the water slide
circling into the deep hole
at the bottom
Stephanie Cockrell |
the girls scream
as their stomachs drop
roller coaster
Stephanie Cockrell |
family cookout
the men
mind the grill
Dana Sayles |
at the cookout
I man the grill
all is lost
Sean Ekiss |
the girls scream
as their stomachs drop
roller coaster |
at the cookout
I man the grill
all is lost |
|
at the cookout
I man the grill
all is lost
top
quarter champion |
|
TOP half Chamption
chicken car
lemon custard twist
with sprinkles
|
bottom
quarter champion
chicken car
lemon custard twist
with sprinkles
|
chicken car
lemon custard twist
with sprinkles
|
two giggling girls
share a stand
Fresh lemonade!
|
on a moonlit night
mosquitos crowd
the tent screen
Daniel Bradford |
chicken car
lemon custard twist
with sprinkles
Stacey Longfellow |
melting fast
in summer heat
popsicles
Kelsey Polk |
two giggling girls
share a stand
Fresh lemonade!
Dana Sayles |
|
TOP
half champion
chicken car
lemon custard twist
with sprinkles |
|
CHAMPION
chicken car
lemon custard twist
with sprinkles
|
fireworks show
I sit on a blanket
with him . . .
BOTTOM
half champion |
last bait
in the bucket
no fish yet . . .
Divva Patel |
the boat pauses
on the calm pond
the stopper disappears
Daniel Bradford |
putting on skis
maybe this time
I'll get up
Amy Harmon |
ski tracks
waves capsize the boat
Charles Walker |
the boat pauses
on the calm pond
the stopper disappears |
putting on skis
maybe this time
I'll get up |
|
top
quarter champion |
|
BOTTOM
half champion
fireworks show
I sit on a blanket
with him . . .
|
bottom
quarter champion
fireworks show
I sit on a blanket
with him . . .
|
4th of July
a tire swings
over the pond
|
fireworks show
I sit on a blanket
with him . . .
|
4th of July
a tire swings
over the pond
Sean Ekiss |
warm summer night
my bike rumbling in flight
toward freedom I can taste
Marsha Peel |
fireworks show
I sit on a blanket
with him . . .
Amy Harmon |
three couples toast
to the fireworks
the Kiss
Joren Martin |
© 2013,
Randy Brooks • Millikin University. All rights returned to authors upon publication.
the water slide
circling into the deep hole
at the bottom
Stephanie Cockrell |
the girls scream
as their stomachs drop
roller coaster
Stephanie Cockrell |
family cookout
the men
mind the grill
Dana Sayles |
at the cookout
I man the grill
all is lost
Sean Ekiss |
The atmosphere and tone of this reading are connected by what could be considered as the theme or setting. The voice of the writer brings the carnival or the fair to mind. Although these events are enjoyed by children of all ages, the setting imagined in the words takes my focus to the life of adolescents. The atmosphere is exciting, suspenseful, and daring. Rhonda
|
I really like this haiku. I love to ride on roller coasters. The faster, the better, in my opinion. The drops never scare me. I always like to sit in the front, if my friends will let me. I honestly just scream for the fun of it. I have my arms up the entire time, even if the roller coaster goes upside down. The wind in my face, the speed and the rush is amazing. I love Mr. Freeze because of the speed. I love the Batman because your feet dangle. Kelsey
Cotton candy, people everywhere, and the desire and apprehension of going on that high flying roller coaster. I imagine the look on the faces of the screaming girls as the roller coaster loops upside down and it seems as if they are going to fall. The water slide is like a maze, twisting and turning through a tunnel and then you drop. The writer sets the tone by using words that are exciting and suspenseful. Rhonda |
In my family, there is a bit of a tradition when it comes to the grill. The older men are always outside cooking. The boys stay inside, and just occasionally run outside as errand-runners or just to see what is happening. As they get older, though, and can actually add to the conversation, they are invited to stay. It is a pseudo-rite of passage that basically just means the boy isn’t as annoying any more, and won’t pester the grillmaster and other men. But it confers a sense of manhood on the son finally old enough to just hang out with dad. This haiku reminds me of my own time finally getting to sit by the grill, but also to that of the next generation that is getting to be the same age as we were when it happened to us. Joren |
|
on a moonlit night
mosquitos crowd
the tent screen
Daniel Bradford |
chicken car
lemon custard twist
with sprinkles
Stacey Longfellow |
melting fast
in summer heat
popsicles
Kelsey Polk |
two giggling girls
share a stand
Fresh lemonade!
Dana Sayles |
| |
This is the haiku that won the contest and it is because this is so close to home for all of us. We all love kreckles lemon ice cream with sprinkles. It has been my favorite treat since I can remember. This is just a perfect summer haiku for the Decatur area. Amy
The chicken car was one of Decatur's unique icons linked with the another of Decatur's landmarks. It was always parked at Krekel's Custard known by all of this towns resident new and old. It's a must visit for all returning home to Decatur as well as it is for people just passing through. The custard was only one of many favorites found at this long standing establishment locally owned and for a long time family operated business. Charles
Being from Decatur, this definitely reminds me of going to Krekels getting the greasy bag and a lemon twist. There are trademarks, so to speak, of each and every city in the United States and I believe the chicken car is one of Decatur’s own. For originality I give this haiku a 10. Daniel
This was actually my haiku. Anytime I think of summer ,I think of krekels. When I was young my brother and I were at my grandmas quite a lot while my mother worked nights. We would usually play outside until it started to get dark and always be pretty worn out. Some night my grandma would take us to krekels for ice cream as a treat. I would always get the same, lemon with sprinkles. My brother would get vanilla , which my grandma never agreed that was a real flavor. Now my oldest daughter Mackenzie works at Krekels on Rt 121 and we go in for a treat once in a while and it brings me back to those nights with my grandma. It is one of my fondest childhood memories. Stacey
This haiku is obviously very relatable to a lot of people in our class, since it won. Krekel’s is just more than a restaurant to me, it was my first place of employment. I had the pleasure to work for Mr. Krekel (sarcasm) and ride in the chicken car. I worked there for two summers during high school, and a few of the people I worked with there I work with now at Ameren. Those girls have been in my life and friends for over twenty years. So not only will the yummy lemon custard with sprinkles always be a staple in my life, the friends I made there over 20 years ago are also. Emily
Really set the mood with this one. The Chicken Car which is synonymous with Krekels Custard the lemon flavor is only sold in summer. I can even taste it now reading this poem. This is an exceptional Haiku with everything that brings you in and pulls you around. William
This haiku makes me want a lemon cone with sprinkles from Krekel's. I remember when I went to Johns Hill Middle School; I used to go to Krekel's everyday for lunch. This brings back so many childhood memories. Sevie |
|
|
last bait
in the bucket
no fish yet . . .
Divva Patel |
the boat pauses
on the calm pond
the stopper disappears
Daniel Bradford |
putting on skis
maybe this time
I'll get up
Amy Harmon |
ski tracks
waves capsize the boat
Charles Walker |
| |
|
This haiku takes me back to a camping trip with my cousins to Minnesota. I had not skied in years and was talked into giving it another shot. I was able to easily get up onto two skis and my cousins decided it was time I learned how to slalom. They decided the easiest way was for me to get up onto two skis and then drop a ski after I was comfortable. I remember falling over and over every time I tried to drop a ski. Once time I came up from my fall and I had to ask if my head was still attached to my body because I was certain it had popped off because my fall was so hard!! What a great family memory I hadn’t thought of in years. Dana
This haiku takes me back a few years. I remember being younger and starting to learn how to ski. It was not a good experience for an hour or so. I couldn’t get up on those skis to save my life. I kept telling myself maybe this time it will happen. I had a very encouraging “team” trying to coach me through the basics. Eventually after numerous attempts, I go up on the skis. I also remember the falls. Needless to say, skiing was a bigger learning experience then I had ever imagined. Skiing looked very easy watching the other people however, learning to ski was a whole different story. Josh
This haiku fills me with memories and humor. I love boating and have spent many hours on the lake. I am not a great swimmer but I’m always up for an adventure. I have attempted to ski so many times, often with poor results. Once in a while, I would get up and get to ski, but most of the time I crashed, burned, and ate lots of water. The good natured teasing from family and friends always made me feel loved. I was always good natured about it and could easily make fun of myself. This haiku took me to a happy place when fun came from trying, not doing things perfectly. Marsha |
|
4th of July
a tire swings
over the pond
Sean Ekiss |
warm summer night
my bike rumbling in flight
toward freedom I can taste
Marsha Peel |
fireworks show
I sit on a blanket
with him . . .
Amy Harmon |
three couples toast
to the fireworks
the Kiss
Joren Martin |
| |
This haiku brought a fond memory back. I can remember when I was around 13 years old and riding my bike with my cousin in the summer time. We would leave the house around 10 am and would not come back in until 9pm. That was like freedom to us, being that young. I could taste the open road ( so to speak). I had an old bike, it was passed on to me from my older brother. This bike was so ran down, I had to thoroughly inspect it before riding it. Man, how I missed that bike. Brock
Definitely like this Haiku. This haiku puts me in mind of a warm summer evening going through a lot of life stresses. Settling for things you never thought you would settle for. Feelings of being locked up or locked down; you ride for your fresh “free” breath. Peddling faster and faster trying to reach a breakthrough. Cynthia
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With this haiku I get an instant imagination of 4th of July. It is evening time, the celebration of Independence Day is in full heights and you are with your loved ones enjoying the sunset by the lake or river waiting for the fireworks to start. You have set the picnic blanket with the basket of goods. The sweet summer evening wind is blowing quietly and you cuddle up with your loved one in the blanket. The fireworks just started and the moment just feels heavenly. Divya
This is my favorite because it reminds me of when my husband was alive, and during the 4th of July, we would take our children to Nelson Park to see the fireworks and we would sit there with our blanket stretch open patiently waiting for the fireworks to start. It was so nice to see all the people that had came out to see the display of different fireworks light up the sky. Our children sat back and waited with us so patiently, and when the fireworks started the glow on their faces showed us how much this day meant to us all. Linda
I read this and see my wife and our son at Fletcher Park in Mt. Zion. This was the first year we ever watched fireworks together and the fact we had our son with us was really neat to me. This just says small town living, blanket spread on top of a hill little kids running with sparklers and neighbors manning the grill. Sean
I really had this experience a few years ago during a courtship with a man I was very interested in. We planned a meeting at his house, and then traveled to a huge parking lot where we sat on a blanket on the ground to watch a firework show. When reading this, I can smell the praline’s and cream ice cream we were sharing and the scent of smoke and gun powder in the air as the show went on. This haiku has a lot of feelings involved. Just the thought of sitting with the one person you care about and enjoying the moment; this allows you to relive that moment with few words. Stephanie
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