Kukai 5 - Haiku on Realationships
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Spring 2008
wispy clouds Jessica Villarreal (5) I’m in love with the memories involved with this haiku. I can picture myself when I was younger sneaking around the garden at my grandma’s house on a warm summer day. The sky is very clear, except for a few wispy clouds. She always grew all kinds of fruit, including blackberries. We would go out and pick berries for a snack later that day, but I would always end up eating most of them before we were done. I tried to be sneaky about it, but the blackberries juice is so dark that it stained my lips, and of course, my grandma knew I was eating them. She didn’t mind though, we just laughed about it and picked some more. Since then, my grandma has moved into a different house, but I will always have the memories of her old house and picking berries. Erin This haiku speaks about the link between nature and man. In this case, the hands being held are between two lovers. As the lilac wilts, so does the connection between these two lovers. Both are beautiful things to look at, and no one likes to see when their beauty turns sour. They turn sour with grace, however. This is because of the word “slip”. Both the petal and the hand spent their last moments in beauty gracefully falling from their position to their final place of rest. |
last penny splashes |
keys clacking |
wilted lilacs . . . Aubrie Cox (9) I thought that this haiku was very well-written because, like any good piece of art or literature, it can be interpreted in several ways. This haiku could be about a love that has faded between two people, with the wilted lilacs representing the end of a relationship. It could be about a child growing up, and moving out on their own, not needing a mother’s hand to hold anymore. The lilacs in this case could represent a bouquet of flowers picked by the child as a gift to the mother, wilting with the passage of time. On an even sadder note, it could be about a person holding hands with a loved one on their death-bed, and as the person dies, their hand grows limp and slips from the other person’s grasp. The wilted lilacs paint a poignant image of sadness, loneliness, death, or all of the above. I thought that the choice to use the wilted lilacs really set the tone of the haiku. It made me feel like a thing of beauty, represented by the lilacs, had come to an end. The possibilities for interpretation are endless. This haiku does a fantastic job at painting an image in the reader’s mind. Alyssa |
out the door |
your extended hand |
July afternoon |
the train starts to go |
iPod Andy Jones (7) This haiku reminded me of sitting in religion class with a friend of mine and dozing off to the teacher talking. And when both of us were that tired in that class we would listen to my ipod. I would sit there with one headphone in my ear and he sat in front of me with the other headphone. I just remember we would both be sitting there laughing because we are leaning on our desks with our hands cupping out ears to block the headphones. And eventually one class though the teacher stops and goes call me crazy but I can swear that every other class I think I hear music coming from the street or so. I think after he said that, it was the last time we listened to music in his class. Pat |
a stagnant fountain— |
wind in her hair Lindsay Scully (5) |
midnight… Kersten Haile (7) I like this haiku because it makes me think of one of my favorite activities: walking. Not walking as in walking from one class to another, but walking with nowhere to go, at my pace. Most of the time this walking is with my dog when I take her out and walk her down to the street corner and back. A task I do at the beginning and end of the day. I like walking her more at night because there’s no one out, and it’s peaceful. It allows me to take a break from homework and breath in some fresh air. It’s kind of like my personal break time to relax. It also frees my mind to think about anything else that I need to get done or how I need to manage my time. Brett I imagine John Wayne "moseyin'" on down the railroad tracks. The scene is film noire style, with the old type of film that was always used for cowboy photos. This is, of course, a post apocalyptic world. Zombies are hiding everywhere, and it's up to John to take them all out. All he's got are his good ol' six shooter, Linus and Lucy. Of course, John is a zombie as well, but he's still got control of himself. Donning the badge of a sheriff with pride, he whips Lucy out of her holster and with the first shot he takes down the leader of the zombies. If only Ash from Evil Dead were there to join him on his quest to reach the gold of Monte Cristo...yeah, I know that it was located on an island near England, but he's The Duke! What can't he do? If he wants to find the Count's treasure on a railroad, so help him he will. Yeah, it's an odd thought process, but those can sometimes be the best. Gordon
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wet socks Kersten Haile (4) My Response: this one just gives me the shivers. And I can feel the frustration the a person gets when his/her socks unexpectedly get wet. I just love the visual, and physical feeling of this one. It kind of gave me goose bumps. Michelle |
driving you home |
white dress… Kersten Haile (2) |
ice |
dandelions Brett Coffman (8) I really liked this haiku cause it reminds me of the childish joy of picking a bouquet of dandelions for mom. She would always be so happy and she would immediately get a glass of water to put the dandelions in. I remember the day somebody told me that dandelions weren’t flowers, but actually weeds. I was crushed. Nicole | warm laundry Daniel Fishel (6) I like this haiku because it creates a vivid experience for my senses. The first phrase “warm laundry” stimulates my memory of the times that I have done laundry and then pulled it out of the dryer hugging it to my self as its warmth spread through my body. I always wish that this warmth never went away, I always love putting on a fresh shirt out of the dryer because the heat it holds is so warm and comforting. Also, that first line stimulates my sense of smell. Laundry has a distinct smell when it comes out of the laundry, and I like that this sense is evoked without even a mention of scent. The haiku also brings out a sense of excitement in me, because there is something exciting about warm clean laundry piled on a bed—it’s almost like the pile holds possibilities. But then the author uses the element of surprise and the laundry remains in the pile all week. I can relate to this too—we always have such good intentions when we do our laundry but undoubtedly things come up and we get distracted, and that once clean warm pile of laundry collects dust and dirt as it remains on the bed for days. This haiku is a fun and interesting experience for the reader, and it’s also very reflective of the life of a college student. All of its characteristics combined together make it my favorite haiku on the kukai! Kersten : ) |
approaching your porch |
sleep… |
two icicles from the same source |
always having |
barefoot Erin Knott I like this haiku because it reminds me of the night I started dating my high school boyfriend. It was July 5, 2005, and I called him to stop by and say hello before I slept over at my girlfriend’s house. I was wearing a yellow t-shirt and gray sweatpants, and the night air was slightly chilly. He came outside for what we thought was a quick hello, and we sat down in the grass to talk. What was supposed to be ten minutes turned into three hours. The sky was pitch black with sparkling silver stars. At one point during the evening, I was telling him something and he kissed me midsentence. It was the perfect end to a perfect evening spent with my best friend-turned-boyfriend. I ended up staying there a little longer until my girlfriends called me and were worried about where I was. This haiku really captures the essence of two people who care about each other carelessly passing the time. Lindsay |
sinking in sofas, Gordon Gilmore (9) |
an echo comes back, Gordon Gilmore One thing that I particularly liked about this haiku was the personification of the echo. I suppose they are generally personified, but the following two lines bring something unique to the concept. When I first read it, I thought of the basic idea of an echo bouncing off a distant wall and coming back with that hollow sound, but when I read it again under the category of "relationship haiku," I pictured something different. I envisioned someone saying "I love you" to another, and that person repeating his or her words; the words are the same, but the voice (and maybe even the tone) are different. Even with an actual echo, the voice would sound slightly different. Aubrie |
staring Erin Knott (5) |
the first date Amanda Aukerman (3) |
parents fighting Jason Chmiel (3) |
blooming daisies Jason Chmiel I was drawn to this haiku right away because it reminds me of a fantasy novel where the main female characters are beautiful blondes with wreaths of flowers in their hair. The girl I picture is around our age, between 17 and 20. Her hair is deep red gold and is in a loose braid that falls onto her shoulder and then cascades behind her. She’s sitting on a boulder by a stream with another girl. It’s summer time and in the bright sunlight they’re making daisy chains while dipping their feet in the water. She finishes one of her chains and puts it on her head and imagines herself a princess. Her friend laughs at her and they giggles while tossing daisy heads at each other beside the glittering stream. Andy |
blazing sun |
spring rain Jason Chmiel (6) |
fresh snow Jessica Villarreal (4) |
fireflies flirt— |
the girls locker-room Matt Chmiel (4) |
final goodbye Kersten Haile What I see in this one is actually an event that happened to me on Valentines Day. I woke up and got ready for class and just as I was getting ready to go to class I looked into my fish bowl and saw that one of my fish had died. Now Valentines Day is not one of my favorite days to begin with but that just made it worse. Also I have always been told that love seems to spring out of Valentines Day but it never does for me. So in this haiku I see someone who is waiting for the promise that this day brings but at the end of the day it doesn’t happen so it is that sad kind of betrayal by Valentines Day. Also I see the person upset and so it’s like they are never getting their hopes up again and just says goodbye to the day forever and now February in their mind skips from 13 to 15. Nick |
winter storm coming |
big fort Kersten Haile (5) |
laying on the hood Jessica Villarreal (8) I really like this poem because it is a classic country love date. I see a girl and boy sitting out in the middle of a pasture or field holding each other on the top of his Chevy Silverado. They are just talking and having a good time being alone. The sky over them is clear as crystal and the stars are glowing brightly. He points out the big dipper and makes a romantic comment telling her to use that to find him. The night is the last night they are together before they separate to go to college. It reminds me a lot of Carrie Underwood's "The Night Before Life Goes On". Elise |
he tosses Amanda Aukerman (3) |
grand oak tree |
in the pumpkin patch |
for you |
summer breeze… |
his cold feet |
i ask him a question Alyssa Thompson (9) I really like this haiku partly because of how easy it is to relate to it. I think that almost everyone has had a least one encounter with the bronze man, whether it be walking over to the bronze man to see if he’s a real man or posing with him to take a picture. The bronze man is basically a famous part of the Millikin Campus. I also like this haiku because of the fact that if you did not know who the bronze man was you would probably be able to relate to this situation. It’s almost as though the person asks someone a question that they are so uncomfortable with answering that they freeze and in this case become bronze or they pretend like they didn’t hear you and keep on reading. In general, I really enjoyed reading this haiku! Amanda |
under an umbrella— |
broken hearted |
leaves fall |
summer stars— |
grass-stained knees Alyssa Thompson (6) |
paused— |
school night Amanda Aukerman (8) |
falling |
the four of us— |
© 2008, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.