the doctor gives us hope
Grandma will survive
weekend funeral

Kyler Fear

afraid of the dark
the demons
are in me

Adam Peters

in the casket
lies
who I am

Alex Cardascio

closed casket
her reflection
in the mahogany

Francesca Rios

the doctor gives us hope
Grandma will survive
weekend funeral

in the casket
lies
who I am

in the casket
lies
who I am

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

in the casket
lies
who I am

bottom quarter champion

stone cold
his hands
clenching the rope

alone in the park
     watching the ducks
          poop

stone cold
his hands
clenching the rope

alone I wonder
is there a point
to anything

Eve Greenwell

alone in the park
     watching the ducks
          poop

Austyn Krueger

stone cold
his hands
clenching the rope

Kendall Kott

empty stare
in her eyes
rape victim

Nicole Koch

TOP half champion

in the casket
lies
who I am

CHAMPION

in the casket
lies
who I am

wounded bird
like people he only
dreams to fly

BOTTOM half champion

last year's hero
this year's
waterboy

Adam Peters

un-motivational speaker
they do laugh about me
behind my back

Nic Sanders

a gentle breeze
not enough
to cool me off

Katelyn Rumph

he loves me
seasons change
     he loves me not

Austyn Krueger

last year's hero
this year's
waterboy

he loves me
seasons change
     he loves me not

last year's hero
this year's
waterboy

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

wounded bird
like people he only
dreams to fly

bottom quarter champion

wounded bird
like people he only
dreams to fly

wounded bird
like people he only
dreams to fly

the car steams
the deer lies dead
on the road

natural ability
cannot be taught
B+

Lexy Bieber

wounded bird
like people he only
dreams to fly

Nic Sanders

the car steams
the deer lies dead
on the road

Kyler Fear

digging a hole
to place
leftovers from lunch

Brandon Januska

the doctor gives us hope
Grandma will survive
weekend funeral

Kyler Fear

afraid of the dark
the demons
are in me

Adam Peters

in the casket
lies
who I am

Alex Cardascio

closed casket
her reflection
in the mahogany

Francesca Rios

in the casket
lies
who I am

Alex Cardascio

wounded bird
like people he only
dreams to fly

Nic Sanders

This was my favorite match-up of haikus that we did in class on Tuesday. I thought that these haikus really evoked emotions and really made the reader use their mind to imagine the situation and see the situation and how hard they are, kind of like what Kuro wanted in the book we read. I ultimately voted for the first haiku, because it had a surprise ending. When you read it, you don't think that it's talking about oneself, because usually the person in the casket can't talk. I imagined it being a child who lost her parents, and she was looking into the casket seeing them for the last time and was seeing who she was through her parents. Katelyn

alone I wonder
is there a point
to anything

Eve Greenwell

alone in the park
     watching the ducks
          poop

Austyn Krueger

stone cold
his hands
clenching the rope

Kendall Kott

empty stare
in her eyes
rape victim

Nicole Koch

I like the images that come into my head when I read these two Haiku. It seems like both characters are a bit down on their luck and are just trying to get their minds off of whatever is bringing them down. It seems like their negative thoughts are seeping into everything that they do. The first character is in a bit of a worse spot than the second, but they both are full of negativity. For some strange reason, I really enjoy the negative topics because I've definitely felt this way before, like nothing was going my way. Adam

last year's hero
this year's
waterboy

Adam Peters

un-motivational speaker
they do laugh about me
behind my back

Nic Sanders

a gentle breeze
not enough
to cool me off

Katelyn Rumph

he loves me
seasons change
     he loves me not

Austyn Krueger

I chose these two haiku because they were about the changing of seasons. Right now outside the seasons are changing from colder to warmer weather. The haiku on the left I found very playful after I read it. I pictured myself outside playing and needing to cool off. I would be waiting for the perfect breeze and finally one would come that disappointed me. The haiku on the right I also found playful. I picture someone pulling off leaves and saying he loves me, he loves me not. Finally, they would throw the last leaf and they would know their fate with the person they are in love with. Overall, I liked how these haiku were about changing of the seasons and how playful both of them were. Alex

last year's hero
this year's
waterboy

Adam Peters

he loves me
seasons change
     he loves me not

Austyn Krueger

last year's hero
this year's
waterboy

Adam Peters

wounded bird
like people he only
dreams to fly

Nic Sanders

I like these two haiku because they both talk about how fast things can change, whether it is a season or an entire year. Especially coming from high school and into college, huge changes occur. People you used to see everyday, things you used to love doing, are all gone and out the window. For example, coming to college I was obsessed with volleyball. Now, I have quit volleyball and I am moving on to bigger and better things. I would have never expected things to go the way they have gone. Likewise, my relationships have drastically changed over the past year. These haiku, especially together, really hit home. Austyn

I think everyone loved this pair of haiku. They both have an injured player in them, and all we as readers can do is wonder what happened to the once-star player and once-flying bird. Eli

This match happened in the second round, and I think it was interesting because I believe the first haiku is about a struggle. I read it and I thought that the star athlete had an injury and is now restricted to the bench and forced to do a role that we've learned is basically at the bottom, but he still wants to contribute to the team. Then you have this bird who is also injured and just wants to be back where he was. Back in the sky in the top of his world, both literally and figuratively, but now he just has to sit back and watch as all the other birds get to fly and so desperately want the same thing. I think it's really interesting these got paired together because they're both open to a lot of interpretation, and the reader can fill in the background story really whichever way they wish. Francesca

This was my favorite matching pair haiku because they both deal with injury and the disadvantages of that. I like the first one because I get the sense that this person was the star of their high school team, and then they came to college and got an injury, and they have to sit out and watch other people take over his position. I also like the second one because the bird is dreaming just like humans dream of flying. If I could be any animal, I would be an eagle because I would want to soar and fly across the land without a care in the world. Nicole

natural ability
cannot be taught
B+

Lexy Bieber

wounded bird
like people he only
dreams to fly

Nic Sanders

the car steams
the deer lies dead
on the road

Kyler Fear

digging a hole
to place
leftovers from lunch

Brandon Januska

This haiku are similar because they both are about dreaming for great things but coming up short. I can relate to the first one easily. In high school I never had to try to get A's but now in college I have realized I'm not as smart as I thought. In some subjects *cough* chemistry *cough* I always feel like I understand and know what I'm doing but I just can't get past a B+. On a side note I like that you can tell this is an honors class by the fact that a B+ isn't good enough. The second one has a broader audience, because probably everyone can think of something in their life where they feel like the wounded bird dreaming of big things but unable to make their dreams happen. However I don't think Kuro would like these haiku because they still have room for hope and optimism. Eventually the hard work could pay off and that B+ could get bumped up a few points to an A, and hey you're not failing. The bird may heal and be able to fly again, his dreams may get to come true. Eve