man’s best friend
tired and frail
still with a spark

Wayne Longhill

almost blind
and can’t hear intruders
my faithful companion

Kathy Carter

Mom’s favorite doll
a place on a shelf
a place in my heart

Kathy Carter

baseball bat
game used souvenir
displayed proudly

Shannon Williams

man’s best friend
tired and frail
still with a spark

Mom’s favorite doll
a place on a shelf
a place in my heart

top quarter champion

man’s best friend
tired and frail
still with a spark

top half champion

man’s best friend
tired and frail
still with a spark

bottom quarter champion

rusty iron
the way of life
on the farm

rusty iron
the way of life
on the farm

one broken wing
still in the game
winner's attitude

always ready
always there
old pickup truck

Wayne Longhill

rusty iron
the way of life
on the farm

Jerry Bobbett

one broken wing
still in the game
winner's attitude

Wayne Longhill

spine not as strong
words are outdated
pages have yellowed

Kathy Carter

top half champion

man’s best friend
tired and frail
still with a spark
 

champion

graveyard bound
not today
my old friend
 

bottom half champion

graveyard bound
not today
my old friend
 

holes throughout
the faded denim
dancing

Jerry Bobbett

mile after mile
carrying the load
re-shoe me again

Wayne Longhill

graveyard bound
not today
my old friend

Wayne Longhill

the old chicken coop
she barely stands
still another use

Wayne Longhill

mile after mile
carrying the load
re-shoe me again

graveyard bound
not today
my old friend

top quarter champion

graveyard bound
not today
my old friend

bottom half champion

graveyard bound
not today
my old friend

bottom quarter champion

cracked and chipped
snowman
smiling

orange Popsicle stain
on middle C
I practice Bach

cracked and chipped
snowman
smiling

my daughter’s solo
slightly out of tune
Kindergarten recital

Kara Manning

orange Popsicle stain
on middle C
I practice Bach

Kara Manning

cracked and chipped
snowman
smiling

Shannon Williams

Will those six lost teeth
ever grow in?
corn on the cob

Kara Manning

man’s best friend
tired and frail
still with a spark

almost blind
and can’t hear intruders
my faithful companion

I think these two haiku were pretty well matched at least from my perspective. What I seen when I read these two, were scenes including a service dog, or just a mans good old dog in which he had come to trust over the many years together. In the first one, I see a man with his long time pet or best friend I should say, the dog appears tired and worn out. But when its owner is in need, the dog comes to life, and stands attention at a moments notice. The dog comes alive with a loud bark. The owner is not a bit surprised. In the second haiku, I see a man with his service dog. He places his full faith and trust in his dog. He knows his do is faithful and is there to protect and serve him as his master. Jerry

I liked both of these haiku and had a very difficult time deciding which one won my vote. The first one, “man’s best friend”, implies that this is definitely a dog who is a good companion, who is getting older, and perhaps he is slowing down and has some ailments. At the same time, this dog still has a playful side that is reminiscent of his younger days when he could run like the wind and loved to chase after tennis balls thrown by his owner. The second poem, “almost blind”, could be about a dog or maybe a cat or even a human companion. It leaves who or what the haiku is about to the reader’s imagination. It shows how the bond of friendship continues even if the companion is not in perfect physical condition. While both haiku convey that bond, the first one has that edge of defining the subject just a bit more clearly and paints a stronger picture in my mind. I envision someone telling about their beloved dog that they’ve raised from a puppy and have owned for many years. The dog is getting older and maybe he sleeps all day and doesn’t do much running anymore, but when his owner comes home at the end of the day, that old dog springs to life again and greets his owner at the door with tail wagging and playfulness in his eyes. Kara

It is said that dogs are man’s best friends. This is true. Dogs will be there for you no matter what happens. Both haiku speak of the closeness of man and dog. In these haiku, both dogs have been with their owners for many years and still honor their master. In the first haiku, I see a dog that may have lived on a ranch. The dog has herded cattle or cows, fought with wolves to protect livestock, followed the cow hands as they rode horse back along fence rows making repairs. The dog has lived a hard life, but lives for a positive reaction from his master…a smile, pat on the head, or ears rubbed with affection. The dog is happy to be at home each night lying on a rag rug by the fireplace at its master’s feet. Raising its head from time to time, hearing the leather of the master’s chair squeak from movement, but so satisfied to there.

The second haiku makes me think of a Seeing Eye dog that has led its blind master throughout the town where they live. The dog has guided its master across busy streets, through airports, schools, and businesses always thinking of the safety of the master. Even without the harness, the dog stays near. At fifteen years, the dog has aged, almost blind, can barely hear, but still remains dedicated and faithful. The dog has retired from Seeing Eye dog duties, but the master and the dog have become close friends. Cathy

mile after mile
carrying the load
re-shoe me again

When I was growing up, we kept horses at a stable owned by a friend of my father’s. I can still picture that old red horse barn with its white sliding door. The tack room where all the saddles, bridles, bits and other riding gear was kept was immediately to the right. To the left, just inside the barn, was the loft where the bales of straw were kept. Down the center of the barn was a hard dirt floor with individual stables along one wall and large feeding stable on the other. This haiku made me think not only of the barn itself and how much I loved to go there with my father and help feed the horses every afternoon. It also made me remember the days when the farrier (horse-shoer) would come to put new shoes on the horses. The horse would be placed in the center of the barn with leads attached to both sides of the bit. The farrier would then remove the old shoe, trim the horse’s hoof, and attach the new shoe on each hoof. I can still hear the sounds of the hoof beats on the dirt floor and the whinnies and snorts of the horses. This was a very special time shared just between my father and me when I was a little girl. Kara

rusty iron
the way of life
on the farm

This haiku reminds me of being out on the farm. I like the opening line, the hoku. It really sets the scene. I picture a rusty old piece of equipment along side an old tractor that’s been sitting in the weeds for years untouched. I picture a windmill and can hear the squeaking sound of it as it slowly turns in the light wind. This was my first experience down on the farm at my grandparents’ house. Jerry

Mom’s favorite doll
a place on a shelf
a place in my heart

Response writing: During my childhood, I always remember mom’s “Shirley Temple” doll from her childhood. The doll was approximately 24 inches tall and was kept in a pink faded box on a closet shelf. Each year, or as often as I knew, she would share the viewing of the doll with me and my sister. The doll was porcelain and had light red curls that were flattened to its head and wore a soft yellow dress. The doll’s teeth actually looked real, I assume porcelain as well. It was the way mom’s hands would carefully slide under the doll as she lifted it from the box and the way she looked at the doll that made me realize how special it was to her. When we asked to play with the doll, mom’s response was always, “when you are older.” I now see the whole point, when you were older, you would not want to play with the doll, but treasure it as she had. As the years went by, the doll was placed on a shelf in the china cabinet. I asked mom who had given her the doll. Mom’s father had given her the doll when she was eight years old, the year her mother had died. Sadly, mom’s dad died when she was ten years old. It made so much sense to me then why the doll was so special…a reminder of her mother and a gift from her father, both held close to her heart. Today, my mother is gone, and my sister has the doll proudly displayed in her china cabinet. Cathy

graveyard bound
not today
my old friend

In writing this haiku my mind was centered on the topic we were supposed to write about, which were things that were broken or worn out, but still valued. I pictured many different things with this writing, as I am an individual who typically gets the total value of everything that I have.

I had a vision of the homes that I own and the many remodeling projects that I have encountered. Some might think some of these homes were actually ready for the wrecking ball or graveyard, but I saw potential and new life in them. Bringing an old home into a newly remodeled home is challenging and rewarding. In writing my haiku I also thought about the many old vehicles that I have owned. Until very recently every vehicle that I have had was used. I just keep them healthy and they run on.

My last thought with this haiku was human life itself. It is my optimism and love for life that never lets me get down when the cards are stacked against me. I will often try to help others when I know they’re facing rough times as well. Life is too short and too wonderful to give up on because of almost any situation or condition. Things will always get better after a while. You just need to remember that someone somewhere has a worse than you do.

I guess my philosophy used in writing about these things centers around the value of a dollar and an appreciation for what we have here on earth. A person can obtain fond appreciations for houses and cars, and the appreciation for human life speaks for itself.

always ready
always there
old pickup truck

rusty iron
the way of life
on the farm

almost blind
and can’t hear intruders
my faithful companion

These two haiku match well I think because they are both what I would expect to see on the farm. The rusty iron statement could even be describing the old pickup truck, as well as many other things that would be seen on a farm. The statement about the way of life also describes the old pickup truck. You will rarely ever find a farm that does not have an old pickup truck. The truck is always ready and always there because it must be depended upon for the many work projects on the farm. The truck is an icon, not just a mode of transportation. I picture this truck as being old because it is used as an old work horse. Things are thrown into it and it covers rough terrain to get the job done on a daily basis. It is an essential part of the farm life. What a great setting on the old farm, the rusty, always ready, always there, old pickup truck that is the way of life on the farm. Wayne

My mom grew up near the dusty, red dirt roads of Brownsville, TN. She must have learned from my grandmother, Charlie Mae Alexander, how to iron shirts, better than a heavy-starched shirt of today from the cleaners. I imagined this to be so as I watched her iron for others at $2.00 per basket load. I visited that old farmland in TN when I was a child and saw on the shelf this rusty old iron on a hot plate. My mother’s maiden name was Willie Mae McKinney. Her mom passed away when she was 14 years of age. Ironing was the way of life for a mother to bring in extra income for the home without leaving the children with babysitters. Annie

My best friend, Jackie, grew up with a blonde, big-eyed cocker spaniel named Brandy in their home. She would bark up a storm whenever anyone walked on the porch. If you were a familiar face to the family, as I was, she would come to you wagging that stubby tail and panting happily once she realized who you were. Those were the days of high school. I went away for, I know, ten years before I visited again. This time when I entered, there was Jackie’s mom sitting in her favorite chair with a warm knitted blanket over her legs, like always. As I hugged and greeted everyone, I noticed this plump blonde cocker spaniel, slowly walking towards me, growling softly and smelling around my feet. “Brandy,” I said. Time had taken over her body, but love had kept her alive for a very long time. Annie