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Summer breeze Michelle Dallas I enjoyed this haiku and chose it as one of my two favorites not for my love of horses, but because of the way this haiku illustrates so much with so little words. I envision this to take place out on a farm (about ten acres). I can picture an old farm house with a couple of other buildings on the land including the red barn stable. I picture a young girl (about 12) brushing her horse after a nice ride with her father. She is so grateful for the time that her dad is spending with her and this horse is her first major responsibility. I picture the sun slowly setting and the horses tail targeting the gnats and flies that are hovering the horse. While she is brushing the horse with a smile and talking to the horse, the dust from the field that she just rode in accumulated on the horse and now is just lingering in the air. Well done! Jonathan Heise reflection
of sunlight mother and
daughter my own backyard Misty Riley This reminds me of being at home. I am always in the house cooking, doing laundry, or most of the time doing homework. If I am in my room doing homework I can usually hear the kids outside playing. All together we usually have six kids of our own and then of course the neighbor kids have to come over every night too. So we usually end up with about 10 kids every evening in our backyard. They play on the swinging, jump rope, ride bikes up and down the alley and play kick ball. Bridget Lamb |
cheap perfume Laura Tucker I picked this one because I can just picture a man who has gone out with some friends to some sort of bar where girls are being paid to dance. He is out having a great time, spending dollars for dances, and the smell of the girls perfume is now upon him. Meanwhile, his family is at home waiting for him to return. Carroll C. Keller This makes me think of a man going through a “mid-life crisis”. He has a wonderful family at home; however he still is hanging on to his youth. He wants to be free with no responsibilities and worries; and the need to have his ego stroked by a younger woman, maybe more attractive, than his wife. This thrill that will only last for a moment seems to be a temporary cure. And while he thinking of things he could do with this other woman, his family is at home oblivious of his other life. Iris Lewis-Beasley she kneels
at the pew Laura Tucker This haiku made me think of my grandparents. My Grandfather was recently diagnosed with cancer. They have been married for 66 years. During those first days, my Grandmother, a very good Christian, prayed and yet at the same time was so lost at the thought that she might soon be alone. While we tried to comfort her as best that we could, none of us had any idea of the depth of her pain and impending loss. We just tried to be there for her. Kathy McDonald crimson sunlight
in the sandbox |
we're
finally here hometown
celebration west coast— Laura Tucker I enjoyed this one because it was simple in words but says so much. The span between west and east coast is obviously tremendous but sharing one moon brings them closer together. The haiku also allows for so many stories to be told of lovers enjoying the moon together no matter where they are. Lost loves wondering if they are enjoying the same moon miles apart or vacations taken across country. Good haiku! Michelle Sanders she holds
tight green grace the charade
is over Laura Tucker This haiku made me think of Saddam's capture. It also made me think about the beginning of the new Iraq government. I have been hearing a lot about Saddam's trial and how he has been turned over to the Iraq's legally but the Americans have physical custody of him. It is all very confusing right now; you wonder why such of an evil man is still alive. Hopefully the new government will be successful and we can bring our troops home. No more dying and killing. Then the sun can truly come out. Misty A. Riley |
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sitting on
the couch Misty Riley The moment I finished this I smiled and laughed to myself. This is life for my husband during Cardinal baseball season and I have learned to adapt. Even if there is no cable we listen to the game on the radio. I have become a cardinal and baseball fan because of him. I imagine my husband and I sitting on the couch he drinking a beer and I eating popcorn in silence watching the game. Just sitting and relaxing together. The only time we talk is when I ask a question about the game. He laughs as he tries to explain it to me. It has become the best time spent together. We enjoy watching the game on TV because it is just us on a Saturday night. We even like watching the game on TV better than going to one because it is so relaxing to us. Susan Tabor in silk she
floats school day
afternoon starry night |
gray skies Michelle Sanders I like this one because it makes me think about those wonderful “snow days” for me and my children. I worked for the school district for 8 years and if there was a snow day, I got to stay home with my boys, so I looked forward to those days as much, if not more than they did! This poem paints a very vivid picture of a cold winter evening with the snow clouds gathering above and all eyes peering upward in the hopes the snow will come and not stop until morning light. The first part of this poem is very dark and even worrisome, but once I read the third line, then I am filled with the excitement of the possibility of that time at home-- a time for cookie baking, snowball fights, and snowman making. We live in the country, so if it does snow and blow, we usually are trapped inside for a few hours until the county digs us out, so we always enjoyed a lot of quality family time on those wonderful snow days! Lori Ade I remember when I was little. My mother was a teacher at the local high school. When it was winter my brother and I would pray for snow, enough snow for a snow day. Because my mother was a teacher, she would either receive a phone call at night or early the next morning to let her know that there was NO SCHOOL that day. I can remember anxiously looking out the window and watching the snow fall, and praying for more so that school would be cancelled! Every time the phone rang we would run in to the kitchen to listen to what our mother was saying on the phone. Was there going to be school tomorrow or not? Vicki Eldridge the sonogram Michelle Sanders Hmm, I wonder why I picked this one? I am a sucker for kids. What a miracle life is. This hits home for me. I remember when my girlfriend and I were dating in our senior year. It was not long until the school year was to be over and I was to go off to Illinois State University. One day, though, I was given some rather startling news. I was told that my girlfriend was pregnant. How could I, still a child myself, have a baby? I wish I could say that I was excited about it, but I was scared to death. I felt that I was a very responsible teenager, but I was only a teenager. I remember giving my girlfriend a lot of grief and regret to this day the way I handled this situation. But I finally got my head on straight and decided not to go to school, and begin working. I remember the first sonogram that I saw of my child and how precious this little life inside of my future wife was. What a fool I was to give her a hard time. This was my little blessing in disguise. I am, however, proud to say that my little blessing now has two younger brothers and a mom and a dad whom would do anything for them. I am so thankful for my wife of seven years and my three boys! This is why I am a sucker for anything including kids. I could not have wished for a better family. Jonathan Heise |
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by the roadside Iris Lewis-Beasley I close my eyes; I see a deer on the roadside fighting for his life. This deer is bleeding to death. Slowly, this deer eyes close, and the last breath is exhaled. At the scene of the accident, you see a deer hunter racing across an open field. He races to his prize possession. A deer. Annie Clay night shadows barely sunrise lunchtime horror movie Vicki Ballentine I am a huge movie buff and can relate to this one as well, although horror movies are not my favorite. I picture someone watching the movie Psycho at a movie theater eating popcorn. The shower scene comes on and it scares the viewer so much the popcorn flies through the air. Kathy Yarnell |
the bathroom Iris Lewis-Beasley In my bathroom, there is a rack for books and magazines. This is a perfect place to escape to the unknown. Once, you started reading a novel, or magazine. You can feel that character’s passion and pain. The character is you, and that person life is yours. The novel, How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a perfect example for a piece of mind. Annie Clay I know how this actually feels. Sometimes even in the bathroom you are not alone all the time with a three year old. This makes me think of a woman locking the bathroom door and running hot water for a bath. The tub is so full it almost will overflow when she gets in. The bathroom is so steamy you could write your name on the bathroom mirror. She sinks into the tub and closes her eyes and takes deep breathes, wondering how long this peace is going to last. Kathy Yarnell late summer ribs |
flashing
red lights running away Carroll C. Keller I thought this haiku was very cute. It reminded me of a girl talking to someone and as she is turning away she is laughing so hard that her eyes are slightly closed. As she turns around she runs right into the sliding glass door. I think that almost all of us has done this at one point or another. Angie McCammack I can relate to a feeling of wanting to run away. To just close my eyes and escape the problems I have absolutely no control over. As far as the “hits it head on”, if this means dealing with the problem head on, this is beneficial. However, if this means something negative or hurtful, it is not beneficial. In the event the problem is not solved, at least it is being dealt with constructively. No problem is worth hurting yourself or another over. Here is another thought, as she is running away does she abruptly turn left and hit another problem, compounding the seriousness of the situation. Karen J. Reed in the cool
dawn |
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summer night Stephanie Shampine This haiku reminds me of sharing a bedroom with two younger sisters. It was a small room for three girls to share and it was impossible to have any secrets. We did have secrets, however, from our brother who had his own room next to ours. In the summer when we had the windows open for air, we would whisper things to each other so our brother wouldn’t hear us. Well, also so our parents wouldn’t yell at us for still being awake! This haiku brings all those thoughts back to my mind. Penny Harman When I read this haiku, I imagined when I was much younger and had more energy. I remember playing with the kids in the neighborhood, especially the first part of the summer. We would play very hard, trying to make up for all of the lost time; you know when you had to be in school. Anyway, we would play until we absolutely had to come in and then once in the house my mother would make me take a bath to clean up, and of course I had to have someone spend the night. This is where we would whisper to each other in the dark about all of the cute boys and who we each thought we would like to have for a boyfriend. Vicki Eldridge summer rain |
thick cardboard thunder false bottom a slow descent
. . . autumn afternoon cool autumn
breeze |
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books Kathy McDonald I love to read. If I did not have to make a living, I would hold up somewhere and read until my glasses wore out. This haiku really made me smile and it put a little goodness into my day. It is so visual and I can even smell the books! Karen J. Reed scratchy
throat wiping to
bowl with tears ghosts in
the graveyard This one reminds me of when I was younger and my friends and I used to have slumber parties. We would stay up all night telling ghost stories, and playing games. We would run around outside with flashlights scaring each other. We just knew that we would be friends forever. Carroll C. Keller This haiku completely surprised me. Just this past weekend a few friends of mine were having a cookout, and we actually were reminiscing about this childhood game. It was so funny to read it, after just sitting with the same childhood friends, and talking about the same game. The only problem is, we couldn’t remember how to play, or we probably would have! Jill Patterson |
who's watching
me now Jill K. Patterson I like this haiku because it makes me think of my five year old. She of course hates to be away from me. She always worries about who is going to watch her. She wants to know how long she will have to stay. She always wants to know what day of the week it is because she knows on Wednesday nights I have class and she knows that I will not be home until late. I am not upset that she worries about where I am and when I will be home to be with her because I also have a twelve year old who has found a new independence and doesn't want mom around too much anymore... Misty A. Riley empty chair
over and
over Jill K. Patterson This makes me think of someone who has lost their loved one in war and every time that we hear of another soldier dying it makes them think of their lover because he died in the same way. It makes her reminisce about the time they spent together and makes her very sad and heartbroken. Angie McCammack smells of
charcoal Jill K. Patterson This verse shows what I like best about haiku. The author has found a way to describe something in a new and interesting way. The scene is set with the smell of charcoal (who doesn’t like that?). Of course it is a summer cookout. Swiftly biting into the corn and taking several bites (it tastes so good with loads of butter and a little salt and pepper), someone smiles, showing that his/her teeth are covered with pieces of corn. This haiku suggests that the author saw something in a moment and found a new way to look at it. Outstanding haiku! Maybe the subject here is a youngster. Megs Lewis This one made me laugh. I can actually picture myself at a barbecue with the great smell of the grill just fired up. It is so true about the sweet corn. When you eat it, the corn becomes stuck in your teeth so much, your teeth disappear! This is a witty, humorous haiku. Michelle Sanders |
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I farmed
hot tin roof at first
light Karen Reed an old coverlet beneath the
mulberry |
secret escape Lori Ade This makes me think of my lunch hours. I like that time to myself, to read, doze or just sit in my car and watch the ducks in the park. It’s nice to have an hour that is all mine to do everything or nothing, whatever I decide. It’s a place where no one can call or interrupt my time. Kathy McDonald This haiku makes me think of a man and woman that live hectic lives with careers, kids and life in general...they pack up a basket and go to a secret place in the park nearby their home to sneak some time alone without the phones ringing, the kids tugging and the bosses yelling! Rhonda L. Russell |
warm summer
afternoon Nila Vinson I really like this haiku because it is what every single one of us in this class is waiting for. We are all here trying to get our degree and this haiku just makes me smile and feel so good about my self. I read this, I am there with cap and gown getting what so many others, and I am working so hard to get. It will be a great day! Ciara Buzan fishing pole
in hand the stars
are all out |
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hectic schedule Vicki Eldridge I feel the exact same way. With the big holiday weekend, two courses, I feel swamped and overwhelmed; meanwhile, my husband is in Florida soon to leave for Bulgaria. So I have 22 papers to write, and most importantly a two year old, that I want to be a part of this weekend celebration. So I guess for me, right now is proving to be a struggle with what I have to get done, and not wanting my child to miss any of his deserved childhood. Jill K. Patterson Wow, how that hits home. This makes me think of every weekend I am neurotic and stressed over homework and getting everything done in such a short amount of time. I have yet to learn the PACE I need to go to stay sane. However, we have a two-week break in July and I feel like I can breathe and relax for that short time. This quite possibly could be one of the toughest things I have had to deal with in life – trying to juggle everything and succeed with everything. But I will keep up because in the end it is all worth it. Susan Tabor I can just see two friends. They each sneak out of the house when their parents have gone to bed. They need an adventure to prove their courage and so, with flashlights and extra batteries (they have been planning this for weeks), they head off to the local cemetery. They turn on the flashlights for only a few seconds at a time in order to see where they are going; they don’t want to draw any attention to themselves. As they turn on the flashlight and then quickly turn it off, they pretend that each flicker is a ghost who is following them. They make up stories about the ghost’s life. One ghost was an angry butcher; another, a young actress; and still another one is a hungry ghost. They giggle and laugh and have so much fun that they know they will be friends forever. Megs Lewis
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the worn
table overflowing Penny Harman I once loved family holidays. In my memory, I can feel the worn table under my hands and hear everyone excitedly talking and enjoying each other. The smell of roasted smells like home and it is so comforting to the body and the soul sadly, things are not that way now, and it is very depressing. Karen J. Reed my heart
beats faster Penny Harman Well, whoever wrote this is in the same shoes as me. I can totally relate to this person. It is really hard to concentrate on writing haiku when you are wrapped up with a finance class too. Finance is very stressful and when you get done working on it and then try to work on haiku it is very hard to relax and think. Writing a haiku for me take total concentration for me. My mine has to be clear or I can not think of a good one. So what I have learned to do is to work on the haiku first. Get all of it done and then move on the frustration of finance. Bridget Lamb |
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New York
City Street Ciara Buzan Having been to New York City in 2002 and then again in 2003, I am immediately transported there when I read this poem. I absolutely LOVED New York so I am filled with good memories of all that I saw and did. When I read this, I remember the initial fear that I felt walking the streets of New York, getting on the subway for the first time, and just traveling in unknown places, especially after 9-11-01. The first two lines of this haiku give me a sense of fear and yet protective aggression. I can see a dark side street in the busy city of New York. I feel a threatening presence, so the "I would kill" line makes me think I'm wanting to protect myself or someone else. Then when I get to the third line, I'm immediately in the garment district shopping for those bargain shoes, or uptown on 5th Avenue window shopping for the shoes I'll never be able to afford. I loved the way this poem played with my emotions of fear and then ultimate delight-even envy for those "to die for" shoes! —Lori Ade |
dark country
road Robin Sidlo This is very simple . . . someone is driving down a country road at night and a lightening bug hits the windshield . . . it's glow remains for a long time. Rhonda L. Russell on the floor Robin Sidlo Ouch! The broken glass heart. How many times can a heart break before it can never be the same again? Only time will tell! Karen J. Reed duffel bags
packed Ciara Buzan unseen in
my camper |
roar
of an engine Uncle Sam
calls Tammy Wright This is a very touching haiku for me, because I was in the military for six years. Uncle Sam did not call me, but I do remember that long ride to St. Louis to join. I was 17 and scared to death, but would not change it for anything. I met great people and had once in a lifetime opportunities. This haiku just really takes me back to a big milestone in my life. Ciara Buzan the woman
I love Kathy Yarnell fluffy white
cotton |
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Superman
brushes his teeth Jonathan Heise This makes my happy. I can see my little boy with his fabulous grin. In my mind I remember all of the terrible things that he has done. I think he truly believes he is superman because he has no fears. He will taste anything, jump off of anything and I wouldn’t doubt try flying. However his charming smile makes me quickly forget his mischievous ways. It gives you a warm feeling and an appreciation for those small blessing. Iris Lewis-Beasley I can visualize a young boy in his Superman pajamas. He brushes his teeth and shows Mom that he has done a thoroughly sufficient job. Mom inspects his smile and he gets the seal of approval. He runs (to him it is flying) out of the bathroom, down the hallway, and into his bedroom, leaping into bed. It reminds me of my days as a youngster (I never wanted to be Superman, but I could be anyone I wanted to be). As kids we all have such imaginations. After takeoff, Mom, standing alone in the bathroom and wonders what happened to hers. I can guess that Michelle Sanders wrote this haiku. Megs Lewis My grandson, Joe, is three and a half years old. He is going through a stage right now where he has “super powers.” He also has Superman pajamas and when he has them on, he thrusts his fist in the air and yells “super powers.” Then he runs through the house. His mom has mentioned that after brushing his teeth, he yells the super powers cheer and runs to his bedroom. This haiku brought that to my mind and made me smile. Penny Harman |
lifted off
my shoulder Angie McCammack This makes me think of someone taking a brisk walk. I can see the autumn colors and hear the leaves rustling as they are swept across the ground. There is also a certain distinct smell of fall, maybe a hint of smoke from someone burning leaves. There is a small gust of wind that blows her hair slightly off of her shoulder. Iris Lewis-Beasley running what have
you-? |
©
2004, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.