looking out the window
...kids playing
but they all are young

scraping the windshield
in the darkness
frost on the inside

snowflakes land on lashes
below her eyes remain
a pool of blue

in frigid snow
footsteps following
     can't get away

Dan Simpson (5)

...i liked this particualr haiku over the rest because i brings a sense of the unknown. it may be when you are the first one in the morning walking to your car and the thought of being in the dark, by yourself causes your mind to play tricks on you. or it may be a different setting where you are playing with others in the snow, and they are chasing after you. either way it creates a setting where your imagination can take over. —Chris

No matter where you go, no matter what you do, your actions follow you and are always with you.  Just like the footsteps in the snow, you can't undo what's been done.  Even if you go back to erase or fill in the footprints, you've just created more.  You must learn to live with you actions, and learn from them. —Angie

seeing it fly
round, wet and cold
mascara down my cheeks.

keys locked in a car
motor running
winter night

Ashlee Peth (4)

gloveless hands
they skid outside
unmindful of the cold

Molly Burns

I like this the best out of all the others, it seems because I can most vividly doing the same thing when I was child, and this evokes powerful, vivid imagery for myself. I see a child running out into the first big snow, everything is covered in white, the snow is still falling. The sky and the entire world seem vanilla with hints of blue, and gray. The child runs our without his gloves, not even noticing the cold for a while, but seems to ignore it until his mother makes him put gloves on. His hands are pink, but he continues to romp around in the wonderland in his back yard. Nick

Monday
cold rain
we turn back

David Meyer (5)

I love all types of Haiku, the touch you that make you laugh and sometimes you just get it, you relate you know exactly what the author was thinking or feeling at that time because they have sumed it up and spelled it out so perfectly and this haiku is one of those that i can just relate to.  We all know what it's like to wake up on a monday morning with no interest in class with the usual feeling that the weekend is to short looking for every excuse to not go.  And though its a poor one, the weather somtimes is just that last straw that makes just say "forget it today" and you dont feel bad because you feel that you have a good excuse.  What a great Haiku! Jim

walking home
eyelashes blink away
falling snow

red runny nose
wet clothes
sled in the creek

winter night
bridge silhouette
outlined in violet

Nick McLenighan

crackling fire
on the couch alone
the ball drops

Dan Temkin (14)

This haiku was very depressing to read, but I really like the clear picture it created. A crackling fire creates a very warm image of red, yellow and orange flames. However, I then see a lonely person with a blanket around her shoulders. The line, the ball drops makes me think of New Years Eve and how this person is alone at a time when loved ones want to share the magical moment of the New Year. I pictured the girl with a tiara on her head and her small apartment is decorated with silver tinsel, but she remains alone watching the fire. I think I liked this haiku because it also reminded me of one of my favorite movies, “Bridget Jones’ Diary”, and how she spends the New Year alone eating ice cream by herself. Sarah

I really liked this haiku because the words crackling fire immediately radiate the warmness from the fire. I can feel the heat on my face as time passes me bye and the New Year approaches. Either the ball drops on the television set or even the ball dropping somewhere without my direct sight of it. Either way, the time goes bye. I think this piece captures the feeling of being alone on New Years … or on a cold day alone. Around the hearth, watching time fly bye. Ashley K

I feel as if this one captures the moment really well and conveys many different levels of feeling for the reader. In one sense, the moment is really warm and comfortable, very quiet and peaceful. In another sense, there is an inherent feeling of loneliness because this person is on the couch alone on New Year's Eve watching the ball drop. The haiku leaves much open to interpretation, such as the feeling of the person sitting on the couch. Are they happy to be alone? Do they enjoy the solitude? Or are they depressed and lonely, starting yet another year off without companionship? I really enjoyed this one partly because I didn't know right away what to make of it. I liked being able to interpret it my own way. Ashlee

I can’t say that this haiku was my favorite per say; however, this haiku evoked the most emotion out of me after reading it over and over again. New Year’s Eve has never been one of my favorite holidays. The roads are full of drunk drivers and I’ve never really had someone to kiss when the ball drops at midnight, at least not until recently. Last semester I finally met the woman of my dreams and we’ve been together since the beginning of the school year. We had planned to be together for Christmas weekend and New Year’s Eve last month. During finals week I contracted mononucleosis and I was diagnosed on December 26 when Meagan (my girlfriend) was visiting me at my family’s home in Monmouth, IL. Since I was sick I couldn’t go to Aurora to spend New Year’s with Meag. On top of that my sister spent the evening at her boyfriend’s house and my parents partied at a local bar that night with their friends. I spent the evening stuck in the sleeper sofa in our living room wearing long johns, hiding underneath layers of blankets for warmth because it was almost below zero degrees that night. On top of everything else, Dick Clark didn’t even host the “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve” special on TV; what a disappointment! It was cold, lonely, and one of the most forgettable New Year’s I have ever had. This haiku describes my experience to the tee. In fact, if you changed the first phrase from “crackling fire” to “crackling ears” it would have been a perfect representation of my night. Zack

so pretty and white
it falls from the sky
and lands on my cheek

old man Janus
proves
he still can jab

a girl hunched over snow
she laughs as her small brother
touches the yellow spot

Ashley Knezevich (5)

dirty white lines
asphalt window in snow
on the road again

draft from the window
I bury myself
beneath the blankets

Zack Glenn (5)

I love this Haiku because it is such a simple image that I got. All to often I am also the person in this Haiku, a cold morning not even a draft just a cold room and that groggy need for more sleep so I just pull my blankets over my head wishing for a few more hours. It is also that feeling of the dry cold air replaced with the warm more humid air under the blankets. For me this is a great response to the coldness prompt, it gives a great image but lets the reader give birth to it by adding their own personal imagery. I take it as a morning but the writer leaves it open to time of day, location, even if it is winter. The feeling of burying myself amongst the blankets is a huge hug, there is something safe and comforting about it. These same feelings are brought out with this haiku. Dan Temkin

When reading our class poems, this particular haiku stood out from the rest. My initial reaction to this piece of writing was due to its language: simple yet elegant. The author also makes good use of alliteration, as he or she is “[buried] beneath […] blankets.” More importantly, however, this haiku reached me on a personal level. As I read at this work, I was able to imagine myself lying in bed on a cold, windy day. Air occasionally leaks through the window in my apartment as I’m trying to sleep; I cannot even count the number of times I’ve snuggled beneath mounds and mounds of covers in order to stay warm. At first, I’m irked that the weather is interfering with my sleep; after I “bury myself” under covers, though, I am deeply satisfied. Thus, I am not only able to identify with this experience, but can look beyond it. Weather is not the only factor that can make someone uncomfortable. Metaphorically speaking, I want to curl up beneath my blankets – escape my problems – any time I must face a daunting situation. Laura

no gloves
frozen car door
the key breaks

Zack Glenn

The setting for this Haiku in my opinion is, it is about 7:30 in the morning and I have to be at work at 8. It is a cold morning and it had snowed quite hard the night before. I have walked out to my car trying to hurry to get to arrive to work on time and my car door is frozen, which has happened numerous times. Then as I am trying to put my cold key into the cold lock the key breaks off. About this time I decide to turn back around go back into the house and call in to work and curl up on the couch. Also, I can compare this Haiku to a life. No gloves represent the person being very vulnerable in life, also the frozen car door reminds me of someone who is just cold hearted and the key breaking shows me how they cut themselves off from the outside world. There is a major cold and quenching theme through the whole Haiku in my opinion. Jill

frozen garden
cloud of dog's breath
from the bush

Nick McLenighan (4)

I can tell that this will be a wonderful semester for haiku. This one made me giggle. Even in the wintertime, when there isn't any food or plants to uproot with his digging, the dog still wants to spend its time in the garden. I get the impression that he's there despite his owner's warnings not to be there; it reminds me of our cats getting into our neighbor's garden, and my family apologizing for their actions, saying it'll never happen again. In this particular instance, it did. Joanne

ten minutes til work
tugging on the frozen door
does nothing

Ashley Knezevich

I see myself standing outside my car.  There are several inches of snow on the ground; most of the other cars are white lumps with wheels.  I'm nervous; I'm breathing quickly and the puffs of breath hang in the air for a considerable amount of time.  It's morning; the sun is bright and the snow is nearly blinding.  I've forgotten my gloves; the car key is in my hand and I'm desperately trying to get inside the vehicle.  I fail. David Meyer

encroaching darkness
empty plastic sled
descends

Nick McLenighan (7)

I like this haiku, because it is simple and has a lot to offer to the imagination. This haiku takes me back to all the times my friends and I would go sledding for so long. I see the night closing in, because we have been there since three in the afternoon and nobody else is going to stay as long we were. Moreover, I see myself or someone else on their way back up to the top, slip and fall and lose the sled and watch it slide down the huge hill before you could even get back into it. The hill is so big that it takes you so long to get up it and now you have to watch it slide down the hill. But of course you have to go get it and actually go down one more time before you have to go home. Cory

This haiku made me think of sledding as a kid. You would get all bundled up to go out on a snow day and sled all day until it got dark. The line “encroaching darkness” paints a very clear picture of the time of day and the way the light is fading. I can see children getting ready to go home and, at the top of the hill, one person loses the grip on the sled and it slides down the hill on its own. The image of that sled going down the hill empty is such a strong, clear image. The haiku is specific and clear with powerful imagery. Nicole

footprints
in the fresh snow
close together

no sweaters or scarves
     on a cold day like this
          you keep me warm

Dan Simpson (5)

chilly air dissipates
in the doorway,
sweatered embrace

freezing cold
wind at my face
long road ahead

Tony Lipka (4)

This is my favorite haiku out of the list. To me, being an athlete my entire life this haiku has a lot of meaning to me. Not so much to do with the cold, but the hard work needed to be put in to be the best at what you do. When I read this poem I see myself in the weightroom during the winter months when everyone else is at home. But not me, I have a athletic event to get ready for. It is a long road ahead for me and I most likely will be by myself for the journey. And then I look at the “freezing cold, wind at my face” part. Here I see the this journey is going to be hard at times and there will be those times when I loss faith and wonder if everything is worth it. Everything feels like an up hill battle (facing the cold and wind in my face), working so hard when no ones else is willing to put in the extra work to become the best. That is what I see when I read this haiku and that is why I enjoyed reading it so much. Matt

dark morning
      an icy gust
             wakes me

wet fur
clean snow
trembling remorse

gust of winter wind
icy fingers         separate
then unite again

Laura Podeschi

Out of all the haiku presented this one gave me the most sensation of actual cold. While most operated on one level, this haiku gave me multiple visual sensations because it could be happening anywhere. The “fingers” don’t have to necessarily be fingers but could represent branches or stems. It reminds me of camping in winter and you’re totally cold and everything is silent. It was interesting because it shows one’s vulnerability towards nature and a constant attempt to overcome it. Mike K

the cold still air
empty branches overlook
his fresh grave

Angie Hawk (6)

I seem to be connecting to the more somber haiku lately.  Between my Millikin roommates, my friends from home and myself, I've been dealing with death a lot lately.  The imagery in this haiku is particularly strong without being wordy.  Everything about the landscape I'm picturing is barren, frozen and lifeless.  But there's a contrast with the word "fresh," which brings to mind images of spring and new life.  The irony is that the only new thing in this dull landscape is a fresh grave.  The juxtaposition of images is really striking.

The image of the empty branches also sparks another memory.  One of my good friends lost a sister to leukemia over the summer.  The family has worked at Olive Garden for years, so everyone there both knew and loved them.  A month or so after Ashley's death, the staff collectively planted a lilac bush (her favorite) in front of the restaurant.  There's a plaque (with her last name mispelled, but that's a story for another time) that says "Always in our hearts," and it's just an overall beautiful gesture.  On my last trip to Olive Garden, in the middle of November, the bush was understandably bare.  Obviously, lilac bushes don't bloom in winter, but there was something so sad about the contrast of that beautiful plaque with those bare, ugly branches.  At some point, I will probably compose a haiku (or several) about that whole experience.— Molly Burns

red flames
burning old memories
warm cold hands

a canopy
the bitter wind blocked
for a final goodbye

Molly Burns

This haiku instantly made me think of some sort of going away party, possibly at a huge maybe family gathering in a park, or possibly in a family members yard. In my mind I pictured a soldier leaving for boot camp or what have you, and the whole family is there to show their respects and just to say goodbye to someone who is going to be gone for a while that you care about. The sentence about bitter wind just adds to the situation in which it is already a time for some sadness and you could just imagine how the bitterness feels on your face. Also the final goodbye makes you think that they may never be coming back, but yet it leaves up to your own interpretation of what the goodbye really means and how long it is for. David Koester

teardrops fall
not a word is spoken
he turns his back

Angie Hawk

This specifically reminds me of almost every romantic relationship that I have encountered. There seems to be an understanding and a sense of despair in this haiku which draws me in. I can just picture this guy screwing over the girl once again. I can put a male body in my fantasy and put the face of any one of my past relationships on it. I think many women have felt this way before and can relate to this haiku. They really captured the moment. Can ya tell that I'm bitter? :) Katie

This haiku reminded me of a time my friend Anna and I went on a walk. Anna and I used to walk a lot. We lived down the street from each other and would go walking every day, even if the weather was questionable. We would battle the elements to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and talk to each other. On one particular day it looked like rain but we decided to go on a walk anyway. We were walking to the store like we had done many times before and it started to sprinkle. We tried to ignore it and hope it would stop. We reached a cross walk and at that point it was raining steadily. It was very cold and we turned around and headed home. We ran most of the way back because it was pouring rain. Rachel

eyes
tearing from the breeze
I bow my head and walk

Sarah Bassill (6)

jet exhaust
my breath hangs in the air
finally home

Dan Temkin (3)

This haiku actually generates the strong smell of jet exhaust right off the bat. I imagine that this flight was taken in the winter, when it is very cold. I inhale deeply and the very cold air is mixed with the exhaust to give it that certain smell. The breath leaves a fog in the air. I imagine someone that is going back home from college over Christmas break and they let out a sigh of relief when they finally land. They can finally relax and see the family that they have missed. Jennifer

at the bus stop
we clutch our coffee
as a car drives through the puddle

Margaret Burns (6)

I liked this Haiku because it made me think of being in busy Chicago. It also made me laugh because I pictured a big group of people holding their starbucks coffees standing on a corner waiting for the walk sign. I picture group of people being uptight and always rushing around. Then as a car drives by and splashes water on them all and they all start laughing and it sort of breaks the tension of their busy lives. Brooke

mountain air
deep breath of glacial air
chair lifts moving

Jennifer Godwin

The reason I like this one out of all of them is because of how easily visualize it. You can just picture standing on the side of a big rocky mountain as the fresh mountain air hits your lungs. You know it is crisp by the way the author uses glacial air to describe how cold it is. There is nothing like a deep breath of ice cold air to get you jump started. John Heger

sullen eyes
over the steam grate
passersby unaware

blurry view
the sun glistens on the ice
frozen below

leering eyes
search for the enemy
snow gear

boy sits waiting
Mom ties up his boots
sleds out side

park sledding hill
          silent
after closing time

Joanne Weise

This one really gets me. A sledding hill is such a place of vivid childhood memories. Whenever I come across places like this from my childhood I always become very pensive and withdrawn. Naturally I picture myself at my old sledding hill from my hometown. It’s at night but I see a silhouetted younger version of me all bundled up sledding down that dark hill alone. The emotion I feel is a sort of content loneliness. Well done. Dan Simpson

daily ferry ride
children playing
tourists whispering
a man masturbates

cold brisk wind
against my window
no work done

the first breath of morning air
cold and crisp
I feel alive

frosty night
dark room washed in amber
I am not cold

snowflakes fall
like the tears
of a broken heart

winter wind rips raw,
he passes by
without a word

Nicole Silverman (3)

steam rising
off the lake while
geese fly over

trembling cold
skipping steps
warm church

Dan Simpson (3)

slippery ice
I lost my footing
wet butt

hands rubbing together
literature is gibberish
in the frigid room

Margaret Burns (2)

people slowly pass
silence
inside snowglobes

Laura Podeschi (7)

stuffing, turkey, and boyfriend
downcast eyes
my dad grunts