PACE Global Haiku • PACE September 2009
Dr. Randy Brooks

Selected Haiku

by
Jeff Gulley

When I was registering for classes at Millikin University, I needed a global studies class to meet my university requirements. My advisor told me there were a few choices available, however, students had particularly liked the haiku class. I asked her why students liked the class so much and she said she was not sure, but she constantly receives comments from students on how they really enjoyed the class. I was having a hard time understanding this. When I was in high school, haiku to me was syllable counting. I worried more about counting the syllables than what the content of the haiku actually was. Counting made it hard to say what I wanted to say, because I could only do it in a set amount of syllables. My advisor assured me that I would enjoy the class and it would not be like it was in high school. I decided to take the class.

The first night of Dr. Brooks Haiku class, I was a little nervous. I was worried that I was going to show up in class, and have to start counting syllables again and not be able to get my point across because of this restriction/requirement. From the beginning of class, Dr. Brooks made it really fun and very interesting. He assured us that counting syllables was not the traditional form of haiku writing. He encouraged me to write whatever I like and it did not matter how many syllables was in the haiku. I hope you will enjoy the haiku I have included, which I wrote for Dr. Brooks class, and I also hope you will have the opportunity to take Dr. Brooks haiku class. I know you will enjoy it.

summer night
windows down
smoking a cigarette

early morning
very little sleep
long day ahead

leaving work
for class
flat tire

waking up early
to run downstairs
counting presents

cold dark street
boy running fast
got away