Global Haiku • Spring 2021
Dr. Randy Brooks

Outside the Music Box

by
Kionah Flowers

When I initially signed up for this course, I wasn’t sure what to expect. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had trouble with anxiety. I feel anxious about a lot of activities these days. However, I never really felt anxious about reading or writing haiku. To put it simply, I had a lot of fun and I was able to forget about the things that stress me out in my everyday life. I was also able to find things in common with my people that I just met for the first time. Generally, I think the art of haiku has helped me show more of who I am without feeling anxiety about doing so. The art of haiku has taught me that I don’t have to be as conventional about everything.  It’s alright to let myself be open without feeling anxious about it. It’s alright to not have complete control over everything and let myself be led, whether that be my writing or my emotions.

As an English-Writing major, connecting with my audience is important. This semester I’ve been writing more creatively than I have for a while. In the future, I would like to continue to do so. This course has helped me as a writer, be able to identify what approaches work with an audience and what approaches do not. In the future, I see myself continuing on in the art of haiku. As a writer, this class has diversified my skill set, so I will try to maintain the skills that I have gained in this course. I will also continue to read haiku because of how much fun I’ve had in this course and how therapeutic the entire process can be.

as the wind blows
wild
let's get lost

in the treehouse
they talk about dreams
starlight

the two lovers jump
over the broom
joined forever

garden of Eden
he bites the apple
first

am empty dollhouse
no one visits
anymore

lilypads
a ballerino
leaps . . . splash!

under the moonlight
my skin
painted blue

in the night
our fingertips touch
fireflies

twirling
the ballerina
outside the music box

during the thunderstorm
I dance alone
in the rain

in the grass
a boy and a frog
have a leaping contest

end of service
we walk the palm leaves
to get home

moonlight
my eyes drink in
the drinking gourd

I love how this haiku turned out because I believe that it captured the beauty that the night sky can offer. I am also a big fan of history, so when I wrote this haiku, I was thinking about the historical significance of the constellation. It is believed that enslaved African Americans used the Big Dipper to help lead them to freedom. I believe this. And I have also heard the song based on this belief. This haiku is a nod to both, which is why I enjoy it so much.

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