trying to refrain
from wiping my forehead
Ash Wednesday

Eli Cook (3)

funeral procession
they lead us
on top of graves

Eve Greenwell (7)

I commented on this Haiku in class because it stood out to me the most. They last time I was at a burial ceremony in a cemetery, I noticed that we were just stepping on people's graves. This made me think about the ceremonies as a whole. We put so much value in them, and rightfully so, but to know that other people just walk all over them during the next ceremony is a bit disconcerting. It almost makes me think that we as a society need to completely respect all of the graves, or we need to not have the ceremonies at the burial site. Adam

shit . . .
I gave up swearing
for Lent

Eli Cook (10)

I like this haiku because I can easily connect to it. I see a person that just realized that they swore during Lent and then they say “shit” out of frustration. Now they have said two swear words and are even more frustrated because they were trying extremely hard to give up swearing for Lent. Brandon

in the dentist chair
I wait for
my free toothbrush

Alex Cardascio (5)

tv on mute
I recite every line
of Avengers

end of the day
I do a double take
in the mirror

scent of perfume
lingers on his suit
it's not mine

Francesca Rios (4)

went to see a movie
fifty shades
            of awkward

Austyn Krueger (10)

alone at night
the refrigerator hum
my enemy

strung too tight
have to readjust my—
guitar

Katelyn Rumph (2)

in the driveway
I notice
he puts his ring back on

Francesca Rios (5)

as I take a drag
the cigarette
fights me

two men
in love with a third
Jack Daniel's

Nic Sanders (10)

This was my favorite haiku from the kukai 3 list because of how unpredictable the haiku was. The first line of two men starts the poem with a mystery sort of tone. It made me feel wonder what would come next because the reader could go anywhere with this beginning line. Then the second line takes me deeper into the mystery because I have no clue what the third is. It could be another man or object that the two men like. Then the third line made me laugh because it was Jack Daniel’s that they were in love with. Overall, this was a unpredictable haiku that when I read through it all made sense and made me as a reader want to read more haiku like this one. Alex

I really like this haiku because at first I think something completely different. I think it's going to be about two men fighting over this guy they love, but then the guy they love is actually Jack Daniel's. You just get this sense that they have this deep love for alcohol. It makes you wonder what has happened in their life to make them resort to whiskey. Francesca

hours in the library
for an audition
over in a minute

Brandon Januska (4)

Beethoven on the radio
the quiet kid
gives a private lecture

Christmas dinner
late arrival
but it isn't him

endless steaming
I spend hours in bed
watching Netflix

hot and sweaty
out of breath
Shilling stairs

Austyn Krueger (10)

I liked this haiku because I could imagine the millions of people who have walked those stairs in Shilling and have had almost gone into cardiac arrest from the four flights of stairs. When I read this haiku, I imagined sitting in the lobby of Shilling and hearing people pant going up the stairs and complaining about their trek to the 4th floor to turn in an assignment or to go to class. I thought that this was very comical, and it was also well written. I enjoyed reading this haiku. Katelyn

folding clothes
she tries to be cute
I only see wrinkles

Nic Sanders (2)

lying in bed
watching movies
with my Valentine

back and forth
we discuss bedtime
over pingpong

the man bleeds
from his wound
Cupid's arrow

part time lover
full time husband
the other man

Eve Greenwell (5)

I think that this is about a woman, who is unhappy in her marriage, but who still loves her husband. She finds the romance with the other man her part time lover, but she still has a husband she goes home to. I like this because even though it’s about cheating I get more of a torn between two people she cares about, and almost as if she’s torn between two versions of herself. Francesca

This haiku interested me because of the many interpretations a reader could have. In my mind, a woman is describing the man she is having an affair with. She recognizes the fact that part of the time, he is her lover, while most of the time, he is off being a husband to another woman. She then questions her situation in the same way, because in her life she is just a part-time lover with this "other guy", while she has her own husband. She starts to wonder what he is up to. I like this haiku because both fantasy and reality kind of set in at the same time, which makes the reader question what is really going on in this situation. The language is complex which confused me as a reader, because I wasn't sure if the subject shifted or not. The more times I read it, the more I liked this complex language, because it allows the imagination to run away with it. Kendall

famous
my only fan
hangs from the ceiling

Austyn Krueger (7)

My girlfriend is a very talented runner, and we went to rival high schools in the same area. She was all­state 3 of 4 years in high school, and both of her parents were All­Americans in cross country in college. She’s a little well known in the Springfield area. We’ll be running together on a bike trail, and everyone we pass says hi to her, and I tell her she has a fan club. Meanwhile, my fan hangs from my ceiling. Eli

I liked this haiku because it throws you for a loop. The first line says "famous", implying much fame, fortune, and attention. However, by the second line you are already questioning this, because it implies that there is only one fan. This makes me wonder who this person could be, or why they are considered famous. Then, we come to realize by the third line that the entire things is a joke, because they were only referencing a ceiling fan. This language is simple and playful, and the haiku itself kind of makes a joke out of the person and their reputation, as if they are laughing at them self. Sometimes, it is good to laugh at yourself because it is the only thing you can do. The mood is light and pleasant as well, in a joking manner. Kendall

I want to go home . . .
mom says
but you are home

sunny day
I go outside
to go to work

crack of the gun
elbows fly
only 14 more laps

feeling defeated
I look up to the picture
He already won the war

Nicole Koch (3)

I love this haiku. When I read it I thought of the sign on my wall that reads "Tetelestai" which means "it is finished" from John 19:30. This was the last thing Jesus spoke before He died, but His death was not losing the battle. By saying Tetelestai he was proclaiming that the war and death is finished and three days later he was raised from the dead for our salvation. When we struggle and suffer we can have peace in knowing that death is finished, sadness is finished, sin is finished, the grip of Hell on us is finished! We don't have to feel defeated because God is on our side. God has our back, He has a plan, a purpose, He cares about us and loves us. In this haiku I love the phrase "I look up." By adding "up" it emphasizes that this is talking about God. It doesn't just say I look at the picture, but you look up. It has a much more positive outlook. This haiku is great. Props to Coli. Eve

back in the Millibubble
I rub the M
for good luck

President wears
his blue hat
ah, there you are Millikin

my memories
of being a kid
on the wall

Alex Cardascio (5)

This haiku reminds me of my old room and how I had tried to make an entire wall covered in pictures. I would try to do my homework and not be able to focus because all I would do is reminisce over the photos and the hundreds of memories I had made. I found myself reliving these memories daily thanks to the instant moment that was caught hanging on the wall. It was crazy to think that something that used to mean so much to me turned into a piece of paper with glossy ink. Austyn

This haiku can create many different readings.  When I first read it I thought it was quite nostalgic as if someone was going through the pictures at their house and seeing all the pictures of them as a cute kid.  However, it feels like it isn’t the happiest of nostalgia, but more like a longing to go back to that time of their life.  But It also could be read as someone seeing their growth marks on the wall, and with that reading it isn’t quite as sad of nostalgia.  Either way, this haiku just brings me back to being at my house looking at the pictures on my wall and remembering that time in my life. Nic

long lost friend
we embrace
for a lost friend

Adam Peters (11)

This haiku is kind of sad, but it has a nice sense of comfort mixed in. I love the word "embrace" because it is just such a warm comforting word. This haiku can take a second to understand. It is almost like when you read it at first you think how nice it is that long lost friends are together again but then you realize that it is sad because they are likely at a funeral grieving another friend. I think that is how it would feel in the moment to. You would go to the funeral and for a brief second it would be easy to forget the sadness when you see a long lost friend, but then you remember the whole reason you are reunited and the sadness hits again. I think it is possible that the final line could be taken to meant that the friend died a long while ago, but when the other two friends reunite they remember their other friend who is not there and the grief takes over again. However, I think it means that all three of the friends lost touch and it is incredibly sad that the only way they were reunited was for a funeral of one of the friends. It is a nice reminder to keep in touch with those we care about since one day they could suddenly be gone. Eve

This was my favorite haiku out of this Kukai.  At first I didn’t get it, but then I read it again and I realized what it was saying.  I imagine an adult going back to his hometown for a funeral for one of his best friends in high school, and he runs into some of his other good friends from his teenage years.  I just the dual meaning to the same phrase of “lost friend.”

another month
another pregnancy test
in the garbage can

Eve Greenwell (7)

At first this seemed like a commentary on how things that seem large can become habit. Some birth controls require a pregnancy test and I picture someone taking another test simply out of necessity before they can take their medication. This would be a commentary on how pregnancy tests are usually huge and scary things, but now the test is just a habit. In class I really enjoyed another reading of this; someone desperately wants to get pregnant and keeps taking pregnancy tests and is continuously disappointed. This is sad and points out another aspect of the habits we can form. We can become so accustomed to tragedy that it becomes mundane. Lexy

lamp shakes
who says
ghosts don't exist

Kendall Kott (4)

in the crowd
faces I never saw
until graduation today

Francesca Rios (4)

After reading this haiku, I immediately thought back to my graduation day and tried to remember how many of the people I knew as their names where read crossing the stage. I came from a smaller school with graduating class of 122. It was a small class and through different activities I had become acquaintances with most of my classmates. There were a few students that I did not know that were even in my class or I just did not know them at all. Overall, I enjoyed this essay because it brought me back to the good ole days of high school graduation. Alex

This haiku reminds me of the day I graduated high school. I had just moved to Vandalia 2 years prior to graduation so I was not completely familiar with the 100 people I was graduating with. I had to give the Class President speech and the Salutatorian speech and as I was standing in the podium I could not help but look into the crowd and see all of the people listening to me in the full auditorium- people I had never seen before. It was eerie to think I had walked the halls with these people but hadn’t thought twice about actually getting to know them. Austyn

the small curl off the L
I recognize her handwriting
to another man

lazy Sunday
chemistry
sucks

Kyler Fear (4)

I must say I love this one. I’m not in chemistry anymore, but it’s really (insert your subject of loathe here) business software. It is so mind­numbingly boring and barely applicable I don’t know how my fellow classmates and I slog through an hour and fifteen minutes of Ed’s monologues every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00­12:15. And I just do happen to have been working on it Sunday and I wanted to throw my barely working computer out the window of the 4th floor of Jack Dolson Hall. Eli

hushed whispers
the old couple
says goodnight

one dozen roses—
a surprise for
mother

a bunch of men
arguing in a basement
college fraternity

restricted to the stands
I now watch
my son

child's embrace
I need him
more than he needs me

Saturday morning
I become the DJ
of my hallway

Summer's song
the motor putts lazily
across the water

Kyler Fear (3)

daughters
I can't love anyone
more than them

my pink card to you
is hung on your fraternity wall
no jokes are made

country guitar
sacrificing the radio
to the girl I love

Nic Sanders (7)

the fireworks
up in the sky
I grab her hand

Alex Cardascio (3)

This haiku allowed me to have a more sense based experience while reading this haiku. When I read this, I immediately imagined the Fourth of July and the events that take place at night with the carnivals and the fireworks when it gets dark. I could hear the fireworks going off and I could hear children screaming and people talking about the shows. I could smell funnel cakes and lemonade, which are two of my favorite foods on that day and in the summer. I could see two young lovers looking at the fireworks, and I imagined the guy going for her hand and that being the first moment of him telling her he liked her. This was a very cute and creative haiku. Katelyn

all the deltas
in the living room
Bachelor

Austyn Krueger (4)

my dog likes to run
away

Austyn Krueger (7)

I like the simplicity of this haiku. It gives the image of a dog running around the yard or in a dog park. Then the last line completely changes the story. Now the dog is constantly running away from its owners. I can see the dog running and the owner chasing it and yelling “not again, come back here.” Brandon

long list of to-do's
she's asleep for my call
Happy Birthday

Lexy Bieber (4)

When I read this one, I think about having a long day and thing after thing to do. So much so, that when you try to call your Mom and wish her a happy birthday, she was already asleep by the time you called. Therefore, you just get so down because you feel like you let her down. This has happened to me before with my grandmother’s birthday, and it was just heartbreaking. She always calls me first thing in the morning, but I just put it off so much that it was missed. This haiku just shows how sometimes simple interactions, like a quick call, go missed because we are so caught up with everything else that seems unimportant when the day is over. Nic

brisk night
sometimes I wonder
what the heck am I doing with my life?

Nicole Koch (4)

empty church
the memory of Bach
trough broken stained glass

Nic Sanders (3)

waiting
for water to boil
kitchen choreography

Eve Greenwell (9)

This Haiku appealed to my senses very well. I can smell my dinner cooking and I can feel the hunger of my eager stomach. I can also see myself getting bored and starting to dance to some music that I'm playing in my kitchen. I picture being by myself, so I'm really getting down. This also reminds me of making the best out of a situation. Sometimes I feel like my life is just sort of dragging on, and I need to maybe start "dancing" in my life by doing something fun and enjoyable. Adam

I also really like this haiku.  It reminds me of someone making macaroni and cheese or some pasta dish late at night and they are waiting for the water to boil, so what else is there to do but dance!  When I read it, I also saw a couple cooking dinner together and slow dancing together as the water is boiling.  I just really like the last line and how you could interpret it. Nicole