Haiku Kukai 1 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • July 2018
the twilight hour Vineece Thompson |
her irregular breathing |
trails Alex Blome This poem reminds me of my back yard. As often as I can, I try to take my dog on a walk through the woods and we always end up on a game trail of some sort. It always amazed me how much wear and tear animals can create by just walking over the same spot time and time again. I always wondered why did they pick this particular spot? Why didn’t they take the spot that seems easier 20 yards this way? The dog loves them, and his nose goes 100 mph as he pegs back and forth across the trail. It is always so peaceful walking along a trail in the woods, especially when you can find wildlife while you are there. Corey This Haiku made me think of looking out of an airplane window and seeing the beautiful creation that God has made. To vision this is breathtaking. The higher up you go the smaller the trails look, it begins to look surreal. Looking at the trails and rivers in high altitude looks like tiny veins on the earth’s surface. It’s beautiful sight to see. I often wonder, how was those roads and rivers made. Who knew what roads go where or was they already there when man first came. The earths maze. Angela |
the swing creeks |
moonlight crickets |
yarn spirals Britney Allen |
my hair Angela Dean |
bird hiding |
Mama's backyard Vineece Thompson |
family gathering Shureda Casterberry |
my family gathers |
in the woods |
on the bookshelf Angela Dean I really like how this one takes me to other dimensions. The bookshelf is a holder of many books, each having their own stories. There are different stories and genres that—once read—can take you on a fantasy trip to its world. Those who are heavily into reading can relate to wanting to escape from their reality by burying their faces in a good book. Vineece This haiku makes me imagine reading a new book and the different world it can take you too. The bookshelf is filled with all kinds of books that can take you many different places. I imagine being in a book store and reading the back of the book and imagining where it could take me. This haiku makes me imagine the different world each book can take you too. Britney |
children playing |
first day of school Angela Dean Everyone can remember that feeling the morning school is back in session. The smell of the new clothes your parents purchased the weekend before, that you’ve been waiting to wear all week. It’s really the only time I ever got new clothes as a kid and I had 10 of everything. Deciding what to wear was difficult though because it was all cool. K-Mart had all the coolest and latest fashionables back then. Michael |
a picture says |
soldiers’ footsteps Michael Means I really like this Haiku because I have an undying love and utmost respect for our nation’s Military and families. They make the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of millions whom don’t even appreciate their sacrifices. Joshua |
no invitation needed Pamela Kennedy |
sweet serenade Vineece Thompson |
line after line |
sunny side |
the flat rock skips Michael Means |
lawn clippings |
boxes all around |
crowded classroom |
lights out Britney Allen I like the nice arrangement of this poem. It’s understandable, has a definite setting and imagery, and it’s short, sweet, and to the point. I can picture myself in one of the rooms in Shilling being sometimes too hot. It reminds me of the time when I was in class in a room in Shilling, where we were watching a theatrical documentary. The lights were out—leaving only light at the back due to the open windows—and the body temperatures of the classmates created some humidity. Vineece |
DIY floors J.R. Baird I love doing DIY projects (when I have the time) and just recently took on putting on a new roof. I appreciate the effort it takes to take on a project at home. To me, when you take on a project by yourself you will have more pride in the project and the outcome that comes. You will always be the only one that sees every little mistake, but the beauty of it is that you will be the only one! I am so thankful for all of my friends and family that are willing to help me through these major projects—almost makes it a family event. Will make me appreciate my home that much more, and make it that much more difficult to ever move away from it! It will make it easier knowing the next family will appreciate it just as much as I did (until they change everything I did!!!!) Corey I love doing little do it yourself projects. Although working in construction I feel the pain with the black thumb. Putting up cedar lap siding with split-less nails I have hit my thumb several times. It makes you want to shout a lot of bad words and when you do it after the third time you just want to drop everything to give up. Alex |
boom Joshua Mysliwiec |
tear drops |
pain already, |
impromptu tantrum |
her only friend Shureda Casterberry I imagine a young girl who feels alone and rejected or abused. However, she finds comfort, trust and love in the only friend she's ever known and had; her worn and torn doll or bear. Shureda |
her weeping willow |
flip . . . flop Michael Means This haiku immediately takes me back to the beach on a hot summer day. I imagine walking down the beach in the hot summer sun wearing my flip flops. I can hear the sound of the ocean and the waves rushing up on the shore and picture the clear blue water for as far as I can see. There is a smell of the fresh salt water and clear air. I can feel the beautiful white sand nestle between my toes as I walk down the beach. This haiku is very peaceful and calming to me. Britney |
12 hours a day Joshua Mysliwiec This haiku was simpler but also an attention grabber for me and I could relate to it. Picturing myself in the haiku. I know the struggle of working long days/nights and long shifts for a paycheck that is so far away. Dannika |
band-aids and kisses Shureda Casterberry This haiku is so relatable. So often we as parents apply Band-Aids or kissing area where a child may have hurt themselves, however realistically eliminate the pain. In life there are some pains that are so deep that there is no Band-Aid or kisses that will ever be able to make it all better. Pamela Whenever I read this kukai I instantly connected to it. My interpretation of this kukai was the reality of life/situations/things. When we are young and we scrape our knees our mothers would kiss the pain & cover it with bandaids but as we got older we learned their are things that kisses and bandaids cannot heal and in some cases cannot even compare in fixing! Mental pain for example cannot be healed by kisses and band-aids, heartbreak cannot be healed by band-aids and kisses. Dannika |
full of tears Pamela Kennedy |
nightshift father J.R. Baird |
afraid to be herself Dannika Beedle I really enjoyed this haiku. I think it captures what a lot of people in today’s society feel from the pressures brought on by social media and the perfect moments we see in our news feeds. We’re so caught up in “keeping up with the Jones’” that we are often trying to keep up the charade behind closed doors too, just to practice the role. There are a ton of benefits with the internet, social media and the instant ability to connect and share information with others. However, one major downfall (in my opinion) is the pressure of always being plugged-in to the system. Sometimes you just need to turn off the “screens” and live in the real world. All the hype and arguments online fadeout into background noise. JR Baird This Haiku really hit home. I find myself not afraid of being myself but hiding who I am for work purposes. I’m a very goofy person who loves to laugh. Many people can’t relate or either can’t respect my humor. When I’m at work, I have a professional persona. I feel like you can’t always let anybody in your inner space. I also feel that a work environment should not show all of you at work. If a person likes to party the whole office should not know about it. Another thing that came to mind when I read this was I imagined a girl going through depression afraid of being herself. Being yourself is sometimes not excepted. So many people hide behind a different image. This can get serious and lead to self-hate. Angela |
a small boy J.R. Baird |
the longest mile Dannika Beedle |
oh great . . . Corey McKenzie Immediately when reading this I sense the sarcasm from the writer. I am vision a family gathering or event where two parents that have been divorced and don't get along have shown up to support their children. Although, for some this would be a joyous occasion due to past experiences it does not seem like something the author is looking forward to. Pamela |
red heels, |
two feet |
winter night Dannika Beedle This haiku reminds me of the power of a positive attitude. If you are in a good mood and excited about your purpose, outside elements like cold weather or a cloudy day don’t affect you as much, or maybe at all. However, if you are in a bad mood you can be hyper-sensitive to your surroundings and easily offended by the slightest nuances. This poem helped to remind me to always be optimistic and positive. Attitudes are contagious, and I want to be a source of good energy, not a “Debbie Downer”. JR Baird |
broken umbrella |
dusty leather Alex Blome His boots tell alot about the kind of employee he his. Worn from his hard work, and dependable. The cracks and creases along with the dust, come from hours spent working in the mill. The smell of wet, sweaty leather mixed with grain dust has a distinct odor. Regardless of how they look, they have a job to do and that’s to protect their owner from hazards around the plant. The souls are worn, because he can’t quite afford a new pair. But why would you need a new pair anyway, these are just fine. Michael |
his shoes Angela Dean |
old fish tank Vineece Thompson |
sad faces Angela Dean |
ducks in a row Alex Blome |
unfinished duties Shureda Casterberry |
dangling skillets Shureda Casterberry |
wam bottles |
first pocket-knife Corey McKenzie This one takes me back to when I got my first knife. I would take that knife everywhere I went not just to the woods. My whittling usually consists of just sharpening sticks to a point. That first knife started a collection of knives I still have today. Alex |
the pressure Corey McKenzie |
“rush” hour Corey McKenzie |
© 2018, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.