Haiku Kukai 1
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Spring 2016
snow fort |
driving down the road |
her salt stained Uggs |
I wade into the ocean Noah Klumpe (5) This haiku was one of my favorites because I could imagine myself on a beach somewhere, wading out of the summer heat and into the cool water. When I read the second line, my stomach actually tightened up, imagining the cold water climbing my belly. The third line wrapped my thoughts up perfectly; I can imagine squealing from the shock of the water. I also liked the authors play on the word 'climb.' The way they tied the water to the voice was very neat, and made the haiku so much better! Whitney |
christmas lights |
footprints in the snow |
make a cold cave Taryn Pepping (3) This haiku reminds me of being a child and small enough to fit into the snowbanks my dad would make when snow plowing the road. I would love trying to make my snow fort as fancy as possible and I would always do too much and ruin it. The statement "roof collapses" makes me laugh, because its said so nonchalantly. And that's what it was, I would just start again in a different area and fail again. Noah |
warm drink |
heart too cold Whitney Gray (6) I take this haiku in a more cynical manner. Someone who is not interested in the romance of the winter season and having someone to warm you up. This also makes me think somewhat of a saying I used to hear growing up saying "Cold hands, warm heart". It isn't necessarily the same meaning but it took me to that memory. Grace Quite a lovely contrast of imagery here that helps the reader to FEEL the cold hands and the cold heart while bringing in a mysterious second character too. I appreciate that it could be any sort of relationship, and the focus of the haiku is on the person not the relationship, in my opinion. It allows the possibility that this person is too stuck in their ways (relatable) to let people in, to let love make them free. As an older sister, it brings the Disney movie Frozen to mind; in particular, the sisters' relationship and Elsa's unintentional but literal freezing of Anna's heart but pushing her away. The adage of "dying from a broken heart" has been proven to be scientifically sound: if a person truly lacks the ability to love or has lost a major love in their lives, their bodies will create an illness until the heart shifts back into a more healthy loving pattern of being. As humans, we need love and human connection to thrive and sometimes to survive. I especially love the contrast here, again, with the emotional sensation of the heart, and the physical warmth of the hands. This is improved and capitalized upon by the three beat beginning line ("Heart too cold") mirroring the three beat bottom line ("Warm my hands"); the four beat middle line ("to have someone") brings a nice arc to it as well. Genevieve I related to this haiku a little differently than how it was written. In high school, I worked at Dairy Queen. We remained open year round and there are many times that I said to my coworkers "it's too cold for ice cream right now." I mostly said this because we were unseasonably busy or I just did not want to have to get up and make ice cream. However, I have also been the person ordering ice cream when it is below freezing. I can only imagine how many times an ice cream server has said the same about me. Whenever ice cream is mentioned, it takes me back to high school and all of the time that I spent at work. Erica |
deer season |
listen to him dress |
stalactites of ice |
tie blankets |
it's too cold Corrin Littlefield (5) I related to this haiku a little differently than how it was written. In high school, I worked at Dairy Queen. We remained open year round and there are many times that I said to my coworkers "it's too cold for ice cream right now." I mostly said this because we were unseasonably busy or I just did not want to have to get up and make ice cream. However, I have also been the person ordering ice cream when it is below freezing. I can only imagine how many times an ice cream server has said the same about me. Whenever ice cream is mentioned, it takes me back to high school and all of the time that I spent at work. Erica |
soaked socks Alexis Dockins (2) |
wet socks Cori Grzenia (5) This is my favorite Haiku from Kukai one because it describes how I feel about winter perfectly. I like summer much more than winter, and when I step outside in the gross, day old slush and snow to walk to class, my feet get wet and dirty. However, I cannot go back and change socks because I would then be late for class, so I will have to sit for an hour in cold, soggy socks. The word wrath brings an exciting element to the haiku and it is the perfect word to describe the situation. Jacob |
keep your hands on the reigns or the horse might bow |
sunrise |
my drunk friend skips Erica Forbes (10) This Haiku reminds me a lot of last year (as well as this year). Every weekend, my roommate would leave to go party for a few hours, and I would stay indoors with my friends and watch movies and eat popcorn. Regardless of whenever she got back, there were others that would totter inside after their escapades not feeling the cold. It was always pretty fun to watch people goof around outside when they were drunk, although usually they were pretty good about not being too careless. This happens some this year as well, although there hasn't been any snow so it's not as funny looking. Taryn |
a midnight kiss Whitney Gray (5) |
mother's chair |
little fingers clinging to Erica Forbes (5) |
only child Erica Forbes (3) |
mom softly snores Cori Grzenia (7) Most of our class interpreted this haiku as being about the mother's own projects, but when I read it, it took me back to when I was in elementary school. I would get bored easily when I had to work on one thing for a long time, like coloring or cutting things out, so I would do about half of some art project and go "Mommmmm can you hellllllllllp?" and she would finish the mess I had started. As I got older, I could focus more but I got so overloaded with work that if there was any mind-numbing work she could do, like cutting out molecules or something, she would do that while I moved on. Since overworked moms tend to have a bedtime of about 9:00, she often ended up falling asleep at the kitchen table while I worked. Despite the exhaustion involved, I made a lot of great memories with my mother while my worksheets and projects covered the table. Natalie This haiku brings me back to high school. I took a very rigorous course load on top of my extracurricular activities. There were many nights where I would stay up late and my mom would stay in the living room with me. She would sleep on the couch while I worked in the kitchen. However, my mom snores incredibly loudly, but every time I think of snoring I think of her. I remember one night specifically where I was staying up late putting together my insect collection (which was traumatizing) and she stayed downstairs with me all night. She tried staying awake with me but ended up falling asleep, which is what happened most nights. This haiku just brings back fond memories of my mom being there for me. Erica |
the sun falls Alexis Dockins (6) |
the moonlight shines bright |
the cardinal perches |
birdbath |
saddle bags |
another rep |
at the rusty pump |
icicles dangle Jacob Hamilton (3) |
snow and icy winds |
a hug goodbye Lauren Montesano (7) It was time for him to go. He already stayed an extra day and no other time could be spared. They walked out of the restaurant and she had tears in her eyes. She didn't want him to go; she didn't want to have to wait another six months to see him. She knew this time would be hard, so letting go was extremely difficult. She looked towards him and he grabbed her face. He gave her the most passionate kiss they ever shared. "Come on," he said as he grabbed her hand, "let's walk for a little." They walked and talked under the moonlight; time seemed to stop. But everything started again and this time, he had to go. They started saying their long, heartfelt goodbyes. Just as they were about to kiss, it began to rain. They both smiled and giggled--their first kissed happened in the rain, just like now. In that moment, they both knew that everything would be ok. Corrin |
box o chocolates |
magazine open Katherine Viviano (8) |
a doctor smiles Lauren Montesano (7) |
waking up Marah Kittelson (3) I really enjoyed this haiku by Marah. Even with simple words, it brought to light the many ways in which we have the opportunities to start over. Each morning, we have a chance to live our best day yet. On some of those mornings, even the terrain is ready for new paths to be taken. In the snow and in your everyday life, you have the opportunity to have a lasting impact, whether it is as simple as meeting someone new, finding a new favorite route across campus, or even leaving your footprints in the snow. In the haiku, Marah's imagery of the untouched snow that can come many times a year shows just how many chances you get to start over and make a change in life. Cori |
smelling of rain Lauren Montesano (2) |
relentless force Michael Barber (4) I particularly like this haiku because there is just so much going on when you read it. Instantly I felt like my heart was beating faster because it describes rapids which are very intense and strong moving. I pictured myself in the rapid but I was struggling to get a shore because the waves were so strong and big. They kept on pulling me further and further down so it was hard to stay at the surface. This haiku also reminded me of the waves and how the ocean is such a massive body of water. Mother nature really is beautiful. Emilio This haiku causes an intense amount of emotion for me. When I was 12 my family went to Yellowstone. The scenery was beautiful and it is still my favorite place I have ever been. On one of the last days of the trip my dad, older brother and I went white water rafting. It was a decently dangerous route we were taking but we were all up to the challenge, and other were with us. While going through some of the more wild rapids our raft capsized. I was pulled under water and when I tried to swim to the surface I was stuck underneath the raft. I tried to breath in, but only water was available. Finally, I made my way out and was surprised to see my brother and dad were extremely far away. Luckily I was and still am a very strong swimmer. We all swam to the side of the canyon and then had to scale the almost 90 degree rock formation to get to safety. It was one of the only times I have been close to death so the feeling this haiku brings is of terror and adrenaline. Tyler |
October frost— |
a crush on a boy |
coffee shop on a cold December night |
turning upsidown |
he fumbles with buttons Noah Klumpe (5) |
Sunday night Natalie Smith (11) This haiku was another one of my favorites because it was so relatable and humorous. Almost every weekend, I have a bad habit of procrastinating my work and, before I know it, Sunday evening is here and I have so much to do! I like the way Natalie approached it, and the last line was the perfect way to end the haiku. The one word, ‘crap,' really made me feel the same way I do when I realize the work I have ahead of me. Whitney I really enjoyed this haiku. It is light, funny, and incredible accurate. I cannot begin to count how many times I have found myself in this exact situation. I imagine myself relaxing on a Sunday night, sipping on a warm drink, chatting with friends and de-briefing from the weekend, and then suddenly I remember- HOMEWORK! It is all too true and I love the realistic, relatable, commonality of the poem. Corrin |
iced over beard Tyler Trzcinski Skimming through the kukai sheet another time, I discovered this haiku. I really liked this haiku because it brought me back to when I was a little kid living at home. My brother and I were too small to shovel the driveway ourselves and my parents had hired a man fitting closely to this description. This must be a stereotypical snow plow driver or something, but I really liked this poem because it brought me back to my childhood. The man driving the truck is really well described and easily implants an image in my mind as I read the haiku. Michael |
snow on my pants Noah Klumpe (6) |
staring into a coffee cup Natalie Smith (11) I really enjoyed this haiku because to me it paints a very clear picture. This reminds me of when me and my old boyfriend hangout when I go home from school. We will hangout sometimes and when we do things just aren't the same and although I'm glad we aren't together it makes me sad to know things have changed. It just seems like a typical scene to me. Alexis This was my favorite Haiku of this first Kukai. I have never experienced an event like the one I pictured when reading this, but I can imagine what it would look and be like from many depictions of it in movies or T.V. shows. With this Haiku, I picture two ex-lovers getting together for the first time in a long time. They dated for many years and or some reason they broke up. Now after seeing each other in a store, graduating from college, finishing a job, etc., they decided to meet up at their favorite coffee shop to talk about how they've been. When they discussed meeting up, it was only going to be to talk, but both of them hoped that they could rekindle what died out long ago. This Haiku depicts both of their reactions once they start talking. They both are completely different than they were and it is bittersweet to realize they have to both move on for good. Lauren I really liked this haiku because you can feel the disappointment and sadness. Recently, I have met up with an ex for lunch, and this haiku related to our situation so well. You remember the memories and how comfortable you were with them at one time, and now it is all gone. All that remains is the memories. The connection that you once had with them and tried to recreate is ultimately forced. You think by getting together to catch up will renew your friendship, but it doesn't. I can imagine sitting across from him in our small diner in town, coffee mug in hand, trying desperately to find something to talk about to chase away the awkwardness and sadness that fills the both of us. Whitney I could relate to this haiku more than I would like to admit. My previous boyfriend broke up with me a few months back after being together for four years. Over winter break we had lunch together (where I had coffee) and talked about the possibility of getting back together. However, I could not share the same feelings as him. This was the second time that it happened and I just could not return his feelings this time. Things were just so different between us and even though we tried to make it work, it just didn't. This haiku brought back all of those memories with 11 simple words. Erica |
new style and smell |
solitaire rotating |
she stands in line |
hospice nurse has |
wind turns to words as our words are lost in wind Tyler Trzcinski (10) |
layer on layer Whitney Gray (6) |
a fat pigeon Benjamin Brawner (6) |
hustling across campus Cori Grzenia (3) |
ten trees all in a row |
© 2016, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.