conner Cloney

leg day
hopefully the result is
not noodle legs.

Christian Zenon

familiar emergency room
ice pack numbs
crooked nose

Margaret Comerford

lifting weights
moving quickly
back out of place

Taron Jones

•

cheesy eggs
ah, white rice
pancakes

Tyvon Johnson

table for four
one hamburger
on the stove

Toni Macon

still hungry
the snack that smiles back
Goldfish

Christian Zenon

stomach cramping
missed breakfast
“on the line”

Christian Zenon

a red high-heeled shoe
unaccompanied
in the alley

Toni Macon

a single shoe
between buildings
we find her shoe

Conner Cloney

honking
the impatient occupant waits
wagging her tail

Conner Cloney

dogs barking
at the whistling—
full moon

Taron Jones

I thought these were interesting because they’re sort of similar, since they both relate to a single shoe in a alleyway. In between buildings is an alleyway. The high heeled one would win this because it has a greater investment of details, with the greater mystery and picture of the shoe. This haiku had a more detailed view on the shoe, whereas the other is just explained as a single shoe. So the first haiku listed has more detail, and more of a mystery, making it the winning pick. Conner Cloney, January 2019

The most interesting match that I saw was the ones about the abandoned shoes. I thought that it was very interesting that two different people came up with very similar haikus about shoes. I really liked the mystery feel with the red high heel one. The second haiku was very open ended and let the reader play with it more. Kailey Lyons, January 2019

Two different shoe haiku’s that both only feature a single shoe was unique to the match-ups. The first haiku won, I think, because the shoe itself made more of mental image – the red high heel instead of just a plain shoe. The alley was also a more specific location than between buildings and unaccompanied plays on the fact that shoe’s mate was missing, but also reminds the reader about people wearing the shoe – although I am not sure why the word brings that to mind. I also didn’t care for the use of the word “shoe” twice in the second haiku. Toni Macon, January 2019

fake smile
fake love
hasn’t been clear til now

Kailey Lyons

the lies
she tells—
pierce the heart

Taron Jones

others whisper
he fools me again
heart broken

Margaret Comerford

he holds her hand
blue, green, red, black
feelings tumble

Alex Collins

others whisper
he fools me again
heart broken

Margaret Comerford

wishing the same wish
always on a different star

Kailey Lyons

I like how well they flow together with the wishes on the stars being the person wishing for the relationship to work and then it goes to how their wish wasn't made true again leaving them broken-hearted. I do like the wishing haiku better though because it flows in itself better than the whisper haiku. The wording and phrasing is much smoother meaning it would totally win in a 1v1. Alex Collins

late night
she walks into the bar
one drink turns to 2

Kailey Lyons

struts down the pavement
long black hair
sways with the wind

Taron Jones

wishing the same wish
always on a different star

Kailey Lyons

the stripper’s bra strap
s l i p s
as she lifts her hymnal

Toni Macon