Haiku Kukai 2 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • July 2016
the old barn |
warm sun Jennifer Tohill (4) |
mid-day lunch |
the smell of honeysuckle |
chocolate chip cookies Bill Fields (4) |
coffee at dawn Bill Fields (7) |
the weight of the world Bethany Wetherholt (10) I really like this Haiku because it has to meanings to me. One being the funny one from finding nemo and the second meaning I see it as being more inspirational. Because life is full of obstacles and storms but you have to remember that the storm does not last forever. That you can get through anything if you remember to just keep pushing and striving for greatness. Which is where I get the just keep swimming part. Shaya It's been a long day, a long month, and a long year! Life hasn't been easy since her divorce and it got even worse after she lost her job and couldn't pay rent. A single mom who is now on welfare until she lands another job. Job hunting has been her full time workload these past two months and with every rejection she feels more beat down. As she walks into a local church to visit the food pantry she reads on the wall, "Giving up is not an option". Instead of tears, she breaks into a smile grabs food for her children and walks out the church with a new found confidence. Tomorrow, she will find work because she will just keep swimming. Sonja I really enjoyed this particular haiku due to the season of the Olympics. It ties in to an Olympic swimmer as they have literally the weight of the world watching her perform and she is just pushing hersxelf so hard to win that gold medal and be considered the greatest in the world. They do it for themselves and their country and all while doing it they just mentally and physically push themselves to their uppermost limits and then some. Zach |
new home Sonja Chargois (3) |
the star tonight |
early in the morning Bethany Wetherholt (8) |
blowing the cartridge Bill Fields (5) |
the smell of exhaust |
before the game |
a little tap— Jennifer Tohill (9) |
torn canvas Cristine Lourash (2) |
little red caboose Darla Laymon (4) |
Friday night |
at the lake Zacahery Cronister (3) |
grandma's quilt Michelle Hosapple (7) |
mom's wedding diamond Cristine Lourash (4) |
Knock Knock Michelle Hosapple (4) |
chipped and warm Jennifer Tohill (5) |
Sunday morning |
grandma's dishes |
across the river |
sitting on the balcony Cristine Lourash (5) |
his footsteps I hear |
the wind— Jennifer Tohill (9) This haiku is so true, that is why I enjoy it so much. It is such a big message in just three little lines. So many of us get caught up in a moment, bad or good, and do not realize that that is just what it is one moment of the big picture of our lives. Unfortunately, I have had too many people take their lives due to this thinking. I try to encourage my friends and family to keep a blessing jar or journal so that in the mist of these bad times they are able to look back and remember that it is bigger than them. That where they are now will not be where they end up. Where they were a year ago was so different just like what the future holds. There are people and paths that they need to become a part of. This haiku is a reminder of those paths. Michelle |
my heart beating fast |
no one home Cristine Lourash (7) This is a happy Haiku. I see myself in the kitchen on a Saturday morning cooking breakfast and cleaning dishes. I turn the radio up loud and sing away along with the music as I do my morning routine. The boys are home, but they sleep like a rock so it seems I am all alone. Mandy I really enjoyed this haiku. Reminds me of my wife. Only difference is that she has no shame to dance and sing in the kitchen when we are at home, too. Love that about her. Bill This haiku makes me laugh because I can completely relate. All I can see is a mom with a messy house in her robe. She gets up in the morning on the kids' first day of school and she is making coffee and breakfast. She is making sure the kids are dressed, and their book bags are ready. The minute the bus picks up the kids and drives away she feels free! She turns on her I tunes and dances all the through kitchen singing at the top of her lungs. I can relate, not on the first day of school, but on the feeling of being alone. Being alone does bother me but there have been times to where the kids are gone and I turn up the music and enjoy the freedom of an empty house. The funny part is though, I've dance around with my headphones and my music turned all the way up for my kids to walk in and just be looking at me like I'm crazy. Jennifer |
on the stoop Sonja Chargois (6) |
pop pop pop pop |
eighth inning, remote in hand |
niece and I |
heart to heart Marshaya Sangster (5) |
the echo of laughter Michelle Hosapple (6) This poem reminds me of my dad. As I said in class my father was a carpenter and he built the home I grew up in. He would give us nails and we were in charge of nailing the floor down. I am sure that he had to go back and fix everything we did. My parents have lived in that house for 40 years. They raised three daughters and now have seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. We all gather on Saturday nights for what we call Margarita night. Over the years the house has changed to keep up with the times. My room is now the storage room, my sister's room is where my grandmother now stays and the other room is what I call her grandma cave. We are lucky enough to have five generations in that house. The love in that house is what makes it a home. It saddens me and makes me cry when I think about the time when the house goes up for sale and we no longer call it home. I can only hope that the next family will take care of it and raise a family like my parents did.Cris |
in the attic Sonja Chargois (4) I imagine a young mother who has a little girl. They are at home one day in the summer and the little girl sees all of her neighborhood friends outside skating by. The mother sees her daughter staring out the window watching them. The little girl tells her mom that she wishes she could skate so she could go play with her friends. Suddenly, the mom remembers that she probably has her old skates in the attic. She too loved skating when she was a little girl. Her dad took her to the roller rink every Sunday. Her dad had since passed and she didn't have the heart to throw them away because of all the memories they held. The mom goes up to the attic and starts digging through boxes of old memorabilia. She finally finds them! They are dark blue with red wheels. They are dusty and smell like moth balls. She sits in the attic for a few minutes holding them, thinking about her dad. She smiles and cries for a moment. She pulls herself together and goes downstairs to clean the roller skates off. She looks at her daughter and tells her to try them on. They should fit. Her daughter is now the same age she was when her dad gave her these skates. Her daughter tries them on. They fit! On the carpet, the little girl wobbles back and forth. The mom holds her hand as her daughter tries to stand, they both laugh. After a few practice rounds, the mom takes her daughter out to the driveway. She watches her, step by step, smiling. I enjoyed this haiku, because it made me feel a mother's love for her daughter and being able to share something with her that she used to love doing as well. Bethany |
barge travels |
green mossy pond |
family night Sonja Chargois (3) |
ducking dodging Marshaya Sangster (7) |
toddler whines Marshaya Sangster (5) |
lying in the truck bed |
alone in the car Bill Fields (6) |
sitting in the car |
hair covered Zacahery Cronister (3) |
walking the trail Bethany Wetherholt (5) |
footsteps outside |
old wooden |
coffee breath with |
cozy pajamas Marshaya Sangster (4) |
peace and quiet |
canvas cleared |
brushing and flossing Sonja Chargois (5) |
a library on wheels Bill Fields (3) I really like this haiku because it’s like this person read my husband’s mind. I always have so much stuff in my front seat, from school books, to regular books, sometimes trash. My car is a mess and I every time I clean it out, somehow it becomes right back messy. I really also like how in the first two lines of the Haiku you wouldn’t think they were talking about a wife’s car. They were very unique by adding that last line. Shaya |
wake up, go to work, Marshaya Sangster (6) |
an old red barn |
dead oak tree Darla Laymon (7) |
branch by branch |
boss calls Zacahery Cronister (3) |
hoodies and hot chocolate Bethany Wetherholt (7) Every year my daughter and I take her 2 sons to the pumpkin patch. We all put our hoodies on, load up in the car and head to Arthur, Illinois. As we are heading out of town we always stop at the Circle K where we purchase coffee for the grown-ups and hot chocolate for the boys. Tristan, which is the youngest and small for his age, has to be the one pulling the wagon as we go through looking at pumpkins and walking through the store area. Going through all the mazes Tristan wears himself out than one of us women has to pull the wagon, with him in it, along with the pumpkins. Darla |
standing at the waterfall Bethany Wetherholt (3) |
a silent classroom Zacahery Cronister (8) |
© 2016, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.