Easter Break Haiku Kukai 8 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Spring 2017
the night before Easter |
it isn't a holiday Samuel Miller (11) I thought this was funny since a holiday is supposed to be happy and full of joy. Easter is also a happy holiday because of the religious aspect, but there's a plot twist in this haiku. The happy holiday turns into a sad one, but the interesting part is it's over potato salad. It's funny because potato salads are just food and for someone to be crying over something with no value is ironic. It takes an insignificant object and turns it into something with more value by having someone cry over it. The haiku makes it seem as if someone always cries over something over the holidays and how it's unnecessary. But I also can relate because my family always makes a salad with vegetables and mayo which is so good. Without it then it doesn't feel like the holidays so I can see someone getting upset about it. Kate This haiku is extremely funny to me. I love the subject, the structure, and everything about it. I think it is incredibly relatable because at my family parties, someone always cries over something as petty as the potato salad. As weird as this is, it's normal, it's a regular occurrence. I really enjoyed this haiku and it was definitely my favorite one from khaki 8. Brittany |
mom's garlic potatoes Jordan Oelze (7) This was my double vote for kukai 8. I liked it because I can really relate to it. There's always that one dish everyone looks forward to at a family holiday, and if it's not just how you remember it, that ruins the entire holiday. Especially since holidays are such an obligation, they can sometimes feel repetitive or like a drag. At least there's that one thing you can look forward to. So, if it's not up to par, it's pretty upsetting. Emily This haiku made me bust out with laughter because I have been home with Jordan many times and have had his mother's garlic mashed potatoes. It also surprised me because every time I've had them they've been SO GOOD. I also like how he used the space in the third line to give the suspense of how they were going to taste. Good work, buddy. Kyle K. |
grandpa shares Emily Chudzik (4) |
hospital bed |
tiny sticky lips |
around the table Paige Dorsel (7) |
the butterfly kite Jordan Oelze (7) |
four Easter meals Caitlyn Latshaw This haiku is interesting to me because it is an almost universal experience, but it hasn't really been my experience when it comes to holidays. When my parents were together, we went to at least three Christmas/Christmas Eve dinners and two Thanksgiving dinners because my mom's family was so huge we had to have two and then we had my dad's family. Now that my parents are separated, my dad is single and my step-mom's family lives in Pennsylvania, we really only have one, maybe two holiday meals. It depends on the holiday, and it depends on what side of the family I spend it with. That being said, I still understand what it feels like to have to try and divide your time between the two halves of your family. It can be really stressful and this haiku conveys that really well. Sam |
i'm home for the holidays, |
Easter dinner Caitlyn Latshaw (4) |
my mother tells me Samuel Miller (7) I liked this one because it was funny. I can definitely relate to it, because my mom is fairly overprotective and a bit strict, especially when I was in junior high and high school. Whenever I was about to go somewhere with friends, she would remind me where not to go and not to do anything stupid. Even if I was just going over to someone's house, she made sure to tell me that. I would roll my eyes and tell her “I know,” but looking back, I know it was because she cares about me. The last line of this haiku is like that realization. Emily This haiku was cute and relatable to me. My mother is the mother in this haiku, she always says I love and her children's safety is one of her biggest concerns. My mother does not let me go to Chicago by myself because she's scared something will happen to me, and every time before I go, anywhere, she makes sure she tells me she loves me. Even if I'm not going anywhere, she still makes sure I know she loves me, through texts, calls, fakebook post, and even emails. This haiku pulled at my heart strings. Dub |
rise early |
first Easter Chase Smith This also made me think of my Easter Break. My niece had her first Easter and there was this huge stuffed animal bunny and every time she saw it she would cry. It was the most adorable and funny thing I have seen. Immediately when she saw the bunny she would cry and as soon as it got taken away she would stop crying. Chase |
glazed donut, Nicholas Kemp (6) |
piggy back ride Jordan Oelze (11) This haiku is also extremely relatable. At family parties, I am often the one watching over the children and rough-housing with them. I love giving them piggy back rides, that is until their little arms start to choke me. The children rarely understand what they are doing and it is sometimes funny to them. I really love the way that this haiku ends, because the last line makes it take a turn the reader did not expect. Brittany I like this haiku because of the image it creates and how relatable it is. Being a large guy, kids have always seen me as a moving jungle gym and like to try and climb up me. So I definitely relate to the feeling of a child choking me while they are having fun running around on my back. Nick R. |
door slides open Caitlyn Latshaw (5) I like this haiku because it reminds me of my dog I have at home and the dog I had before him as well. Anytime you open the door just a little bit my dog will use his nose to prop open the door and sprint out as fast as he can. One time he actually came back with a little bunny in his mouth dead and was expecting a reward and thought we would be happy, poor bunny. This haiku is short and sweet and I like the ending "run bunny run". Kyle M
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Easter morning Paige Dorsel (2) |
cutting Emily Chudzik (3) |
only open store Paige Dorsel (5) |
roommates will devour Olivia Gonzalez I relate to this a lot because my roommates always eat my stuff and it really makes me mad, especially when it's special things like a chocolate bunny or cake that my mom made me or whatever. Sometimes I'm willing to share but most of the time I have to label my food and warn them that if they eat my stuff without asking permission, I'm gonna be angry. I don't like it when they do stuff like that. Jake |
door creaks open |
younger cousins scramble Jacob Melssen (5) I love the sense of humor and this past weekend I had to take my niece on an easter egg hunt. My sister and I basically walked her around the yard and pointed out the yellow, purple, or pink eggs and that was about it. It was cute but I was definitely too old for this because was not even excited to pick up eggs. Olivia |
morning sunshine Kate Gebultowicz I appreciate this Haiku because I can relate to this. I'm a night owl, and I normally stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning just because that's when I get tired. I can (usually) wake myself up in the morning, but I certainly know the feeling of heavy eyes. And I actually just experienced that over this past weekend for Easter, so I had a direct correlation with that recent memory! Kyle K. |
playing detective |
beaming sunlight |
mom's baked goods Kate Gebultowicz (4) |
back at home Kate Gebultowicz (6) Definitely had to do chores once I came home so this haiku was very relatable. I love how my mom thinks that doing all of the laundry is what I am suppose to do. Even though I actually have a semester project and tons of tests to study for. I just love doing chores. It brings me so much joy when I hear “clean the dishes,” “take the dog on a walk”, “pull the weeds”, and their is so much more. Olivia |
knocker balls |
we shoot the breeze Jordan Oelze (3) I really like this haiku because of the reverse wording in it. I have always liked phrasing or quotes like that. In this haiku, it makes play of two definitions for breeze. In the phrase, it means just talking or conversing. The second time it is used, it literally means the wind. I like the multiple use of the word. Nick R. |
leaving a bit of myself Jacob Melssen This haiku is so incredibly honest. Everybody talks about how grueling and exciting it is to move in to college—finally at school, awaiting the moment of independence that has been systematically dangled in front of you for fifteen years. Everybody talks about how awesome it is to be your own person, and to nap in between classes, yaddah yaddah. Everybody talks about how before your move in day, family members and friends urge you to Skype and visit during the year. What nobody addresses is the absolute bittersweet pain that is leaving home after a visit. Often times, you've had to solidify a thousand plans with mom, pack a couple bags, find a way home, etc . . . this meaning that sometimes, getting home is a hassle, and much easier said than done. Once you're there, though, you put your home self next to who you are becoming. You are able to participate in your own transformation, which is just as grueling as it is exciting. People in my life were always afraid I would forget home, but once I'm home, I find myself forgetting school and seeping back into the familiarity of it. And truly, each time I start to drive back to Millikin, I recognize the new landmarks that have placed in my own life—i.e. how am I different now than I was last time I went back to school? What did I bring that I chose to leave at home? Leaving a bit of myself—at home. Kala |
on the floor Jordan Oelze (4) I really like the way this haiku is structured. It almost looks as if there are levels to the haiku like a building and you know that the person is either in the middle or the bottom of it. They have paper thin ceilings and you can literally hear anything that goes on above you. I can picture the dogs paws clicking on the floor board. Nicholas |
crossing the street Brittany Walsh (13) Every person constantly thinks about this when they are crossing the street. Although, most people do not actually want to get hit it is ironic that we think this. While I'm crossing I also think about someone possibly hitting me. I also think about the possibility of them having to pay for my tuition. There's a myth on every campus that if someone hits another person on campus then our tuition would be paid, but that's not necessarily true. That said, I thought this haiku was very funny and represented most the students on campus. I thought the haiku flowed very nicely since the words flowed with each other. It was sort of like a sentence because each line fit well with the next. Kate This was one of my favorites because it's funny and I don't know a Millikin student who hasn't said this once before. I don't know how this myth started, or how to got passed throughout the campus, but students hold strong to this. There will be students walking against traffic but at the crosswalk just so they can get their tuition paid for. “Hit me make! Me rich!” is one of the few phrases I hear at least once a month from strangers and I always enjoy the funny haiku. Dub |
IT'S MY DELTAVERSARY! |
my hands on you Samuel Miller (8) I liked this one because it's so simple and yet distinctly accessible. I think we all know and understand this level of exhaustion for ourselves. I also responded well to this poem because of the structure of the first two lines. They're very smooth and easy which makes the whole poem that much more lovely and almost wholesome. Andie I really liked this one because it captures such a precious and peaceful moment. When my boyfriend is home from school and baseball I am always sure to hold on to these types of moments. Sometimes it is easy to look over these moments like they will always be there but then when that someone is gone you miss it. My parents have always taught me to remember moments like this and pay attention to the things that truly make you happy in case you need that moment one day. Caitlyn I was surprised that I didn't write this haiku!! I can totally relate to and envision this image incredibly well. We always sleep in different positions and more towards the morning is when the positions become closer and more surreal. There's such a light air about the early morning. Crusty eyes and morning breath mix with the tired and romantic energies. It's like the two people aren't planning to kiss, but they are so close and awake enough to realize that they can. I have definitely experienced this and it feels like such a beautiful moment. You can then fall right back asleep. It is almost like you're checking in with each other, then just drifting back to where you were before. Jordan |
he asks what |
how do i tell him Andrea Burns This one made me smile because I've been in situations like this. There's always that person that you attempt to cut off but they just keep bothering you because they don't get the hint. It's always a little awkward to confront someone about this but it's necessary because you can't just let them constantly text you and stuff because it gets old really quickly. Jake
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open window Jacob Melssen (6) |
alone in bed . . . Jordan Oelze (7) I would've liked to use this one for my project as it pretty easily fits my interest. But specifically with this one, the structure is especially pleasing because it feeds into a level of serenity which is common with just laying in bed like that. I also like how the haiku does not reference a specific gender which could cut out certain readers and disconnect them. Consequently, this haiku can be especially personal for some people making it that much more effective. Andie I still really love this poem because it captures the scene and the emotions of the situation in a concise and powerful way. I've been there, drunk and blindly texting people without considering the potential consequences in the morning, and then when I do go back and look at them I'm always filled with a weird mix of embarrassment and fondness for myself. The things I say when I'm drunk are not so different from the things I say when I'm sober, but there are some things that I'm better able to say at that point. Sam |
being asked for Emily Chudzik (8)
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forward talking Nicholas Kemp (7) Everyone has problems in their lives and everyone has family members that are going through hard times, whether it is a brother, sister, cousin or in this case a uncle everyone deals with hard times. Instead of thinking this uncle died I just thought it was an uncle that maybe has been struggling with a drug or alchohol addiction and no one wants to bring it up but its in the back of the mind of everyone in the family. Kyle M |
concrete mix dust |
birthday lunch Nick Retherford I really like this because it is a tradition for a lot of people. You always get to pick that special restaurant that you have been wanting to go to for the longest time that your family really doesn't go to often. I just remember always going to the Chinese buffet for my birthday because that was the best food that we had in town as far as I thought. Nicholas |
she paints |
we bond together |
in the "zen room" Samuel Miller (7) I really like the structure of the haiku. It really adds a comedic effect. By putting the zen room in quotations it makes it feel less like a zen room. You would think a zen room would be considered cool and calm, but the fact that the person is stuck on the couch with a fat dog makes it hilarious. Starting with the zen room and then narrowing in to the fat dog surprises the reader and I really appreciated that. I also like they small adjectives for each thing in the haiku. Zen room and fat dog are both short and sweet, so they are easier to compare because of the way they are set up. Jordan The imagery in this haiku is astounding! When I read the first line, I was immediately placed in some sort of hippie den, with carpet on the walls and red-orange couches against them. I can smell incense burning slowly in the corner and I can hear groovy music dancing around my head. The second line defines the space—I share a futon—this is not some fake hippie den; this is a Real Hippie Den with a Real Futon! In my head, the futon is worn and weathered, especially considering the content of the third line—with a fat dog. If a fat dog is lounging on the futon, it must not be new and protected. Also, I liked the fact that the writer chose "fat dog"—the phrase itself is plopping and final, which reminds me of the nature of the dog. Finally, I appreciated that the narrator was sharing the futon with the dog, for it places the narrator and the dog on the same level, and uses the futon as a common place to express that camaraderie. Kala |
eyes closed Olivia Gonzalez (2) |
turning the tassel |
friends I haven't seen Nick Retherford (7) I picked this haiku as my favorite and double vote from kukai 8. I liked this one because this was exactly my spring break. All my old friends from high school came over that I haven't talked too much at all this year and it was like we didn't miss a beat. Everything felt normal we just talked and laugh just like we normally do. The memories this haiku brought back to me is why it's my favorite. Chase |
tears fall |
she sleeps Andrea Burns I completely relate to this poem. When I go on long car rides I can never sleep. When I actually am tired enough to fall asleep while we are in the car I will always wake up with part of my body numb or sore. Another thing that I like about this poem is that the last line could be encouraging or discouraging. "Three more hours in the car" could be three more hours of a three and a half hour drive or three more hours of an eight hour drive. However the reader looks at it could change the tone of the haiku drastically. Caitlyn |
© 2017, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.