My father is a person I have always admired, even though I have never admitted this in front of him. He is a person that would follow his dreams and does not give up until he reaches his dreams. As a young man in his early twenties, he immigrated to the United States all by himself knowing no one. He settled in New York City and started working at an American restaurant in New Jersey. For about ten years he was in the United States all by himself and working hard to pursuit his American Dream. I've only saw him twice within the ten years that he has been away. That's when he visited us in China. The image I had of him was always so energetic and 'young.' Yet when I finally arrived in the United States after his ten-year immigration petition, I really got to know what his life was like in the United States. He looked so tired everyday after work and at that time I was too young to understand why he had to work a 12-hour shift everyday and come home exhausted. But as I grew up, I finally understand. It was for his dreams…his American Dream for success.

revealing grey hair
once sparkling eyes
t i r e d from chasing his dream

Xiu Ying Zheng (4)

"That's bullshit!"  Her one and only proclamation of the evening hangs heavily in the air and echoes in the silence of the crowded room. A tear silently slides down her mother's cheek. Her father, brow furrowed, clasps his hands together in order to prevent himself from striking her. She stands now, a woman, with fists clenched and eyes ablaze, preparing to attack. Beneath the fiery surface of her eyes, however, lies a young child . . . a child afraid to love, to hope, to laugh, to play . . . a child captured in the body of a woman who trusts no one, loves no one, and suffers. I recall a time that she once let down her guard and reached out to me; she wanted nothing more than to hold and to be held. Throwing her tiny arms around my neck, she clung to me and cried. I had never seen her cry before, so I held her tightly and stared at her long, brown hair as it framed her round cheeks and vulnerable, green eyes. When she slowly raised her head and met my gaze, however, she quickly let me go and slipped out of the room without a word. I haven't touched her since. She now wears a mask of angry green eyes and tousled brown hair framing fiery red cheeks. Even her speech wears a mask.  "That's bullshit," she mutters again, "just bullshit." 

firefly jar
tiny wings beat
against the glass

Bri Hill Xiu (10)

This one was by far my favorite, although the author used first person, it was very appropriate and truly set the emotion. It was as though it was a narrative, or a monolog, however you could not see that person speaking. Again, I enjoyed that the haibun did not give away the haiku itself, rather it helped the read sense and understand the meaning behind its strong phrases, for example, "tiny wings beat, against the glass" as though this child is trapped, and emotionless. This truly stood out and made a strong point, I could picture the situation and the anger that followed. Very powerful. —Christian Hulse

This is my favorite haibun from the class.  I enjoyed the story portion of it and I think it is very clever to use a firefly stuck in a jar to contrast the girl whom needs to be freed.  The haiku itself links to the story very well by it's content and meaning, yet at the same time, doesn't really relate to the story as its context.  I just think this piece is very nicely done and conveys a lot of emotions in a short haiku. —Xiu Ying Zheng

She is very particular about things happening around her.  She often needs to relax, to release her stress.  She gets her work done efficiently and this is where her personality works to her advantage.  It's difficult for someone to step back and let the event or project happen without trying to alter the progress, but this is what she needs to do sometimes.

moment of concentration
she requires
that projects are done efficiently

My mom is the busiest person I know. She works two jobs, has three kids, a husband, and pets galore to take care of. She wakes up early and gets my younger sister off to school. Then she hurriedly packs herself a lunch and flees to work where she spends her day in a busy dentist's office. She returns to make dinner and clean the house, all the while never asking for much help, or complaining. On alternating days, her life is similar yet the office changes to that of a busy marketing firm. She manages to do so much yet still keep a smile and has never once failed as a mother or wife. She still manages to make homemade cookies, and does without a maid. She is who I strive to be.

hectic day
daughter on her lap
she finds peace

My mother is a hard working lady that has provided anything that I have needed for the past 22 years.  She is the type of person that never judges others and always gives everyone a chance.  She never fails to look for the best in others or give the best of herself.  She is respected by many for the work that she does and the person that she is.  She possesses an inner and outer beauty that is unmatched.  I have never heard anyone say anything negative or bad about her.  She has a way with words.  When she speaks, she always makes you feel better about yourself and the world around you.  She has lived well, laughed often and loved much.  My roommates always say I have the nicest mom, and I believe I do as well. 

dinner with mom
endless conversation
about nothing

Stacey Orr (3)

Many things are important to me, but just a few that matter most to me.  The main things that I feel I couldn't do without are my family, my friends, and my girlfriend.  Many times, almost all times, it is these people who provide me the strength I need to get through hard times.  They give me so much comfort and love and I cannot give them enough credit for everything that they do for me.  Without them, I'd probably be a crazy person! 

mind going crazy
her dark brown eyes
keep me going

My mother is my inspiration.  I want to be a better person because of her.  She has taught me that no matter how rough life gets, that it will get better and we will get thought it.   When I was seven, my mother and father got divorced.  My mother was forced to raise three children on her own.  She was forced to work two jobs in order to make ends meet.  When she would get off work at night, she would come spend the night with us at my grandparents’ house just so she didn’t have to wake us up. 

As my siblings and I aged, we joined numerous of sports and organizations.  My mom made it a priority to make it to everyone of our games and activities no matter how far she had to drive.   

sacrifices
a better life
for her children 

My mother ended up going to college and earning a college degree after the factory she had worked at for 18 years had closed.  She made it look so easy raising a family, going to activities, working a job, and going to school.  I knew if she could get through school with all of her life stresses that I had nothing to worry about.  If it wasn’t for my mother, I would not have gotten through nursing school or be the person I am today.

No one is normal, even though we all try to pretend that we are, and we all have things about our past or selves that we hide from others, some better than others. I often find myself battling with this weakness, the inability to allow people into my life. Some may call this a trust issue, and I suppose it is, however I often feel as though I cannot show my true colors to many people. I put on a good front, I am aware of this, and at times when I do wish to show my colors I do not know how because I have done such a good job at hiding them from others. However, I do feel that everyone has their own little "rain cloud" that many don't see, they only see what you are willing to show them, and who wants a rain cloud, everyone wants the rainbow.  

hiding from you
my gray cloud
with a rainbow 

once again
I tell you
that you didn't hurt me

Chrissy Hulse

I thought that this haibun was very revealing. It shows the vulnerability of the author, and of all people. What this person says about showing true colors and only letting people see a certain side of you is so true. I don't think that I know anyone who is completely themselves all the time. This seems unfortunate, yet it is something that most individuals feel they have to do. I especially like the second haiku written from this haibun. It has so much emotion and I can relate to it. No one likes to show that they have been hurt for fear of others taking it as a sign of weakness. —Michele LaBrose

When you care about someone many things change inside of yourself.  You want their happiness to be greater because you feel they deserve the best this world has to offer.  When something bad happens to them it seems to rip your soul apart.  After each sleepless night, each visit to the hospital a little part of you seems to fade. 

looking up
a stranger
in my reflection

Candace Golden (3)

I particularly liked this haibun because of it implied invitation to my own self-discovery.  Using the word "you" was particularly effective, because it drew me into a thoughtful reflection on my own life, especially the changes which I have most recently undergone.  After such a thoughtful reflection inspired by the haibun, the haiku then spoke to me in one of the most personal ways that poetry can.  I saw myself looking into the mirror, surprised by what I saw.  Most people can relate to that feeling of sudden realization that the challenges that we have faced, the people that we have met, and the experiences that we have lived through or survived have drastically changed who we are.  The person that I once believed myself to be no longer exists—instead, I see a stranger in my own reflection.  Now, I have to get to know myself all over again.  Instead of capturing the essence of a person, this haibun captured the essence of people and a basic,  but extremely powerful, life event: change. —Bri Hill

The volleyball court. While I know this is a bit vague because it is not any one specific court, it is still full of memories for me. No matter what school I was at or what the game or practice was, I always was in a state of euphoria on the volleyball court. Most people think or the beach or something but my favorite place was the volleyball court. 

bright white lights
illuminate the colors of the lines
score doesn't even matter

My brother is an amazing person. He’s funny and knows how to make me laugh till I have tears in my eyes. He loves to listen to music from Led Zeppelin to System of a Down and will disapprove of any guy I date if they don’t like Pink Floyd. He knows a million things about science and history, and will blow you away with his incredible vocabulary. He loves kids and wants to be a history teacher. He hates high school, but he’s so smart you wouldn’t notice. He was the kindest little boy you would ever meet, loved to cuddle with his mommy and always wanting my attention when he was sick. He’s grown up to be a considerate, observant and incredibly intelligent teenager. He keeps me in line when I start to get stupid and brags to all his friends that his big sister is an awesome artist and a really expensive university. He loves to fish and camp and enjoys nothing more than spending a sunny day on the boat with his family. He’s tough and doesn’t like people who wine, but he’s gentle and knows how to talk to people, especially kids, in a way they will listen and understand. He’s involved in our church, going on mission trips in other countries, and has countless little kids that look up to him and recognize him in church. (Some kids swear that he looks like Harry Potter, but he hates that). He can argue with you till you have no more come backs and finally admit you’re wrong just to end the fight, but then an hour later he’ll sneak up behind you and give you a hug saying it doesn’t matter who was wrong or right…he’s just sorry and wants to play Nintendo with you now. When I’m sick or depressed he always makes me feel better. He has a heart like no other; he doesn’t just have gifts, he is a gift…a gift to everyone that has the honor of knowing him. No matter how much taller than me he gets, he’ll always be my little angel of a brother.

playing in the rain
we float paper boats
down the ally

big burp at the dinner table
steely stare from dad
followed by a bigger burp

Simply amazing, she not only is one of the sweetest and most caring people I know, but she is smart and fun.  In addition to her amazing personality, she is so beautiful.  She defines beauty like it was meant to be. 

caring for me
She is always there
—absolute perfection

My sister Natasha is unlike any person I have ever known. She is simply teeming with energy from the moment she wakes up until the second she retires to bed. Her every action, from getting the mail to making cinnamon toast to examining the Sunday paper, is done with extreme amounts of enthusiasm and intensity. Even the manner in which she watches t.v. is done with ferocious concentration as she yells out the answers to questions on her favorite game shows. To fuel this unending energy she consumes copious amounts of food at an accelerated rate, rushing through her meals with the same speed that she does the rest of her day. Truth be told, her boundless energy often gets her in trouble at school and at home, where uncompromised intensity is not always encouraged or welcome at every moment, especially while in a classroom with 30-some other nine-year-olds. Though at this point it doesn't seem like her energy will be slacking any time soon, only time will tell if Tasha will remain this intense well into her adulthood. 

worn tennis shoes
graying laces
snapped

In trying to write a haiku about soul and inner essence, I am lead to think of what life is for. If we turn to Aristotle, he will tell us that we need to live well. To live well and be happy, we must both use our rational brains as well as act from that rational. We must be moral, through our habitual patterns. We are constantly asking ourselves what we want to do in the future. I came into college thinking that I would be able to follow a set path and know well ahead of time what I want to do next. However, I learned just the opposite. I am a constantly changing person. I started out thinking I wanted to go into medicine, but was always unsure. I needed to educate myself in other areas in order to know where I want to go.  At this point, I believe that turning to courses outside science has lead me to think of medicine as a blissful endeavor for me. Yet, I still am unsure.

      winter extended
   declared major
may finally change

The first person who came to mind for this more personal haiku, was my grandpa.  Right now, he's in the hospital, but what keeps my spirits high, is getting him to smile.  He's always been reserved and shy, but nothing or no one can get him to smile, like his grandkids can.  He's very frustrated right now, because it's gardening season, and he's unable to cultivate his garden*like he does every spring.  So when I go back to times when I was little, and hung out with my grandpa in the garden*it makes me smile, like he can make me smile.  And that's what get me through, when I'm a hundred miles away from him. 

sun on the horizon
he opens the door
and starts his day

Julie Forehand

I picked this haibun because I like the way that this person describes their grandfather from the present and the past. It is important to older people that they keep their regular routines. It really messes up their days, months, and years if something goes wrong.  I am finding now that my grandmother is starting to forget things she has said or things she is supposed to do.  It is frustrating to see them struggle, and you want to help but you really have to let them live and do it themselves.  I like the haiku that the author wrote as well, what strikes me most is that it is like the sun is waiting at the horizon for the man who opens it every morning routine like.  Starting the day with the same sun, and same goals and objectives.  —Liz Hattan

a very close person to me, she is my best friend, my lover. an angel from heaven, beautiful and talented, caring and loving. sparkles in her eyes every time I see her. cuddling is her favorite.

equally talented
in life, on stage
real to herself