numb finger tips
on a frozen pond
skating in circles

Whitney Minor (4)

twenty degrees
sweaty from practice
dreading the walk to the car

Chonita Ziegler (2)

I can remember times when I would get done with volleyball practice and not want to walk out of the gym and have that snow hit you in the face. It is about seven p.m. and a hard practice just got done with. I never wanted to put on my sweatshirt after practice because I was so hot but when I would walk outside I would put it on. The pants would stick to your sweaty legs and when you walk outside the sweat would almost freeze to your back and face. The same was with softball; practice was outside we would walk inside to get our things from after school. After we got everything from inside and were really hot from the temperature change, we would have to go back outside to the cold car and just shiver the whole way there. Shannon

late at night
shivering in the bed
why’s the fan on?

Brittney Gillespie (5)

I think this poem is wonderful because I remember asking myself the same thing not too long ago. Its so funny because there is sarcasm in it. You wake up and are so cold but and all you want is that fan to be off but you just don’t want to get out of bed. I have definitely done this and just laid through it shivering all night because I didn’t want to turn off the fan because it would be too cold. Then eventually giving up and saying why is it on, almost realizing it is and getting up and turning it off. I found this poem to be hilarious. Amy

This one made me laugh because I have done this before. Waking up late into the night, feeling cold down to my bones, hearing the whirling of the fan. I don’t want to get out of bed, because I know it will be even colder. Then you ask yourself, how did it get turned on in the first place? You’re sleepy and dreggy mind is unable to figure out an answer, however you temporary discomfort overrules your long term and you decide to get up to turn it off. Philip K

he lends a jacket
to block the cold
a tornado of leaves

Rachel Morrison

I love autumn. And, like I’ve said before, I like to jog in the park. Also, I’ve mentioned how I like to watch people. This actually reminds me of a moment I saw when I was jogging of a man and a woman walking together in the park. He draped his coat over her and the wind blew the multi-colored leaves at them and swirled around them. There is a sense of tenderness and light-heartedness. It’s like the jacket is being put around your own shoulders. Keith

will tomorrow be the same
took out the trash
to the corner of the street

Amy Hofstetter (3)

This brings to mind a solemn man/teen taking out the trash because he has to. The guy is in a despairing mood and is going through the motions of everyday life wondering if tomorrow will be any more promising that what today has to offer. He looks around for a moment before going back into the house to reluctantly face the day. Brittney

I like this one because it conveys an attitude and insight within a simple, ordinary activity. It has a tanka-like psychological inner-awareness. Dr B

awake at seven o’clock
noisy boys
with mom in the kitchen

a song of prayer
family joy
stories passed over children’s laughter

snowflakes
kissed her cheek
puffs of frozen breath

Alyssa Owens (9)

This haiku reminds me of a little girl walking playing in a newly fallen snow. She was so excited by this first snow that she ran outside to stand in it and watch it fall around her. Her mother watches from a few feet away and sees the pure innocence beam from her daughter. The snowflakes fall and hit her face, quickly melting into her warm skin. I see this happening at night, possibly right before the little girl’s bedtime. The sky is dark, except for the stars and snow is bright white in the moonlight. Jenna

This haiku brings to mind a little girl playing in the snow. She is bundled up head to toe, looking like a pink marshmallow puff. It takes all of her effort to move her arms and legs covered in layer upon layer of clothes. However, she is very dedicated to helping her older brother with the snowman. She looks up at the finished product as a snowflake lands on her cheek. She lets out a puff of pleased exasperation. Rachel

this small space
my windows defrost
sitting patiently

Amy Hoffstetter

I sometimes work at 6am in the morning and know that feeling of having to get up five to ten minutes earlier just so you can go out to your car and wait for it to defrost. There is that common sense of monotony involved. You sit and wait in your car. You’ve got a pain in your neck from sleeping on it wrong. Your car is cold and all you can do is wait with you and the hum of your defroster. Keith

This haiku puts my in my car after work. It has snowed all day long and the car is covered making it feel very secluded from the world. After I have brushed the snow off the car I am just waiting for the car to warm up and for the windows to defrost. I sit patiently because it’s comforting to be in the car looking out at the beautiful snowfall. I know there’s no need to hurry because once I get on the road, travel will be slow. Cindie

brain freeze
chocolate
sun beating down

Andi McCoy

I enjoy the irony in this. I see a summer carnival in late July in the heat of the day. A little child has been begging his mother for a chocolate ice cream cone and finally gets it, only he eats it too fast and causes that harsh brain freeze that you get right in the center of your brain and that stabbing feeling in the back of your neck. The child’s mother snickers at that moment. Keith

This reminds me of when I would go snowboarding with my friends every Saturday. We would wake up at 5 am get on a bus at 7 am with a group and spent the day in Wisconsin. After the first few hours of lessons my friends and I would meet in the lodge and get hot cocoa and food before we started to just snowboard together. Lorin

a wind
shakes the entire house
squirm deeper under covers

Brittney Gillespie

I had a house growing up that would rattle at the slightest wind. Our windows were also very thin, so you could literally hear the rattle. In the winter, standing next to a window dropped you body temperature about ten degrees. My bed was right by my window and I always got the sting of cold whenever a gust of wind would come from the west. I piled on the blankets. Keith

I think everyone has felt this. I could feel the cold breeze, like I have so many nights before. This was especially nice because there is nothing I love more than a warm, soft, fuzzy bed. I have gotten numerous comments on how comfortable my bed is because of the combination of fabrics. I just see a late morning on a weekend. The sun peeping through the blinds, casting shadows in the rooms. Only my head peaking out from under the covers, warm under the sheets, but feeling the cold nipping on the other side. Philip K

walking and talking
in the freezing cold
cold teeth

november night
we huddle together
to cheer the team

Keith Chandler (15)

This haiku reminds me of when I was in high school watching our football team try to beat our rival. I loved the sounds of cheers and the way my friends and I laughed and sang the school song for the team. For me, school events were a way for my friends and I to have fun and meet new people from the other schools. Also, it was a time to exchange news or gossip about what happened to the school, students, or even the teachers. In a way I can feel the cool wind on my face and the loud cheers that come off the two stands that face each other. I can also smell junk food that many of the students have brought to eat while watching the game. It was a bonding time for me with others and I will cherish those moments. Alya

When I read this I got this feeling of me back in high school and we were in a playoff game in November and it was so cold. The players on my team were freezing in we had on layers and were moving. But I noticed that the cheerleaders were out their as well supporting us even though it was freezing. They would stand tight together so that they could block the wind but they were still cheering. Grandville

I like this haiku because it captures a moment that is common to many. I imagine a family maybe boyfriend and girlfriend watching the big high school rivalry. This situation is identifiable to many and many have good memories about football and hot chocolate Also, I like that the second line paints the picture of some people close together to keep warm and cheering on a family member. Philip D

I really enjoy this Haiku, because it gives me a very positive feeling. I feel like this is a couple on a chilly fall night sitting at a football stadium. They love each other and they also love the football team they are cheering for. It is a good time because they get to spend time with each other, watching something they both love: their favorite football team. Whitney

dirty laundry
bare feet run across
the cement floor

Keith Chandler (5)

This haiku reminds me of when I was a child. We had our washer and dryer in the basement. When we would come in from playing in the snow we would go downstairs and leave all our wet, dirty laundry. Barefooted we would run back upstairs to put on nice warm, dry clothes. I can remember how cold that concrete basement floor was on our frozen toes. We couldn’t run fast enough to get off that cold floor. Cindie

harsh winds—
we bundle up
together

John Wright

This haiku reminds me of walking back from night class with my friends. The temperature has dropped significantly from where it was when we first walked to class. The wind is blowing hard against our faces and sneaking into our jackets where our scarves have missed. We have to pull our coats in closer around us and we bury our hands deeper into our pockets to keep them warm. Lately, it seems that I live this haiku every day because the weather has been so chilly. Jenna

under the comforter
with the warm dog
waiting for the power

Cindie Zelhart

This haiku provides a lot of comfort. I see a country family who doesn’t allow pets into their house unless something drastic happens, in this case a thunderstorm large enough to knock out the power. They let their pets into the garage for that. However, the children sneak the pets inside after their parents go to bed and have that guardian there with them, saving them from the darkness. Keith

warm blankets
his cold toe stealths
vengeance!

Deirdre Fields (4)

layers on top of layers
lips white and cracked
and my ball in my hands

slide under covers
air conditioning on high
personal igloo

Jenna Pelej (4)

It is a really hot day, one of those where simply walking and doing daily tasks gets you wet with perspiration. You get to your room after what seems like an eternity and get completely naked, turn up the air conditioner and are thankful for electricity. I love the moments in the summer when you can literally chill out. Keith

I chose this haiku because summer is my favorite season and this haiku took me to the summer nights lying in my bed. The air conditioning would be on and the fan on high. It would be freezing cold, but it was such a great feeling to find every extra blanket in the house to cover up with. Chonita

This haiku reminds me of every night when I go to bed. At Tri Delta we sleep in dormers, which are always air conditioned and so cold, even during the winter. I love cuddling into my own little cave under my blankets and pillows and just sticking the tip of my nose out to get fresh air. It gives me a very relaxing feeling. Whitney

This haiku is the perfect interpretation of my comfort when I sleep at night. I stay at the delta house here on campus and my most favorite part of it is sleeping in the dormers. At first it was a little scary but then I found it to be so comforting. The air conditioning is on all year round and when you first go up there its freezing! Then you crawl into your bed underneath all of the covers and instantly fall asleep. Sometimes it’s very hard to get up in the mornings. Joan

cold lost man
walking through the parking lot
can I use your phone

Joan Tirado

This entry perhaps hits home more with the male students in the class due to the general subject matter, but the experience is ambiguous regardless of sex. Almost everyone was been exposed to the cold longer than they’ve cared too and may or may not have been lost. This in turn causes empathy for the lost man. I see him as a man who’s car has broke down and perhaps his cell phone battery died. He walks to a gas station asking patrons could he use their phone and explaining his situation. But in today’s world of serial killers and rapists no women pay him heed since he has a haggard appearance. Jay

bus stop
red nose
pretend smoke

Lizabeth Hare (9)

I can remember standing out on that awful bus stop (my neighbor’s driveway) at six-thirty in the morning, waiting for the bus to come and take me to middle school. It was always below zero by the time it was winter, and there was always a nor’easter on the way. I would blow out the frozen breath and think to myself, “If only I smoked, this would be , bearable.” Later, I would force my mother to drive me to school in the mornings, it wasn’t until much later in college that I finally took up smoking. It did, for a time, make everything quite a bit more bearable. Deirdre

When reading this haiku I am taken to when I was in grade school waiting for the school bus. I can remember my friends and I would pretend we were smoking because we could see our breath. The bus would always show up right on time and we would make the long trip to school. Waiting at school all day just to ride the bus back home and have a “smoke”. Lindsey

ice storm—
tip-toeing down Main
limbs tremble overhead

Keith Chandler (7)

I love this haiku because everyone experienced it. It brings to mind our first day back after the ice strom as my roommate and I were walking to class. Every time we heard the rustle, we’d duck our heads and walk quicker to avoid the ice chunks that were aiming for us. Our joke was that we were dodging missiles in a battlefield. Brittney

naked trees and
salt covered ground.
the dog pulls me forward

This haiku brought back great memories of when my dog Sadie was still alive. She was an American Eskimo. It would be so fun to walk her on winter nights; pretending that she was in Alaska pulling a sled behind her. She was a very strong dog. Always taking control of the leash! Chonita

runny nose
wet toes, wind blows
—play ‘til dark

undressed
in the warm shower
goose bumps and chills

Lorin Glazer (4)

Honestly, who doesn’t do the thing where you get up in the morning like it is an eternal struggle and stumble into the shower, steam it up nice and hot, and then jump in? You become an instant prune covered in rock hard goose bumps. Showers are like my coffee. They are what wake up me and from what I can tell, they are what wake up the writer of this haiku. Keith

footprints in the snow
cold rushing into my lungs
a footprint lingers

Phil Koberlein (5)

first stride
   gulp of air
      lone blade of grass in the snow

cold feet snuggled
under the covers
perfume on the pillowcase

Rachel Morrison (4)

When I read this one, I felt warm inside. I imagined one of those nights which you do not have any pressing issues and you can get in bed early and just snuggle in your blankets. It may be snowing and cold outside but that doesn’t matter because your blankets create a comfort that protects you from everything else. You don’t have to worry about what tomorrow may bring you are just content laying there. Lizabeth

I bundle up like crazy,
then step outside
and dash to the next building

alone
icicles form on the only window
trapped

leaking eyes
blue wind hits
my face

Amy Hoffstetter

I like this because I can feel the wind on my face with cold chills running through my body. Reminds me of walking to the campus, Being cold is horrible. This poem describes the feeling of the cold and how the body reacts to the cold. I could feel the cold and I could feel the body reactions to this cold. Sarah

fresh pie for my friend
made of cold earth
happy birthday

Sarah VanderZee (7)

After I got passed the image of my more cynical side seeing someone take a face plant into the mud, I realized what was actually happening. I see two friends playing imaginary games and improvising their own toys after a frazzled mother sends them outside. On a sunny afternoon, they decide to throw a birthday party using dirt as a chocolate cake. Then together they pretend to blow out the candles and make their wish. Rachel

starry night
lying on the trampoline
cold nose

Rachel Morrison (7)

I enjoyed this haiku because it made me think of those summer days that turn chilly at night. You have your friends over for the day to swim in the pool and then decide to jump on the trampoline that night. You get so exhausted from going all day long that you just collapse on the trampoline and just lie there and look at the stars in the sky. You don’t realize how cold it is until your nose gets cold and it starts to run. Andi

When I lived back at home, one of my friends had a huge trampoline, and it always seemed like the most fun thing to lay on that trampoline and have a sleepover. After the novelty of laying on a bouncy thing wore off, it was extremely uncomfortable, and just a generally unpleasant experience. Still, you could look up at the stars, while your other equally uncomfortable friends snored, and they looked so beautiful and close, much closer and clearer than they are here. Deirdre

I remember staying up all night with good friends looking at the stars. I loved laying on the cool trampoline and soaking in the surroundings around me. The sounds at night can be really relaxing. Then looking at the stars and feeling so lost in a huge unknown world and possible other worlds. Sarah

numbness
teeth chattering
legs can barely move

Shannon Hackl

I can just see a little boy standing at the bus stop waiting on the bus to arrive so that he could go to school. I see him huddle over in a little ball so that he can brace himself for the wind when it comes. Grandville

running in the park
i inhale
a taste of iron

Ketih Chandler (6)

I think this haiku is really cool because I feel that it brings you into someone else’s mind; the author’s mind and their senses. It’s interesting how we all interpret and feel different senses of nature. The way I see this haiku is this person likes to run in the winter and when he or she breaths in the taste of the winter air is an iron one. I can also see how the word “iron” can be a direct symbolic representation of the cold because iron can become very cold. Joan

she stares at the coffin
eyes dry
heart frozen

Alyssa Owens (10)

This poem really moves me because it reminds me of a moment that I just recently went through. I had a good friend of mine pass away and it took me back to the moment and described it really well. In the funeral home the coffin then the frozen heart. The moment of that really was described precisely on key because the I remember the feeling I got and it felt pretty close to that. Amy

Oooo…Morbid. I see this as a individual who has passed on for any of the reasons that our secular existence can cease. We are all fundamentally bound by the inevitability of expiration spontaneously. This individual may have been young or old it is not clear. I see it as an old woman who lived a long life. For whatever reason that people desire this, her family wished that her eyes be open in the open casket…perhaps she was afraid of the dark. Her eyes no longer excrete tears and her heart is chilled…not quite frozen as she is freshly prepared. Jay

bitter wind
blasting my face
snow swirling all around

Shannon Hackl

I can remember my child hood when my grandfather would take me for a ride on his snowmobile. Even though I was bundled up tight the snow would always seem to freeze me to the bone. The tracks we made in the snow are the memories we made forever. Lindsey

hot chocolate
spilled on new gloves
laughing together

Whitney Minor

This haiku just made me smile and think of two girls just after Christmas who each received a pair of new gloves. They’re at an outdoor ice skating pond with large cups of hot chocolate with no lids. They’re having shenanigans on the ice and spill their hot chocolate here and there and on their gloves and laughing the entire time. I get a feeling of youth and the feeling of not having to worry about growing up. The girls think it will always be like that day. Keith

I imagined a group of children who had been sledding all day. They are so excited that school was cancelled that they wake up early, bundle up, run outside and play in the snow ‘til mom calls them in. They only stop to use the bathroom and drink the hot chocolate mom has prepared and then they dash back outside. Lizabeth

heated seats
frosted windows
wipers frantically scraping

Cindie Zelhart (2)

This reminds me after the snow has fallen. I put the car starter on and wait for the car to defrost. I realize sometime that I have to go out in the cold and scrap the snow off my self because the heat of the car is not helping. Lorin

a piece of cheese disappears
as the cat runs
around the corner

Brittney Gillespie

This Haiku reminds me of a dark winter day, when inside the cat is acting suspiciously all day. The winter may be taking its toll on the animals. I imagining mouse that’s seeking shelter during the winter has made itself at home in an old mansion. The mansion is cold and mostly quiet. Philip D

take care of a kitten?
we can’t even
take care of each other

snow day
steam from hot mugs
family

Lorin Glazer

This haiku makes me think of Christmas and having all of your family over. You are drinking hot coco because it is freezing outside. There is snow on the ground and more snow starts to fall. You all go outside to watch the kids have a snow ball fight and that’s when you see the steam coming off of the hot coco. Andi

This haiku reminds me of times in winter break where my family and I would watch television while drinking our hot tea. It was a time of talk and getting to know what happened with each member of the family as well as a time to figure out about life in general. I remember those moments feeling the heat from the mugs, the great taste of the tea as well as the sound of the comedy show that we are watching. I love that laughter of my family because it is our time to bond and to know each other. Also, the snow in the dark evening is very beautiful because everything outside would look undisturbed from human contact until the morning when people shovel the snow. Alya