harsh winter winds
morning after Christmas
down the hill they fly

          Jeremy Fraught

I can feel the cold and its effects on everything outside. It’s cold! The snow is everywhere and as cold as it is the warmth in every ones hearts overcomes all things. Christmas has come and gone the day before but it feels like its Christmas all over again. The local golf course has been turned into the best place for sledding. All the kids are lined up waiting their turns, the smoke rolls out of the 50 gallon drum. Laughter and screams are heard all around. Michael

christmas lights
presents under the tree
a little boy's glow

summer night
windows down
smoking a cigarette

•

chopped wood
split in two
a bonfire in the making

Amy Jedlicka (3)

sunset on the ocean
Daddy
bring it back

          Juanette Plato (5)

I like this haiku, because it makes me think of how little kids think their parents can do anything. It reminds me of this summer when my friend and I took our daughters to the butterfly house. Unfortunately, it was closed, so it was all locked up. My friend’s daughter was upset and told her mommy to unlock the door. My friend told her daughter that she couldn’t . Her daughter told her she could that she just had to use her keys. I thought it was cute because she thought her mommy could just “fix” the problem. Jamie

Though I have never been to the ocean with my kids, I immediately pictured us standing on the beach watching the sunset. I see large orange sun, just above the horizon. There is nice, soft sand under our feet. My wife and I are walking along, while the kids run ahead of us. They are running in and out of the ocean. We stop to watch the sunset and as soon as it goes below the horizon, the kids turn and start demanding I bring the sun back, because of course I have the power to do anything they want and exactly when they want it done. Jeremy

The first line is a perfect attention getter, scene setter, and emotion innovator. I am immediately taken to an island beach setting. It is dusk, beautiful clear sky, lapping waves against the beach and I see a family sitting in their lounge chairs waiting to view a beautiful sunset. There is excitement and anticipation and yet the feeling of relaxation is very strong. Just as the sun is starting to fall behind the horizon, I see the sky turn colors of orange that blend into yellow and create a picturesque view against the deep sea blue background of the sky. As quickly as it comes, it goes. The child is so excited and chatters on about how pretty the sky is and once the sun is down, she asks her daddy to do it again because she knows daddy’s can make anything happen. Charlotte

summer night
dancing
in the middle of the road

          Jamie Houchins (3)

I like how this haiku immediately sets the season and the time of day. This haiku gives me a since of freedom. It reminds me of being a kid just running around in the streets at night with my friends. There were no worries and I was carefree. I would dance anywhere but in the middle of the road was one of my favorite places because it made me feel free and open. There was always plenty of room to dance as big as I wanted in the middle of the road between my house and my best friends house. Mandi

The night air was chilly, but she still felt warm all over. This was the most perfect night of her life. The week had gone by fast for her and she was ready to have a break from her job. Andrew had called her at work on Friday and asked her if they could spend the day together on Saturday. They had been dating for over a year now and things were going pretty good. She didn’t have time to make any other plans for the weekend so she told him sure. He told her to be ready at 10:30 am, bring a change of clothes, sweatshirt and tennis shoes. She was puzzled and curious as to what he had planned, but knew asking questions would only get teasing and laughter from him. He had planned outings for the two of them several times and she was always amazed at how well he did and how much fun they had each time. Denver was cool this time of year so she made sure she had warm clothes. He picked her up and off they went. They drove about an hour and a half to the base of a mountain. They had a wonderful lunch in the café and he told her they were going on a hike. After one o’ clock they started up the mountain. The sun was big and bright, so it was taking some of the chill out of the air. They hiked at a slow pace, talking and laughing as they climbed. About an hour into the hike they came to a picnic area. The area was rather large, had several fire pits, a large playground and a small stream off to the left. He asked her if they could stop for a little while, he needed to take a break and use the restroom. She thought it was a little strange he wanted to take a break so soon, but she followed him to the restroom. He was waiting for her when she came out, taking her hand and leading her to a beautiful spot next to the stream. He sat her down on the picnic table and smiled at her. His back pack was already sitting by the table and he reached over to pull something out. She was looking at him and wondering why he was acting so strange, she didn’t notice how quite the area had gotten or that the group of people had started moving towards them. He stared into her eyes as he spoke of how she made him feel and how much he loved her. He took her hand then spoke the words clearly and slowly, so she would remember each one. “Will you marry me?” he said. She was stunned, she did not seeing this coming. After a few seconds she replied, “Yes,” and he placed the ring on her finger. The crowd screamed and cheered. It was then she looked around and realized he had both her family and his family here waiting for this moment. She cried and hugged him. Then there was congratulations, hugging and crying. What a special day, she thought, I am truly blessed. They all spent the rest of the day together, playing games, laughing and enjoying the beautiful weather. Later on in the evening after they ate dinner, the music began to play. She was stunned again, it was their song. He came over to her and asked for a dance and they danced in the middle of the road. Gay

old hands holding
a soft cracked cover
photos forgotten

snow fort
mom calling . . .
hot coco

Doug Taylor (5)

crisp swirling wind
Steaming pot of chili
nowhere to be

snowball fight
little boy loses
one glove

          Danielle Seider (2)

I like this haiku because until you read the last line, you think that the little boy lost the snowball fight. I love haiku that make you think they are going in one direction, then turn at the very end. After reading the whole thing, I feel so bad for the little boy and his cold hand! Amy

carolers singing
as they walk through central park
snow starts to fall

crisp cold air
powdery white snow
twinkles from the moon

          LeAnn Dossett (8)

This signifies the beginning of Fall to me, when it gets cold enough for the first time to turn on the furnace and my husband makes his first pot of chili of the season. I can see the list of things from the grocery he will need..beans, chili powder, tomato paste. He will start the pot in the morning and by early afternoon the smell of the furnace burning off the dust from the summer will be replaced by the smell of slightly spicy chili. As the wind blows the cold air around outside the big dinign room window, we sit down together to enjoy the first chili, a bowl for my son with no beans, extra shredded cheese for me and my husband. this makes me feel family. Trudy

The word linkages in this haik help make this poem transfix the scene. The author is very clear abut what they want to convey. I am taken to my own back yard last winter when sfter the first snow fall I went outside to star gaze and teh twinkling of the snow was almost exactly as this author describes. The moon so bright and the snow so reflective I could not see as many stars as I wanted but it did not matter in the least the haiku my classmate wrote is perfect for what I was feeling that night, and the moon lets me spend time with those who have gone before me. All is beautiful when the snow and moon are involved. Jeff C

raking leaves all day
girls running through the yard
leaf piles disappear

•

fields of brown
well oiled machinery
a farmer’s delight

•

boy dressed as batman
runs to the door
Trick or Treat!

crowded
in the hallway
tornado sirens

•

snowflakes melt on my cheek
I stand on a bridge
waiting for my first kiss

waking up early
to run downstairs
counting presents

          Jeff Gulley (3)

A little girl waking up before dawn runs downstairs as fast as she can without falling and see the Christmas tree with tons of presents. She starts going through all the presents finding the presents with her with name on the tag. LeAnn

This haiku brings back fond memories. I imagine Christmas morning waking up before dawn. I run downstairs before my parents are awake. I count the presents to see how many presents Santa brought me. As a kid I always had to make sure that my brother and I had the same number of presents. It did not matter the dollar value of the presents I just needed to make sure that we were equal. Danielle

red pepper lights
on the Joshua Tree
another tequila night

•

restless blue ocean
yacht smooth sailing
bucket between my legs

bright winter afternoon
grandma lying on her back
perfect snow angle left behind

nose and cheeks
red from the trip
he falls asleep

          Renee Robbynes (2)

This haiku contains so my color and warmth. I can picture a little boy who was playing out in the snow with his cousins, and then it was time to go home. About 2 minutes into the trip home, he fell asleep for the rest of the ride. Children seem to always fall asleep during car rides no matter how they feel. Stacy

searching
by the fireplace
for myself

          Zac Young (6)

I really liked this haiku because I can feel the warmth from the fireplace. I can picture myself sitting there staring at the flames. Something about fire is hypnotic and it often inspires deep thought. My favorite part about camping is the fire and sitting around it and just relaxing and taking in the warmth and the light from the fire. Sam

This reminds me of when I was a young boy and my dad would light the fireplace. I would sit there staring and just amazed by the fire. In staring at the fire I would start to think about life and where I came from. Jeff G.

I really this haiku because me by the fireplace allowing myself to reminisce about the events of my life that has shaped me both good and bad. Also, I see myself envisioning my future and my goals have come to life. It is a peaceful, stressful, and invigorating time moment in time for me. Juanette

My response to this Haiku is as follows: The setting is clearly taking place inside of a house and likely during a colder season of the year. I imagine there is snow following outside and that the person is alone. The person is thinking, reflecting, and contemplating all matters and issues surrounding their lives. He is sitting near the fireplace, maybe with a cup of coco or a stiff glass of bourbon. The Haiku is peaceful, but could be interpreted as lonely or depressed. Doug