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Aubrie Cox’s Passion for Haiku
by Michelle Holsapple
The author I have chosen is Aubrie Cox for many reasons. First and most important to me is because she was the first one to introduce haiku in a way that I fell in love with. She is a very inspiring well-spoken professor that I have a great deal of respect for. It was such an honor to have been a part of one of her classes! I love to watch her face light up when she spoke of haiku and shared it with us. On of my favorite things in the world is to watch someone with a true passion for their art. It makes my heart smile. Professor Cox has that true pure passion. I have also chosen Professor Cox because she is a remarkable author, she brings such strong images to her haiku for me, and there is almost not one haiku I have read of hers that does not make me think about something directly related to my life.
used bookstore
with love
from no one I know
Aubrie Cox, TA, 18
This haiku reminds me of when I was younger in school and they would pass out textbooks for the year. We would always anxiously wait to see whose name would be in the book we would get, because once you received the book you would have to write your name it. You almost felt like that it connected you to that person in some way. You always hoped it would be one of the “popular” kids name in your book. Then there is that disappointing feeling when you get a book with a name you do not know.
distant galaxies
all the things
I could have been
Aubrie Cox, TA, 21
I have to look up when I read this haiku and be so very thankful for all the ways things have turned out for me. I truly have been blessed. Things could have turned out so differently than they did, but through grace and many prayers from amazing grandparents and parents, things are amazing. This haiku also reminds me that things are so much bigger than me. I strongly believe that without those prayers and guidance that things would be a lot different, and not in a good way.
autumn leaves
new neighbors
take down the tree house
Aubrie Cox, TA, 32
This haiku is very bitter sweet for me. This haiku to me is about change. Something I am not a big fan of. It reminds me how fast life really goes. It reminds me of my aging children and that takes my breath away. One to see what amazing young men they are becoming. Two that they are young men now and not my little guys. That is something at times I can hardly put my head around. You always wonder did I do enough; did I stop and listen, did I stop and just be there for them, did I do it right. You just have to trust and let them go. That is the true test of putting it in God’s hands.
churchyard shadows
the priest confesses
to an empty room
Aubrie Cox, TA, 38
loose-leaf Bible
bound by twine—
my father’s prayers
Aubrie Cox, OOT, 6
This haiku brings beautiful pictures to my mind. It reminds me of all the people in my life that have helped pray for me. I have my great grandpa’s old Bible and my mom’s Bible. These Bibles are full of underlined scripture notes and prayers for loved ones. They show the strong faith of the ones who cared for these Bibles, true integrity. Not perfect people, but ones that got up each day and tried again.
yellow leaf
simply trying
to stay afloat
Aubrie Cox, OOT, 6
This haiku reminds me of one of my favorite artist, Andy Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy is an amazing British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist. His art is done mostly in nature and most of his art is only temporary, he designs with things from nature, then lets nature take them back. There are a few amazing documentaries that he has done to capture these events. They are to say the least breathtaking. His art would pair perfect with haiku.
chalk circle
lingering spells
of my childhood
Aubrie Cox, OOT, 7
Chalk is one of my preferred mediums. This haiku makes me think of the most favorite part of my childhood. Even when I was a kid that or a fresh box of crayons made me the happiest kid in the world. But, it also reminds me of now and that I really have never grownup and have no intentions of doing so.
changing the clocks
I fall back
into old habits
Aubrie Cox, OOT, 19
This haiku makes me giggle a little. It reminds me of every time something new like a new year, clocks changing, or something of that nature we promise ourselves we will stop doing something or start exercising. But each time we fall back into old habits. We always seem to want to stay in our comfort zone even if we are not fully happy with what that is. We seem to always be more comfortable with not changing and being not fully happy with ourselves.
last day of winter
tea leaves
in the empty cup
Aubrie Cox, OOT, 19
I love this haiku because it makes me think of spring. Spring is one of my favorite times of year. I enjoy the thought of new fresh buds on the trees and flowers. It is time for the garden to be tilled and prepared to be planted. How beautiful and bright colors start becoming. I love that it is still cool out so I can have my windows open and feel the breeze coming through. There is such freshness to the air. I truly love those raining days that water the flowers and garden so they can grow. I also love the smell and sound of the rain falling.
In conclusion, it was hard choosing just a few of professor Cox’s work. I am very drawn to each of them in some way or another. She writes in a way that allows you to be able to relate in some way. There is a sense of time and memories. She draws from seasons of her life that are very relatable to many people.
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Works Cited
Cox, A. (2011). tea's aftertaste. Decatur: Bronze Man Books.
Cox, A. (2015). out of translation. Somerville: Kattywompus press.
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