first date
what do I wear
what do I order

Ashley Christensen

This haiku reminds me my first date. I was so nervous. I remember I bought a dress because I did not figure out what to wear. Pascaline Muhindagiga, Spring 2020

the first love
I still hold in my heart
the one i would break all the rules for

Paige Boomer (7)

I believe this haiku is very accurate, because I would break all the rules for my first true love. I remember sneaking out at night or staying out past my curfew, because I just wanted to be with him. My parents would get so upset with me and try to ground me, but nothing was going to stop me from being with him. I will always remember him in my memory and in my heart. I believe the first true loves are important, because they teach you some valuable lessons. I will never forget about him, because he taught me what I do and don't want in a relationship. Important life lessons were learned from my first true love, and he will always stay in my heart. Erika Castanon, Spring 2020

crickets chirp
from my phone
drifting into sleep

I feel his hands
slipping through mine,
I can’t look back

Ashley Christensen (5)

shuffling
through the mailbox
for that one giant envelope

4 am
lights flashing from the window
dead silence

lonely
watching the stars
in silence . . .

Erika Castanon (6)

This haiku gives a picture of myself. When I am back home, at night, I usually sit on balcony alone, meditating by watching the stars. Pascaline Muhindagiga, Spring 2020

I see him
in class
my heart stops

in the garage
beneath piles of junk
a deflated basketball

holding on
afraid to let go
of his hand

wrinkled hands
the wake ends
          I have to let go

outside the bar
two old friends
ash cigarettes in the snow

Kevin Escobar (8)

This poem has such a strong visual to it. I imagined two people, cold, surrounded by strangers and the snow however they were not bothered by this snow. They were just happy to talk and catch up on life. When I read the last line, I could hear the cigarettes sizzle in the now melted snow. Ashley Christensen, Spring 2020

so loud, so bright
I find peace
in the greenhouse

Shania Dvorak (5)

the backseat
a space shuttle to the moon
are we there yet?

Niki Curatti (7)

last picked.
the big kids
don’t see me coming

Niki Curatti (7)

As a kid I was never one for sports, so this haiku was quite relatable to me. This haiku screams determination and grit. I think of a little boy up at bat, ready to prove everybody wrong. It’s a coming of age haiku that makes me root for the person thinking this though. I enjoy that period. It feels like a moment the thinker is saying, ‘this isn’t what I wanted to happen, but just wait until I show you all I can do.’ Grace Newton, Spring 2020

one arm per child
a mother reads
bedtime stories

Niki Curatti (10)

I really enjoyed reading this one because it made me go back and reflect on my childhood. When my twin and I were young my mom would always read to us before going to bed and I can remember my sister and I both fighting over who could sit the closest to her and when I read “one arm per child” I imagined my mom having each of us under an arm. Ashley Christensen, Spring 2020

I really love the balance this haiku creates with the two children being on either side of their mother in bed. I imagine the mother finishing up her story as the children have just drifted into sleep. She wants to get up to let them sleep, but also doesn’t want to risk waking them. So instead, she’ll just lay there for a few more minutes to watch them and make sure that they won’t wake up. This haiku really creates a peaceful image because of how well it shows the loving relationship between the children and the mother. Kevin Escobar, Spring 2020

orange, pink, purple
it’s like He painted the sky
just for me

Shania Dvorak (5)

the rose bush
kissed me
with its thorns

Shania Dvorak (6)

ice cream
sticky and sweet
I’m lactose intolerant

Grace Newton (7)

running up the stairs
slammed door
I reverberate

Grace Newton (3)

losing sleep
I giggle on the carpet
fake tattoo

Grace Newton (5)

sacred water
washes over old sins
she is born anew

by half a step
she falls across the finish line
utter exhaustion

Hailey Wimberly

I used to run cross country, so when I read this poem for the first time I actually read it as crossing the finish line of a race. But you could also think of it as barley achieving a goal and finishing it exhausted. I chose this as one of my favorites because I was able to look at it in completely two different ways. Taylor Parola, Spring 2020

he kisses me
the grass
tickles the skin of my back

mosquito bites
itching.          the scent
of your cologne

Grace Newton (4)

falling asleep
on her warm lap
her nails through my hair

honeysuckle patches
in summer’s warmth
outline the path to grandmother’s

Hailey Wimberly (6)

you enter
I blush
. . . you don't even notice me

Hannah Watts

Okay I feel like every girl has thought about this about some kind of guy and we wear makeup for that person sometimes and then they don't even notice. And it can be frustrating but in the end we always get over it. Paige Boomer, Spring 2020

hugging her mother’s legs
the wind blows
through the leaves

under the blanket
taking turns telling stories
about childhood

Jared Chapman (7)

this reminds me of the incredible feeling of falling in love with someone. It reminds me of the beauty of being vulnerable with another person. It feels so warm. I have not felt like this in a very long time, so this one was a little sad to read, but beautiful nonetheless. Olivia Tharpe, Spring 2020

I enjoyed this haiku because this is something I often do when I stay with people and we can’t sleep. As we are trying to close our eyes for the night many conversations aspire. These conversations are often more personal and lead to stories about our childhood. This haiku was comforting and gave me feelings of warmth. Hannah Watts, Spring 2020

I stop in my tracks
don’t want to miss a moment
sunshine on his face

dressed to impress
interview
got my first job

we separate
I miss you . . . r
family the most

Hannah Watts (12)

I felt this haiku A LOT. I have an ex who’s family I was very involved with and I have said so many times since the break-up, how much I don’t miss him but his family over everything. It takes me back to the happy memories that I had with his family and the fact that I can still have a positive relationship with them. Morgan Timmons, Spring 2020

As I mentioned in class, i think this haiku is really clever formatting. The author plays with the spacing and spelling of the word your to create two opposing feelings in this haiku. "We separate establishes this sad overtone for the rest of the poem. And the author plays with the expectations that are set with the first and second line before the ellipses. This makes it seem like the author was changing their mind half way through their reflection to realize they miss the family of their ex-significant other more. Michael Santos, Spring 2020

sunshine
a snowflake
kisses my eyelash

Hope Klessig (5)

wedding photos
the groom’s mother
adjusts his bowtie

next to me
a couple making out . . .
          another drink

Kevin Escobar (9)

I like this one a lot because of the humour but also because it speaks to society's norms of being single and being bitter about a couple potentially in love. When in reality that couple needs to get it together and go make out in a dark corner. Paige Boomer, Spring 2020

holding her necklace
a shell
of who she used to be

Kevin Escobar (6)

moonlight serenade
slow dancing
in the street

Hope Klessig (12)

quick glance
across the bar
did they feel that too?

Hope Klessig (9)

I turn the pillow
cold on my face
relief

Taylor Parola (10)

this one hits really close to home because I always get so hot when I sleep. It makes me think of the summer and when the air conditioning unit was broken in my house. Olivia Tharpe, Spring 2020

heavy
the acceptance
letter sits

I’m known
to walk alone
for a reason

you can lead her to college
but you can’t
make her think

Jada Miller (4)

never motherless
sometimes
fatherless

Jada Miller (11)

long day
sigh . . .
I unbutton jeans

Taylor Parola (10)

I liked this one because it was so relatable. I hate wearing tight clothing and it's even worse when you have to wear it for the full day. By the end of the day, you are bloated and can't wait to slide out of the tight jeans and put comfy sweats on. Hope Klessig, Spring 2020

song from my childhood
do you still remember this?
she askes

Pascaline Muhindagiga (8)

I talked about this one in class, but this haiku makes me giggle because this happens to me all the time. In the car my sister and mom and I will play songs from the early 2000s and sing and dance along to them as we drive because they remind us of tv shows we used to love, or they’re silly now that they’re a little outdated. I really enjoy the relatability of this haiku and how it makes me think of both my present and my past. Grace Newton, Spring 2020

on the life-stained sofa
a family meeting
my parents come out to me

Pat-rice Rooney (3)

Ben & Jerry
the best wingmen
when he doesn't call

Pat-rice Rooney (8)

don't forget the dishes
and the laundry
P. S. I love you

only 12
first Pads
am I old enough?

little girl!
she
watches me sleep

embracing lilacs
hold me
while I cry

Jared Chapman (9)

This haiku is really smart. I love how you can take the line “hold me” as a command to an unknown person or as an action that the lilacs are taking. I was able to see and smell the lilacs in the first line. I was able to read the third line and also want to be held. It’s a beautiful yet tragic haiku. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020

I like this one because you can interpret it different ways. One way is that the lilacs are actually embracing the other. Another way is that the author is embracing the lilacs and asking someone else to hold them while they cry. Hope Klessig, Spring 2020

door creaks
wind howls
I don’t care.

fraying blanket
I find myself
unraveling with it

Kevin Escobar (7)

hush in the audience
as the lights rise . . .
          candy wrapper

Kevin Escobar (4)

school bell
the preschooler makes sure
to leave no man behind

Kevin Escobar (4)

leaves crunch
your hand touches mine
tingles

duck down
duck up
did he see us?

Paige Boomer (13)

I enjoyed this poem because it made me think of two children that were spying on a parent or causing trouble but they were trying to hid so they didn’t get caught. I found this poem to be light, easy to read as well as easy to interperate. Ashley Christensen, Spring 2020

noisy high school hallway
I quietly come out
to myself

Kevin Escobar (6)

he held me close
and I thought
I don't want this anymore

Paige Boomer (17)

This haiku is very relatable in some ways. I tend to push people away whenever they start to get close. It's from the fear of getting hurt. I have met many people in my generation who feel the same way. Once being hurt it’s hard to come back from that and let someone new in with complete trust. Taylor Parola, Spring 2020

roof top
cloudy evening
we cry together

you forgot?
I drop the phone
and sink away

the house across the street
vacant
except the mailbox

Kevin Escobar (4)

torn and wrinkled
our poem
framed

Shania Dvorak (4)

bowling with the family
mom's shoes
a little too slippery

Pat-rice Rooney (5)

This haiku brought back a fun memory for me. I thought back to the times that my brother and cousins and I would go bowling with my grandparents. Papa was a great bowler, but Gramma would never bowl because of her “crooked arm”. She really does have a crooked arm, which made it difficult for her to bowl, but we would beg her to do it anyway. She was always a great sport and if anything, would be our biggest fans on the sidelines. I’m grateful that this haiku brought this back to me. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020

the hammock
sways rhythmically
the beat of the wind

Shania Dvorak (4)

"R + J" in a heart
carved into the table
scribbled out

Pat-rice Rooney (3)

the lighthouse
seen through the storm
her mother’s smile

Shania Dvorak (10)

I love this haiku because it reminds me of my mother and how much she has done to help me through my worst times. The image of the lighthouse in the storm is strong because it serves as a metaphor for this woman’s mother helping her through her worst times, but it can also be interpreted literally. The storm is raging and it’s cold and wet and miserable, but even though it’s storming, the mother is still smiling, creating a brief moment of warmth. Kevin Escobar, Spring 2020

your name
carved into stone
can you hear me?

Pat-rice Rooney (9)

feet up
reading poetry
procrastinating

black tie event
another life
remembered . . .

sitting in a room
filled with books
nothing to read

Dalton Glasco (6)

I really liked this Haiku because it made me think of an article I had recently read and it's about consumers choices and how too many options tend to scare people or make them more options. I also have a lot of books at home because I love books but I'm always afraid to star tone in case it's actually bad. Paige Boomer, Spring 2020

a crackling fire
my date
with Jack Daniels

rain patters
on a tin roof
a blanket fort

Pat-rice Rooney (13)

this haiku reminds me of many rainy afternoons spent making forts, with my brothers, in our grandparents basement. Going to my grandparents house was one of my favorite things. We loved using our imaginations and creating cozy little forts. Olivia Tharpe, Spring 2020

I like the thinginess of this haiku. The sound is so vivid, and the feeling of making a blanket fort as kid when it stormed was my favorite thing to do with my siblings. Sound is such an interesting sense to paly with in writing, and I think this encompasses that sound perfectly. This haiku just brings back great memories of childhood and the time spent with loved ones who are so dear to my heart. Grace Newton, Spring 2020

This once is sweet. It reminds me of my childhood. The nights where you couldn't camp outside, so dad helped make a fort for you and your siblings inside. I also love the image of rain bouncing on a tin roof and the sound. Hope Klessig, Spring 2020

wind blowing
feeling the weight
of my eyes

greeted at the door
old age
tail no longer wags

Hannah Watts (7)

week by week
a new bed
to lay my head

Morgan Timmons (5)

the park bench
I tune everyone out
to think

Ashley Christensen

This haiku sort of makes me feel very frustrated. There was a times when I was incredibly stressed and I just couldn’t deal with the noise of campus anymore, so I decided to go for a walk in Fairview to calm myself down. When I got to the park, I tried to find a quiet place to sit and just be with my thoughts, but everywhere I sat there was still noise from other people. Children on the playground, a baseball team practicing, joggers without headphones. I finally found a bench with no one around and was finally able to just sit and breathe. Kevin Escobar, Spring 2020

a long drive
each building passes
through my window

amongst the chaos
time stands still . . .
on that hospital floor

Ashley Christensen (8)

This haiku is very true and relatable in a hospital setting. When working or at clinical everything feels so rushed and there is never time to stand still. When my grandma fell and had to get brain surgery I felt like time didn’t move at all. Her surgery felt like it went on forever. Fearing the worst makes time stand still. Taylor Parola, Spring 2020

you wrap me
in the word
special

the street lights
out
time to be home

dressed in battle attire
we assume position
table for two?

Grace Newton (6)

another delivery
a package without a return address
no way back home

Grace Newton (7)

I blink
he left
life in shambles

backroads
listening to music
alone . . .

familiar arms
they fit
no map necessary

Grace Newton (7)

I really enjoyed this haiku, because it made me think of coming home from college and hugging my family. The first thing I do when I haven't seen my mom for a while is give her a hug. She gives me some of the best hugs, and it always just feels right. She has raised me for twenty years now, and I know what her hugs feel like. I also believe this haiku can be about someone being in a relationship. They could be hugging their significant other, and they don't need a map because they know their body. I can really feel the emotion in this haiku, and it makes me think of my mom. Erika Castanon, Spring 2020

night sky
we play connect the dots

Hailey Wimberly (11)

I like this haiku because I am able to picture myself in the summer nights laying under the stars. During the summer I often drive out to the country and star gaze while talking with my friends or my boyfriend. We often try to find and identify the different constellations. This haiku is a very playful way of staying that and I like how it gives an interactive description. Hannah Watts, Spring 2020

Response 3: I loved the way the haiku is written. I love the fact that it only has two lines and the second one in the longest. I also relate to the words in the poem. As I child, I would go outside and literally play connect the dots with the stars in the sky. After taking an astrology class, I understand why I was able to play connect the dots with those stars. I remember those days and I truly miss them! Jada Miller, Spring 2020

I really enjoy this poem because it plays with the haiku usual format. Instead of three lines of text, it is just two. Yet it still functions as a one breath poem, much like the last of the School's Out poems I reflected on. I also enjoy the childlike enjoyment of playing connect the dots with stars in the night sky. The author is with someone when they do this so perhaps this a special game and experience the two share. Michael Santos, Spring 2020

This is a lovely haiku. It reminds me of good times, it’s playful, and the way it is written makes a lot of sense. It’s simple in its words, but complex in its actions. It’s a vast and open “night sky” line, but a connected and detailed second line. I enjoyed reading this a lot. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020

the sun rising through the window
we quickly rush
to the pier

spinning out of control,
no one on it
notices

Niki Curatti (6)

unconditional love
I’ll never forget
thanks mom.

Jada Miller (15)

This haiku was very important to me. After reading it I instantly wanted to hug my mom and thank her for everything. My mom and I have grown to be very close over the years, especially since having started college. No matter what my mom has always been there for me and continues to support me and cheer me in through out life. Everything I am I owe to my parents and this haiku does a great job of making you take a second to really appreciate a relationship like that. Hannah Watts, Spring 2020

This is my favorite haiku that I’ve wrote thus far. My mom and I are beyond close. Out of all the things my mom has taught me in my 20 years of living, my favorite of them all is how to love unconditionally. My mom has shown me unconditional love all of my life and like the haiku stated, I’ll never forget. I appreciate all the moments that I’ve had with my mom and I hope she stays here forever and ever. Jada Miller, Spring 2020

I related to this haiku a lot because my mom is the most important to me in my life. She has never left me and never let me forget how much I love her. Although she was not there a lot when I was a child due to her being a single mother, I always knew how much she loved me unconditionally. She has shown me how to love unconditionally, so I really related to this. Morgan Timmons, Spring 2020

A mother’s love is eternal and unconditiona. I will always thans my mom because since I was born my she always takes care. She calls every single day to make sure if I am fine. She gives advises about life; she is always present when I need her. I just can’t forget her love. Pascaline Muhindagiga, Spring 2020

he holds her in his arms
showing her the world
that she would grow up in

Niki Curatti (4)

packing away old clothes
into boxes and tubs
a new life

Hailey Wimberly (6)

I think of the sun
who gets to see you
every day

Morgan Timmons (8)

your lips
made me forget
how to speak

blue spinning lights
I cry in my
mothers arms

somewhere along the way
I lost the love
for myself

Morgan Timmons (8)

I really liked this haiku, because I feel like people do lose the love for themselves at some point in their life. I lost the love for myself my sophomore year of college, and I’m slowly starting to get it back. I gained weight my freshman year of college, and I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror. I was constantly beating myself up about my weight, and how I thought I looked fat. I finally took matters into my own hands, and started to go to the gym. It has been a journey, but I’m starting to find the love for myself again. I feel like people do lose themselves from time to time, but thats okay! It is a life lesson and it only made me a stronger person. Erika Castanon, Spring 2020

wheel turning:
I teach myself
how to ride

we laugh.
the moonlight
paints your face

he holds my hand
asks a question
would you dance with me?

high school
surrounded by nuns
oh shit! I can’t go any where

February stretches on
homesick
I want to breathe again

the bags under my eyes
are designer

Olivia Tharpe (11)

This haiku also also changes the format of a standard haiku poem. Despite it being just two lines, this poem is still just as effective. I also laughed out loud when I read this for the first time. People are so worried about the way they look and the clothes they wear. This haiku plays with the expectation of the word designer meant to describe something fancy and expensive. The author labels the bags under hey eyes as designer is a playful use of these words. Michael Santos, Spring 2020

I miss you
daily phone calls
to grandma's house

tv static
I recline the chair
legs up

couples pass
arm in arm
I cross mine . . . alone

staring in the mirror
were those wrinkles there
yesterday?

Halloween night.
ding dong ditching
the neighbors

spring cleaning
a sweater from him
out with the trash

Kevin Escobar (7)

This haiku really hit home for me. Last spring was the end of a very toxic relationship for me. I ended the relationship as my sophomore year of college ended, which was the springtime. When I got back home to St. Louis, I remember cleaning out a lot of my drawers and my closet and I spotted a few shirts from him, and I did just what the haiku explained. “A sweater from him, out with the trash”. Jada Miller, Spring 2020

I had recently gone through things from my ex and found a sweatshirt that was his that was never given back. I found all the stuff that was given to me by him and I thought about how the memories that were so positive were now negative and how I just wanted to rid tangible thing from - but also rid the memories that were engraved in my brain. Morgan Timmons, Spring 2020

newlywed couple
slow dance
wine stain on her dress

Kevin Escobar (5)

quiet bookstore
I pull out one
          the rest
                     topple
                             over

Kevin Escobar (16)