filling the lines of my palm
with a pen I create a map
of a new world

Andrew Cliatt

waking up in time
to see the sun
ignite the ocean

Deion Corley

balancing on train tracks
like acrobats—
we laugh when we fall

Rory Arnold

ready for take off!
on a playground swing
flight

Rachel Humphrey

filling the lines of my palm
with a pen I create a map
of a new world

ready for take off!
on a playground swing
flight

filling the lines of my palm
with a pen I create a map
of a new world

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

sheets as capes
the children roar—
heroes of the cul-de-sac

bottom quarter champion

sheets as capes
the children roar—
heroes of the cul-de-sac

sheets as capes
the children roar—
heroes of the cul-de-sac

father and son
fishing trip
their lines get tangled

sheets as capes
the children roar—
heroes of the cul-de-sac

Rory Arnold

beautiful day
in the park
a dog catching a Frisbee

Alyssa Rodriguez

walking through woods 
smell of fresh blossoms 
"AHHH"

Joshua Mysliwjec 

father and son
fishing trip
their lines get tangled

Alyssa Rodriguez

TOP half champion

sheets as capes
the children roar—
heroes of the cul-de-sac

Mido CHAMPION & GRAND CHAMPION
 

the sun beam
illuminates his bedroom
showering her skin

the sun beam
illuminates his bedroom
showering her skin

BOTTOM half champion

tattoo on his shoulder
playing peak-a-boo with me
what's his story

Kaitlyn Foster

the sun beam
illuminates his bedroom
showering her skin

Katherine Goethals

wind gust
your smell lingers
in my hair

Allyson Isenhower

girl in the sundress
stuck in my head
carousel

Ryan McDonald

the sun beam
illuminates his bedroom
showering her skin

girl in the sundress
stuck in my head
carousel

the sun beam
illuminates his bedroom
showering her skin

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

the sun beam
illuminates his bedroom
showering her skin

bottom quarter champion

tossing             stories
across              bunk beds

tossing             stories
across              bunk beds

under a warm fuzzy blanket
I type
a poem

tossing             stories
across              bunk beds

Rachel Humphrey

another beer
another story
as I ask for another

Ryan McDonald

under a warm fuzzy blanket
I type
a poem

Morgan Bettner

haiku friends
sitting around a fire
nothing better

Lexi Doss

another cross
instead of in church
on the side of the road

Katherine Goethals

dressed in black
clean and shaven
Goodbye

Joshua Mysliwjec 

the groundsman
her only company
at the cemetery

Alyssa Rodriguez

light left on
everyone's gone
from the funeral home

Ryan McDonald

another cross
instead of in church
on the side of the road

light left on
everyone's gone
from the funeral home

light left on
everyone's gone
from the funeral home

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

young mother
staring into the darkness
he looks through her

bottom quarter champion

young mother
staring into the darkness
he looks through her

young mother
staring into the darkness
he looks through her

I don’t hear Jazz
never anymore
only Blues

my phone sits beside me
dead
a black mirror

Andrew Cliatt

young mother
staring into the darkness
he looks through her

Kaitlyn Foster

heart on your sleeve
wipe that
off

Kaitlyn Foster

I don’t hear Jazz
never anymore
only Blues

Travis Voorhees

TOP half champion

young mother
staring into the darkness
he looks through her

CHAMPION
 

young mother
staring into the darkness
he looks through her

the cracks in the wall
climbing
spreading

BOTTOM half champion

the barista's smile
has me fumbling
with my wallet

Joshua Mysliwjec 

arm around her shoulder
in the polaroid
I prove it to my friends

Rory Arnold

I walk past the girl
saving myself
from the hurt

Lexi Doss

falling in love
remembering
everything is temporary

Kaitlyn Foster

arm around her shoulder
in the polaroid
I prove it to my friends

falling in love
remembering
everything is temporary

falling in love
remembering
everything is temporary

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

the cracks in the wall
climbing
spreading

bottom quarter champion

the cracks in the wall
climbing
spreading

Animal Planet
hoping the bunny (won't)
escapes

the cracks in the wall
climbing
spreading

hamster running fast
squeaky noises
from the wheel

Ryan McDonald

Animal Planet
hoping the bunny (won't)
escapes

Deion Corley

the cracks in the wall
climbing
spreading

Andrew Cliatt

repeated spinning
in the same direction
fan blades

Ryan McDonald

filling the lines of my palm
with a pen I create a map
of a new world

waking up in time
to see the sun
ignite the ocean

balancing on train tracks
like acrobats—
we laugh when we fall

ready for take off!
on a playground swing
flight

These two are my favorite because they give such vivid imagination. I. The first haiku I kind of think of the kids movie "horton hears a who" because the movie is based on an entire world being on this little spec. Drawing the lines on your hand is creating a whole new universe that you have in control.
I also love the word ignite in the second haiku. It brings color into the entire image. When I think of ignite something I think of lighting a lighter and starting a fire. The image of the entire ocean becoming that color is just beautiful. Katie

This is my favorite match from contest 3. I think these both have such a sense of exploration and give a visual of something never ending. Thinking that you have created a whole new world in the palm of your hands is empowering. In the second haiku, the word “ignite” is also very empowering because you think of one little thing touching something and making a huge scene. When I think about the haiku I think about the sun being the little object that rises in the morning but it lights up the whole entire ocean and also the sky which gives a whole new world from night to day. Both of these haiku use great words to make us feel like there is a large image coming from something so small. Lexi

I like this match of haiku because they are both playful and seem like they are from a kid’s point of view. I also like how one is about falling and one is about flying. I think that is a very interesting match up because they are almost like opposites. Ally

I really enjoy the reflection of this poem—like an adolescent interpreting reality to imitate their imagination. It’s lost in thought with the idea that the world could be in their palm, differing from the one they presently sit. It’s a world of their own. The tracing on the palm seems to make it real, their creation is truth within the conscious mind. Rory

sheets as capes
the children roar—
heroes of the cul-de-sac

beautiful day
in the park
a dog catching a Frisbee

walking through woods 
smell of fresh blossoms 
"AHHH"

father and son
fishing trip
their lines get tangled

I think this match goes particularly well together because they are both nature haiku that have been invaded by people. The first haiku creates a very clear image in my head of a couple walking through the woods together and they stumble upon a field of flowers and revel in the smell. While the second one features a father and son on their first fishing trip. I can also clearly see the frustration that is present when the lines get tangled. Andrew

Rory wrote a great Haiku. I really like this one because you can put yourself in the place of this. I had friends who lived on cul-de-sacs and we were the kings of the street. It really took me back to my childhood roots.

tattoo on his shoulder
playing peak-a-boo with me
what's his story

the sun beam
illuminates his bedroom
showering her skin

wind gust
your smell lingers
in my hair

girl in the sundress
stuck in my head
carousel

I like this haiku because of how vividly they paint an image of the skin they talk each talk about. Both are also sweet and make the reader curious about what all is going on that the haiku is leaving out. Morgan

I liked this match because of the interest both narrators have in observing the other person’s skin and the story it tells. In the first haiku, I really like the “peek-a-boo” of the tattoo because I imagine the tattoo keeps peeking out from under the sleeve of his shirt and she can’t ignore it. I like the warmth of the second haiku with the sun beam imagery of illuminating the room and showering her skin. I like the feeling of curiosity and wonder within both of these haiku. Rachel

tossing             stories
across              bunk beds

another beer
another story
as I ask for another

under a warm fuzzy blanket
I type
a poem

haiku friends
sitting around a fire
nothing better

I really like these because they both bring the personality of the authors out a lot. I can see what they both want me to see and this is very creative to me. They remind me of different things but somewhat similar in the message/delivery. The first one reminds me of a party scene probably a college party scene, where everyone is drinking. Everyone is giving everyone alcohol and they aren’t turning it down, but asking for more. While they tell the stories they drink and drink some more. This is good imagery in my opinion of a college drinking party. Also the repetition being displayed saying another over and over the ending the poem in the third line with another. I like the imagery in this as well. I also enjoy the imagery in the next haiku which I believe is supposed to give you the idea of someone tossing something back and forth to going 4 different directions. Also it isn’t a close gap they have, they are pretty good sized gaps so I feel like they are in a big bedroom tossing the stuff back and forth. TRavis

This Haiku was awesome because of the way Rachel used her space. It has probably been one of my first moments of the class. We all realized that you don’t have to follow the exact style of Haiku, and more of us are attempting to create haiku with new spacing. Great job Rachel!

another cross
instead of in church
on the side of the road

dressed in black
clean and shaven
Goodbye

the groundsman
her only company
at the cemetery

light left on
everyone's gone
from the funeral home

I liked this pair because it gives me a warm feeling in my heart. Someone may have died but the light is still on and they are not entirely all gone. His spirit is still there and he isn’t going anywhere. But the second one was a little less optimistic. The only people there that are present is the groundsman. So number 1 looks at a more optimistic view compared to the 2nd haiku. They both discuss the same stuff but the idea of a spirit is contradicting while they may be there or they are nowhere to be found. Ryan

This haiku makes me think about the loneliness that marries the dead. They will forever be nothing more than bodies in the ground—forgotten after family lineage dies. Though the character is finally visiting, she acknowledges this lack of accompaniment and sees the lonely groundskeeper as the only other individual there, though he is obligated to be there. You can really feel the quietness in this haiku, helping to entrench readers into that sense of loneliness the cemetery holds. Rory

my phone sits beside me
dead
a black mirror

young mother
staring into the darkness
he looks through her

heart on your sleeve
wipe that
off

I don’t hear Jazz
never anymore
only Blues

the barista's smile
has me fumbling
with my wallet

arm around her shoulder
in the polaroid
I prove it to my friends

I walk past the girl
saving myself
from the hurt

falling in love
remembering
everything is temporary

I like these two because they are opposites. The barista one is playful and innocent, just nature playing its course. The polaroid one however is aggressive and screaming for attention. I get a sense of a drunk stupor and an uncomfortable image. Josh

hamster running fast
squeaky noises
from the wheel

Animal Planet
hoping the bunny (won't)
escapes

the cracks in the wall
climbing
spreading

repeated spinning
in the same direction
fan blades

I am not sure who wrote this haiku, but it was awesome. When this haiku was read, I could imagine the cracks spreading throughout the classroom. I think that that description was all I can really say about that one. Great Job!