Haiku Kukai 02 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • May 2021
1 first interview Nick Laramee ••• I loved this one because when I had my first interview, I caught myself doing this the whole time. I really enjoyed this one because it shows almost the same emotion people feel during interviews. I imagine a young girl walking through the doors of an establishment. She tells someone working that she is there for an interview and her nervousness starts to tremble. She is scared but remembers that she is highly qualified. The manager approaches her, he brings her to a quiet area and tells her to take a seat. He asks her if there is anything he can get for her such as a drink. She says no and waits patiently for the interview to begin. As the interview process continues her nervousness starts to show. She begins twiddling her thumbs and playing with her hair. After she remarks, “I knew I should have put my hair up first.” Jacey Centola, May 2021 |
2 looking in the mirror Nick Laramee •• This haiku is one I enjoyed because I feel like it’s something many people can relate to, including myself. I just made it to the point where I was not only comfortable with what I saw in the mirror but actually liked my reflection. I think it can be hard for many to appreciate themselves so feeling that sense of acceptance is almost calming. I also think people are quick to compare how they look to others and to come to terms with your appearance is something I think should be celebrated. Leana Temple, May 2021
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3 wet sidewalk Leana Temple ••• |
4 first things first |
5 wind whistles— |
6 growing grass |
7 toss and turn Maddie Schroeder ••••• When reading this haiku, I can clearly see myself under the covers at night tossing and turning. I can never sleep a whole night through, and I tend to get up multiple times through the night and getting back to sleep has proven to be the biggest struggle. There is this one pink blanket that I have had for a couple of years that I absolutely love, and I can picture me struggling to decide to put my leg under or from beneath it. Now, I also have my weighted blanket and that’s has become a necessary part of the setup to get me to sleep. Leana Temple, May 2021 The second haiku that I liked was number 7. It reminds me of when I toss and turn when I first get in bed because I just can’t get comfortable. I also think of when it is hot in my room but when I take the covers off it isn’t comfortable and I get cold, but I also get hot with the covers on. Caitlyn Kesler, May 2021 I really like this one and it reminds me of yesterday when I woke up at one in the morning for no reason. I woke up and I was hot but when I took the blanket off, I immediately felt cold. I always hate it when this happens especially when it happens multiple times. I think of just yesterday, I woke up I had a fan on, but I felt hot. I remember removing the blanket from my warm body. A few minutes later I was freezing so I decided just to leave a leg or two out. I wanted to see is this would even it out. It did not. I did not know what to do so I just laid there waiting for my tiredness to overcome my comfort. I remember waking up, not feeling like I had gone back to sleep. I woke up and started the day even though it felt like I had no sleep. Jacey Centola, May 2021 I love how relatable this haiku is. I often find myself at night between a temperature that is not appropriate for either covers on or covers off. It is a hard balance to find which one is actually correct and you usually have to dance with the covers until you have either gotten too hot or too cold that one of them becomes comfortable. Nick Laramee, May 2021 |
8 hiding behind Maddie Schroeder •••• There is a lot of truth behind this haiku. When people are hiding behind a screen, they are often not themselves. Weather it be intentional or non-intentional people don’t act like themselves exactly when they are not in the direct presence of the person they are talking to. Nick Laramee, May 2021 |
9 stained glass Tanya Vaughn •• I would have to say that number 9 was one of my favorites because of the imagery and words used. I imagine one of the old, abandoned looking houses at the end of the block or up the hill. Maybe it had stained glass windows, so you really can't see inside to know if someone is there or not. As well as, representing a church, possibly inside of a neighborhood. Jake Pietryk, May 2021 |
10 hostas fill Tanya Vaughn •• The first haiku that I liked was number 10. It reminds me of my front yard, with all of the plants planted everywhere and our American Flag on our porch. It makes me think of Memorial Day, freedom. When I read this haiku, I see red, white, and blue on the American flag and then green of the hostas. Caitlyn Kesler, May 2021 |
11 little boy Tanya Vaughn • |
12 thoughts so loud Maddie Schroeder ••••• I love the way Maddie’s haiku reads and how there’s that emphasis on the word “you”. Everyone has those days, weeks, or months where everything feels chaotic and like nothing is sane. Where you feel overwhelmed and exhausted by factors outside of your control. And with that, we often try to find our own personal safe haven where you can take a deep breath and relax. Where you feel that nothing else matters except their presence, they make you feel whole and almost as if the world has been paused. All your fears and worries have been washed away. Tanesha Williams, May 2021 This haiku hit me in kind of a sore spot. I have issues with self-image and depression, and I am always trapped in my mind. I describe myself as my own biggest critic in everything I do. I had a friend who was my rock for a lot of my issues, and she would keep me centered when I was at my lowest points. Unfortunately, some circumstances have caused that friendship to fade away and we do not talk anymore. It was nothing dramatic we just started to drift away, but this haiku reminded me of her and those memories we had together, and it was kind of bittersweet. Austin Medina, May 2021 |
13 wrong move Tanesha Williams ••• I thought this was a relatable haiku, at least to me. There are times where I can be way too harsh on myself and beat myself up verbally, which can be so extremely damaging. The internal dialogue one has amongst themselves is extremely important and even knowing that I still sometimes get on myself like this. It is just easy to get in a headspace like that, especially after taking loss after loss or just having a bad time. Leana Temple, May 2021 This haiku reminds me of those days where nothing seems to go right. If I make a mistake or mess something up, I am more sensitive to any other errors the rest of the day. Being a perfectionist, I can relate to this haiku all too often. Tanya Vaughn, May 2021 |
14 a walk in the woods Jacey Centola • |
15 he rides his bike Jacey Centola ••• |
16 first day Caitlyn Kesler ••• This haiku is one of my favorites from this group. I imagine a third or fourth-grade girl with a brand new backpack attending her first day at a new school. She wonders if she will make friends. Who wouldn’t be nervous on their first day at a new school? Tanya Vaughn, May 2021 I loved this haiku because it reminded me a lot of my time in school up through high school. I moved schools a lot as a kid. Up through high school I attended a total of nine different schools, 10 if you include the short amount of time I spent doing online schooling. As you would probably imagine, being the new student nine different times made it very difficult to maintain friendships. I wondered every time I started a new school if I would be able to make friends. I feel that is a very common feeling for everyone when they start a new school, and I got a chance to experience it many times. Austin Medina, May 2021 |
17 anxiety— Tanesha Williams ••••• • I like this one because it is exactly what anxiety is. Anxiety is super hard to even explain except with analogies. Everyone’s reaction to anxiety is different and so it is quite interesting to see how this author feels. This haiku made me think of my chest being so tight while having a panic attack. It feels like a bunch of bees just stinging your chest and it is never ending. Maddie Schroeder, May 2021 This is a perfect metaphor for when you feel anxious about something. Often times people use the term butterflies in my stomach, however this is definitely not as accurate as “the buzzing bees inside my chest.” I also like the line breaks in this haiku and pause of the first word in the first line. Nick Laramee, May 2021 |
18 1 mile walk
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19 right foot, left foot |
20 13-hour drive Caitlyn Kesler ••••• I laughed when reading this because I feel like it describes my thoughts perfectly. My mind is always on the move and I am always getting distracted by the littlest things. I could be working on a project in my Chemistry lab and start worrying about whether or not I locked my car door after I parked it. The thoughts are intrusive and appear at their own request. There are also times when you’ve simply been busy all day and when you finally get the chance to relax, you begin to think and stress over whether there’s something you forgot. Tanesha Williams, May 2021 Number 20 was also a favorite of mine. I can relate because I love driving so if the destination isn’t ridiculously long, I will drive. But even if it is going somewhere close for the weekend, that thought always seems to pop into my head as I get far from home. The anxiety of thinking I forgot to do something and hoping that I am wrong. Jake Pietryk, May 2021 Our family has gone on many long road trips. Did I leave the milk out? This kind of thought happens to me almost every trip we go on. We get a bit down the road, and I wonder if I completed something that had to be done before I left. Of course, whatever it is doesn’t cross my mind until we are at the point of no return. Tanya Vaughn, May 2021 |
21 the inevitable death. Tanesha Williams • |
22 climbing the hill Jake Pietryk •• I imagine hiking up a mountain, being super tired and stepping on rocks and just not walking straight. While being on the mountain, I run out of water and so I am even more tired and want to quit, but I continue because I don’t want to just quit. When eventually at the top, seeing that sunset would be such a relief. None of that pain or tiredness matters because of the beautiful sunset. This can be analogy also for working so hard at something where you want to give up, but seeing that little bit of the finish line or reward makes it so worth it. Maddie Schroeder, May 2021 |
23 bills Jake Pietryk • This haiku kind of made me feel a little old. I thought back to a time when I did not have to worry about any of this. Now that I am 25 years old the stress is always on my shoulders. I have to pay my car, phone, credit cards and car insurance. I am lucky that my parents are still allowing me to stay with them until I finish school. This haiku reminded me of how much responsibility I have now that I did not have too long ago. Austin Medina, May 2021 |
24 closed blinds |
25 family together Randy Brooks •••• This one really puts emphasis on what Memorial Day is really about. We all think it is about just “another day off,” but in reality, we really would not have this day without the meaning behind it. I really imagine a family celebrating their loved one that happen to pass away in a war. They are here on Earth and in America, being free because of those people who passed away. This haiku is super touching and I really like it. Maddie Schroeder, May 2021 |
26 leaky oil Nick Laramee •• I personally liked this haiku because at face value it may seem the speaker is simply having a hard time with his car but when you look below the surface level, you can apply it to life. We all have our moments where it feels like there’s just problem after problem or that nothing is going right at the moment. However, we are to be reminded that these are just minor setbacks and that they don’t determine how the rest of our life will go. I always say that you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain. Keep your head up for better days that are soon to come; move with confidence and pride. Tanesha Williams, May 2021 |
27 he walks along Jacey Centola •• |
28 long hair |
29 I call them, Butterflies Leana Temple • |
30 cars passing Maddie Schroeder •••• |
31 dead bird Tanya Vaughn ••• Number 31 was also a top favorite of mine. I thought about going on a walk through the neighborhood and seeing a dead bird at the base of a tall tree. Thinking the bird must’ve fallen out of the nest or off a branch somewhere up the tree. Being in nature, you never know what you are going to come across. Jake Pietryk, May 2021 |
32 freckles on Tanya Vaughn • |
33 yellow shirt Nick Laramee ••••• The third haiku that I liked was number 33. I see a guy with a bright yellow shirt on and light purple shorts on, which do not match at all, but he could care less. I think of a guy walking on the boardwalk at the beach in those clothes and not a care in the world because he is at a beach, relaxing and at peace. I cannot go anywhere if I am not matching, I wish I could not have a care in the world like this guy. The only time I do is when I am sitting on the beach. Caitlyn Kesler, May 2021 This one is probably my favorite because I wish I had the ability to not care and just where what I want. I remember when I was little, I could not yet match my clothes and I honestly did not care. As I got older, I realized I was being made fun of and so I started to dress in matching clothes. I imagine form this haiku a little girl who is just starting to learn how to dress appropriately. She wakes up and says well I love yellow, but I also love purple, so she decides to wear both of them. She puts on her favorite yellow shirt and her cute purple shorts. After getting dressed she gets on the bus for school. She hears the older kids talking about her outfit and the colors she is wearing. She tells herself the older kids are just mean and I wore what I wanted to wear. The next day she does the same thing because its what she wants to do. She wears her blue top and green shorts. Jacey Centola, May 2021 |
© 2021, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.