the children run through
fresh cut grass
the ice cream truck!

Heather Allen (2)

Grandma's old mason jar
with holes poked above
nature's flashlight

Alisha Lafferty (5)

This haiku makes me think about catching fireflies. We used to catch them and put them in jars all the time. I still find it amazing how these insects can illuminate themselves. It also makes me think about how all of us try to glow to find a lover. Joe

We are clearly talking about fireflies in this haiku. I like this one because it takes me back to my childhood. I see my grandma and how she always has everything we would ever need to do pretty much anything. Of course she has mason jars available to hold fireflies when we grandchildren need one. Nature’s flashlight is a very neat way to describe fireflies. It gives me a visual of an open field filled with tons of fireflies on a warm summer night; peaceful. Heather

Again, this one really reminds me of childhood memories. I remember seeing a cartoon or a TV show that had people putting lightning bugs in jars with holes tapped in the top and it almost being like nature’s lantern or flashlight in this case. That was so much fun. Me and my cousins used to go around catching lightning bugs, especially at my grandma’s house and keeping them in jars with holes in the top. Kasara

cloudless day
chalky fingers
hopscotch

drunken night
I said "yes"
to skydiving

locks changed
and wiring checked
dad’s “I love you”

Amanda Chappell (2)

the rough gravel
on a hot day
bike ride to the park

Heather Allen (2)

blistery August sun
the cool hiss of aloe
on my red shoulders

quiet, glass top lake
a boat slowly
rippling through

summer breeze
engines roar
mud flies

a child's laugh
goes higher and higher

s                         I     n
     w               g               g
          I     n

Heather Allen (2)

I love the playfulness from this haiku. This bring back memories from my childhood about going out to our swing set. My sister and I had a heavy duty swing set that allowed for us to swing really high. It was the best one in our neighborhood. I also think about that one swing in grade school that everyone raced to during recess. I remember the freedom we felt swing as high as we could on the swings. No cares in the world. Diana

waves rocking
boats floating
sunburns

Kristi Adams

This just makes me think of a fun day on a boat with friends and forgetting that the sun is melting your skin. It takes me back to when I was a kid. My family had a boat and we went waterskiing many a days in the summer. I love the water and a tan well so I would forget how short a time it takes to burn. I ended up putting aloe on my shoulders after most trips. This was great memories from my childhood. Dara

taking the steps
two at a time
top floor!

mom and daughter
around the table sharing
recipes

Kathy Housh (3)

lying in bed
the dog barks
at her own dream

Amanda Chappell (2)

one more call
to hear a voicemail
missing you

Amanda Chappell (7)

the deadline is nearing for
homework due
side tracked

ice on the windshield
scraper in pieces
late to work

Sarah Downing (6)

bumblebees
buzz around
the sunflower

you and I
couch and blanket
music and hot cocoa

Kristi Adams (5)

This makes me think about the upcoming winter me and my fiance will have our own place and makes me feel happy. Me and him in our own place relaxing drinking hot cocoa and listening to music. Also this makes me think of spongebob because it was a episode where he kept repeating hot cocoa. Marshaya

Christmas Eve
Walmart
my father

cold winter night as
the moon shines bright
hot cocoa

Kathy Housh

There’s nothing better than sitting by a loved one, cuddled up on a cold winter night. A warm beverage of your choice is always an added bonus. Hot cocoa is a hot commodity in our household and marshmallows are a must. This just makes me think about a cold winter night looking outside of my sliding glass door ate the moon shining over an empty country field that has already been harvested as you enjoy being inside in the warmth. Alisha

snow angels and
a carrot for a nose
the first snow

Heather Allen (6)

I can envision my daughter and I playing in the snow. She learned how to make snow angels last year and built her first snowman. Now she always makes snow angels in the carpet when she lays down on it. I know that this winter she will want to make lots of snow angels together. Catrina

red, green, blue
blink, blink, blink
s            e
   m  i   l

barren trees
the idea of going out
has lost its charm

Diane Warmoth (5)

That time of year is here! It is getting cold and my body wants to do nothing but rest and keep warm. This feeling of being shut inside for the winter comes to mind. Also, a yearning for spring to quickly return fills my mind. Joe

brothers play with their trains
wrapping paper litters the floor while
snow falls outside

white trees
wrapped in a blanket
damn noisy plow trucks

snowman families
in every neighborhood
children's laughter

playoff baseball
NFL football
must be October

bonfires
hoodies
fall

80's one day
50's the next
no wonder i'm sick

Jacob Dellert (11)

cool breeze
red and yellow leaves
fall from the trees

leaves in the yard
rakes in hand
father and son

Jacob Dellert (4)

We have a rather large park like yard with what seems to be millions of trees. The yard is covered in leaves this time of year. My son has a blue plastic rake that he rakes up what little leaves he can or gets on the mower with my husband to help mulch them up. Jennifer

This haiku made me giggle because right before I left home for class I looked out my kitchen window and seen my boyfriend in the yard with his one year old son. Both standing there making their best attempt to corral the unruly leaves. I smiled with happiness at the two, feeling blessed to have gotten to witness this moment. A young son looking up to his father, learning how to do things, and enjoying time together doing the simplest of things. Victoria

foggy night
hay ride and
scary stories shared

mid October
Christmas lights up
way too early

Steve Stewart (2)

There is nothing worse than people celebrating holidays too far in advance. Some people put out Christmas decorations well before Thanksgiving or even Halloween. I hate driving around and seeing this or going into a store and seeing that they have set up for Christmas sales in August or September. Jacob

pumpkins carved
teeth sharp
bloody corpse

Sunday afternoon
watching football while
eating chilli

Steve Stewart (4)

day after Thanksgiving
trying to avoid
another black Friday

Steve Stewart (9)

I like this haiku because I can easily relate to it. My wife loves to shop on black Friday and sometimes she has me go with her. It is a total nightmare, and it has taken away what the meaning of Thanksgiving is supposed to be. I would like to see black Friday go away. Craig

I liked this haiku very much! I have been in this situation many times. Trying to avoid the hustle and bustle of shopping on black Friday, not to mention the injuries you can get when trying to get that one great priced item. After reading the first line, I didn’t know what to expect, this left me wanting to read more. I like that they said clearly they were trying to avoid the day. Sarah

September evening
the marshmallow warms
in the campfire

Craig Harshman (6)

brisk Friday night
students cheer for
another touchdown

Steve Stewart (6)

My son is the quarterback for his football team so this haiku immediately takes me to the memories of watching him play football every Friday night. I hear the crowd cheering for the players and the constant ringing of cow bells for touchdowns and first downs. There is nothing better than watching your son play the sport that he has the most passion for. Kathy

the sun fades
leaves blanket
the forest floor

Craig Harshman

fallen leaves
true love vows
becoming one

Dara Johnson (8)

I chose this one because true love vows is pretty emotional. Two people committing themselves to each other is emotional as it gets for me. Obviously the atmosphere is fall because of the first line “fallen leaves.” There is somewhat a social status because they are having a wedding. If there wasn’t a social status, I imagine the wedding would be at the courthouse or somewhere not as pretty as the scene they have set. Kasara

sunny afternoon
family says a prayer
around the turkey

opening morning
a deer wanders as
the hunter raises his rifle

peanut butter and chocolate
all over the kitchen
It's baking day

house full of family
giving thanks all around
thanksgiving day

first day of fall
dust in the air
smell of harvest

Grandma’s house
comforting smell
green bean casserole

Grandmas house always had a distinct smell. It might not have been something cooking but it was a smell that I will never forget. If you wanted grandma to bake you something she had to clean out the oven first. That was the place that grandma kept pots and pans or special candy, it was rarely used for baking. In this haiku they were describing what grandmas house smelled like that day, it takes me to the holidays when you are with family. Jennifer

clocks fall back
depression
sets in

Steve Stewart (6)

porch light on
sounds of children
trick or treating

hay bales fill up
Dad's old pickup truck
laughter fills the autumn air

me & grandpa
wishbone's bigger piece
I won

brown leaves crunching
under my bare feet
October

Sarah Downing (8)

raking the leaves
into a pile
dog runs through

the midnight moon glowing in
the sky
dogs howl

late October trip
finding the largest pumpkin
in the patch

Sarah Downing

I like this poem because it brings me back to a time when I was little and my mother took me to the pumpkin patch with my sisters. We picked out the biggest pumpkins we could find but when we went to put in are car we didn’t have enough room so we were all squished in between pumpkins all the way home! This poem makes me feel happy. Katjia

my friend Zyrtec
never leaves myside
especially on hay rides

Diane Warmoth (5)

the quieting down
on a cold October night
we blow out the candle
inside our pumpkin of fright

moonlit night
   fog floating
doorbell rings

the crunch
of the dried Autumn leaves
beneath my boots

Katjia Eisele (4)

family
turkey
Grandpa naps

no more cicadas
birds leaving too
finally quiet

Joe Stroud

This stuck out to me because it really highlights progression in the first and second lines. The cicadas no longer chirping means summer is over, but the birds leaving means winter is about to start. This automatically sets that cold scene for me when you see all the birds flying overhead leaving for the winter. Kasara

leaves piled up from
Dad's hard work
CANNONBALL!

Alisha Lafferty (9)