Global Haiku • Spring 2018
Dr. Randy Brooks

Single Red Rose

by
Ryan McDonald

Single Red Rose is a collection I made from my senior year of college in my haiku class. In my collection I really focused on having descriptions that appealed to the senses and gave some sort of symbolism behind the haiku as well. In normal reading the haiku may be just sense based but if you start to think deeply with these haiku you may find some sort of symbolism tied to these haiku that are specific and different to every single individual. One haiku that carries visual characteristics was red and blue lights, this haiku spoke about the police showing up to a party and all of the students taking off in every direction. This haiku can also read deeper; maybe an individual found a lot of thrill in running from the police, or maybe they met someone special when hiding from the police. Like stated previously these haiku can have sensory appealing parts and symbolism parts included. ~Ryan

Whitney Gray: Single Red Rose is a wonderful collection that really made me appreciate haiku in a different way. I loved how Ryan used different sensory ques to draw my attention and paint a picture of a certain scene he wanted to make. But he left the meaning of the picture to me. I was able to view and interpret his picture in my own way and I loved that. Personally I loved my mind on her, this haiku showed me a picture of a boy who really liked a girl but she could really care a less. This haiku was my favorite. I also liked the single red rose haiku for the fact that scene is heart wrenching and full of emotion. I read it as a husband bringing a red rose to his wife every Friday perhaps. This haiku could be taken several different ways, but ultimately taken in a way that is special to you. 

red and blue lights
scatter students
party over

chilled house
quiet as a mouse
the last ornament taken down

engine light on
dash has a crack
my first car

              r      a      c      h      u
      a                                             t
   p          f                               g        e
                     a                  n
                             l   s   i
                                 l
                               o
                               w

face to face
with an old friend
only beers between us

prospering leaves
hold on
the strongest winds

our darkest times
sparked up with talk
around the campfire

a kick from inside
a gentle reminder
to drop the hostess cake

a dead branch
in a tree of green
the morning dove sings

single red rose
laying alone
on the tombstone

girl in the sundress
stuck in my head
carousel

light left on
everyone's gone
from the funeral home

my mind on her
her mind
circles Jupiter

breakfast on the patio
the gold finch
lands in the redbud

cold winter breeze
a cherry red cardinal
ruffles his feathers

pine scent
charcoal grill flame
summer lilac in full bloom