Haiku Kukai 6 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Spring 2016
giggling Corrin Littlefield sister sleepover Corrin Littlefield (2) These haiku seemed to match up very nicely because they both remind me of fun, loving sisters who are probably up to no good. Giggling is often associated with sleepovers, and adding the spirited relationship of sisterhood into the mix makes for two delightfully beautiful haiku. The first one, I imagine the sisters are younger in age while the second one resembles older sisters probably beginning to get annoyed with their parents and their rules. Katherine I like these two poems together, as they can be a part of the same story. If they’re read together, it starts and ends with the same word, and that’s also really cool. It makes me think of when my sister and I are back together; we went 3 hours in opposite directions for school, so we really don’t see each other too much. But when we do see each other again, I’m reminded of how much growth we’ve both experienced apart...there are always some things that never change however, like being able to stay up long past our parents go to sleep laughing at them. Taryn These two haiku made a great matching pair that each show the relationship between two sisters that never change. It reminds me of my relationship with my siblings that pretty much consist of acting weird and shit talking our other family members. Even though we are all getting older, and technically becoming adults, we still act like were still children, and that is probably something that will never change. Whitney |
my beautiful children Cori Grzenia (6) |
the museum window |
new book Noah Klumpe (6) |
soft jazz Corrin Littlefield (5) |
living in the fishbowl Cori Grzenia (7) |
salmon lips Benjamin Brawner (8) |
morning star Benjamin Brawner (7) |
late for a meeting Taryn Pepping (12) |
follow the yellow brick road Corrin Littlefield (5) |
summer fast approaching |
flushed out . . . |
clasping her ruby necklace Tyler Trzcinski (8) |
summer sunset |
rainbow thread |
his flowers Alexis Dockins a breeze of spring wind Katherine Viviano (2) I liked this match together because it made me think of my grandpa who passed away over this summer. He was the first of my immediate family members that I have lost, so it affected me greatly. My family saw it coming a lot more than I did, since I was away at school and they decided not to bother me or worry me with his sickness until I got home in May. It was a shock to me when they told me, and it was very hard to go through. What I like about these two haiku is that they give the hope that the people you lose are always around you even after they are gone. The first talks about flowers that the person who has passed away has planted, and that is a more physical thing that can be seen, but the second talks of the wind which is more felt. Putting these two together can show you that even if you do not see the physical person in front of you, you can see the things they left behind, or even feel them, and you know they are still there. Lauren |
spring evening walk Cori Grzenia (7) rose petals fall Erica Forbes (4) I think these haiku make a good pair but because they remind me of my sister and I. We both have the same exact problem with our right hip and she has to have surgery, just like I did. When we walk together, we both have a small limp. Thankfully, my limp is smaller than hers, but it’s a constant reminded that we both went through the same thing. It’s crazy to think that it is the same exact thing, but I guess it just makes me feel more like sisters. And now, whenever we walk anywhere together, we typically walk slower to not hurt either of us. With the second haiku, it reminds me of the little scars that I have, and she is soon to have. They are four little scars on my right hip that you can really only see if I’m wearing a bathing suit. The rose petals falling reminded me of summer approaching and everything that changes within the seasons. It’s something very small but significant to those who have to bear the scars, especially scars that are exactly the same. Corrin |
sister sleepover Corrin Littlefield (2) |
turkey Jacob Hamilton (7) |
at twenty years old Taryn Pepping (11) late for a meeting Taryn Pepping (12) I matched these two haiku together because they both give the impression of an adult who is not a full adult yet. In the first one, the person in the haiku is old enough to go to the dentist on their own, but clearly they do not. This is how I still feel about going to the dentist. I am almost 20 and I still feel weird going alone. In the second haiku, the person is waking to a meeting that they are late for, but they don’t seem to care. These both show a way that people can cling onto innocence. jacob |
out of the hospital Tyler Trzcinski (10) |
broken stump Benjamin Brawner |
spring breeze Taryn Pepping late for a meeting Taryn Pepping (12) These two haiku from Kukai 6 were a good pair to me because they both create a very calm feeling. Although the second one starts out bad and stressful it ends very peacefully when the person is just sitting under a tree and not really worried about the meeting. I thought that matched well with the feeling the spring breeze and mud covering the toes created. Both touching nature and very peaceful. Lexi |
locked eyelids |
I hold the coffee cup |
ferris wheel blues |
Christmas Eve |
her suddenly still |
spring sunshine Taryn Pepping summer sunset Taryn Pepping Both haiku start by painting an image of the warm sun. It is a romantic feeling that immediately is created in the first line. This feeling is then continued in the second line by describing a physical affection. While the first adds an uncomfortable feeling within the last line, the second closes the haiku maintaining the warm image. Grace |
rose petals fall Erica Forbes (4) |
birthday princess Grace Ganley (12) |
picking clover |
off the path |
broken pieces |
two mugs |
in the dark |
first touch |
morning glory morning Tyler Trzcinski (3) |
humid and moist |
tending to her son's Erica Forbes (11) |
blood sweat and apples |
a single purple weed Taryn Pepping (10) |
rental shoes Jacob Hamilton |
touching the cross |
holding onto you . . . |
cracked ring dish Genevieve Breitbach (10) |
open back road Joseph Pegura rental shoes Jacob Hamilton I like this match of haiku because they both are very original but they also reflect common little things in society. In the first haiku I like it because it is ironic how it depicts a Ferrari passing by an Amish buggy. I found that funny because it was basically a picture of the past and present. The Amish buggy is representative of the traditional times where there weren't cars and the Ferrari represents evolution of time and technology. On the other hand, the second haiku is original I feel like anybody could relate to it. Mostly everybody I know has had the opportunity to play bowling in their life. The times when I went were interesting because the shoes that they would give me would always be a couple sizes to big even when I wore the same size in different shoes and it fit. The shoes there were simply always to big and on top of that I always felt unstable due to the hardwood floor. I would slip and fall because there was no grip on the bottom of the shoes so it was hard for me. But that is why I like this haiku, it brings back those memories and in my opinion those are the best ones. Emilio |
some day |
beer foam Whitney Gray (11) This haiku is interesting on three different levels. First, the actual parallel from beer foam and the decision made. Foam from the beer disappears, and just as the foam, so will her decision to leave him. Secondly, there is a lack of substance in both statements. Just as beer foam is full of air and no substance, the decision to leave him has no effect. I also like the idea that alcohol is liquid courage. If she was not drinking, she would not have the courage to do that, but because she is drinking there is a lot less fear in leaving a man like that. Noah |
cool sand Genevieve Breitbach (7) |
another clear blue sky |
driving down the road Lauren Montesano (11) |
new mulch smell— |
a wreck of a night |
saying final goodbyes, |
playing in the puddles |
the roar of the waterfall Joseph Pegura (4) |
wedding bells ring |
h e r Katherine Viviano (4) |
april 16 Genevieve Breitbach |
sun on my face |
furry babies |
petting the dog |
missing you |
look into her eyes and you will see she has more in terms of glee |
a breeze of spring wind Katherine Viviano (2) |
black ink gone Genevieve Breitbach (4) |
fourth grade rascal |
smile |
the brilliant sunshine Katherine Viviano (6) |
forgetting Lauren Montesano (15) |
I shave my legs |
dancing with her |
praying in the kitchen Marah Kittelson |
reading a children's book Michael Barber (12) |
creaking old bridge Noah Klumpe (8) |
wallflower girl |
rear-view mirror |
2am Natalie Smith (9) |
head out the window Marah Kittelson (11) |
one kiss |
Whitney Gray cool sand Genevieve Breitbach (7) I feel that these two haiku are very similar, and that they compliment each other very well because of the subtle differences. I enjoyed the simplicity of the first haiku because of the shortness, it flowed very well. “Sandy toes water wings” is just so basic, yet it can see my feet in the sand as the water wishes away the sand in a hurry. Yet, I just automatically put myself in a summer scenario as to where the second haiku explicitly states that the sand was very cool and because of that I made the connection that this haiku was taking place in the fall because the sand would be cool but the water would still be reasonable to enjoy. However, even though both of these haikus have differences they are literally the same scene in my mind. Joe |
his slips |
stretching on the deck |
sitting in the bathtub |
small town diner |
feet hang over Noah Klumpe (8) |
across the dinner table |
feet kicked up Whitney Gray (6) |
toes tangled |
Saturday night Alexis Dockins |
hard 12 inch ball |
looking into |
aimlessly walking Corrin Littlefield (7) 2am Natalie Smith (9) I paired these two haiku because it shows the creative process of every new idea. It all begins with a person aimlessly walking around their head, trying to figure something out. They are searching for an idea then, at 2am, once their search is complete, they come up with an idea. These two haiku tell a story together about how people discover new ideas. The person is not wandering, but walking. They have a path that they are taking and sometimes you just have to get through the jungle of their mind to come up with something completely new. Erica |
a snail |
reading Whitman |
spring rain seeps Cori Grzenia (5) |
April shower |
inhaling deeply Alexis Dockins new mulch smell-- Joseph Pegura I really enjoyed both of these haiku on their own. When put together the entire story of what could be happening changes drastically. In the first haiku I picture a person seeing flowers and being filled with happiness. The sight of beautiful flowers can put a smile on anyone's face. I picture someone bending down to smell the flowers but instead of getting sweet aromatic bliss all they can smell is their nasty shoes. In the second haiku the first line makes me imagine an unpleasant smell. I do landscaping work over the summer and one thing that I can never get used to is how new mulch smells when it is freshly delivered. It is a very hard scent to describe but it is one I have never enjoyed so this haiku starts off with me imagining a harsh scent. The rest of the haiku brings me to the sweet scent of tulips swaying in the breeze. I like both these haiku because they use the sweet scent of flowers in comparison to something with a foul scent. Tyler |
my hand reaches |
sneezing Emilio Tejada (7) |
my emotions go round Corrin Littlefield (9) |
underneath the bed Tyler Trzcinski (3) I really like this haiku because I can imagine a small child unable to sleep in a dark room because the night light is out. I also like this haiku a lot because I do not like sleeping in the dark. I actually cannot sleep in the dark and have had some bad experiences with it. This haiku is effective because it is very simplistic and easy to picture in the mind of the reader. Michael |
finding the courage Corrin Littlefield (8) |
© 2016, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.