Haiku Kukai 5 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Spring 2020
sweatpants grasping my hips Niki Curatti (10) |
community garden Kevin Escobar (4) This was really sweet to me. My dad works for a health department and they focus on serving the community. They work hard to not only give people the tools and resources that they need, but also do their best to make their community a happier and healthier place for everyone. This community garden is doing just that. A community garden serves the community (big shock, huh) in very practical ways, but there’s always an opportunity to go one step above and put a smile on peoples faces. Those paper windmills were one way of doing that. The haiku did a wonderful job at conveying that message. It was hopeful and sweet. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
spring morning Michael Santos (7) This haiku was so cool! It not only poses for an interesting haiku topic and sounds good, but it reinvented this idea for me! I love when I read a haiku that assimilates two things and I think to myself “WOW, I’ve never thought of it that way!”. Now, when I see the light coming through my window and dancing around, I get to think of it as a little disco party. I also really enjoy when haiku take you one direction, throw you for a loop, and then tie it all together in the last line. What in the world do “spring morning” and “disco lights” have in common? The light coming through the tree! Very thoughtful, observant, and innovative! Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
like shingles on a roof
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basement cupboard |
on the stairs Olivia Tharpe (9) |
a crescent shape on the floor Niki Curatti (3) |
laundry taken down Kevin Escobar (7) |
spring cleaning Michael Santos (17) |
mint tea Niki Curatti (10) |
days like these Morgan Timmons (10) |
shabby haircuts Paige Boomer (5) |
clovers and dandelions . . . |
to my side Morgan Timmons (6) |
I’m sorry Shania Dvorak (7) |
grab my hand Niki Curatti (15) |
whirling my hair Morgan Timmons (7) |
I thought you were Shania Dvorak (7) While this haiku, I’m sure has a deeper meaning behind it, it made me think of famous people. We often look up to these “stars” and idolize them. They’re perfect, they’re so talented, and gorgeous, and rich, they have it all! But then we read on the news the next day that they cheated on their spouse, died of an overdose, or are going to jail on some crazy charge. This goes for the people in our personal lives as well. Sometimes we think people have it all together, but they end up having a lot going on on the inside that we don’t know about. This haiku is almost a reminder to all of us to focus on the more important things in life and to check up on others. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
a shady trail Dalton Glasco This haiku was very heavy to me. Not emotionally heavy, but verbally weighted. The words “shady” and “footprints” and “puddles” are all ones that are muddled. I liked how this haiku gives a lot of direction. The “trail” evokes a feeling that propels the reader forward. The words “footprints” and “behind” bring us back. Emotionally, this haiku led me to a feeling of endurance and trudging on no matter where we came from or what may lie ahead. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
the smell of spring Ashley Christensen (5) |
midnight headlights Jared Chapman (7) |
a cool spring night Dalton Glasco (8) |
spring breeze Ashley Christensen (6) |
the smell of cigarettes Jared Chapman (3) |
red blanket |
smell of the sea Ashley Christensen This haiku just shouted “sensory!”. I could smell the ocean, I could hear the waves, I could see how the shell popped out of the sand and caught my eye, I could feel the white sand beneath my feet. While this haiku didn’t have some complex undertones, causing me to think intensely about the meaning or the origin, it instead caused me to do exactly what the author wanted -relax. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
alone by the fire Jared Chapman (7) |
tiny coffeeshop Kevin Escobar (5) The use of font in this haiku was very cool. The “HELP WANTED” in all caps gives us an immediate picture. I love the phrase “faded from the sunlight”. It can take us in many different directions… maybe the coffee shop has been looking for an employee for a while? Maybe the coffee shop has been closed down for years and the sign still remains on the door? Who knows what the story may be. That “tiny coffee shop” feels nostalgic though and gives us all something to relate to. I also love the juxtaposition of the phrase “faded from the sunlight”. Faded seems to have a negative connotation, while sunshine is the epitome of positivity. If the sign had been “faded from the storm”, the haiku might’ve left us feeling sad, but because it was “faded from the sunshine”, it gave us a sense of peace. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
the sun comes out |
a breath of fresh air Grace Newton (7) This haiku has “spring” written all over it. During the winter, we bundle up, we stay inside, we keep to ourselves, and we practically become hermits. When the first signs of spring appear (in Illinois, this is when the weather hits above 30 degrees), we seem to all show up out of nowhere and blossom like flowers, or in this case, break free of our cocoons and emerge as something beautiful. That “breath of fresh air” was long awaited and much appreciated. Spring has sprung! Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
spring weather |
step by step Taylor Parola (13) |
packing away Grace Newton (6) |
sitting on the swing Kevin Escobar (6) I LOVED this haiku. A double vote from me! This spoke to many of my senses. I felt the wind blowing (causing the swing to move), I saw the swings, I heard the creak, and I emotionally felt the swings yearning. It was genius to think of the swing this way. The haiku could ultimately be alluding to the swing simply reflecting the emotions of the author at that moment. The swing was lonely for someone to sit on it, just as the author was lonely for someone to sit next to them. Maybe it was in some way comforting to the author to know that they weren't alone in their loneliness? Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
would you love me less? |
stretching through Grace Newton (8) This haiku was also a big indicator of spring for me. The trees lose their leaves in the winter and rest in the same positions until they can continue on with life in the spring. It’s that moment during the first signs of spring that I picture this haiku taking place. The haiku gives me a feeling of freedom, excitement, and opportunity. I can’t wait for this to start happening! Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
hugging the trunk |
ants Erika Castanon (6) |
newly hatched birds Jada Miller (4) |
we march forward Niki Curatti (5) |
waiting |
making my way through the hood Jada Miller This was such a goofy haiku. It made me giggle and brought a big smile to my face. A play off the song, this haiku incorporated pop culture and “actual” culture. I think there’s something to be said about how exclusive pop culture can be at times. Pop culture is often what’s “in” and what’s “in” isn’t always what most of the population can relate to. I think this is a fun haiku that opens up this song to more cultures than its origin. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
red and white checkers |
lonely night |
it’s spring |
sweaty and itchy Shania Dvorak (7) |
under the tree |
spring rain Olivia Tharpe (6) |
picnic blanket Shania Dvorak (10) |
windows down |
your eyes meet mine |
talking through other people I can't look at you Morgan Timmons (7) | he's gone Paige Boomer (12) |
met a man Taylor Parola (10) |
delicately made Hope Klessig (3) This was a sweet haiku. I love the imagery of this. Spider webs often have such a negative connotation. They’re “spooky”, they’re “dirty”, they “get in the way”. They’re truly works of art. They’re so fragile and detailed. They’re both a home and an incredible work of nature. I’m grateful for movies such as Charlotte’s Web because they shine positivity on things that are so often looked down upon. This haiku did a similar thing for spider webs. By its beautiful lines and positive association, it’s an advocate for this incredible natural art. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
freedom at last Hannah Watts (10) |
we used to hold hands |
staring in the mirror Hope Klessig (11) Oof, this one hit hard. It’s cold. And on both ends too. Staring is such a strong word and it’s used very purposefully in this haiku. She isn’t just taking off a necklace. This is a lot more symbolic than I can even begin to imagine. She’s intentionally making a deal out of taking off this necklace. There’s something going on in this relationship. There’s something going on in her mind as she’s doing this. I really like the dark ideas and questions that this haiku poses. It’s also written beautifully. Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
bike path Hannah Watts (4) |
telling me lies |
old box Hope Klessig (6) |
crack!! |
scrolling through old messages |
his leash |
iced tea |
homework on the porch Kevin Escobar (5) |
break up |
wedding day photos Michael Santos (10) |
park fountain Kevin Escobar (10) GREAT haiku! Another two votes from me. This haiku appeals to the senses as well as a greater cause. I can hear the water and feel the spray coming off of the fountain, but I can also become the child. I dig deep and put my whole heart into a wish to be thrown into a fountain. It’s a magical moment that I think a lot of people can relate to. The author did an excellent job of opening this door for us by referring to the $1.37 in change at the bottom of the fountain as wishes rather than copper. They don't even give us the option to be adults while reading this haiku. We’re transported to a different time, to a different mindset, to a state of hope. I loved it! Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
next to you |
he left . . . Jared Chapman (6) A GORGEOUS haiku. It’s visually pleasing and also resolves so beautifully. The initial line is a bit scary, but I’m assuming that the initial part of the actual situation was as well. The tulip has a new opportunity at life. It has an opportunity to do something that it hasn’t been able to do in quite some time . . . live. This tulip is beautiful. I can see it as I read the haiku. I’m excited for it! Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
Page Avenue Jada Miller (3) This was a very homey haiku. It’s exciting to bring someone to your hometown, to show them your old house, to introduce them to your family, and to invite them to the little quirks that you love about your memories. For this person, they know that it’s their grandma’s house, when they get to page avenue and see those green steps. To someone driving by, those green steps have no meaning, but to this person they mean the world and hold dear memories. This was a very special haiku to me. I really enjoyed it! Niki Curatti, Spring 2020 |
random chapstick Hailey Wimberly (8) |
stick on moons Grace Newton (8) |
highschool sweethearts Dalton Glasco (5) |
never lost a family member Jada Miller (6) |
geese and ducks |
© 2020, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.