Haiku Kukai 2 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • June 2019
a short hallway
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grocery store Raisa Zamacona |
gazing Alysa Doneske This haiku reads to me as a feeling of longing for someone gone, likely someone who passed away since the feeling is inspired by the clouds in the sky. The feeling of longing and loneliness really resonates, since the scene is otherwise very peaceful and quiet. The contemplation that was captured in this haiku is really powerful, and is something that doesn’t feel sad, oddly enough. The wonder doesn’t strike me as particularly sad or painful, but something that happened a long time ago that you’ve learned to live with. It’s a feeling of an old wound that’s done a lot of healing, but isn’t quite there yet. Emily Boes, June 2019 |
little girl
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chicken and veggies |
basking |
summer breeze Emily Boes |
driving down the highway |
the clerk moves |
the tree Dan Dolphin |
Emily Boes The haiku by Emily reminds me of a man who is being pushed on a wheelchair down his daughter’s high school hall. He has just come back from war where he lost both of his legs and will forever be stuck on that wheelchair. His daughter does not know he is about to walk into her classroom. The door opens and the room only contains silence as forty eyes stare at the soldier being pushed in the classroom. The little girl excited and sad for seeing her dad with no legs stands up and runs to his warm arms. His scent fills her nose remembering her everything is going to be okay. Raisa Zamacona, June 2019 |
a reflection Alysa Doneske |
not a person in sight Dan Dolphin This haiku conveys a strong sense of empowerment without necessarily providing a reason. The singular character of the haiku has broken away from the expectations of everyone around her, leaving her completely alone. However, that loneliness has allowed her to become her own person, take the power to control her own destiny, and use it for her own benefit. This is where true empowerment comes from. This disregard for everyone around her leaves her completely alone, but that doesn’t matter to her. Her fate is in her hands, and she is all the better for it. Emily Boes, June 2019 |
scrolling through Instagram Raisa Zamacona I really liked this haiku because it could mean two things. The first is exactly what the author is talking about. You are on Instagram and then switch to twitter once you see everything on Instagram. Pretty basic meaning while the other not so much. The other interpretation I got from this was that social media is consuming our lives. We go on Instagram and once we have seen everything about other people through one site, we switch over to the other to read about the same people but just on a different site. More or less saying that we as a society are all caught up in the media and not focusing on what really matters such as experiences and spending time with family and friends. Alysa Doneske, June 2019 |
strong arms
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one hand on the wheel Dan Dolphin |
gleaming light |
summer night Raisa Zamacona This poem hits home for many people. I miss going to baseball games in the summer and being in the company of my friends. This poem is very relatable and enjoyable for anyone who watches sports. I liked how the author said “best friends” meaning more than one best friend. It implies that you can have multiple best friends, not just one hogging the title. It made me picture a field, and the sun is just starting to set behind it. I can smell the beer from spectators also enjoying the game. It is a really good poem that can spark a specific memory for many people because of how relatable it is. Dan Dolphin, June 2019 |
on the edge of my bar stool Raisa Zamacona |
ice cubes rustling |
work all day long Raisa Zamacona |
black robes drape down Emily Boes I felt that this poem produced a ritual vibe to it. It reminds me of something you would see in a horror movie. I want to point out that the use of the word “glisten” brings a sense of direction to the fire. It describes the fire and how it reflects on the masks of the people in porcelain masks. This poem is edgy and has the potential to give the reader chills. The way the robes “drape down” is an excellent way to describe the robes and I assume they are being worn by the people in masks. I like how the picture this poem creates in my head has a pop to it. I pictured the white mask popping from the black robes with a red-yellow light illuminating on the white masks. Dan Dolphin |
a sea turtle chokes Dan Dolphin I really liked this haiku because it portrays a really important message to the readers. It explains that all the plastic that us humans are using all over the world are being used once and getting tossed in the garbage. Ultimately, the garbage gets dumped in a landfill but something make its way through the rain and flows to the bodies of water that other animals such as turtles and others that think this garbage is food and continue to eat it. This all ties in with global warming which is a serous issue in today’s society, so this is a good way of people thinking about what they are using in regards to plastics and trash they are creating. Alysa Doneske, June 2019 |
smells of gingerbread
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strings clinking together Alysa Doneske |
they drift in space Dan Dolphin |
© 2019, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.