Kukai 1 - Favorites
PACE Global Haiku • Millikin University • January 2009
rainy morning Lauri Torbert (5) This haiku really puts you in the moment. I can picture a rainy Saturday morning (before the new baby) where you can just stay snuggled up under the covers and leave the rest of the world behind. Nikky There is nothing better then a rainy morning and your covers on your bed are soft and warm. You want to stay there all day and sleep. I think of the abyss as a deep sleep. Rachel |
cold sticky goo Courtney Kerley (4) |
watching me cry Christin Birmingham This poem has the element of keeping the reader coming back to it. Each time, you visit it, the setting or scene is different. It is not too clearly defined. It is not defined who is crying or who is watching. It is not defined who is sneaking a cigarette. Is it the person crying, or is it the person watching? Old tears? Are the old tears from before, or are they just old because of the subject matter? Why would someone just watch someone cry. What kind of person is that. It gives me the image of someone colder hearted. What are the old tears from? They must be from something that is still upsetting or unresolved. Why is she sneaking a cigarette? It seems to give the image of someone who cannot face the scrutiny if caught. Who is it in that person’s life that could cause them to find it easier to hide than to face their scrutiny? Eris |
midnight in the country Eris Eridamus This haiku reminds me of when my wife and I first started dating. My wife has always been paranoid about winter road conditions, and I of course never wanted her to leave. I’m sure my promise to her that everything would be ok if she would just take it slow on her way home was probably of little comfort to her as she would gaze out the window at the blowing snow. Mark |
wilted plant . . . Lauri Torbert This reminds me of all of the plants that I have owned and taken care of. When you have a houseplant it becomes a part of your household. Sometimes you don’t notice that you have neglected a plant until it’s too late, and then you remember were it cam from and how nice it looked it front of the window. I can visualize a wilted plant sitting in front of a widow that has not been watered. If you don’t water a plant it can be a slow death. Amanda I immediately see a sick, older person alone at home or in a nursing home. This person has no family or friends that ever come to visit. They sit alone every day, dying in loneliness. There is no one to help take care of them and they sit everyday, suffering, withering away. Some days they may not even be able to get out of bed to make it to the bathroom and they have to lie in their own filth, before they have enough energy to clean themselves up. These are their worst days, feeling the emptiness and neglect from their family. “Did they forget about me?” they wonder or maybe there really is no one left to take care of them and they cannot afford private medical help. Jacque This is a picture of a plant that has died because it was not taken care of. When I look at it, I see the leaves are curled and faded. Many of the leaves have dropped off the plant and are scattered on the dirt in the pot and laying on the table around it. The stems are brown and brittle. The plant is dead. It makes me wonder why the plant was neglected. When my sister was very ill in the hospital this summer, I spent a lot of time away from home to be with her. Some days I was home for not more than an hour. I fleetingly considered watering my plants, but did not have time. During this time, one of my plants died. It was neglected because I had to make a choice. Sue |
dark, smoky bar Jacquelyn Manicki (2) I connected with this haiku immediately. Once a month five or six women that I work with go to our favorite bar, The Bourbon Barrel, in Decatur. The Bourbon Barrel is not really dark, and you can’t smoke inside, but a great time is always had. We enjoy a few drinks, their fabulous fried mushrooms, and lots of talking and laughing. It is always a great time! Lauri I can relate back to this Haiku last Saturday. It was my twenty-first birthday and I went out for the first time. I also had my first drink ever! I had my friends all around and just enjoyed their company as they enjoyed my insanity. The night was short lived, but time with girls I could never get tired of. We went to this club in downtown Peoria. The place was packed but somehow we were able to understand each other through the blasting music in our ears. It was the best time we have had yet. Katie |
reading of the will Alike Norman (13) An image I have is that of a family that has become distant over time and were often at odds with each other. While still keeping in touch, many of the family did not know the departed as well as they thought. When the time comes to read the will all believe they are entitled to a piece of an estate they no longer really knew. Mark I just imagined this older person in hospices care for months. The only visitors he or she gets if from the nurses and doctors. I hear the nurses talking out in the hallway about how sorry they feel for this person because they never get visitors. When he or she passes away all of a sudden there are family members and friends at the lawyer’s office to if they are in the will. Rachel The poet used great technique. It was simple and to the point. He or she stated the obvious without being boring. I enjoy haiku that is relative to life. I know this type of thing happens when someone dies. I can remember a relative dying of some other relatives getting down right ugly about the will. People have no respect for the deceased in these instances. In this haiku, I can picture a crowd of people just anxiously awaiting to hear their name and their “prize.” It is shameful and the poet captured it well. Courtney This makes me think of how greedy people sometimes are even when loved ones die. I hear about all the family quarrels over money especially after the estate is settled. Some people are bitter about their inheritance, some are still mourning, and others cannot spend their money fast enough. Some families are even worried about the money before their loved ones die and complain because they think there will be nothing left to inherit. I have seen families pulled apart and have also seen people who lived frugally, but really had a lot of money to leave to families and charities. Some people are greedy; others are just curious about how much money someone else receives. I can see these people meeting after the funeral in the deceased member’s house in the living room. The participants show fake smiles and greetings, while wondering what the deceased left for each of them. Mary Sue This is what real life is about. People are wanting to come to the reading of the will to see what they have been left or just to be nosey and see what other people have been left. I see a full room of family members who have been feuding for years. Possibly a family that was split due to a divorce and the stepfamily is leaving the biological family out of things. Melissa I liked this haiku a lot; it says so much with the few words they chose. Also, I can identify with it as well. I have witnessed it, and it is so heartbreaking. They don’t have the respect enough to come to say good-bye to them, but yet they somehow think in their mind they might get to benefit off their death. This is just a classical example of greed and the ugliness that comes with it. Kimilee I found this haiku amusing. I liked that it was about a funeral, but that it didn’t set the scene at a funeral. I thought it was honest and reflected those emotions. It seemed to give a voice different from the usual somber and reflective poetry about funerals. It generates images of lively, yet not loud, discussions amongst those there. They are sharing common memories, nods, and glances with each other. They would seemingly be respectful of those that were there that held a more likable view of the deceased. It seems to indicate closeness to the deceased. Those there knew him well enough to be possibly included in the will. I see it as a way to make one final statement about, or to, the person. Eris I see a widow sitting in a high backed chair pushed off to the side of her living room. Her husband recently died and she was upset to see how few people came to the funeral. When the time for the reading of the will came, her living room was full to bursting with people hoping to get a piece of her life. It is a bright day outside which is in stark contrast to her mood. Stephen |
the wedding is over Amanda Cole (7) This brings back so many memories of my daughter’s wedding and honeymoon last summer. We spent so many hours preparing for the wedding. We advised them to take a relaxing honeymoon and they went to Costa Rica and rested and enjoyed the time together. They were so rested and happy when they returned. I think everyone should take a relaxing vacation to get away from the stress of everyday life. I remember all the short family vacations that we took together to relax. I think about beautiful islands in the ocean and the sound of the ocean waves around it. The sun is shining and tree branches are blowing in the soft breeze while the sounds of the ocean are resonant. Mary Sue
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small country church Carson Lomax (3) |
dark hair scattered |
most comfortable spot |
football field Julie Trimble (6) I can sympathize with the football player in this haiku. Although I never played competitive sports in school, I did for a short time take martial arts classes against my mother’s wishes. The short duration was due to me breaking my nose. In contrast, I was the biggest kid in the class. This haiku also inspired a strong visual image for me. It is easy to imagine a smaller kid being tackled by big linemen with a mother in the stands averting her eyes. Mark My son, Drew, played football in High School, and I can totally relate to the feelings evoked in this haiku. There were many times during a game where I had to get up and visit the concession stand or go to the restroom because I was so nervous that he would get hurt. Did my not looking work? No, he still got hurt, but thank goodness he suffered no serious injuries. Lauri A mother watches her first born son playing on a brisk autumn night. She is high up on the bleachers and she is surrounded by popcorn and candy eating spectators. Every time her son makes a tackle, she closes her eyes. Bugs gather around the field lights. Stephen |
Indian summer’s mask |
shiny scissors |
flower girl Tamara Gosnell (10) This has dual meaning for me. In one image I have a flower girl, maybe 4 or 5 years old, that is carefully being guarded by bridesmaids not to step in a mud puddles. The other image is of the same flower girl but this time it is not her fault but that of a car driving by. She has been splashed with by a car going through a mud puddle and she is on the verge of tears. Mark This person really set the scene of this poem. It makes the reader think of any wedding and the mishaps that often occur. Trying to keep a dressed up child clean is not an easy task. I can just see the temptation of a fresh mud puddle. This is a great example of imagery. The poet didn’t limit it to a particular wedding, and really left it open to the reader to come up with the situation. It is a great haiku that most people will like. Courtney I see a little girl in a white dress. She has finished her job as the flower girl and is getting out of the limo to head to the reception. She is the daughter of the groom. As she steps out into the rain her father tells her to run to the door. As she is running to the door she falls into a large pothole that is filled with muddy water. She is covered in mud and her white dress is ruined and her hair is a mess. The big brother is laughing and the little girl is crying. Melissa I immediately picture my 3-yr old, Charlotte with her bright, blue eyes and blond “Shirley Temple” curls. She loves playing in mud puddles, and often times I have had to hose her off before she comes in the house. She has a particular spot that is her “mud hole,” in which she plays in our back yard. I can see her all dressed up for a wedding and spotting a perfect mud puddle, looking from her father to me, begging with her eyes, “Just once please, please?” A mischievous look in her eyes and face, she slowly makes her way to the mud puddle, and we all scream, “NO!!” Knowing that she wouldn’t want to get her beautiful dress dirty, Charlotte would immediately strip down to her undershirt and underwear and jump in- just like she does at home. Jacque |
shaking a finger Sue James (2) |
blowing snow |
dumb, fat, lazy . . . Jacquelyn Manicki (9) This haiku is great because it could be interpreted in so many ways. I take it as a woman being hard on herself, thinking she is an idiot because she keeps believing a man that she knows is lying to her. She lets him get away with it because she thinks she is fat, and lazy so she hangs on to this liar thinking she cannot do any better. Julie This haiku make me think of a lady looking in the mirror having a bad day. Maybe she has PMS, which happens with women. He is trying on all kinds of clothes for the day and can’t decide what to wear. She looks in the mirror and thinks to herself; I am fat, dumb, and lazy, I hate myself. As she is thinking, her husband or boyfriend tells her that she looks good. After he tells her that she looks good, she think to herself; he is such a liar. Amanda |
in her nursery Julie Trimble (6) This haiku is beautiful; I get from it the true gift that it is to have a child. Also, the first line is what catches my attention. In her nursery, the place where you spend so much time getting ready before the baby arrives, the anticipation, wanting it to be perfect. Then the baby arrives, and the joy of waking up to your baby’s face every morning, truly does give you glory alone. Kimilee |
summer night Justin Pratt (3) This haiku is conflicting for me. “Summer night” I picture a starry sky on top of a hill, wide- open grassy space. “Endless love”, I see my eyes closed, soaking it all up, maybe nestled in my lover’s arms with my head on his shoulder. “My eyes open”, kind of brings me out of that, and makes me wonder if maybe this person knows this summer romance won’t last, but that conflicts with “Endless love”. Maybe it means she will always hold this love dear even though it won’t make it after summer’s end. Julie |
Illini hat in back seat |
changing leaves Kimilee Day Changing leaves tells me that it is early fall. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn into their fall colors. I hear the laughter of children. It makes me think the temperature outside is very pleasant and children are running and playing outside. The sun is beginning to get low in the sky. The light on the trees leaves intensifies the colors. Suddenly the voice of a mother calling one of them is heard. They all stop to listen so they can tell whose mother is calling. Sue |
hot Sunday morning |
toe the edge |
blinds raised Jacquelyn Manicki (4) |
soft whispers replay |
mischievous breeze chasing |
puddle of vomit Katie McIntosh (4) |
soup can Christin Birmingham (6) This is life. Whether it is a soup can knocked to the floor by a dog or papers falling out of your bag as you try to leave for work or school. It is clear and creates an immediate scene of life in the chaos of a home with kids and pets. The last line, my damn dog, speaks volumes. The dog still loves the owner and the owner still loves the dog because they are just “damn dogs” when they misbehave. Tamara |
mourning on swing sets Christin Birmingham (5) |
after morning Mass |
in the front seat Melissa Davidson (5) |
all day |
horror movie Rachel Wiley This reminds me of sitting on the couch watching a horror movie with my husband. I usually hide under the blankets when a scary part comes on. I love horror movies, but I do not watch them by myself. My husband likes the horror movies that are real and could really happen in life, but I like the zombie and vampire movies that are fake. I think the cheesier the monsters the better. Amanda I love this Haiku. I can picture myself covering up with my boyfriend watching movies. He always loves horror movies and has to beg me every time we go to rent one that it be his choice. I sometimes feel bad, of course, because he is always stuck watching my girlie movies. Therefore I have to give in to make him happy. While we watch these horror movies he chooses I always need a pillow or blanket to cover my face because it gets me everytime. Katie |
a closed door Stephen Lones (9) This haiku can go deeper than just a woman locked in a room crying. I see is as someone who is hurting but doesn’t want to open up even when someone close to her can sense there is a problem. She just goes along like she is ok but all the while she is crying inside. Nikky This haiku was a reminder of so many times in my life. Walking past my mother’s bedroom door and hearing her crying. Trying to be quiet hoping no one else will hear her angst. The times I’ve been the one inside crying. Releasing all the frustration, loneliness, sadness and anger that had built up over a period of time. The times I walked to the door of my daughters bedroom after an obvious fight with her boyfriend. Not knowing what to do and remembering sometimes we just need to release the feelings that are bottled up inside. Tamara |
Hebrew words of love |
© 2009, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.