fishing boat
father baits the hook
I bask in the sun

          Julie Bilbrey (2)

I chose this poem because it reminded me of going fishing with my grandfather when I was young. He would bait the hook for me because I was scared of the worms and other bait at that time. I always enjoyed being outside even on the hot days when we’d roast in the sun, even though we wouldn’t catch anything on those days. I also liked this because it reminded me of riding around in the boat all day with my grandpa and grandma, or whoever else was along with us. Tony

I like this Haiku because it makes me think of a father not fishing with his son but with his daughter. The daughter loves being with her father and not necessarily fishing. So they compromise, she gets to lay in the sun and he gets to fish all the while they talk and enjoy eachothers company both very content and happy with the company of eachother and not the activity. Or maybe she likes to fish just not bait the hook and simply catches rays while the dirty work is done. Whatever the case may be I think the importance of this haiku lies and the love of there relationship and the compromise they make to spend time together. James

nervous butterflies
shady tree
first kiss

Morrisonville Frog Jump
we name him
Fred

fresh white snow
down the hill
into the fence

Grandma's hat—
beneath the brim
red berries

for Sam,
we played the main stage
with shmaltz

          Dan Temkin (3)

This is a compelling haiku. As I read this work, I can almost hear faint jazz emanating from the main stage of a high school or someplace a bit bigger. The music is more than simply pleasing—it’s played with shmaltz, with style. This piece in front of the musicians means something more than just notes on a page; it seems to be a tribute to an old teacher or friend or colleague named Sam. I love the fact that this haiku reaches me on a personal level but still leaves me intrigued. I don’t need to know who exactly Sam is or what song is being played for him in order to understand the haiku’s meaning. Laura

frosty windows
fist and three fingers
we make little footprints

Julie Bilbrey (5)

This haiku makes me think of trips on the school bus in Jr. High and High School to basketball games and track meets. The rides would normally take a while so to keep us busy we would draw on the frosted windows. This is a memory I am sure a lot of people have experienced. This haiku is very well written because it provides a good visual description. Brooke

This haiku brings back fun memories for me. It sets the scene with the frosty windows. I can feel the coldness numbing my hand as I press it against the window. I draw back my cold hand only to feel the wetness left on my skin. The stale smell of children in winter coats and the exhaust from the bus fill my nostrils. My friends and I fill the windows with the little footprints. The expression “simple minds, simple pleasures” is exactly what comes to mind. I enjoyed the simplistic language in this haiku. The wording is very innocent and simplistic and instantly takes you to a place in time. Fun and fresh-one of my favorites. Jennifer

blue swings
meet the sky
we jump

          Laura Podeschi (9)

I like this Haiku a lot because I can remember doing this as a kid. There were many times when I was swinging with some friends and we thought we were going so high that we could almost touch the clouds. I think it is interesting that the swing in this is blue because then as you get so high the color of the sky and the color of the swing just blend together. Then I can remember that nervous feeling of maybe being to high to jump out but I did not want to disappoint my friends and let them know that I was scared so you always jumped. This is a really fun and happy Haiku. Jill

I love this haiku because it is like a haiku of my own memories. My friends and I used to spend hours mastering the art of swing jumping. We eventually worked up enough courage to do back flips off the swings. We were the thing to see at recess, because if we completed the daring maneuver we would look very cool as you can imagine, and if not our falls were also very entertaining. I love the freedom of the swing not meeting just its full extension but the SKY, as kids we are not limited by the rules of reality, and this haiku takes me to that place where rules didn't apply and life was measured at how far you could jump off that swing. It makes me want to fly again. James

This haiku did a wonderful job of tying the images together with great movement. At first glance, I saw an empty playground, especially the lonely swing set; with the next line, the swings begin to move - not because they're lonely and/or swaying in the wind, but because two kids are actually swinging in them. The last line conveys the children taking flight so beautifully. This haiku captures both the innocence and fearlessness of childhood very well. Stellar work (no pun intended). Joanne

scrapped knees
spinning wheels
try and try again

          Dan Temkin (3)

I am, quite possibly, one of the most uncoordinated people you will ever meet. Therefore, it took me quite some time to learn how to ride a bike I have many memories of just those things: scraped knees and spinning wheels. My neighborhood was pretty ideal for bike riding: lots of sidewalks and little hidden paths, but I clung to those training wheels for the longest time. I made many attempts at learning to ride a bike, but I generally gave and decided it wasn't really a skill I'd ever need. Eventually, through either peer pressure or my mother's insistance, I started trying again. I suffered some pretty bad scrapes and some pretty amusing fights with my parents before everything just magically clicked (as it so often does) and I could ride on my own. Molly

This haiku brought back vivid memories of my first attempts at riding a bicycle. Scraped and lacerated knees were the result of my own efforts. My one redeeming quality was my strong sense of determination that resulted in perseverance; I never quit trying until I succeeded. Somewhere during adolescence I lost quite a bit of that never-say-die attitude. Children are so admirable because they don’t let failure hurt them until someone actually tells them that failure is a bad thing. From this haiku I can remember that perseverance is natural and discouragement is taught. Zack

slinky
mangled and bent
two stairs

Jennifer Godwin (7)

This haiku brings a smile to my face every time I read it. So many days my three brothers and I would spend hours having slinky races. We would climb on top of the garage, lean a board against the side (so our parents wouldn't see) and try to race the slinky down the entire roof and down the board. More often than not, the slinky would fall off the roof and get tangled, so we'd have to jump down, retrieve the slinky, climb back up, and spend the rest of the afternoon detangling it. Angie

lipstick smears—
feet tottering
in red high heels

Nicole Silverman (8)

At first I imagined a first date situation where the girl has stumbled over herself and somehow smeared her lipstick. She's nervous and she tripped over her own feet perhaps. But after reading it again I think about a little girl that has tried on her mother's shoes and makeup and cannot walk because her feet are so tiny in the huge pumps. This is not something that I can relate to because it never happened to me, but it is a nice image. Katie

As a girl, I relate to this completely. I remember I used to wear my mom and grandma's makeup and play dress up in their clothes. It is a very warm and happy memory that I think most girls identify with. I like the image of red that plays all the way through--I imagine the lipstick being red as well as the high heels. It is almost a subconcious shift from innocence to womanhood. Ashlee

cold rink
twenty small hockey players
flopping and flailing

canopy bed
pink ruffled sanctuary
mine

tide draws back
hands in the sand
hunt for hermits

Molly Burns (4)

storytelling
upon the green carpet
it was magic

teardrops fall
as movers
steal each possession

Ashlee Peth

This haiku really puts you right in the moment of a chld's fellings as he watches the movers move belongings out of what is probably the only house that he has ever lived in. moving is hard enough for an adult, but a child entering the unknown would want to cling on to whatever he could as everything is being moved. i see this is maybe a day with an overcast, where the child would be hoping for it to start raining so it would postpone that mover temporarly, but the rain never comes. Chris

grass-stained
we count to four
in green clover

schoolbus
putting on makeup
away from mother's eyes

          Ashlee Peth (5)

I can just imagine in this Haiku that there is a junior high girl on her way to school and her mother will never let her wear make-up. She wants to impress the boys when she gets to school so she disobeys her parents and puts it on when her mother is not there to see her. I like the Haiku but I do not like the disobedience of the young girl. Jill

dangling from tree limbs
no cooties
best friend

dead silence
the kitten
shimmies up the bedspread

favorite game—
small fingers snap
grandpa’s suspender straps

          Nicole Silverman

I remember the times with my own grandfather very well. I have am able to remember all the times that I would play around with him and he would tickle me to tears. It has been at least 9 years since he has died and I still remember being with him in the top floor of my grandparent’s three-flat that has yet to change much with my grandmother still living there. Since he has passed my memories of those moments have grown stronger than other moments from my childhood that I have shared with other friends and relatives. Thank you for this reminder. Dan S.

round and around
no more training wheels
fifteen stitches

          Cory Hodges

I imagine that I am out in a large driveway, riding a bike. My mom is sitting on the porch watching me. I learned how to ride my bike with out training wheels a week ago. I’m feeling proud of myself and a little bit cocky. The driveway is on a hill and I decide to ride down it. I pedal a bit and then I just coast, going faster and faster. I start going very fast and mom yells for me to slow down. I smile at her mischievously, while I am not paying attention I hit a rock in the driveway. I fall hard and mom comes running. Rachel

first time
first cast
first fish

dad's whistle
matching any train
dinner is ready

Supergirl p.j.s
and cowboy boots
—soaring couch to couch

Nicole Silverman (8)

filthy jersey
softball diamond
a girl’s best friend

bubble mower
side by side
“we” cut the grass

          James Hartnett (6)

Wow, this is a really great haiku. I get such a perfect image from this one. I definitely remember the bubble mower, and how many times do you see a young child side by side with mother or father mowing the grass. The “we” is the child and parent mowing and that picture reminds me of my nephew that used to mow with my dad. He loves doing this with “Papa” and this is a Hallmark picture of a boy looking up to his favorite person in the world, so innocent and ready for dad or grandpa or whoever to show him the rope of this crazy, fast moving world. Cory

legs swinging
in anticipation
soft boiled eggs

Spot of red
Rough terrain
Fear of hydrogen peroxide

Tony Lipka (5)

grandma's fragile frame
laughing
as i color purple cows

sore knuckles
meet bruised shoulder
trading punches

          David Meyer

It reminds me of fighting with my brother. We would get into these big fights. The next day however man were we sore and bruised. That was also the time we could look back and laugh at it. John

This haiku gave me a sense of anger and pain. I have been in a fight before and this poem kind of tries to gently describe a situation that is very punishing. I could see myself looking at my hands after the fight and also able to feel each and every punch that is thrown in my mind. Dave K.

dark closet
with only a flashlight
“santa” will never know

Cory Hodges

the excitement of a child really comes out in this haiku. maybe this child is in the closet with his little brother and sister, willing to wait up all night in order to get a glimps of santa, as he brings all the toys that he will be able to open in the morning. Chris

baby teeth gone
having trouble sleeping
tooth fairy on her way

waiting and waiting
finally the bell rings
Recess!

cheering friends
I tighten my rollerblades
to dare the big hill

rainy day
she becomes a mother
at recess

          Sarah Bassill (4)

I don’t really know why I chose this poem. I had to read it over and over again before I decided if I truly liked it or not. I decided to choose it because I wasn’t sure if I didn’t like it, or if it was because of what the haiku was saying to me that caught me off guard. I think its an interesting topic and can be taken in many ways. It can be a teacher, or a student becoming pregnant at recess or it can also mean that children are playing. When I was in second grade, the eigth graders pretended to be our “mothers”. I don’t really remember why that started but I remember we each had one, kind of like a big sister. Ashley

cold winter day
Dad & I
pickin a tree

Jill Guffey

This is another haiku that I really enjoy because of its topic of family. To me this haiku is not about the tree at all, it’s about the family memories that results from these types of trips. These memories eventually contribute to the love that a family has for each other. My favorite part of this haiku, love, something that is not even mentioned in it. Dan S.

bell rings
snack time overdue
just two blocks away

micro-machines
time doesn’t matter
playing in my world

nervous to be heard
the door slides
we are gone

          David Koester

I liked this one because it was a situation I was in so often in as a kid. We used to stay over night at my friend's house in high school and Freshmen year his parents used to make us be home by 1 every night. Well we would come home at midnight or something and sneak out his basement which had a walk out sliding door. David K.

girls playing together
brother interrupts
. . . Barbie gets a haircut

standing high
looking down
king of the hill

going nowhere
geese begin to flock
bread in hand

fresh cut grass
hidden treasures
buried in the sandbox

wading in the creek
my mud-filled shoe
lost forever

          Brooke DeWall

This haiku brings to life what is feels like to wade in a creek. The image of the mud-filled shoe sucked into the bottom of the creek is fantastic! I can imagine a child wading through the creek, perhaps looking for frogs or minnows, and their shoe getting stuck in the mud. This haiku brings back memories of my own childhood in Northern Michigan wading through creeks at my family’s lake. I always scared of leeches so I always went in with my shoes on. I am very familiar with the feeling of shoes getting stuck in mud. The imagery of the stuck shoe also brings up the feeling of the mud and the sucking sound it would make. I can also here the flowing of the creek water and feel the coolness as it rushes past my ankles. Nice, clean haiku! Nicole

I image that I am across the street from my house, in the woods, playing by the creek. It’s a pleasant late-spring day and the sun is out. The water in the creek is warm and clean, my sister and I are sanding on the bank. I see a big rock on the other side of the creek and I decide I want to wade over to it. As I wade over the water gets deeper, up to my knees. My feet sink a little into the creek bed but I keep walking. I take one more step, my foot sinks completely underground, the mud around my ankle feels slimy. I quickly pull my foot up and my shoe is sucked down into the muddy creek. Rachel

harvest dinner
fresh conversation
over corn on the cob

          Zack Glenn

This haiku really offers stimulation to the senses. The first line alone sets a powerful scene. Harvest dinner. It's autumn; the leaves have turned orange and red, the wind has just regained a bit of bite, and the world's life is preparing for winter's harshness. This family celebrates over dinner, but not just any dinner; the table is full of myriad dishes. There's a sampling of the entire year's take; yams, corn, ham, bread, sauces, and vegetables. The least two lines, "fresh conversation .. over corn on the cob" bring to our ears the sound of tens of people talking, laughing, arguing, and discussing the day's and week's events over the fresh smell of bright yellow corn on the cob coated with fresh melted butter. David M

in the kitchen
I'm spotted
cat runs away

turtles sunbathe...
I watch until
my skin turns pink

best friend
the tiny shoebox
in the backyard

          Angie Hawk (5)

One thing I remember as a child was having many pets. Unfortunately, my sister was allergic to cats and dogs so instead of having a large pet, I had to have small rodents and fish. As you know, those tiny pets do not have a long life span and die very easily. After my goldfish would pass away, instead of flushing it down the toilet, my dad would take my family out to the side of the house and burry it in the “pet cemetery”. When I read this haiku I thought of being young and having to burry my little furry and fishy friends in small shoeboxes near the side of the house. I could even imagine the toilet paper wrapped around the pet to create a nice coffin for the animal. I could also imagine the little kid who lost his/her pet crying and upset because for most fortunate people, the death of a small pet is a child's first experience of what death actually is. Although this was not a happy haiku I still enjoyed reading it and being able to relate to this event. Sarah

quiet house
over the rooftop
toilet paper soars

Joanne Weise (7)

I chose this one as my favorite because it takes me back to my high school days. We used to go tee-peeing around Homecoming and tee pee the younger classmen homes. I can envision all of my friends and sneaking around quietly so that we wouldn’t get caught. I remember how the house we were tee-peeing was all quiet, until the parents found us outside in their yard, then all hell broke loose. Tony

heavy brown leather
upon my shoulders
Grandpa's bomber jacket

          Zack Glenn (7)

This haiku was one that brought out strong feelings. My grandfather was a navigator and later a bombardier in WWII in the Pacific theatre. Of the things that he still has from that time besides a host of photos, letters, and other small trinkets is his old leather jacket. There is a feeling that leather gets after it has been well warn, a softness that no chemical process can recreate. To wear this old jacket that has hours of stories in it sleeves and heavy with the reality of war, yet warm and comforting. Its large size enveloping the child who wears it, yet barely fitting the grandfather who wore it so many years ago. Dan Temkin

crowded dinner table
dad solving each problem
over chicken and mashed potatoes

Jill Guffey

I liked this Haiku because it reminded me of when I was younger and my dad would help me with my homework. Eventually I would get so confused and frustrated that he would pretty much be giving me the answers so we could be done with it. The wording of this Haiku works very well and you can almost smell the chicken and mashed potatoes. Brooke

our own village
rampaging Hot Wheels
through grandma’s garden

moving day
the swingset
nowhere to be found

Christmas dinner
Uncle Bob
eats with the kids

watching Saved by the Bell
friends forever
with Zach Morris

crayon crawls across
white walls
—a masterpiece

               Nicole Silverman (15)

I simply picture a little child who has just colored a huge colorful mural on the hallway wall. It is beautiful and bright with rainbows and trees. birds flying through blue clouds and red and pink and yellow flowers blooming from the grass. Then mom walks in and all she sees is scribbles. red, blue,green,and pink swirls and squibbles. Before she can react, the child excitedly begins to point out which scribbles are the trees, and which are the birds,etc. She can't possibly be mad because the child truly believes he has created a masterpiece. Julie

This haiku made me laugh. First of all, it reminded me of the book Harold and the Purple Crayon that I read as a little kid. I remember the cover being white and the purple crayon drawing pictures all over the white surface. Secondly I imagine a mother coming in to check on her child only to find him/her on the white walls and the look of horror on her face. I was also able to see scribbles all over freshly painted white walls and how proud the child is of the drawing but how horrible the damage is to the room. I don't ever remembering drawing on the walls as a kid, but I do remember a brand of paint called “kids paint” and if the walls were drawn on then it would be ok because the crayon would come off easily. I begged my parents to buy the paint and cover my walls with it so I could draw on them, but they didn't like the idea very much. Sarah

This haiku not only brings back memories of my childhood, but my daughter as well. She too, enjoys creating her masterpieces with crayon on the walls and on whatever else she can. I think that this particular memory is something that most of us can relate to. Little kids think nothing of the act of writing on the walls, to them, it is a masterpiece. The parents, however, have a different view. I imagine the rainbow of bright colors against the white of the wall; scribbles, lines and dots. The word “crawls” brings a sense of movement, of the crayon slowly moving across the wall, held tightly by little fingers. The masterpiece left incomplete, waiting to be found, remains behind. Jennifer

This haiku definitely caught my eye the first time I read through our class writing. Throughout my childhood, I filled notebooks and notebooks full of drawings. I absolutely treasured my crayons and threw HUGE fits when my sisters even touched their box. Although I never colored on the walls, I can just picture a little girl or boy looking at this vast blank space in front of them, aware that it’s just a big, blank page waiting to be filled. This haiku illustrates possibility and asks the reader to think just as the child does: beyond the obvious. Laura

This haiku is delightful. Many times in my childhood I tried to take my crayons and be the next Picasso in my own living room. Here each word is carefully crafted to express the innocence of the action taking place. The crayon crawls, as if it were being controlled to create the desired image of the artist’s imagination. This is not your average wall scribbling; this is a beautiful display of a child’s desire to create true art. I hope the child’s parent could see how awe inspiring of a moment their child created. Zack

I really like this haiku. The image it stirs is very clear; a young child has just discovered its newfound artistic abilities have a very public medium on which they may be displayed. It stirs a sense of pride in the display of this work; he had sixty-four colors and by God, he used them all. The form of this haiku is beautiful; the alliterative first two lines please my ears while the simple last line gives my mind the perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy the imagery. David M

soft donkey
bites
flowered jacket

swishing horse tails
treetops flailing wildly
anxious glances exchanged

campfire glow
eating marshmallows
we listen to stories

shallow river banks
rock bottom
. . . we carry the canoe

          Angie Hawk

I love this because it simply tells what happened. It reminds me of canoeing (of course). But the first time I ever did go canoeing I was a little freked out about actually having to get in the water. I like water but I do not like fishy water. My boyfriend and I got stuck on a river bank and ther was no way I was going to get out to get it unstuck. He got out and pushed as i used the oars to push away from the rocks. It was a dry ride the whole 10 miles until we got to our destination. My boyfriend got out too fast and dumped the canoe with me still in it. there was a strong current that was dragging me downstream because it was fairly deep and slippery at this point. I lost my flip flops and backpack and realized that the water was not too bad. I love canoeing now and although this haiku makes me laugh to think back to the first canoe trip, it also gives me a very peaceful feeling. floating down a river in the sun. Julie

Bloody Mary
in the car mirror
we scream and run

Sarah Bassill (2)

I enjoyed this haiku because I truly believe every kid from my generation tested the limits with the entire Bloody Mary urban legend. The haiku made me laugh because I remember that it got so bad at my elementary school that they took all the mirrors down in the girls’ bathrooms. Its just a way for youth to test the limits. Ashley

my eyes
staring back at me
little brother

the hall again
what did I do?
everyone giggles

Saturday morning
I tiptoe to the TV
with my bowl of Capn’ Crunch

darkness
underneath the porch
becomes headquarters

Nick McLenighan

This haiku reminded me of the countless times I played a warrior, secret agent, soldier, etc, when I was a child. These events happened in the backyards of numerous homes and the playground at school. The joy of building forts and secret bases was unparallel with other activities. Mike

blankets on the ground
we look up
into a sky of lights

Brooke DeWall

THis one reminds me of something me and a girlfriend use to do. We would sit out in nelson park at the top of the golf course hill and gaze at the stars. It was nice quite and so peaceful. I almost wish I still had her around. John

the maroon recliner rocks
I close my eyes
to hear Mom’s soothing song

Zack Glenn

This haiku reminds me of the times when I was sick as a child and my mom would hold me to try and comfort me. It brings back the memories of thermometers, crackers, pajamas, and skipping school. It also reminds me of staying late at my grandparent’s house and my mom had to carry me to the car when they were ready to leave. Mike

spaghetti dinner
sitting at the table
my uncle looks like Elvis

old rusted hook
on the porch
a new baseball cap

Rope pulled tight
Sharp rocks rub up against
Snap

mid-august afternoon
a water balloon plummets
war

           Angie Hawk (6)

This haiku reminded me of summer camp: the last week of summer was "Water Week" and each day culminated in a spectacular water balloon fight. I don't really think about my summer camp experiences that often, but reading this took me right back to the site on the lake the water fights in the big, open field; eating lunch on the porch of the brown lodge; the counselors' white lodge that we weren't allowed to enter; canoeing; sliding down the hill on "Dead Man's Trail." Although I outgrew summer camp a few years before my parents decided to stop sending me (it was day camp... summer babysitting!), this haiku reminded me of the days when I used to have fun there, before I felt "too cool" to be there. I vividly remember trying to fill water balloons in the sinks on the side of the brown lodge the freezing cold water, the huge taps that you couldn't fit a balloon around, even the smell of the dirt. I'm starting to wish it were summer right now! Molly

boxed salad
the scent of ranch
in the pool

from left field
a smile
i crouch in readiness

writhing joy
empty bird seed barrel
full of garter snakes

               Nick McLenighan

I love the first line of this haiku, “writhing joy.” At first, I am not sure what the menaing of the first line is, but when I finish the haiku it describes perfectly what a bunch of snakes in the bottom of a barrel would look like. I especially like that the first line uses the word “joy” as if the snakes’ writhing is some sort of exultation. This haiku has a very child-like sense of discovery about it. I can imagine the delight on a child’s face at discovery the little garter snakes in the barrel. The image is very clear of looking down into the empty barrel and seeing the snakes squirming about in the bottom of it. Nicole

wooden block city
stacked high
i am Godzilla

Michael Knowles (6)

first day of class
rushed by lateness
all glances toward me

surrounding darkness
singular campfire
mesmerizing children

jungle gym bars
rusty cold handles
aching my hands

it feels like yesterday
we were all together
with no cares in the world

inside recess due to rain
triple dog dare
boy eats crayon

hiding in the dark
a flash of light
from my shoe

        Sarah Bassill (6)

This reminds me of playing hide and seek at my church's fish fries on the dusty deserted stage. I can see myself hiding behind the heavy red curtains and then seeing someone's reeboks lighting up as they tiptoe to another location. I was always angry that I never got a pair of those shoes. Katie

What better way to ruin a game of hide-and-go-seek? I can see the young one underneath a table, or scrunched up somewhere, unnoticeable in the dark, and feeling quite sly at his hiding prowess. However, those light-up shoes that he wanted so badly got in the way of the game, and he became "it." Again. I love the mindset that this haiku conveys, as well as the vivid, red speck that lights up when his shoe is tapped against whatever he's hiding behind. Joanne

standing before god
waist high bathwater
eyes fixed on the southern cross

               Michael Knowles (3)

I really liked this representation of a baptism. My own baptism was only this past year and was something very special to me, so I really identify with this haiku. I like the way the words are used to describe this solemn yet exciting moment, and how the word "bathwater" really fixes a physical feeling in the mind. Ashlee

in every class
next to me
the kid who eats paste

Michael Knowles (11)

unexpected moment
forced to contemplate
the afterlife

plaid uniform trembles
lunchroom pudding jiggling
"cool kids" whisper

summer tee-ball
the fair-skinned girl
turns red

winning home run
a crowd of one
cheers

               Dan Simpson

This haiku gives the reader a sense of solitary gratification. Whether the child is playing on a team and only one parent is present, or the child is playing alone and merely imagining that he just hit the winning home run, there is cheering. The way this haiku was phrased really accentuates the value of emotion. It begins with “winning home run,” which gives us a positive atmosphere with a large crowd on a warm afternoon. Then, “a crowd of one” gives us a more somber feeling, yet is gracefully tied back in with the last line: “cheers.” Angie

Headphones on
Want to get away
New CD rocks

David Koester

This Haiku really gets a positive response from me because I can just remember how many times I’ve needed to get away and nothing does that like music. I think a lot of people can only go where the music takes them, whether it is because they don’t have time or because they aren’t old enough to go anywhere, music can always give a sense of being in your own place at your own time w/o any interruptions. I think this is a haiku that hit right at home with a lot of people. Cory

the air moves
buzzing and clicking
as our first computer greets us

               David Meyer (2)

There is something magical about that first computer. It is the portal to a million new possibilities from creating your own family flyers to web pages. Back in the day, I never thought I would say that, the computer when turned on would take a view minutes to fully start up. During that time there was a cacophony of buzzing and beeping, especially if you had the computer set to activate the dial-up modem on start up. On the more powerful machines the roar of fans would indicated that the machine was coming alive. With that the monitor would start to   flicker to life and in my case, with the Apple Macintosh, a half human half computer face would appear to welcome you as the rest of the software loaded up. Note: That half human half computer face is still used as a icon by Apple today. This haiku does a great job of taking me back to when we got our first computer and the thrill I got when we first turned it on. Dan Temkin

as i read
i drift away
where i can only see

Summer Concert
Girlfriend close by
You hear your name called

sinking
into the couch
the leather sticks to my skin

Rachel Walker (4)

Fresh spring breeze
Boy swings in the swing
Laughter heard all around

piggy bank breaks
copper smell
pennies everywhere

grandpa's truck bed
where a nail and my foot
kissed

Boy stands waiting
Next to the pond in suspense
Pastor calls his name

tiny footfalls
she drags the pink bunny
by his ears

playground
twirling with friends
I am a mermaid