Haiku Kkuai 5 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Spring 2016
roaring Whitney Gray Sometime fights can get really loud, and the worst ones seem to happen when I'm least expecting it. In this Haiku, I imagine a couple taking a hike that's supposed to be romantic and fun, but instead turns into a giant argument. In the middle of all of the yelling, the waterfall screams to be heard as well, and if the couple would only listen to the nature around them instead of focusing on their own issues, the hike may have ended more peacefully. Taryn |
petrified wood Tyler Trzcinski (7) |
I see my notes Taryn Pepping (9) |
sea glass Taryn Pepping (3) |
waking up Taryn Pepping (7) |
reminiscing the spring dew |
baguette falls |
different tongues |
billions of light years away Whitney Gray (10) I really liked the openness of this haiku. The first time I read it in class, I thought of it from an “admiration from afar” angle, as if someone is crushing on someone who doesn’t know they exist. However, rereading it today, I took a vengeful view. I read it as you being small, far away, and utterly unimportant to my life, just like the most distant of stars. No one would miss it if one star were to disappear for a night, and I would be just fine without you. Another way to interpret it is as if I were a concerned friend, noticing you’ve just been staring at the stars, but not really looking. It is as if I can see the preoccupation in your eyes, though you’d never admit it. I really appreciate the different lenses that you can take on reading this haiku, depending on how you’re feeling each reaching. Cori |
runningtobeatthetrainlateforclass Whitney Gray (7) I really like this poem, not only because I relate to it, but because it gives a really good picture. The poem itself looks like a train; if each word is a train car, they are all connected and moving very much like a train. When I read it out loud, it even has a rhythm similar to a train. Because the structure helps out, I can add more to the mental image I create while reading. I have also experienced this a few times, so it makes me chuckle. Taryn |
hawk changes course Genevieve Breitbach (7) |
hungover Taryn Pepping (10) I like this haiku because it made me laugh. How hungover was this person to be able to convince their parents that they had the flu? The thought of this is comical. It could only be for a day too, and then you would have to be just as hungover the next day to able to convince them that you were actually ill. It's just a poor lie all around that would eventually lead to the person being caught and I like it. Jacob |
she puts on her Joseph Pegura (10) |
illegible tombstone Tyler Trzcinski (10) I really liked this haiku because it reminded me of the graveyard that the majority of my family is buried in. There are so many stones that their names have worn away, some even grown up in weeds. But every memorial day, there are always flowers on every stone. Showing that no matter how old the stone, there is always someone left that cares. Whitney |
resting on his shoulder |
yellow duckling— Erica Forbes (8) |
one paddle |
sea dragon Tyler Trzcinski (2) |
glancing at my watch Joseph Pegura (10) |
little artist Taryn Pepping (8) |
crab fisherman |
brothers gather |
three grown men |
my cup of coffee Whitney Gray (8) |
spring breeze— Erica Forbes (4) |
bedtime kisses Whitney Gray (10) |
Christmas lights line |
he drowns Jacob Hamilton (3) This haiku reminds me of an event that happened at a subway a few years ago. A man comes in and orders a salad bowl (presumably trying to be healthy) and he proceeds to ask the attendant pour ranch into the bowl until he told her to stop. The attendant went through the entire bottle before the man told her to stop. The healthiness, was completely annihilated by the shear amount of ranch dressing he poured in. The response the attendant had was, “would you want some lettuce with that ranch?” and I could not stop laughing. Noah |
car races by |
annoying fly |
Alice in Wonderland Erica Forbes (6) |
we pass by |
xylophones Joseph Pegura (3) |
castle in front of me Lauren Montesano (6) |
feet Lauren Montesano (7) I liked this haiku because it reminds me of simple everyday life. I am always laughing at my self when I trip or stumble because it is such a normal human thing. This makes it very personal yet relatable. Lexi |
chrome rims |
I stand motionless |
sun flower seeds Emilio Tejada |
steady cool stream— Erica Forbes (5)
|
riviera night |
cherry berry Genevieve Breitbach (4) |
an awkward conversation Corrin Littlefield (7) |
ditched— |
hula hoop contest |
sticking to your side |
no thigh gap |
back Lauren Montesano (5) |
one bite penetrates |
the best Katherine Viviano (3) So simple, but speaks volumes; a haiku about haiku—how "meta!" I love this haiku because it is always such a joy to sit down to just let myself, and my week, spill onto the page in small bites. I truly think writing can be a deep medicine for the soul that connects to the body's health as well. Genevieve |
Katherine Viviano (7) |
road blocks Noah Klumpe (4) |
kids trying Noah Klumpe (3) |
sharing the sink Marah Kittelson (8) I really liked this haiku. It reminded me of my sister and I. When we were younger, we would share the sink when we got ready for bed, which didn't always end well. But we have plenty of happy memories from that. Whenever we share the sink now, we still stay on our designated sides from when we were younger. We always end up talking in the mirror too. Sometimes I'll hang out in the bathroom with her when she's getting ready and we talk through the mirror. We are less than 5 feet away from each other but we still talk through the mirror. This haiku just showed that it's not so weird that we do that. It also kind of reminded me that we do do that, that's how we talk and it's funny but it works. It just reminded me of my sister and I are growing up and having real conversations through the mirror, not arguments on who is going to brush their teeth longer. Corrin |
the granddaughter |
laying in bed Katherine Viviano (8) |
with much love Michael Barber (4) |
imprint on my arm |
by herself on a tire swing |
her ratty stuffed animal Marah Kittelson (3) |
bottom of the sixth |
sitting in the shade Natalie Smith (12) |
pushing the baby swing Natalie Smith (4) This haiku reminds me of the many days I spent swinging in my backyard on the swing set. I appreciate the fat the the person pushing them wants to see the world as thy do. Every time I get on a swing now I get sick from the motion and I can never enjoy as I did when I was younger. Also, I can relate it to the person wanting to see the fun and the joy in life as the child does. Seeing life in such a carefree way. Grace |
sipping her water |
doing my laundry Michael Barber |
the ocean |
Sunday morning rain Marah Kittelson (6) |
mud on my thigh Marah Kittelson (3) |
catch in the park Marah Kittelson (4) I liked this haiku because it made me think of how quickly a person one of your closest friends. When I first came to school, I was able to tell these people I had never met before, everything about my life. It didn't matter how long I had known them, it felt like I had known them my entire life. I especially connected this haiku with Whitney since we are best friends and also occasionally play catch in the park. I cannot imagine my life without her and we have the connection that is talked about in the haiku. Erica This is one of my favorite haiku I’ve read yet this semester. When we first arrived at school, almost everybody was a stranger. Now, I feel as though I’ve known them my entire life. After going to school with people for twelve years back home, I feel like I hardly know them anymore. The friends I’ve made here at Millikin I have only known for a little over a year and a half, but I feel like I’ve known them since birth, and I am thankful every day for meeting them! Whitney |
girls bathroom Natalie Smith (7) |
two sidewalks Noah Klumpe (8) This haiku was very popular in class today and is my favorite from this round of kukai. I very often find myself doing this or even if there is a way that I prefer to walk over a different way I take it just because I enjoy it. This haiku also sparks thoughts of "taking the higher road" concept and just makes me think about making decisions in life. Also, since one sidewalk is in the sun and one is not, it makes me think of a street or some sort of divider that would put space between the sidewalks causing one to be sunny and one to not be. In my mind, there is a street and a building on one side creating a shadow over the sidewalk. Michael |
dodgeball tournament |
cigarette burns Benjamin Brawner I really like this haiku because of the broad variety of topics it can be applied to. Even though many people struggle with trying to stop smoking and many people often smoke more when they are drunk. But, nearly everyone has some bad habit when they are drunk and are always in some way trying to stop and have reminders from that habit for the next few days. The first line of this haiku is also very effective because I can almost feel the burns and I like the way that the word burns functions as the last word of the sentence. Michael |
skinny white boy Benjamin Brawner (4) I burst out laughing upon first reading this, and it sounds even better when read in Ben's signature deep drawl. It holds such a sensitive quality of a well-meaning kid just wanting to groove but not quite looking the part. With just a few words, the author manages to grasp a total scene—sight, sound, emotion and all. The order of the information is also really nice: you see the skinny guy, perhaps on a stage or in a karaoke bar (or even more relatably in an audition) then you hear him struggling to sound like his hero, then the awkward lack of clapping from an unsure audience. Genevieve |
spring cleaning |
everything I know pours out Alexis Dockins (8) |
sunrise Alexis Dockins (5) |
smile nice Alexis Dockins (4) I really like this haiku, because of the fact that every family has been there. Every family has had to go to an event that the children obviously loathe going to. Every time, the parents sit the kids down and essentially say the same thing. “Look like you are happy to be there, and if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Even though my parents have pulled that speech multiple times, it very rarely works out well. Noah |
all together |
first car out of the cemetery Natalie Smith (5) |
baby shower Grace Ganley (11) |
another bend Grace Ganley (5) |
all that is left |
slowly caressing |
crescent moon Tyler Trzcinski (6) I guess I liked more hurtful haiku today. I liked this one because the scenario I imagine is centered on someone who has just experienced a huge, rough loss. A few days after the fight, you still haven’t moved on in your mind, repeating the stabs that really do ring true. You’ve given up on the simple things, not even caring if your lips begin to bleed as you repeat her hurtful words endlessly. It is all you can do to stare at the hopeless moon, seeing as you can’t focus on anything else. Even the moon is at its low point, providing a grim outlook for you. Cori |
smokers cough |
dreaming . . . Grace Ganley (5) |
painted wood ponies |
soft clucking |
one part sand Grace Ganley |
beer foam |
blue eyes peeking out Whitney Gray (8) This haiku created a strong feeling for me and that is what I liked most about it. I can just imagine seeing this and feeling like I need to stop and catch my breath like in this haiku. Lexi I enjoyed this haiku because it gave a sweet image of a little boy looking up at his mother and she is just so proud of her son that it hitches her breath. I also like it because it can give another image of a girl looking at her crush's blue eyes underneath his baseball hat and his eyes are so beautiful that it hitches her breath. I like how both images produce a different feeling. Whether it's a child or a crush, when I read the haiku I can feel my breath catching. Erica |
squealing in delight Whitney Gray (3) |
a forgotten glass Cori Grzenia (5) |
black roses Alexis Dockins (6) I loved the ambiguity of this haiku. I love how it can be taken as tattoos or something sadder. I first took it as tattoos and then other people were talking about death and that made sense too. The idea of someone dead being covered in black roses is very sad. Black roses seem morbid and lonely. But the idea of black roses as tattoos has a sense of beauty and depth. The tattoos have a meaning and are important to the person. The idea of black roses also seems old and basic, but in a good way. I can picture someone getting a rose for each person she has loved who she has lost, which is very sad but that's one way to remember them. I can also see someone who loves roses getting more and more as time goes by. Either way, they have depth and importance. I also think it painted a beautiful picture. Corrin I love the image this paints with the roses being black. First I take it as possibly tattoos. I know several people who have black roses tattooed on their body. It is something usually so soft, bright and innocent but is represented in a dark way. It is could be to represent something so sweet that might not be innocent anymore. Grace |
two hearts on the wall |
bamboo hut Tyler Trzcinski (4) |
spoon party Tyler Trzcinski (4) |
empty koi pond |
new house Cori Grzenia (6) I have only moved once and I was only 4. When I moved into my house it was a brand new house we built and everything in it was also brand new. I remember the new smell of everything but I still had memories of my old house and every time I go past my old house I can remember things that happened in it based on stories I had been told. This haiku reminds me of accepting change but still remembering those old memories. Tyler |
sex jokes on the screen Cori Grzenia (8) We have all been through this as children, we sit down to watch a movie with our parents, and the most awkward part of the movie comes on with a sex scene. In this moment, you would rather be anywhere else than in the silent, awkward room. The worst is when what is happening in the movie is funny, but you're afraid to laugh in fear of getting into trouble. Which is a completely irrational fear, but for some reason all rational thoughts go out the window during this moment. jacob |
refusing to be forgotten Alexis Dockins (11) I enjoyed this haiku a lot. The image of the moon in the sky is one of my favorite images in nature. I hike a lot and I always enjoy hikes when both the moon and sun can be seen. I feel as if the world is in harmony during that time so it gives me a great sense of peace. Tyler |
© 2016, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.