Matching Contest 4 - Mido Versus Kuro

Mido Matching Contest - 4 - Spring 2019 • Millikin University

puddle jumping
rain boots
all muddy

Daryann Birt

boy's goldfish
begins to swim again
toilet flushing

Whitley Sapp

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

Connor Mendenhall

waiting
for the school bus
giggling neighbor girls

Daryann Birt

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

bottom quarter champion

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

black scuff
on the wall
from our last fling

Mikaela Vuglar

jumping
tree to tree
monkey business

Mason Bruce

dog barks abruptly
to the sudden door bell ring
boy asks her to lunch

Connor Mendenhall

momma lays close
to the newborn puppies
the laundry basket

Emily Reeves

TOP half champion

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

CHAMPION & GRAND CHAMPION

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

BOTTOM half champion

the red-tail hawk soars
rocking
with the breeze

Evan Chastain

country summer
taking my horse
to the old town road

Benjamin Woodcock

isolated
a caterpillar wiggles
in its cocoon

Jakob Cihak

snuggled up
with a good book
rain hitting the roof

Emily Reeves

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

bottom quarter champion

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

store-bought cake
brother's blue
tongue

Whitley Sapp

alcohol
the right way
words off my chest

Julia Peterson

just like a gem
a girl
and her pearls

Breana Bagley

Christmas lights
completely still
shimmering in the night

Julia Peterson

Kuro Matching Contest - 4 - Spring 2019 • Millikin University

the old house
has a new
broken window

Evan Chastain

the picture hanging
on the wall
crooked

Emily Reeves

overgrown weeds
they cover
the headstone

Evan Chastain

the black cat
sitting on the grave
of the owner

Emily Reeves

the old house
has a new
broken window

prick the finger
gentle red flow
of blood brothers

the old house
has a new
broken window

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

the old house
has a new
broken window

bottom quarter champion

                        fly
                  e
                u
              g
             n
           o
        t
FROG

old Border collie
twitches in its sleep
for the last time

                        fly
                  e
                u
              g
             n
           o
        t
FROG

old Border collie
twitches in its sleep
for the last time

Mikaela Vuglar

our mangy dog
left behind
unpacking

Whitley Sapp

alive on the
dissection table
1510

Mikaela Vuglar

                        fly
                  e
                u
              g
             n
           o
        t
FROG

Evan Chastain

TOP half champion

the old house
has a new
broken window

CHAMPIONTOP

pancake
ran over twice
the squirrel

BOTTOM half champion

pancake
ran over twice
the squirrel

Benjamin Woodcock

the duck pond
nobody else notices
the drug deal

Amanda Bivens

screams of terror
lobster tail
dinner

Whitley Sapp

startled awake
by the pounding of a drum
never at peace

Jakob Cihak

pancake
ran over twice
the squirrel

screams of terror
lobster tail
dinner

pancake
ran over twice
the squirrel

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

pancake
ran over twice
the squirrel

bottom quarter champion

my gift to him
a piece of my heart from
the shards on the floor

the demons in my mind
shake off their cobwebs
hello depression my old friend

love hurts
get over it
focus

Julia Peterson

my gift to him
a piece of my heart from
the shards on the floor

Amanda Bivens

the demons in my mind
shake off their cobwebs
hello depression my old friend

Amanda Bivens

staring
into the night sky
alone

Benjamin Woodcock

Reader Responses

puddle jumping rain boots all muddy Daryann Birt	boy's goldfish begins to swim again toilet flushing Whitley Sapp	prick the finger gentle red flow of blood brothers Connor Mendenhall	waiting for the school bus giggling neighbor girls Daryann Birt
This pair felt like very opposite in the direction of both but felt like a good pair is a weird way. The first one did a great job of displaying the scene and bring visuals to the reader. I could see yellow raincoats and boots being covered with every jump taken. I could hear children laughing in the ran and making games about jumping over it, but nobody ever jumped across it. I like how happy the scene was and the descriptive word muddy to help visualize how they look after their puddle jumping adventure. The goldfish haiku was sad and optimistic at the same time. On one hand, the fish is alive when you thought it was dead. On the other hand, you just flushed it down the toilet. I felt sad it was flushed but felt optimistic it would survive the flush and try living somewhere outside the plumping of its former house. It was a great visual experience and the flushing sound was nice to think about that added to the scene as well. This was my favorite pair and I enjoyed both of them equally. I voted for the goldfish one do to the comedic feeling around it, and it ended up winning as well. Evan Chastain, Spring 2019 I enjoyed these haiku because they take me back to a childhood like state. You can really picture and relate to both of these haiku. You have either done or seen these scenarios. I especially like the puddle jumping haiku because this displays childhood innocents. The goldfish haiku is also relatable because I believe most kids have a fish as a pet. One time to get my siblings and I to stop crying my mother bought us a beta fish. Mikaela Vuglar, Spring 2019		The reason I picked this haiku as a favorite is because of the wording used. I like how they used the word gentle for the red flow. It makes you see the vivid image of blood slowly running down someone finger. The first line kind of makes it seem like he is showing you how to join and become a blood brother, showing you must first prick your finger. Rene Sanchez, Spring 2019
	Response: I like this haiku because it is both funny, yet really sad. It reminds me of the movie Finding Nemo, when nemo fakes dying to try and get flushed down the toilet to make it back into the ocean. I had fish when I was little and had to flush them down the toilet. At the time I was really sad because I really liked the fish that I had. This haiku is sad because someone lost something close to them and its sad because “death” is involved. It is also sad because the fish actually wasn't dead and now the boy lost his fish because it got flushed anyways. This haiku is also funny because it seems like a crazy accident that is hard to believe that it happened. I like this haiku because it uses different emotions but also tugs at the heart. Emily Reeves, Spring 2019
black scuff on the wall from our last fling Mikaela Vuglar	jumping tree to tree monkey business Mason Bruce	dog barks abruptly to the sudden door bell ring boy asks her to lunch Connor Mendenhall	momma lays close to the newborn puppies the laundry basket Emily Reeves
This pairing was my favorite of the Mido matching. Mido takes a more direct and optimistic approach to haiku. In both haiku, there is a negative energy or situation but there is a bit of hope at the end. For example, acknowledging a scuff, or a scar physically or emotionally, you always remember the positive. In the first haiku, there is mention of the hardships a couple has gone through but the wording of “our last fling” leaves hope that the flings are continuous and there is still a change that the scuff could be repaired. In the second haiku, jumping tree to tree symbolizes avoiding something and running away from an unwanted person, thing, or situation. Coming down to the last line, monkey business refers to light hearted shenanigans, keeping the situation light hearted. As for a pair, these two stuck out to me the most because they are both about a past situation that was difficult but ends with a light hearted form of hope. Both use the first two lines to leave the reader guessing and then surprise them with a sift into optimism, much unlike Kuro. Mido was my personal favorite form of haiku because I choose to look on the bright side of things as much as possible. Everyday is a new day and a chance to create a more positive outcome from any situation. Breana Bagley, Spring 2019 I enjoyed this pairing because of the sense of playful and reckless abandon in both haiku. Both of the stories of the haiku are left to interpretation. Perhaps the people scuffing the wall are in a form of monkey business. Maybe the relationship feels like monkey business, like nothing is really ever going to go anywhere, but they will still fool around and be chaotic. Connor Mendenhall, Spring 2019

the red-tail hawk soars rocking with the breeze Evan Chastain	country summer taking my horse to the old town road Benjamin Woodcock	isolated a caterpillar wiggles in its cocoon Jakob Cihak	snuggled up with a good book rain hitting the roof Emily Reeves
I enjoy rural haiku. Both of these poems take me to the country. The two animals in these haiku are majestic in their own way. The soaring motion of the red-tail hawk contrasts with the galloping of the horse. I imagine sunshine and warm weather in both of these haiku. Whitley Sapp, Spring 2019		This was one of the most difficult pairings for me to choose from when we last did our Kukai! I love both of these haiku because the subjects feel comfortable and secure, and they are both on their own. The image of the caterpillar in the cocoon gives the impression that it's being protected and shielded by something rigid. The fact that it "wiggles" in its cocoon is not only a nice, soft contrast between the tough cocoon, it's also a very adorable image. The subject in the second haiku seems to be protected by something softer, which is indicated by the word "snuggled". The introduction of sound in this haiku with "rain hitting the roof" is a clever way to add an additional sense of calm to this haiku. One primary difference between these haiku is that while the person who is snuggled up seems to be content in their environment, the caterpillar seems to be wiggling in its isolated cocoon because it's ready to leave its environment. If I had to put a label on this pairing, I would call them "the cuddly haiku"! Ariya Hawkins, Spring 2019 I like this matched pair because they both made me feel the exact same feeling. They’re both very relaxing. I read the first one as if the caterpillar was a person snuggled in a blanket. I think I might have read it differently had it not been matched with the second haiku. The cocoon in the first haiku, and the first line of the second really reinforced the relaxed feel. Benjamin Woodcock, Spring 2019
boy's goldfish begins to swim again toilet flushing Whitley Sapp	prick the finger gentle red flow of blood brothers Connor Mendenhall	puddle jumping rain boots all muddy Daryann Birt	snuggled up with a good book rain hitting the roof Emily Reeves
I like these two because they both have good movement and can make you see the movement when you read them. You can see the swirling of the toilet and the slow movement of the blood running out of the finger after a prick of the needle. Daryann Birt, Spring 2019		I like these two as a matched pair because of the rain. When I read both of these haiku, I can hear the rain pouring down. I also like the movement of the water, and the easy going feeling that I get when I read them both. I'm envious of anyone who has time to just sit down and truly enjoy a good book right now. Amanda Bivens, Spring 2019
store-bought cake brother's blue tongue Whitley Sapp	alcohol the right way words off my chest Julia Peterson	just like a gem a girl and her pearls Breana Bagley	Christmas lights completely still shimmering in the night Julia Peterson
			I enjoyed this haiku because the language and the imagery present within it. In my mind I can see this picture so vividly because of the spirt of Christmas. The glimmering lights and the energy surrounding the holidays is very impactful for individuals. This relates to the haiku because of stillness and shimmering lights in the nighttime. It creates and aura that is calming and oh so beautiful. I can see myself riding through town without a real sense of direction in search of holiday decorations. It’s a wonderful time in the year and people like to bring attention to what they have to offer. Mason Bruce, Spring 2019

Kuro Matching Contest - 4 - Spring 2019 • Millikin University

the old house has a new broken window Evan Chastain	the picture hanging on the wall crooked Emily Reeves	overgrown weeds they cover the headstone Evan Chastain	the black cat sitting on the grave of the owner Emily Reeves
Although I am not a huge fan of the Kuro method of haiku, this was my favorite pairing. Kuro method of writing haiku involves no optimism and honestly makes situations darker than they need to be, in my opinion. For instance, in the first haiku you feel as though you may be getting away from a bad situation by leaving the old home behind, but then the bad vibes follow you with the new window that is just as broken. As for the second haiku, the first line paints a photo that the haiku may hold positive feelings by talking about a photo. I imagine a family photo hanging in the hall of a home, picturing a happy family that lives there. In true family fashion, the last two lines reveal that there is more to a photo than what there seems to be, and often that is unhappiness or troublesome situations. Breana Bagley, Spring 2019 These haiku both create an image. With the first haiku, I picture a singular white house at the end of a road. The paint is chipping and one pair of shutters is missing. This house is loved but has many kids living within it. The broken window was not meant to be destructive but simply an accident. Within the second haiku, I picture a family portrait on a yellow, beat up wall.The chaos of having a young family has caused this crooked picture but the love and laughter is still present in this haiku. Mikaela Vuglar, Spring 2019		These are both dark haiku. I get a feeling of sadness from them but for different reasons, the first because the person has possibly been forgotten, and the second because the person hasn’t been forgotten by their cat. For the second one, I imagine people being creeped out by seeing a black cat in the cemetery, but in reality, it just misses its owner. I’m not sure why, but graveyards are one of my favorite settings for haiku. Benjamin Woodcock, Spring 2019 Response: This haiku screams Kuro's advice to me. There's so much darkness in just three simple lines. There's a heaviness and a darkness just because it involves death, but it seems to get so much darker because the headstone is almost no longer visible due to the weeds. This means that no one has come to the grave in a really long time, or at all. Maybe people are too upset to come to the site or are just too busy with their own lives to come and pay respect. It is interesting though that even if people didn't come to the headstone that the groundskeeper hasn't removed the weeds. I think of Kuro's reasonings when I try to think why people wouldn't come to the headstone. Maybe people think there's no point in going. Whatever the case, it is really sad. I like this haiku because I think it really follows Kuro's advice for writing haiku. Emily Reeves, Spring 2019
I like this haiku, because it uses both old and new in one sentence. The first line gives you a setting and an image of an old broken-down house. Then the next line makes it seem like something new on the house is being added, then the last line comes, and it is just another broken window. This gives you mixed emotions. Rene Sanchez, Spring 2019
old Border collie twitches in its sleep for the last time Mikaela Vuglar	our mangy dog left behind unpacking Whitley Sapp	alive on the dissection table 1510 Mikaela Vuglar	fly e u g n o t FROG Evan Chastain
I like these two haiku as a pair because they are both dark, but in different ways. One of them is about rejection of a dog, while the other suggests a more loving theme. When I read Mikaela’s haiku, I imagine a family dog being peacefully put to sleep. With my haiku, I intended the feeling to be darker--as if the family had to leave their dog behind as they moved to a new home. Whitley Sapp, Spring 2019

pancake ran over twice the squirrel Benjamin Woodcock	the duck pond nobody else notices the drug deal Amanda Bivens	screams of terror lobster tail dinner Whitley Sapp	startled awake by the pounding of a drum never at peace Jakob Cihak
This was a wonderfully odd haiku pairing, because they both happen to feature animals and immoral/taboo acts. The word "pancake" doesn't initially fit into the first haiku until you've read the very last line, but as soon as you get context for it, the full piece is both funny and tragic. In the second haiku, the most important line is at the end and forces the reader to see the past the ducks in the pond and brings attention to the inappropriate action occurring in the background. Both of these haiku also feature distracted people. While the first haiku shows a distracted driver making the mistake of running over the same squirrel twice, the second haiku about the duck pond uses the animals as a distraction. Ariya Hawkins, Spring 2019 I was drawn to this haiku because how simplistic it was and how it relates so well to Kuro approach. This wasn’t a very involved haiku but how it develops throughout you really don’t know what is going on. After reviewing the haiku, you know exactly what the message that is being conveyed. Most see it on a day in and day out basis and think nothing of it. Now that it is put into word form it is that much sadder to think about. I also like the connection to a pancake and that of road kill. Mason Bruce, Spring 2019
pancake ran over twice the squirrel Benjamin Woodcock	screams of terror lobster tail dinner Whitley Sapp	the old house has a new broken window Evan Chastain	pancake ran over twice the squirrel Benjamin Woodcock
These two haiku when reading them give you a very good sound or when you read them it is very easy to hear the sounds of the lobster and the car tires when it runs over the squirrel. Daryann Birt, Spring 2019 I liked these two as match because they are both about the demise of animals, if you can call a lobster an animal. I imagine that the squirrel probably screamed as loudly as the lobster did in the final few moments of his life before he became a pancake. The screaming also reminds me of car tires squealing before the squirrel is run over, because I'm one of those weirdos that brakes for squirrels. Amanda Bivens, Spring 2019 This is a good pairing because of the slightly humorous ways these animal's deaths are described in. Both haiku start off with a line that would be hard to associate with an animal. In fact, the word “scream” being associated to an animal really captures a sense of surprise for the rest of the haiku. Finally, since both haiku find humor in situations involving death of these animals, that is why I find them to be the best pair. Connor Mendenhall, Spring 2019		I wrote the one about the house, but that isn’t the reason I picked this as my favorite. I like the squirrel haiku because it felt like a roller coaster. First, you get the image of pancakes. That made me think of breakfast at my grandparent’s house. I could hear the sizzle and iron skillets on the stove. Then, it is run over twice. At this point, I was about as confused as you could get. I’ve never ran over a pancake, let alone twice. Finally, the squirrel ties it all together. I went from a cozy breakfast to a squirrel that didn’t cross the road in time. I thought it was a funny twist, and not due to the death of the squirrel. I related to it as well because my dad hates squirrels. They eat the vegetables from his garden, and it has become an annual war to protect the plants. The house was written by me, and I just wanted to create a scene that was easily recognizable. I also wanted to contrast the old house with a new addition. I was picturing an abandoned house that was creepy that no one walked by. Overall, I liked both haiku for different reasons and it so happened to be the final round. They both were good in my eyes and I liked reading both. Evan Chastain, Spring 2019

love hurts get over it focus Julia Peterson	my gift to him a piece of my heart from the shards on the floor Amanda Bivens	the demons in my mind shake off their cobwebs hello depression my old friend Amanda Bivens	staring into the night sky alone Benjamin Woodcock