Global Haiku • Spring 2019
Dr. Randy Brooks

Mud Puddles

by
Ariya Hawkins

This is my first experience with writing haiku, and the process of learning the origins of the art form, reading and writing haiku, and sharing that works with others has not only been eye-opening, it's been rewarding. I've written poetry throughout my entire life, but I've always struggled to create focused images for the reader to follow. Learning to write haiku in a classroom setting gave me the chance to practice writing in this way, and I've discovered that my ability to create an image through language has been greatly affected by writing haiku.

My haiku tend to be centered around the people that I observe. I've written several haiku about my parents, close friends, and even strangers that capture my attention. I'm fascinated with the ways that other people move through the world and how their actions differ from my own. I tend to write about things that I admire in the other person, since these are the traits that I'd like to share with the world through my haiku. I also tend to write haiku about objects that I interact with, but I try as often as possible to remove myself as the subject of my haiku. I find it more engaging as both a writer an a reader to experience the images that the haiku provides, and then determine whether or not the experience is my own or someone else's. This allows the reader to see themselves in the image if it resonates with them, or it allows the reader to be an observer the way that I am.

I chose to title this first collection "Mud Puddles" for a few specific reasons. This was a line featured in one of the earlier haiku that I wrote, and it was the first haiku that I felt especially proud of. The image of a mud puddle is messy and without shape, but is also something that has the freedom to be messy and not fully formed. While many adults avoid mud puddles, children and people with a lighthearted spirit love jumping around in them! Having mud on a pair of shoes is a sign that you have worked, you have explored, you haven't been afraid to get a little messy. I see my introduction into haiku as an exploration, and while there were moments where I struggled, I found joy and excitement in all of the beautiful messes I made.

Please enjoy this collection of some of my favorite haiku. As you read, remind yourself to read closely, explore, and enjoy the mess!

fingerprints in dust
dad's album covers
crates crowd the livingroom floor

home alone
I sing lullabies
to the dog

peppermint
a cool inhale
a first date

palms pressed together
she teaches me
the 7 chakras

fresh Sharpie
my protest sign
scent of permanence

midmorning opera
the birds perform
as I sip my coffee

blue balloon
begins to blend
with the ever-widening sky

moonflower . . .
her smile
peeks through purple lipstick

long hair
chopped off
her power comes from elsewhere