I look
out the window
too early for a run

Grace Newton

first stretch
everything in my body
cracks

Kevin Escobar

stretching
trying not to fart
yoga

Erika Castanon

my branches
swaying in the wind
tree pose

Shania Dvorak

first stretch
everything in my body
cracks

my branches
swaying in the wind
tree pose

first stretch
everything in my body
cracks

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

first stretch
everything in my body
cracks

bottom quarter champion

running
through the trails
lost in my headphones

running
through the trails
lost in my headphones

working out
my relationship
in the gym

running
through the trails
lost in my headphones

Bre Johnson

open trail
warm sun
between the lake

Ashley Christensen

my problems
chasing me
on the treadmill

Shania Dvorak

working out
my relationship
in the gym

Jada Miller

TOP half champion

first stretch
everything in my body
cracks

CHAMPION & GRAND CHAMPION

they lose their heads,
their arms, their legs,
animal crackers.

they lose their heads,
their arms, their legs,
animal crackers.

BOTTOM half champion

wriggly worms
wiggle in my hand
sweet or sour

Michael Santos

they lose their heads,
their arms, their legs,
animal crackers.

Niki Curatti

fresh greens
in my blender
longing for a cheeseburger

Erika Castanon

sitting at a restaurant
enjoying a salad
are they judging me?

Dalton Glasco

they lose their heads,
their arms, their legs,
animal crackers.

fresh greens
in my blender
longing for a cheeseburger

they lose their heads,
their arms, their legs,
animal crackers.

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

they lose their heads,
their arms, their legs,
animal crackers.

bottom quarter champion

warm or cold
rain or shine
ice cream

standing on a scale
I lost weight!
in the mirror . . . still dissatisfied

warm or cold
rain or shine
ice cream

weights at my feet
glancing around
to make sure no one’s watching

Kevin Escobar

standing on a scale
I lost weight!
in the mirror . . . still dissatisfied

Dalton Glasco

warm or cold
rain or shine
ice cream

Shania Dvorak

warmth of steam
rises from the pan
and reaches my face

Hailey Wimberly

I pull on the strings
of his sweatshirt.
like a marionette, he follows

Niki Curatti

peeling off a face mask
cleaning off
the week

Grace Newton

weaving through
the conversation
on the staircase

Kevin Escobar

the smell of buffalo wings
lingering
down the hall

Ashley Christensen

I pull on the strings
of his sweatshirt.
like a marionette, he follows

weaving through
the conversation
on the staircase

I pull on the strings
of his sweatshirt.
like a marionette, he follows

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

I pull on the strings
of his sweatshirt.
like a marionette, he follows

bottom quarter champion

falling snowflakes
carry with them
stillness

falling snowflakes
carry with them
stillness

parents
open arms
standing in the doorway

falling snowflakes
carry with them
stillness

Niki Curatti

windblown face
scrunched nose
walking in the winter snow

Morgan Timmons

at first
the parents weren't missed
now I long for my mother's hug

Paige Boomer

parents
open arms
standing in the doorway

Hannah Watts

TOP half champion

I pull on the strings
of his sweatshirt.
like a marionette, he follows

CHAMPION

I pull on the strings
of his sweatshirt.
like a marionette, he follows
 

they pull me out
blow off the dust
and return me to the shelf

BOTTOM half champion

walking into class
I hear
my friend's voice

Hope Klessig

whirling around the dorm
the space
we started in

Morgan Timmons

alarm clock sounds
not wanting to awake
stay

Bre Johnson

dozing off
pencil fallen
where has the day gone

Bre Johnson

walking into class
I hear
my friend's voice

dozing off
pencil fallen
where has the day gone

dozing off
pencil fallen
where has the day gone

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

they pull me out
blow off the dust
and return me to the shelf

bottom quarter champion

they pull me out
blow off the dust
and return me to the shelf

they pull me out
blow off the dust
and return me to the shelf

i finish
my conclusion
at dawn

they pull me out
blow off the dust
and return me to the shelf

Dalton Glasco

back of the class
squinting to see
the illegible chalkboard

Kevin Escobar

late night studying
my only friends
the train and the moon

Shania Dvorak

i finish
my conclusion
at dawn

Kevin Escobar

working out
my relationship
in the gym

Jada Miller

running
through the trails
lost in my headphones

Bre Johnson

first stretch
everything in my body
cracks

Kevin Escobar

my branches
swaying in the wind
tree pose

Shania Dvorak

These two haikus were both strongly similar by two different authors. Both use exercise as some type of escape, to either forget or think through. I loved how both haikus had a twist with words. Also most people can relate to doing this while going to the gym and working out. That is why this pair is my favorite. I often go to the gym to relax. Either working through my problems or potentially escaping from them. Taylor Parola, Spring 2020

Both of these resonated with me on different levels. I can almost feel the stretch, and cracks, when reading the first haiku. My body always seems to crack when bending, or stretching, so the sense of feeling came about while reading this aloud. The second haiku has a calming aura to it. It creates a sense of free falling, and becoming free from everything. Bre Johnson, Spring 2020

I really enjoyed this second pairing of these poems specifically the words "crack" and "Branches" I got such a clear crisp crack from a tree  branch falling it was almost uncanny and even though the two poems really have nothing to do with actual trees, it was really nice that the two of them came together and created such a clear second image from each other. One their own, I never would have pictured anything in nature, but when you put the together it totally activates the sense of sound and I can hear a branch snapping as if it were right next to me. A very fun experience from two unrelated poems. Pat-rice Rooney, Spring 2020

they pull me out
blow off the dust
and return me to the shelf

Dalton Glasco

i finish
my conclusion
at dawn

Kevin Escobar

my problems
chasing me
on the treadmill

Shania Dvorak

working out
my relationship
in the gym

Jada Miller

I enjoyed these two individually a lot. The first haiku can apply to so many things and can evoke very juxtaposing emotions. It allows the reader to run with it and take it wherever they please. The second one is fairly straightforward. It’s concise, yet the reader doesn’t actually know what the context is. It wasn’t until this assignment that I truly compared the two. I ended up finding something very interesting. The first one is set up in the format of:

Beginning
Beginning
Ending

The second one is set up in the format of:

Ending
Ending
Beginning

This was exciting to find! It doesn’t necessarily mean anything but finding patterns within haiku allows the reader to dissect the haiku even further. It’s fascinating to know that there is no end to discovering new treasures within these poems. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020

I loved both of these and it was so hard to pick one over the other. First off, they're both very similar in terms of flow and phrasing. They both talk about the gym as well. I like the first one because the author chose to be on a treadmill instead of running on a trail. This way, like the belt on the treadmill, the problems keep repeating over and over and the author isn't getting away from them. In the second one, I love the play on words with "working out." Is the author talking about just working out physically or working out their relationship mentally?

I chose these two haiku as my favorite matched pair. The first one is mine, however, I liked how it paired alongside the other haiku. The first haiku suggests that problems are chasing the author. However, the problems keep re-occurring, the author cannot seem to outrun them. It has a darker presence because it seems to say that regardless of how far the author runs the problems are still tailing. The second haiku has a more optimistic look on life. It explains that a resolution is on the horizon. There is hope and there is an end in sight to the issues that are facing the author. It also promotes healthy coping by suggesting working out as a way to deal with issues in life. Both discuss how the gym can be a place of refuge, and a place to work out all of life’s issues. Shania Dvorak, Spring 2020

This was my favorite matched pair because they are both conveying the same thing, but in different contexts.  Both are displaying a person in the gym and they give almost a visual of how a person is running away from these problems or relationships.  The treadmill is a constant cycle of someone being chased, but the second one is working out their relationship somewhere else by relieving stress because they can't with their significant other.  They are similar in the way that they both are related to the gym and conflicting thoughts or relationships. Morgan Timmons, Spring 2020

wriggly worms
wiggle in my hand
sweet or sour

Michael Santos

they lose their heads,
their arms, their legs,
animal crackers.

Niki Curatti

weights at my feet
glancing around
to make sure no one’s watching

Kevin Escobar

standing on a scale
I lost weight!
in the mirror . . . still dissatisfied

Dalton Glasco

I love this matched pair because it feels very nostalgic. There is a childlike curiosity inherent in both of these haikus that takes me back to summers sitting outside eating a snack with my siblings. I enjoy the personification of both of these foods, and the idea that they both hold off on revealing what they truly are until the last line of the haiku. They keep the reader on their toes and offer a nice surprise at the very end. The fun, summery nature of these haikus puts me in the mood for sunshine, warmth, and a day at the beach with my family. Grace Newton, Spring 2020

These two are my favorite matched pair because they are both light and funny. I think that they were matched because of the sense of humor and realism both authors added when talking about food. The adjectives in the first poem make the worms sounds like they are real worms until the last line when you realize they are talking about gummy worms. The second poem is describing something losing arms legs and body parts which can come off concerning however the last line you know they are talking about food. Ashley Johnson, Spring 2020

This is my favorite matches pair because it gives life to some of my favorite snacks and candies. When reading the first haiku I could feel the gummy worms on my hand and just imagined them crawling around. I also enjoy both sour gummy worms and regular gummy worms, so this haiku just made me really happy. The bottom haiku I found very entertaining. Animal crackers are always a fun snack whether you are a child or an adult. People of all ages often play with them while eating them and it is fun to guess what animal it is especially when arms and legs are missing. I also imagined when you get to the bottom of the bag and all you see when you look in is a bunch of arms, legs, and heads that have been broken off over time. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these haiku and reminded me of the fun in some of the simple things in life. Hannah Watts, Spring 2020

I chose to talk about these two haiku from the matching contest. These two haiku really match up well, because they are both talking about working out. You could tell the authors were both writing about experiences in their lives. Both of these haiku have a lot of emotion, and the authors were expressing how they feel. These two haiku were very detailed and well organized. They both used excellent word choice, and really grabbed the readers attention. I can relate to both of these haiku, because I have experienced the same feelings. I’m always very self conscious when I’m at the gym working out, and I look around to make sure no one is watching me. I also have stood on a scale and saw that I have lost weight, but it doesn't feel like I have. Erika Castanon, Spring 2020

falling snowflakes
carry with them
stillness

Niki Curatti

windblown face
scrunched nose
walking in the winter snow

Morgan Timmons

at first
the parents weren't missed
now I long for my mother's hug

Paige Boomer

parents
open arms
standing in the doorway

Hannah Watts

I enjoy the similarity of the weather in these Haiku. They both discuss winter and snow instrumenting completely separate methods. One discusses the peaceful, stillness of the winter weather while the second has a more annoying connotation. This matched pair was my favorite because of that distinction of feelings. I did not know which I was going to vote for because one made me feel the calmness of the snow while the other made me chuckle because I relate to the nose-scrunching during cold weather. Both gave me imagery of walking to class, but, as previously stated, they do it in distinct ways. The first reminds me of a week or so ago when I was strolling on the sidewalk with friends noticing how beautiful the snow downpour was. The second, however, makes me feel as though I am late to class and the cold weather is only making it worse. Jared Chapman, Spring 2020

I chose this matched pair as my favorite because both of these haiku compliment and expand on each other. I imagine a college student reflecting on their first semester in college. The second haiku is a representation of coming back home after that first semester. The author attempts to rationalize that they had not initially longed for their parent, and then they came to accept their longing. All the while, the mother in this situation is waiting just as long missing and longing for their child to come home as represented by the open arms of the second haiku. Together, these haiku explore the dynamic feelings and relationships between a family separating for the first time. This separation and homesickness was something i could relate to, and that is partially why I chose this pair. Michael Santos, Spring 2020

they pull me out
blow off the dust
and return me to the shelf

Dalton Glasco

I really enjoy this Haiku because it plays with the subject of the Haiku. The author refers to themselves as "me" but the way they describe themselves is like they are a book. So the Haiku could be interpreted in multiple ways. They could be thinking of themselves as being a used object. Or someone who picks themselves up and gets it together and then puts themself in a better situation. Paige Boomer, Spring 2020