Every summer my entire family would go to Turkey Run Indiana to camp and play in the river. We would all go to the river, probably 20 of us and play and look for Indian beads. One day just me and my grandma went. She always found the best and the most beads, which she placed in a clear jar, with a salmon colored lid and shell on it. In the middle of the river, right under a covered bridge was an island. I can see my grandmother bent over searching for shells and beads. I sat on the shore, playing in the sand and watched her. When she found a good one she would yell at me to come see it. The “good ones” always had a hole through the entire rock, so we could string them onto a necklace. The water was shallow, only ankle deep. The river was very cold and my feet were numb. I stared at my feet and watched the current push sand and rock over my toes. I still remember my grandma short hair, her 1980’s big framed plastic glasses. She always wore cut off shorts and a swim suit to the river. She was always grouchy, but kind. I could smell hotdogs cooking on campfires. I could feel my shoulders burning and see that my grandma’s shoulders were already beet red. After several hours we returned back to camp. I remember being very hungry and worn out. She had 10 other grandkids camping with her that weekend; I always wondered why she only took me.

Indian beads—
a diamond
in the ruff

grandma searches
for shells and Indian beads
current over her feet

cold feet
sun burnt shoulders…
a day at the river

sun burnt shoulders
our feet going numb
in the river

sand rushing
over my feet . . .
a river

shallow river
the current pushes sand
and rocks over my toes

from the river
come indian beads
now diamonds in the jar

Revised haiku

from the river
Indian beads
diamonds from Grandma’s jar

sun burnt shoulder….
our feet
so numb, from the river

           Destany Lucas

long winding road
years of travel
still there

leaves blowing
fall approaching
worries at home

aching heart
eyes so sad
on a walk

afternoon walk
through the park
her eyes so sad

out of the house
for a walk
her eyes so sad

I remember the day my Dad passed away in September of 2000. I can still see the sun shining on that very day, but knowing there would be no way I could enjoy it. I still remember the smell of fall and the different colored leaves on that day. I remember driving down the road from the hospital and thinking how my life will never be the same. I will never be the same person. The only thing I wanted to do was take a walk through the park. To remember what if felt the day before when he was alive and I walked through that same park. So, I took my walk, just my time to grieve. My eyes so sad. My heart was aching. Each step felt even heavier then the next. The sky so blue. The air so crisp. Life is too short I thought. I need to enjoy every single day. Live life to the fullest. The memories flooded my mind and I smiled through my pain with my slow steps through the park.

a walk in the park
greiving dad,
my eyes so sad

slow steps
through the park
her eyes so sad

          Danae Fultz

the eyes of a child
a road
reaches heaven

Feburary of 2004. It was a beautiful, sunny, but extremely cold winter day. It was my Great-Great Aunts funeral (the same aunt that took my sister and me on Sunday drives). My family has a private cemetery outside of Shelbyville. My sister and I drove the 10 miles in silence. It was windy that day and very cold. I remember my tears freezing my face, but I did not care because that last thing on my mind was being cold. My family members hugged me, but I could not feel that either. I remember wishing that I was somewhere else, anywhere, just not there, on that day. Everyone was upset and crying, but I only cared about how I felt. My heart was as cold as the wind. My aunt loved music, and she loved to hear my little brother play his trumpet. So my brother performed for her. I could faintly hear him playing taps, but his trumpet was over powered by tears and sniffing of noses. The air that day smelled clean and of roses. The grass was an ugly brown color, because the winter sun had taken its color. No one spoke, we just listened and remembered.

the broken ground,
a broken heart—
a funeral

winter burial:
warm hearts
a cold body in the cold ground

revised haiku:

family cemetery
the broken ground
a broken heart

           Destany Lucas

I live in Sullivan and I take my kids to the park where I used to go when I was a child. I see the sun shining through the trees and the water glistening on the leaves with one swing still moving. I am brought back to a day this summer when my kids were playing outside and it was very hot. I had tried to get the kids to come inside and cool off and watch a movie. They protested and I caved in and let them stay outside even though you could barely breath it was so humid. The short time I was outside I began sweating almost instantly and could not wait to go back inside to the cool comfortable house.  Six neighborhood kids and my three were playing outside and they asked if they could get out the water guns and tubs of water to play. I dragged all of the stuff out, filled the tubs with water, and passed out the guns. The clouds moved in from out of nowhere and covered the sun. The rain started to fall straight to the ground. The rain was very steady, cool, and refreshing.  We all ran around on the driveway and in the yard getting wet, laughing, shooting each other with the water guns and having a lot of fun. The rain stopped just as soon as it started, the sun came back out, and we searched for a rainbow but did not find one. This was a summer day with a refreshing surprise.

summer day
unexpected rain
relief

fresh summer rain
sudden delight
energizing

so humid!
I fill a tub with water
for their squirt guns

clouds out of nowhere
steady rain
summer relief

          Tamara Foster

walking along
the park path
a child's laughter

walking alone
on the park path
a child's laughter

our walk along
the part path
a child's laughter

back home
at the town park
a child's laughter

Since we live in central Illinois we see a lot of produce stands, farmer’s markets, cornfields, and bean fields. This is a part of our surroundings that you cannot really get away from. When the harvest begins we know summer is leaving and autumn is on its way.  Autumn is my favorite time of year.  I love to watch the seasons change all around me. The fields are harvested and left bare; the leaves begin to change into the most beautiful shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown, the smell of fresh cool air in the early morning and late evening become the new season. Autumn is the bridge from summer to winter. My husband and I chose to get married in October because we loved being outside during that time of year. Autumn is a very romantic time of year when you are able to sleep in with the sun, snuggle together to keep warm on those chilly evenings, and walk hand in hand while looking at all of the beautiful changes.

bare fields
cool mornings
beautiful leaves

together
vows of love
autumn blessing

October evening
we walk hand in hand
recalling our vows

Autumn vows
hand in hand together
blessings of love

another autumn walk
hand in hand
our anniversary

         Tamara Foster