turtle instinct
now just a reflex
coax me out

dried pink rose
poem from his coat pocket
my heart skips

moonlight serenade
a gentle smile as you call
the police

Brian Blanenship (8)

late night slumber
party
giggling about boys

flowers
for the girlfriend
with allergies

river divides
the two sides
narrow, worn bridge to cross

holding hands
over candles,
two men

time slows
as we sink
into the water

Jamie Devitt (4)

I went with this haiku as another favorite because it reminded me of haiku that were written by some of the other authors we have been reading. Since we are amateurs it is sometimes evident that our haikus are not quite as adequate as the professionals. I like that the first line of this one could be anywhere and time could be slowing for anything. It sends your imagination going from the beginning. The next two lines bring you to a certain feeling, but it doesn’t necessarily bring you to a certain place. I love the imagery of “sinking into the water.” The two people sinking aren’t trying to stop it from happening; they are just letting themselves go. They are engulfed in each other and then let the water engulf them. It gave me such a peaceful feeling. I can see a lake, in the middle of the night and these two people are just slowly entering the water, barely causing a ripple. Rachel

As I read the haiku, its phrasing choice made me slow my cognitive pace and I had the feel of submersion. There are no be-jeweled words that stand out, rather each word is used daily. What attracted me to choosing this as one of my favorites, was it’s ability to produce a metaphor of a certain type of love that I had tried, but could not put in haiku form. Time often seems to crawl as it is put on the back burner when love comes into the picture. However, the words “sink” and the location of “water” bring a different view of love. Sink is defined as- To fall or drop to a lower level, especially to go down slowly or in stages; to descend to the bottom; submerge. This is a suffocating love, one that is slowly but surely falling into a worse state. The author then chose to use water to depict this scene, there by implying that as one does sink, there will be no oxygen to breathe. At the end of this reading, I realized that there could be no splash from this downward, physical movement (worsening state) because the movement is so slow….meaning no one would hear them sinking and they themselves do not realize the plunge they will soon be faced with because there are only little ripples. Traci

feelings for
my prom date
cousin Earl

Sunday morning
your tickling kisses
wake me

Stephanie Dietrich (3)

I think the fact that the scene painted within this haiku takes place on a Sunday morning is probably the thing that draws me to it so much. Sunday morning is a day that I perceive as the day of rest, and not just in a biblical sense. Pretty much everybody has Sunday off – even those people who work on Saturdays. Therefore, it’s a given that Saturday night becomes one of reckless abandon, filled with wild parties in which inhibitions are thrown to the wind, thus leaving Sunday to be the recuperation from the preceding evening.

Now, in this haiku I see two people very much in love. They may not be married, but they clearly have spent the night together, and one member chooses to wake the other with these tickling kisses on a Sunday morning. Despite everything that happened last night – the food that was eaten, drinks that were drunk and possibly vomited back up, and everything else that spent the night inside their mouth – they cheerfully wake one another with morning-breath kisses; to me, that really says something about the amount of love these two people share. Brian B

last dance
he holds her
close

red roses
for his Valentine—
mother’s tombstone

Melanie McLay (3)

my heart
as bitter as
the chocolate

Adam Stefo (2)

This haiku made me imagine a bad break-up situation. The first line of the haiku doesn’t make me think of this, but the rest does. The first line made me think that the haiku would be a typical love poem; that it would be positive. The second line, however, changed this image. The word bitter, although a bit cliché, is given a whole new dimension in the context of this haiku. The simile it is in is interesting because it juxtaposes our normal thoughts of chocolate. Usually in a love poem, chocolate is a sensual, seductive element. However, this haiku employs the chocolate in a negative manner, making the “bitter” cliché seem unique. Pat

little child
who crayons the wall
mother's true love

he must think I’ve
got super powers
invisible

slow dance—
I sit and watch
the girl I want to be

Corinne Cullina (4)

This haiku really uses imagery to capture what it’s like to be in the position of the lonely wallflower. Even for someone who hadn’t been in the position before, it is a powerful haiku. Personally, I know just what the author is talking about; I spent middle school in the same position. Though I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum now (hey, the prom queen can’t complain too much, even in retrospect) it still brings back those emotions. Everyone is the odd person out at some point – that’s what makes this haiku so relatable. Sarah

a card or song
anything…
as long as I’m with you

you
see
me

Brian Blankenship (4)

I love the simplicity of this haiku. The three words on three lines gives the impression of being caught off guard and losing your breathe. I can just picture a girl just watching her crush as he goes about his daily activities. She is invisible to him, and she is used to that because this is probably a crush that goes all the way back to the third grade. As she’s watching him, he happens to glance over and catch her eye. He smiles and nods to her (for probably the first time in his life) and her heart stops for a moment as she catches her breath. (Sorry, I’m a hopeless romantic I suppose. It’s very “She’s All That.”) Faith

surrounded by family
yet he reaches
for my hand

Elizabeth Braden (3)

This haiku brings with it a very interesting…idea, I guess. Meeting friends and family of your significant other is always nerve-racking for both parties. It’s especially worry-some if you’re the one being introduced, and your other looks nervous themselves. On the other hand, there is nothing more reassuring than feeling a calming hand in yours as they introduce you to their grandmother. One of the things that I’ve always loved about my other is the way he treats me around his friends and family. We’re not huge into PDA, but he treats me like he’s proud to be standing beside me. It’s wonderful, because it means that he loves me enough to use body language to say, “Look friends, look family, I love this girl. Try and stop me.” Stephanie

you kiss my cheek
as grandma tells you
I’m a keeper

Brian Blankenship (4)

I love this haiku because it captures the essence of not only love and passion, but also the sense of comfort and recognition that comes from introducing a significant other to family members. I can almost see a young man being ecstatic with joy after nervously introducing the woman of his dreams to the family, and having the matriarchal approval of his grandmother. At the same time, the author grasps the inner peace that comes upon the significant other after realizing that she is not only accepted, but also liked. It will be a wonderful valentines day, and the couple will have even more reason to celebrate. The haiku is very straightforward in its story and opens up for all kinds of imaginative possibilities. Erin

I thought this haiku was really sweet because I think that a big thing when you have been dating someone for a while is whether or not you can bring your significant other to meet your parents and hope that your parents approve. The fact that this one said that grandma thinks you are a keeper makes me think that it is a holiday gathering where grandma would be which is always a big step in relationships. Since, in this example, grandma approves, you are in it for the long haul. Elizabeth

Reading this haiku gives me such a sense of accomplishment, even though I’m not the one who’s the “keeper.” It reminds me of the time when you first meet your boyfriend or girlfriend’s family, and you’re really nervous about what they’re going to think of you. When grandma kisses you though, and declares that you’re a keeper, it’s kind of like you won the battle. After all, grandmas are wise and usually know what they’re talking about. I also love how this haiku doesn’t come right out and say the emotion, but rather lets you feel it for yourself. Liz

grandmother cries
tears to the grave
a lonely Valentine's Day

Corinne Cullina

This haiku gives visual, emotional, touch, and almost audible sensations. I like how it has someone old the love and sadness that a young person has. Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, so it would seem like an older person would be more concerned with birthday’s, Christmas etc. instead of Valentine’s Day. I can almost hear the woman crying and her tears hitting the gravestone. It gives the sense of heart breaking right there at the grave. Alisha

always
she never leaves my side
hand unreachable

          you and I
a ballad of
      the falling
             autumn leaves

Brian Blankenship (14)

The visual aspect of this haiku was quite beautiful. It painted a romantic picture of a couple walking through a park during autumn. The word autumn automatically paints a vibrant picture of rich color in the reader’s mind, and adds to the romantic atmosphere of the haiku. I also really enjoyed the second visual aspect of the haiku that was illustrated by the uneven line setup. The lines are placed in a way that illustrates the falling of a leaf. This image gives me both a sense of motion and color for the haiku. The floating leaf-like image that it creates gives the haiku a very fluid and light feeling. Jamie

I like this one for the content, but more for the structure and the fact that it’s a very visual haiku. First of all, “you and I” isn’t aligned to the left as is usually the case. For some reason, this simple structural change made me feel that this couple was alone, oblivious to anyone around them. I felt like they were in their own world. The next three lines add to this feeling because falling leaves all fall down together, but really they are each their own entity. I loved the way the lines were offset because it makes the haiku look like falling leaves and the way your eyes have to follow the lines makes you feel the falling leaves too. The content of this one was very simple and romantic, but the way it was presented is what really made me like it; it added to the words. Rachel

This is a great example of visual haiku. The haiku seems to be drifting downward, just like the leaves drift to the ground and the two people are falling for each other in the romantic atmosphere. This haiku is simple but at the same time has a very strong impact. It’s as if the air is so quiet that they don’t need words: the leaves and the light breeze say it all for them. It makes me imagine a young couple walking hand in hand down a park path lined with trees in the gorgeous colors of fall. The leaves are singing the love ballad for them. Faith

I enjoyed this haiku because of the visual aspect of it. The author uses the shape of the haiku to coincide with its context. It is shaped in a manner that sort of resembles falling leaves. Since the words of the haiku themselves are not overly visual, the shape aids the haiku. It is a prime example of the relationship between form and content. The first line indicates that a relationship is the subject of the haiku. The word ballad in the second line implies that the relationship is going to end in failure, as does the word falling in the third line. Finally, the imagery of the fourth line completes the tone of loss. I associated the word autumn with the idea of death. In the fall, plants begin to die as the weather turns cold, just like the relationship between “you and i.” Pat

the lights
turned off
it's a good thing

Brian Rohde (4)

I’m not entirely sure if this haiku was intended to be funny, but I think it is. It is sometimes forgotten that not all couples doing their thing are attractive to see. I think in some ways this haiku is really funny, but in other ways its very real. I’m really glad to see some funny haiku in the valentine’s kukai, and not just the good side of love. Rick

couple's dinner special
the old man
eating alone

Rick Bearce (6)

This haiku really pulls at my heart-strings. One thing that always makes me feel sad inside is seeing someone completely alone in a crowd of people. You have to wonder if that lonely person has anyone to talk to or spend time with. This image of an old man eating alone, surrounded by couples, is quite bittersweet. It must be some special day—probably Valentine’s day—so all the lovers are out on dates. This old man is sitting alone amongst these couples. It makes you wonder, is he reminiscing about someone he once loved who is gone? What if he has been alone his whole life? It is sad to think about… Melanie

at the bottom of the movie
two silhouettes
of a first love

enduring every new boy
my constant valentine
daddy

9:00 pm
my housemate
with the noisy bedsprings

karamelsutra        fudgasm

swallowing her holy wafer
she licks her lips
for the altar boy

Traci Rapp (5)

long day at work
red thong on the floor
that isn’t mine

hands cover her eyes
guess who?
only a memory

my first dance
I said no
. . . he wouldn’t stop

your fish
swimming
in my tears

beauty mark—
just enough
to get your attention

kissing you
alone
in a crowded room

Liz Ciaccio (6)

I realy like this one if for no reason other than it sounds like a better version of one I wrote that didn't make it into the Kukai. It's sort of a cliche image, but I think that it's cliche because it's true. That's really all I have to say. To delve any further would be to repeat myself without reason. Brian R

I liked how this haiku was able to portray that feeling of being in love and thinking that you are the only two people in the world. There might be a ton of people around you, but when the two of you are together, no one else exists, or so it seems. Your love is able to consume each other so much that you both actually do no notice the people around you. Elizabeth

forever engraved
two unknown names
in the old oak

Corrine Cullina (7)

This haiku is probably one of the best constructed that I have seen yet come out of our class’s Kukai. The author of the piece obviously put a lot of thought into the word choices he or she made for the piece, and yet the overall haiku is quite simple in its structure. The word forever in the first line is an obvious reference to eternity, and the unknown names is a slightly more subtle way of explaining that this couples love outlasted their reputation and possibly even their lives. And the fact that they are carved in an old oak – of all trees, it seems like none embodies that much of endurance, longevity, and steadfastness as much as the mighty oak. All together I think the piece contains a beautiful image and a fantastic message. Brian B

best friends
one sentence
changes everything

loving his irises
I settle
for kissing his lids

Melanie McLay (4)

I liked this haiku because of the use of the words irises and lids. When I first started to read the first line I thought of irises as in the flowers. I thought that it would be cute if a guy got flowers for a girl for Valentines Day that weren’t traditional, but held another meaning. Irises stand for faith, hope, wisdom, valour, eloquence, and “my compliments”. So I thought of a guy giving a girl irises to tell her that she was eloquent. When I kept reading I didn’t quite understand what was meant by “lids” until a moment later I realized that the whole time the haiku is about the guys eyes. I liked the play with words and I liked having to think about what the haiku was talking about. It was clever and surprising. Although I don’t quite know if I like the word lids just because its not as elegant, but I also can’t think of a better way to write the haiku and I don’t really think it needs to be rewritten. Cori

Let me begin by saying that I’m having a really hard time with this kukai. After our discussion in class about haiku technique (which I completely agree with) I feel that I should be focusing on the quality of the writing, rather than the memory it makes me think of. Seeing as this is a love kukai, however, I by default have many very strong, very special memories attached to many of these haiku. Therefore, I’m going to compromise, and focus on the quality of this first haiku, and go memory crazy in the next two.
Anyway, on to my point. I really enjoyed the feel of this haiku, that is, the feeling of the words in my mouth. This haiku contains a lot of consonants, but many of them, such as “l,” “v,” and “s,” have a very soft feeling to them. Almost all of the consonants are also created from the alveolar ridge (the ridge in the roof of your mouth) and forward, the “k,” “h,” and “ng” sounds being the only exceptions. Read this haiku out loud and pay attention to what your tongue is doing. Mine dances around my lips and teeth. It’s very fun to read out loud, and has a warm, yet playful sound to it. (Of course, I could also love this haiku because it reminds me of my boyfriend, who has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Who knows?) Stephanie

roommates on dates
but my valentine—
managerial accounting

I come home
smelling of sandwich
she doesn't mind

Brian Rohde (6)

This haiku was both well written and close to my heart. The first two lines have the relief of coming home after a long day working at a restaurant, and the third has the sweet final note of the writer’s girlfriend not minding that he smells like sandwiches from work. Having a boyfriend who works at Arby’s, I know full well the position of the girlfriend in this haiku. He may be tired, and he smell like roast beef and curly fries, but I’m happier to see him than anything. I know how good it makes him feel that I don’t care how he smells after work, and that I just want to be with him, especially when I whine, “But honey, why should you take a shower? You smell like CURLY FRIES!” Sarah

I really like this haiku because it is phrased like the author has been out with someone else and his girlfriend or wife might be mad. Instead of smelling like another woman, he comes home smelling like a sandwich. To me, this haiku is absolutely hilarious. I’m not sure if my interpretation is the one that the author intended, but that’s one of the greatest things about haiku. Rick

lonely evening
watching his crush - kiss
her girlfriend!?

serving catholic communion
unholy hands
horny altar boy

she looks for love
in the mirrors
of the hotel lobby

listen
to your voice
slide up my thigh

Jamie Devitt (9)

This haiku really doesn't spark any emotional reaction in me, but it might be the only haiku I've read that gives me a physical response every time I read it. It's almost eery how effective this haiku is. I can feel chills on my legs and up my spine (good ones) when I read this. Brian R

Ahh! Chills up my spine! That is why I think this haiku is well written. Not because I like it or because it reminded me of anything, but because it creeped me out completely. I could literally feel something crawling up my skin. The word “slide” was well chosen. Crawl, creep, climb… none would have been as effective as slide. Mostly because I thought of a creepy, sleazy, greasy guy’s hand trying to move up my skirt and the thought just completely disgusts me. I also liked how it wasn’t the guy’s hand or what I assume was a guy’s hand but his voice. This actually made the vision worse in my mind just because now I could hear the creepy, sleazy, greasy guy’s voice. And that as well gave me goose-bumbs. I also just realized that this poem could take a completely different meaning especially if the voice is that of a girl and the author is a guy. Or even if the voice is a guy to another guy. I’m not going to start going into all the different ways that this haiku can now be taken, but I do think it is interesting. Anyway, I would just like to congratulate the author who could actually creep me out because it’s not too easy to do and that is why I think this is an excellent haiku. Cori

I really liked this haiku because its composition and word choice are great. I like how the first two lines give the haiku a totally different feel than the last line. However, all three lines combined give this haiku a completely different meaning. I like how it gives the effect of visually undressing an individual. The order of the lines make it what it is. The choice of the first line just being listen and not telling the reader if the author is listening or if someone else is really gives this haiku character. Alisha

a candy heart
misprinted . . .
“UR INE”

Melanie Mclay (2)

This is another haiku that is absolutely hilarious. I really like haiku that find humor in everyday events such as this. It’s quite conceivable that one of the candy hearts was misprinted or the machine didn’t fill in the M on MINE. Very creative and funny. Rick

Fabulous. That’s the only way I can describe this haiku. I hope that this really happened, just because it’s really funny. It’s so creative, and the word choice is great. I love the way it starts out, and you think it’s going to be something sappy, and then it just surprises you, and it’s amazing. You can just see somebody looking at the candy heart that they grabbed, reading the “sweet” saying, and their reaction when all they see is “urine.” Allison

silence
his glance
a gift

foreign
forbidden
figurative

little black dress
stilettos—
forgetting him

Liz Ciaccio (5)

The haiku evokes the image of a September romance. I picture a couple walking, hands clasped, down a street lined with trees. Dazzling red, yellow, and orange leaves drift gracefully from the branches. To their melodic fall I mentally add the lilt of classical music. Despite these sights and sounds, the lovers remain focused on each other. The second haiku reminds me of one from an earlier kukai. Natalie

the sequins
on her black dress
dance all night

Both make me imagine a crowded club scene of strobing lights and loud music. A girl wearing her tallest heels and sexiest dress dances her cares (and the night) away. The only difference between the two is that "little black dress" has an air of anger about it. While "the sequins" seems focused on fun, this one focuses on forgetting. Natalie

your tears
won’t dissolve my will
this time

warm arms
I once ran to--
folded

he wants to talk—
I sense my
inevitable loneliness

Valentine's dinner
trying to ignore
the waitress's cleavage

Rick Bearce (9)

melting in my hands,
I love you so much,
barbecue sandwich

Ryne Inman (4)

I was especially drawn to this haiku because it stood out nestled among all the Valentine haiku, which were mostly about the love between two people. This haiku is about a different, much simpler kind of love, the love of a hungry person for a delicious sandwich. It stands out because it’s a different point of view, and I enjoyed that. I also like the fact that it could very well, at the start, be a haiku about love or lust between two people. The last line turns it into that simple pleasure of something tasty. Sarah

February 15th
rubbing lotion
on rug-burned knees

Rick Bearce (6)

counter full
of flower bouquets
unfamiliar names

Rachel Cook (4)

Like the other haiku I wrote about, this one simply lets you feel the emotion in it instead of telling you what to feel. How many Valentine’s Days have we gone through when you walk past the office at school and see all of the beautiful bouquets of flowers on the counter? Whether we like to admit it or not, we always sneak a peek at their nametags, wishing and hoping that one might be for you. But, alas, none are. They’re full of names of people you’ve never heard of who must have very loving parents or boyfriends to send them flowers on Valentine’s Day. This haiku doesn’t leave me with a pretty bitter feeling towards all of those unfamiliar names… but I’d rather have that than get no feeling from it at all. Liz

I was walking into the Woods lobby area yesterday (Valentine's Day) and I saw a large bouquet of red roses. I thought to myself, as I’m sure every female walking by did, that it would be cool if those were for me. I got back into my room and I had a text message from a good guy friend that said did you get my roses I sent you. I got really excited because I thought the roses on the counter were for me, but when he told me he was just joking it reminded me of all the times in the high school office when taking a peek at all the flowers that none of them were ever for me. Elizabeth

waiting where he works
until closing time
for a goodnight kiss

on the mirror
in lipstick
Happy Valentine’s Day

away from you
I embrace
my pillow

Brian Rohde (6)

I, of course, love this haiku, especially because my ex-boyfriend and I have lived apart for four years. He resides in Washington D.C. while I live in St. Louis. We see each other maybe twice a year, sometimes only once. The haiku immediately made me think of him and how sometimes, when I haven’t talked to him, or received a letter for awhile, I’ll just curl up helplessly with a pillow, and cry. While we recently broke up due to the long distance, Decatur can still get lonely and I’ll sit down and think about all of the good times we had. The haiku also makes me think of family members or friends that I adored and used to celebrate with on Valentines Day, but are no longer here. Sometimes, a person is just too much, and all we need is a comfy object to cry into. Erin

This haiku give conflicting ideas. Away from you makes it seem like the author is mad. I embrace makes it seem like the author can’t give up the person he/she is mad at. The last line makes sense of the first two, however, I like the unknown and confliction of the first two. The composition gives this haiku style that is different from the other haiku. Alisha

I very much liked this one for two reasons. The first, and most obvious, is the connection that I make to it. Both my boyfriend and I have something that we hold at night as we fall asleep when we’re not together; mine is a penguin he gave me for Christmas, his a body pillow with my picture on it. (Feel free to barf anytime, I know it’s sickening.) But I also enjoyed this haiku because its ending was a pleasant surprise. I truly expected it to read something to this effect: away from you/ I embrace/ another. (I know it’s not very good, but you get the point.) Much to my delight, however, this was not a haiku about cheating on a lover, but wishing with all their might that the one they loved was with them. It was a nice surprise. Stephanie

almost forgotten
hidden memories
under my bed

a sparkle in his eyes . . .
he carries me
up the stairs

two left feet
I salsa anyway
just to see her smile

our 2nd minute in heaven
she tells me
Heather kisses better

eclectic
I’d give it all up
for you

longing to strip
away
his bravado

Allison Lingren (3)

While I do not think the aspect of switching from one line and having it result in catching the reader off guard in a completely different perspective is a requirement of a good haiku, I do think it makes it an enjoyable and exciting form to read. This haiku does so not just one time, but from line to line and sometimes from word to word. The first line is an example of completely changing from word to word. Longing is such a powerful word that could easily stand on it’s own, but to adjoin it with “strip” just emphasizes that the longing for this action is greater than the longing itself. As I began to read the second line, I had the image of a poll dancer in my head and “away” caused me to see her wanting to leave her job, rather than enjoying the “dirty work”. I was completely set on my “motherly, worn out stripper” haiku when the third line transported me to my crush’s mouth. He doesn’t sing but this image is one that most readers can connect to because each person adores another’s mouth and the sounds that come forth. The term bravado is very clever to be used to imply strong and courageous rather than just outright using those “boring” adjectives. It would take so much self-confidence and belief in one’s self to merely say something to someone they like who reflects this dominant singing voice. Traci

together with her
all my mountains
feel as mounds

Andrew Barnick (3)

I love the imagery of this haiku. Mountains and mounds…I imagine a vast, hilly landscape. There is a majestic essence about this moment. These references to mountains and mounds conjure up a picture of nature, although the moment of the haiku really has nothing to do with nature. This notion of everything shrinking in scale when the author is with this person…it could mean so many things. Perhaps everything is calmer, or all his/her problems don’t seem to matter so much. Or maybe this girl has a very commanding presence, and so the author feels very small and inconsequential around her. Either way, I love the contrasts of large and small, high and low.

earth’s rotation
     stops—     I stumble
into you

Liz Ciaccio (6)

The flow of this haiku is what makes it an interesting piece. The author used the break technique that we’ve observed in recent haiku in a very effective manor. The break really emphasizes the stopping of the earth’s rotation. It forces the reader to actually feel the halt instead of merely imagining it. A haiku is only strengthened if it is able to appeal to more than one sense. I also really liked this haiku because of how universal it is. Everyone has that universal desire of falling into their true love when day. It plays on the notion of fate, and chance at the same time. Does the earth’s momentary stop occur as an act of fate, or does the stop accidentally knock you into someone that you would have never noticed otherwise? Jamie

I really enjoy the way the author played with form in this haiku. I think that the message would still be effective if it was written in usual haiku form, but the use of pauses allow the flow of the words to mimic the action being portrayed. The message of the haiku can be interpreted in many ways, even though the author is so specific about the way he or she wants it to be read. It could be a haiku about the instant you see someone across a room, and you just know that you want to be a part of their lives. In that moment, it does feel like the world has stopped spinning for an instant. Or it could be about an accidental meeting, where two people literally do bump into each other. Allison

I like this haiku because it refers to something that cannot happen, but so many of us can relate to. Many of us can relate to a moment when it felt like time stands still, but in this case I love how the author didn’t just say that time stood still. I also like how they thought that if the earth did stop everything on earth that wasn’t attached would act like it was in a car and still move from the forward force. I didn’t really see the earth stop or a person stubble, but the feeling and emotion were easy to relate to in an instant. I think that this makes this haiku possibly better than others because it didn’t just play on the senses, but it holds emotion. Cori

you cement
another brick
in my wall

my footprints
and your love
erased

sassy and single
I am my own
valentine

a wilted yellow tulip
waiting in the glove box
shows how he cares

Sarah Corso (7)

I love how this haiku captures such a small, commonplace moment. Clearly, this show of affection is really about the thought behind it. What is romantic about something in a glove box? And the tulip is wilted, so it is as though the gift has been ruined. I imagine that this is about a girl coming back to her car after a long day of work, and she finds that her sweetheart has snuck in and left her a little gift as a surprise. The reason it is so sweet has nothing to do with the object itself—it is the fact that her lover thought to leave a kind gesture for her. Melanie

This haiku is beautifully written. I loved the first line: the rhythm and imagery in it are fantastic. It provided a clearly defined image in my head of a dead flower that, despite its death, contains some semblance of life in it (its color). I imagine this haiku to be written in response to a break-up. The author is not sure whether her ex-boyfriend cares about her. However, seeing the yellow tulip in the glove box reassures her that he does. In this way, the yellow tulip is symbolic of their love: although it is dying (wilted), it still contains some semblance of life (the yellow). The yellow color of the tulip is the spark that is still in the two lovers. Pat

Times Square
passionately kissing a girl
he doesn't know