morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away
Mira Burens |
frozen ground
dawn
unlocking the gym
Caitlin Marshall |
lungs ache
calves burning
late again
Caitlin Marshall |
heart racing
salty sweat
drips down my face
Allie Bonk |
morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away |
lungs ache
calves burning
late again
|
|
morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away
top
quarter champion |
|
TOP half Chamption
morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away
|
bottom
quarter champion
jogging slowly
words of encouragement
pelt like hail
|
kiss after kiss
black running shoes
smother the sidewalk
|
jogging slowly
words of encouragement
pelt like hail
|
the sun
beating down
one more mile
Jenny Tullis |
kiss after kiss
black running shoes
smother the sidewalk
Harrison Atkins |
jogging slowly
words of encouragement
pelt like hail
Mira Burens |
crisp autumn afternoon
I take my bike out
for a ride around the stables |
|
TOP
half champion
morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away
|
|
CHAMPION
morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away
|
glistening brand new
elliptical machine
in the back of the garage
BOTTOM
half champion |
green grass
a vibrant mat
morning sunrays
Caitlin Marshall |
the grass tickles
while the sun rays
beat down on me
Allie Bonk |
yoga class
her joints crack
the sound of broken branches
Mira Burens |
i raise my legs
just a little higher
crack
Sam Thornburg |
the grass tickles
while the sun rays
beat down on me |
i raise my legs
just a little higher
crack |
|
the grass tickles
while the sun rays
beat down on me
top
quarter champion |
|
BOTTOM
half Chamption
glistening brand new
elliptical machine
in the back of the garage
|
bottom
quarter champion
glistening brand new
elliptical machine
in the back of the garage
|
post-workout stretching
the mirror
adds 5 pounds
|
glistening brand new
elliptical machine
in the back of the garage
|
strength
balance and flexibility
tight pants
Ashley Galloway |
post-workout stretching
the mirror
adds 5 pounds
Sam Thornburg |
typical Tuesday night
dorm room
yoga
Jenny Tullis |
glistening brand new
elliptical machine
in the back of the garage
Harrison Atkins |
© 2021, Randy Brooks • Millikin University. All rights returned to authors upon publication.
02 Matching
Contest - Meditation & Self-Care - January 2021 • Millikin University
spinning around
in a meadow
bright blue dress twirls
Allie Bonk |
music playing
she dances around
cutting vegetables
Allie Bonk |
blowing the dust
off the piano
Clair de Lune
Jenny Tullis |
a scratched record
beneath dust
the perfect love song
Sam Thornburg |
music playing
she dances around
cutting vegetables |
blowing the dust
off the piano
Clair de Lune |
|
blowing the dust
off the piano
Clair de Lune
top
quarter champion |
|
TOP half Chamption
nowhere to go
nothing to keep
sand escaping an open palm
|
bottom
quarter champion
nowhere to go
nothing to keep
sand escaping an open palm
|
nowhere to go
nothing to keep
sand escaping an open palm
|
the darkness behind my eyelids
a clock
ceases
to
tick
|
nowhere to go
nothing to keep
sand escaping an open palm
Harrison Atkins |
eyes closed
breathing deep
ease rises in my chest
Allie Bonk |
the darkness behind my eyelids
a clock
ceases
to
tick |
login
count the sheep
delete again
Nick Sablan |
|
TOP
half champion
nowhere to go
nothing to keep
sand escaping an open palm
|
|
CHAMPION
middle finger callus
words
no one will read
|
middle finger callus
words
no one will read
BOTTOM
half champion |
staring at light
far away
stretching for a chance
Eli Hartsfield |
blue paint
across a canvas
stars are shining
Allie Bonk |
romantic getaway
no kids
good night
sleep
Ashley Galloway |
bubblebath
relaxing in candlelight
splash
Ashley Galloway |
staring at light
far away
stretching for a chance |
bubblebath
relaxing in candlelight
splash |
|
bubblebath
relaxing in candlelight
splash
top
quarter champion |
|
BOTTOM
half Chamption
middle finger callus
words
no one will read
|
bottom
quarter champion
middle finger callus
words
no one will read
|
middle finger callus
words
no one will read
|
walk in the park
we learn
each other’s fears
|
middle finger callus
words
no one will read
Sarah Obert |
engaged
so much in love
the secret
Ashley Galloway |
walk in the park
we learn
each other’s fears
Jenny Tullis |
one hug
turns my day
around
Jenny Tullis |
© 2021, Randy Brooks • Millikin University. All rights returned to authors upon publication.
© 2021, Randy Brooks • Millikin University. All rights returned to authors upon publication.
morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away
Mira Burens |
frozen ground
dawn
unlocking the gym
Caitlin Marshall |
lungs ache
calves burning
late again
Caitlin Marshall |
heart racing
salty sweat
drips down my face
Allie Bonk |
|
|
these two haiku match because both of them have a physical aspect of the body. Everyone knows how these feels. My favorite one is the first one. I have more of a connection with that one because of working and playing football when I was in high school. The sweat literally dripping off of my chin on the ground as I am bent over trying to find air. Eli Hartsfield, January 2021
This haiku had a relatable aspect to it. When I read this, it takes me back to high school when we had to run around the track or the pond in gym. I hate running and I would get tired very easily. It takes me back to running around the track, and almost getting a certain amount of laps for the day, but my calves and feet would burn. I would be so out of breath that I would have to stop running. The mixture of my calves/feet burning and being out of breath always prevented me from reaching the number of laps I needed for participation points. I liked this haiku, but I also dislike it just for the fact that when I read this, it brings me back to the awful times where I had to run the track and/or around the pond. But, I like it because it was great at bringing that memory, as well as the sensations I felt during gym. Allie Bonk, January 2021 |
morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away
Mira Burens |
lungs ache
calves burning
late again
Caitlin Marshall |
morning run
through the neighborhood
the bus pulls away
Mira Burens |
lungs ache
calves burning
late again
Caitlin Marshall |
I like these two haiku because of how they both begin by sounding like the haiku are going to be about exercise, but instead are about being late. The flip in the first one is very clever, and I can easily picture a kid running after the bus they missed for school. The second one allows the reader to be more imaginative with what the character is running after or why they are late. I also like how in the second one, the space is used to show the reluctance that it isn’t the first time they are late. Jenny Tullis, January 2021 |
These two match up very well: the exasperation of the sprint to the goal, only for it to slip between the fingers. The second is more general, while the first evokes familiar childhood memories. The twist lies in the last line, connecting the “positive, energy-filled” intro to the relatable, sad ending. I’ve desperately run for the bus and the timeclock at work, sometimes on the same day, only to be out of breath as the result is a face full of exhaust and a disapproving look. A slight pause in the latter haiku really highlights the emotional connection between both: while missing the bus is inherently sad, just the extra realization of a recurring tardiness is relatable to me on a different level. I take on the philosophy of my father: “He’s late for everything. He’ll even be late to his own funeral!” Sam Thornburg, January 2021 |
the sun
beating down
one more mile
Jenny Tullis |
kiss after kiss
black running shoes
smother the sidewalk
Harrison Atkins |
jogging slowly
words of encouragement
pelt like hail
Mira Burens |
crisp autumn afternoon
I take my bike out
for a ride around the stables |
I really enjoyed this match. They were similar in setting to me. Running and exhausted. Every step beating into the sidewalk and the sun beating down on you. I really like the “kiss after kiss.” It is a unique choice of words that doesn’t start your mind off where it ends up. Ashley Galloway, January 2021 |
|
|
green grass
a vibrant mat
morning sunrays
Caitlin Marshall |
the grass tickles
while the sun rays
beat down on me
Allie Bonk |
yoga class
her joints crack
the sound of broken branches
Mira Burens |
i raise my legs
just a little higher
crack
Sam Thornburg |
These two haiku really caught my eye because of the strong sensory response I had to them. I could imagine myself running through a field of grass barefoot on a sunny day listening to the birds while the sun warms my face. There is also such a warmth to these two haiku, due to them both mentioning sunshine. This is why I’d associate bright yellow and bright green with these two works. I think they are perfectly paired together. Mira Burens, January 2021 |
|
|
the sun
beating down
one more mile
Jenny Tullis |
the grass tickles
while the sun rays
beat down on me
Allie Bonk |
|
|
These matches seem to relay the idea that there are layers to poems, and each line has the potential to create that extra layer. Both Haiku talk about the sun beating down, but one is active, and one is passive. The sun beating down during, what I interpret, to be a jog/run, is much less welcome-and actually beating. The sun beating down on the relaxed person I visualize in the second Haiku is less beating, but more warming. This is because the Haiku opens with the pleasant tickle of grass. So different, even though there are similar qualities to each! Sarah Obert, January 2021 |
|
|
strength
balance and flexibility
tight pants
Ashley Galloway |
post-workout stretching
the mirror
adds 5 pounds
Sam Thornburg |
typical Tuesday night
dorm room
yoga
Jenny Tullis |
glistening brand new
elliptical machine
in the back of the garage
Harrison Atkins |
spinning around
in a meadow
bright blue dress twirls
Allie Bonk |
music playing
she dances around
cutting vegetables
Allie Bonk |
blowing the dust
off the piano
Clair de Lune
Jenny Tullis |
a scratched record
beneath dust
the perfect love song
Sam Thornburg |
blowing the dust
off the piano
Clair de Lune
Jenny Tullis |
yoga class
her joints crack
the sound of broken branches
Mira Burens |
I really enjoy this pair, not only because I wrote the second haiku, but because of the synchronous thoughts between the two: A wonderful song, hidden below dust. It was always there to begin with, yet over time it was forgotten and neglected. In the piano lies a masterpiece, in the record lies the start and finish of love, but why were both shoved away? The songs are off opposite characters: the love song is meant to inspire desire, while Clair De Lune is a somber tune. Maybe it’s like lovers in a relationship: One wants to keep going, while one wants to turn back. Over time, it grows stale. Maybe there’s a few songs in our library that have collected dust? I remember buying entire albums for one song, only to never listen to them for months... Sam Thornburg, January 2021
I love the connection of music between these two haiku. I think in each one of these poems music represents a something different. In the first one I imagine someone who has not played piano for a long time, maybe they were forced to as a child and eventually grew to hate it. One day they decide to pick it up again, playing a song engrained into their memory and remember how much they loved playing. It is a new beginning. For the second one I imagine an elderly couple who used to play this song and dance with one another, so much so that they scratched the record from use. Now that they’re old they don’t dance as much but keep the record around to remind them and just in case they have the energy to dance again. For them the music is a sign of the journey they’ve been on. Mira Burens, January 2021 The match in this haiku seems to be a shared musical component that has been buried under dust. Where the first focuses on a piano being reclaimed the second focuses on a record being reclaimed. Reading them again now I notice in the first one that the reader is put in the position of being the one to play at the piano. I initially didn’t make the connection that the piano would be used to play the song. The idea of playing the song, rather than listening to it gives this haiku a new meaning for me. Both haiku give me a sense of nostalgia and reminiscence. The second haiku does a good job of putting an additional weight on the song that gives it a history. However, the first one is enjoyable because the reader can interpret for themselves why the first song to be played when returning to the dusty piano would be Clair de Lune. Harrison Atkins, January 2021 |
I like the musical aspect of this haiku. I am not too sure what clair de lune is, but that does not matter to me because I know it will sound beautiful. The sound of a piano is such an elegant sound to me.
What I interpret from this haiku is that it’s been a while since the piano has been played. Maybe life got in the way: school, marriage, a baby, a death, growing old, etc. It would differ on the person whether this haiku is interpreted as bad (like maybe the playing of a piano ceased because of a death or inability to play anymore) or good (maybe because of school or children).
Even though I have no clue what Clair de Lune is, I can still hear random notes being played on a piano, and it sounds amazing. I also interpret that the line ‘blowing the dust’ indicates going back to a hobby that would make that person happy. Playing the piano could be their happy place, and it’s the first time they have had the chance to be there in a long time. Allie Bonk, January 2021 |
I liked this haiku because I can visualize doing yoga moves that would result in a bone-cracking. I can clearly picture this because my own bones crack a lot. I may be 19 but I have the bones of a 90-year-old, so when I read this haiku, the clear sound of joints popping.
This haiku creates a great visual and auditory vision. This haiku has a great comparison as the cracking of joints sounding like broken branches. That comparison really helped me hear in my head what the cracking of this woman’s joint would sound like.
Overall, I liked this haiku because of the visual and auditory aspects. These aspects also helps me to like this haiku because it makes it relatable. Allie Bonk, January 2021 |
nowhere to go
nothing to keep
sand escaping an open palm
Harrison Atkins |
eyes closed
breathing deep
ease rises in my chest
Allie Bonk |
the darkness behind my eyelids
a clock
ceases
to
tick |
login
count the sheep
delete again
Nick Sablan |
I enjoy these matches of haiku because both of these poems painted a clear picture when reading them. In the first haiku I am reminded of someone who is lost, In this poem I can a tone of disoriented. All 3 lines are just negative aspects of someone. In this second haiku I envisioned someone who’s under a lot of pressure and is communicating with themselves to try and calm them selves down. The tone I get from this poem is overwhelmed. Jakob Henderson, January 2021
These play with each other like light and dark. One has things still on someone’s mind and the other is getting rid of them but they could also still symbolize both letting go of something. My favorite one is the first one. Being depressed and just letting sand or dirt just run through your hands. Eli Hartsfield, January 2021 |
Both of these haiku brought me to a similar place, looking at the ceiling of my bedroom on a sleepless night. They remind me of that time in the night where time seems to stop moving or stop feeling real. It is quite difficult for me to choose a favorite between the two, but I would most likely pick the first one. The structure of it is nice and kind of reminds me of a ticking when I read it in my head. This poem does a good job of verbalizing the way I feel when I feel like I cannot sleep. Caitlin Marshall, January 2021 |
staring at light
far away
stretching for a chance
Eli Hartsfield |
blue paint
across a canvas
stars are shining
Allie Bonk |
romantic getaway
no kids
good night
sleep
Ashley Galloway |
bubblebath
relaxing in candlelight
splash
Ashley Galloway |
When I read this, it reminds me of The Great Gatsby. In the Great Gatsby, there is a green light on a pier, and throughout high school, we were taught to interpret that as hope or longing. When I read this haiku, I can imagine sitting on a pier while the sky is pitch black, staring at a green light on a pier all the way on the other side of the lake. When I read this, it also reminds me of a similar saying: “reach for the stars”. Both are indicating that they will not give up on their dreams. And both reference something as bright as their objective. This haiku took me back to high school when we read the Great Gatsby. This haiku helps demonstrate a unique way of saying that you should chase your dreams. Allie Bonk, January 2021 |
|
Both of these haiku made me think about parents. For the first one, the first three lines make me picture a nice date night out on the town, but the last line completely changes the image. Parents always joke about getting no sleep whenever their kids are young. I like how “sleep” flips the event in this haiku. Yes, it’s a good night…because they get a good night’s sleep. The second haiku makes me think of my mother. I can remember times when she would be taking a bath trying to relax, and I’d burst into the bathroom because I wanted to play or see what she’s up to, and maybe knock something into the tub. Jenny Tullis, January 2021
When reading both of these poems, I saw a lot of red. Not red like when you are imagining anger or wrath, but more of a valentine’s red or a red and pink combination. I can see the reds in red hearts around a corny valentine’s suite or rose petals scattered over a bathtub. There is also a slight humorous tone to both. In the first, I imagine the splash as a pet or something ruining the relaxing mood by turning out the candle; the second is obvious with its humor by the parents in the haiku claiming a good night’s sleep away from their children. Caitlin Marshall, January 2021 |
middle finger callus
words
no one will read
Sarah Obert |
engaged
so much in love
the secret
Ashley Galloway |
walk in the park
we learn
each other’s fears
Jenny Tullis |
one hug
turns my day
around
Jenny Tullis |
I liked this match. It was the secrecy for me. They both have a level of secrecy to them where you feel the writer is hiding some mystery. The reader is left in both of them when it be personal or in the relationship to picture or relate to what is being hidden. Ashley Galloway, January 2021 |
I like these matches of haikus because of how I can vividly see these poems. In the first haiku I imagine myself walking in the park with my girlfriend and were just talking with each other learning every new thing about each other even our fears. I’ve had an experience not too long ago with this where my girlfriend and I would talk for hours about each other and teaching one another. I like this second haiku because I see someone who is having a bad and they just needed one hug to get them right back on the right track. Jakob Henderson, January 2021
To me the match between these seems to center around friendship. In the first haiku a friendship is forming in the second, a solid friendship brings warmth and comfort. The first one I like a lot because of the use of the phrase “ a walk in the park”. After some reading I interpreted this to mean that once fears are shared, a friendship becomes easier- or like a walk in the park. Learning someones fears and sharing your own also paints a very intimate scene and quiet scene in the park. The topic helped slow down the scene for me. The second one I found more emotional resonance in. I think the rush of endorphins from a long warm hug that is desperately needed is universal. The use of line breaks also helps emphasize how a day, just like the haiku itself, can be turned around from a hug. Overall, both haiku’s capture very intimate parts of relationships. Harrison Atkins, January 2021 |
© 2021, Randy Brooks • Millikin University. All rights returned to authors upon publication.