a trumpet playing taps—
my tears freeze
in the winter wind

Destany Lucas

I really like this poem because every line has so much value and importance. “A trumpet playing taps” brings the reader to a military funeral. Taps has a unique sound and I relate this to the military. “My tears freeze” What a powerful line. You can feel just how cold it is outside and inside the hearts of the loved ones. The sense of loss is heavy with the sounds and weather. The winter winds just chill to the bone and leave you with a feeling of death and mourn. —Josh

grandpa’s truck
loud but sturdy
sitting in the driveway

Danae Fultz

summer children playing
hot and humid     rain
water fight

church on Sunday morning
choir singing loudly
piano softly playing

Danae Fultz

sand rushing
over my feet—
a river

a van stops . . .
small eyes look
a deer looks back

Destany Lucas

I think of a van loaded with the whole family in it, out for a Sunday afternoon drive through the woods. It is a slightly chilly day. The leaves are blowing softly. The children are patiently waiting to see at least one dear. The van stops and the children stop and stare with the deer staring right back. In their eyes, the day is complete. —Danae

I really like how this haiku makes me feel. I do not think that if you grew up in the city or have never lived where you see the deer that you can appreciate it. Since I did grow up driving through Wolf Creek and Bo Woods doing this exact same thing and now drive around with my kids looking for those eyes that will look back I feel like I can appreciate the purpose of this haiku. —Tamara

passing the cemetery
her grandson asks
where’s the road to heaven?

Tamara Foster

summer children playing
hot and humid     rain
water fight

blue painted sky
     the old man fills
     his bird feeder

Josh Parmenter

snowy night
     friends talk and talk
     in a running truck

Josh Parmenter

My family recently had a loved one pass away. My grandmother died this summer and this was my three boys first exposure to death. This time was very hard on me and I wanted time to grieve by myself. I wanted to have time alone with my thoughts and I did not really think about how grandma’s death had impacted my kids.

One day in the van we were running errands around town and we passed the cemetery, my oldest son asked, “Where is the road to heaven?” Before answering him directly I asked him, “Why do you want to know about the road?” He replied, “How did grandma know how to get to heaven?” While my throat immediately clenched up and I was trying to blink back tears I realized that I had not given my kids what they really needed. They needed to grieve with me and I had been selfish.

I turned the van around and we went back home and sat on the living room rug. We pulled out photo albums, dolls, cards, and gifts that grandma had given us. We took turns telling stories about grandma, talking about things we did, and when we visited grandma in Texas. When we were finished we held hands and prayed for grandma and this really released a lot of feeling for me. I felt peaceful and calm when I looked up from prayer and looked at my boys sitting on the living room rug, an unexpected peace on a summer day.

living room rug
my boys telling stories
of grandma

          Tamara Foster

I love this haiku because it is so innocent. I see a love, laughing, crying and remembering how lucky they were to have her as there grandma. I remember losing my grandma and loving to talk about her, remembering how wonderful she was. I can visualize the children listening so hard and that their eyes are glued to every word that comes out of their mother’s mouth. Maybe they are learning or hearing stories about grandma for the first time. —Destany