sun rays warming
pale winter skin
I never want to leave

Erica Forbes

tiny seashells
each one special
to me

Alexis Dockins

south carolina sun
skin peels
snake boy

Jacob Hamilton

faint pink turns to
tomato red
she cries for aloe

Erica Forbes

tiny seashells
each one special
to me

south carolina sun
skin peels
snake boy

tiny seashells
each one special
to me

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

bottom quarter champion

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

up on the rooftop
we watch the stars
and strum guitars

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

up on the rooftop
we watch the stars
and strum guitars

Marah Kittelson

yearning for a quick thrill . . .
only one who likes
roller coasters

Erica Forbes

driving through back roads
at a gas station
a dog watches me

Tyler Trzcinski

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

Taryn Pepping

TOP half champion

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

CHAMPION & GRAND CHAMPION
 

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

sunrise service
the lake
brightens
with
the sky

BOTTOM half champion

walking with family
wanting to be
at the party

Alexis Dockins

next year
I'll spend Easter
where I want

Taryn Pepping

pushing and shoving
the adults race
to the last egg

Whitney Gray

Easter bunny
visiting
a twenty year old

Lauren Montesano

next year
I'll spend Easter
where I want

pushing and shoving
the adults race
to the last egg

pushing and shoving
the adults race
to the last egg

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

sunrise service
the lake
brightens
with
the sky

bottom quarter champion

sunrise service
the lake
brightens
with
the sky

sunrise service
the lake
brightens
with
the sky

Easter politics
Grandpa likes . . .
the other guy

sunrise service
the lake
brightens
with
the sky

Taryn Pepping

Mary wanders around
in the dark
the third sunrise

Randy Brooks

Palm Sunday—
the toddler
strips his to pieces

Whitney Gray

Easter politics
Grandpa likes . . .
the other guy

Marah Kittelson

home
the cat
on the couch

Jacob Hamilton

bright red hives
cloth covered eyes
that damn cat

Taryn Pepping

I continue to
     sneeze
all the animals gone

Taryn Pepping

hay flavored breath on my cheek
from frosted nostrils
home sinks in

Genevieve Breitbach

bright red hives
cloth covered eyes
that damn cat

hay flavored breath on my cheek
from frosted nostrils
home sinks in

bright red hives
cloth covered eyes
that damn cat

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

little brother
missed him for months
annoying as hell

bottom quarter champion

little brother
missed him for months
annoying as hell

little brother
missed him for months
annoying as hell

coffee in the morning
waiting for my brothers
to wake up

little brother
missed him for months
annoying as hell

Tyler Trzcinski

worse than my mother
my aunt
critiquing my hair

Whitney Gray

sister's grin lights up
the room
firefly with no off switch

Genevieve Breitbach

coffee in the morning
waiting for my brothers
to wake up

Michael Barber

TOP half champion

little brother
missed him for months
annoying as hell

CHAMPION
 

she clutches her rosary
I tell her the stories
she used to tell me

she clutches her rosary
I tell her the stories
she used to tell me

BOTTOM half champion

sobbing
mom stitches
     me back together

Taryn Pepping

inescapable
a family intervention
I stare out the window

Corrin Littlefield

trembling
she holds my hand
prayers for peace

Marah Kittelson

picking out an outfit
to prove
I'm not falling apart

Lauren Montesano

inescapable
a family intervention
I stare out the window

picking out an outfit
to prove
I'm not falling apart

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

she clutches her rosary
I tell her the stories
she used to tell me

bottom quarter champion

she clutches her rosary
I tell her the stories
she used to tell me

time apart          still best friends

she clutches her rosary
I tell her the stories
she used to tell me

time apart          still best friends

Jacob Hamilton

time stops
when I'm with you
a long forgotten feeling

Corrin Littlefield

she clutches her rosary
I tell her the stories
she used to tell me

Natalie Smith

together we'll always be young

Whitney Gray

sun rays warming
pale winter skin
I never want to leave

tiny seashells
each one special
to me

south carolina sun
skin peels
snake boy

faint pink turns to
tomato red
she cries for aloe

I fell in love with both of these haiku because of their warm and inviting tonality. Warm weather immediately takes me to a happy place, and additionally, usually reminds me of good times with family and friends. So naturally, it wasn't difficult to relate to and appreciate these sunny, smiling haiku. I can just feel the hot beams of sun hitting my skin and crisping it, just as I can imagine the feel of the grains of sand slipping through my fingers as I reveal a tiny little seashell to add to my collection. Katherine

My favorite pair from the matching contest consists of water and sunshine, two of my favorite things in general. These two are a lovely match, and could easily make a story, in my opinion. It is almost like a camera pan from sky to sand, taking the reader from the warmth on their face and looking up at the sky, to looking down at the damp coolness of their fingers fumbling through the rocky beach. I love finding shells, and it's a running joke that my suitcase always weighs a few pounds more on the return trip simply because of all the rocks I collect anywhere I go. It also makes me a little guilty because these precious rocks I bring back to civilization too often go missing quickly and only turn up in the bi yearly deep clean of my room's nooks and crannies. Genevieve

tiny seashells
each one special
to me

South Carolina sun
skin peels
snake boy

I like this match of haiku the most because I can relate to both of them. I like the first haiku because it reminds me of when I was at the beach and how I would sometimes go out searching for a unique seashell that I could bring back home. Also I would collect the rocks that I find on the beach because they were unique in shape and texture and color. I liked the second haiku because the details that are used are perfect in describing South Carolina because it is very sunny and the insect bite up your skin. There is a lot of alligators and snakes as well, since its close to Florida. Emilio

up on the rooftop
we watch the stars
and strum guitars

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

tiny seashells
each one special
to me

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

Both of these haikus respond to very intimate environments, and while they describe different circumstances, they both bring up similar emotions for me. While I know the exact moment being described in the 'stealing kisses' haiku, I can imagine moments where I felt the same type of security and playfulness within the 'rooftop' haiku. I love how both are describing different instances, but they could be about the same couple. Taryn

I really liked this match of haiku. Both haiku show love and a sense of caring a lot about something. In the first haiku, the tiny seashells are incredibly important to them and they care greatly about these seashells. In the second haiku, the person cares greatly for their lover. I also felt like there is a connection in each haiku. The person has a connection to the seashells and they represent something very important to the person. Maybe they are a reminder of an amazing vacation or an adventure. The person has a connection with the person they are stealing kisses from. They hold a special place in the person's heart and the kisses are important to both of them. I really liked both of the haiku because they bring about such specific emotions and memories. I couldn't help but smile at both of the haiku because they brought about such specific memories. I like how important the haiku feel. They themselves are important because of the message they are giving and the emotions they are sharing. Corrin

I paired these two haiku together because I liked how intimate they both are, and they are two of my favorites from the collection. I thought the two haiku connected through their idea of simplicity. For example, in the first haiku, the author talks about the small, simple seashells: nothing too extravagant, but each individual shell is special in its own way. In the second, I imagine a couple, stealing small pecks of kisses at each stop sign. None of these kisses are the long, romantic kiss or make-out sessions, but these small cute pecks on the cheek that mean more than any other display of affection. Whitney

up on the rooftop
we watch the stars
and strum guitars

yearning for a quick thrill . . .
only one who likes
roller coasters

driving through back roads
at a gas station
a dog watches me

stealing kisses
at stop signs
deserted country roads

walking with family
wanting to be
at the party

next year
I'll spend Easter
where I want

pushing and shoving
the adults race
to the last egg

Easter bunny
visiting
a twenty year old

For these two haiku I like how they differ so greatly, yet I can certainly relate to both of them. The first haiku is where I can see myself out working or something and wishing that I could be with my family over the holiday. I have had experiences like this before working on holidays in the summer. It is always a bummer to me having to work on beautiful holidays in the summer because I want to see my family and enjoy their company on a perfect day. And I can also relate to the second haiku because my family can be annoying at times and this year especially I wanted to be back here with my fraternity brothers hanging out with them rather than spend Easter with the same old boring family.  Joe

These haiku were two of my favorite in the matching contest because I feel that they both grasp the same idea or feeling. They both portray the struggle of being an “adult”, but still feeling or acting childish. I feel like this is something we can all relate to especially at the college age because there is a lot of transition into adulthood that is happening, yet we are still holding onto some childish things like getting an Easter basket. Alexis

sunrise service
the lake
brightens
with
the sky

Mary wanders around
in the dark
the third sunrise

Palm Sunday—
the toddler
strips his to pieces

Easter politics
Grandpa likes . . .
the other guy

I really like this haiku, because I had a very similar experience during my sunrise service. At the Sarasota Jungle Gardens, I was expecting to face a lot of bird poop and noise, but surprisingly was very peaceful. It seemed as the service progressed, the more things livened up and brightened. I also like the visual effect that this haiku present alongside the written visual description. “sunrise service” is written at the top, and as the haiku progresses, the top line appears higher and higher. Noah

home
the cat
on the couch 

bright red hives
cloth covered eyes
that damn cat

I continue to
     sneeze
all the animals gone

hay flavored breath on my cheek
from frosted nostrils
home sinks in

little brother
missed him for months
annoying as hell

worse than my mother
my aunt
critiquing my hair

sister's grin lights up
the room
firefly with no off switch

coffee in the morning
waiting for my brothers
to wake up

coffee in the morning 
waiting for my brothers
to wake up

little brother 
missed him for months
annoying as hell

inescapable 
a family intervention 
I stare out the window

little brother
missed him for months
annoying as hell

I enjoyed this pair of haiku from the matching contest because they remind me a lot of my little brother. Whenever I am away from him, I miss him but then when I am around him I cannot stand him. I also drink a lot of coffee and wake up before him. They both relate to families and brothers and give me the sense of being at home. They give me that "at home feeling" that is not always warm. The coffee haiku is warmer than the other haiku but the other haiku shows both sides of being home. When I am at home I am not always happy and I get annoyed easily by my brother. Even though I love being around my family, they can be annoying. I just like how I can feel both of those feelings from these haiku. Erica

I matched these two haiku because they both relate to annoying family members. I feel like I can relate to this because whenever I am at school, I miss my family, but whenever I get home I can only take so much of them. I do love them, but a long car ride, or the antics of a younger sibling can really grind my gears. Jacob

sobbing
mom stitches
     me back together

inescapable
a family intervention
I stare out the window

trembling
she holds my hand
prayers for peace

picking out an outfit
to prove
I'm not falling apart

time apart        still best friends

together we'll always be young

I really liked these one liners together because putting them together perfectly describes my relationships with my older friends. I had a best friend in Middle School that went to a different high school and college, so our visits tapered off. Over this past Winter Break, we met up and it was like it was our 7th grade prime all over again. We laughed about the stupidest things and acted as if no time had passed, even though it had been over a year and a half since we had last talked. These haiku really highlighted that the time passed separate almost ceases to exist when you're back together. Cori

time apart          still best friends

time stops
when I'm with you
a long forgotten feeling

she clutches her rosary
I tell her the stories
she used to tell me

together we'll always be young

Really good friends don't show up that often but with life nowadays its almost guaranteed time with best friends won't last forever. The top haiku makes me think of all my best friends who are at different schools and how when we are back together it's like nothing has changed. I only have two friends like that from back home so going home is always a treat. The singular line and spacing of the first haiku is a way to appreciate the beauty is simplicity and the beauty of having a few close friends. I like how the second haiku reads with this as if time spent with those close friends makes time seem slower and ending breaks harder. Tyler

I really liked this haiku for many reasons. First of all, since we wrote about spring break and Easter was involved in break, the religious side of this haiku really stuck out to me even though I am not Catholic. I also like how there could be two different stories or memories that are told in the final two lines. The reader can either think about the woman as a mother telling her daughter stories or the old woman getting stories told to her that she had forgotten in her old age. Michael

The rosary Haiku was my favorite in the entire Matching Contest. I connected to it the most not because I am going through something similar to the author, but because it painted such a vivid picture as to what was happening. I was able to understand the thoughts, feelings, and reactions of the person telling the stories. Put together with the second Haiku, it makes the first feel as though it is not so bad after all. The first Haiku seems to be talking about an old woman who is starting to forget about her past, something that nobody wants to experience. But, put together with the second, it gives you a sense of hope that even when you start to forget, someone will always remember for you. Lauren