beneath
the kitchen counter
spiderlings hatch!

staring me down
in our tent . . .
a black bear

Amy Van Rheeden (2)

necking
in an alley
two drunks

Melanie McLay (5)

the echo of thunder and
sudden flaps of wings . . .
birds on wire

airplanes spin
a constant spiral
livingroom mobile

colorful jar
one mint chocolate
at the bottom

Aubrie Cox (2)

I like this one because there are a lot of emotions running on each line. The first one implies some sort of child-like joy as the narrator relishes in the colors of the jar. The second line begins to unfurl the poem, as we see that there is only one of those mint chocolates in the drawer, and that this is clearly the object of that narrator’s desire, but then we realize the problem: that chocolate will not be as easy to obtain as the narrator would hope, and therein lies the rub. I think that the building of the story and the emotions really helps this haiku get a nice foundation. Mark

in the downpour
a rainbow
of unbrellas

Debbie Myers (6)

This really does have a nice turn at the end, yet keeps the lightness from the idea of a "rainbow." It actually reminds me of a haiku by Shiki about window shopping outside of a bookstore for some reason. Mostly though, here I see a busy street of a large city where the number of pedestrians is always high and thus on the daily commute to work and school, they must head out, rain or no. The umbrellas of many colours are everywhere across the sidewalk--so much that you really can't see the people under them. Aubrie

I love the image I get from this haiku. I picture walking around campus, and seeing the variety of umbrellas all the students have, and even though it may be raining and cloudy, those brightly colored umbrellas definitely illuminate the area. I especially like the use of the word rainbow. Particularly it is an opposite of rain, in a sense. I also like the use of this word because rainbows sometimes appear after rain, and it is always a unique experience when it happens. Sam

I picture a photograph all black and white except for the umbrellas. These umbrellas are every color from blue to green. The umbrellas give hope to the dark picture, adding fun and warmth as well as smiles. The only hope of a better day is seen in the rainbow colors of the umbrellas. There is rain all over the picture; it even looks like rain was captured on the camera lens. The people are sporting long rain jackets with large hoods. In the background of the photo, a small boy and girl are playing in a puddle by a sewer drain. Brandy

I like the image created by the haiku. I can see this being the center theme for a music video actually…or Target. I like the image of a pre-rainbow in the rain and how it can show the optimism in people in general. Michelle

big ant
searching for food—
invading boot

oblivious
his shoe ruins
a well-built home

Sam Sinkhorn

As humans, our large size as animals and dominance over nature, has often made us unaware and "oblivious" of all of the little creatures that live around us- unless those creatures enter our homes. The little ants spend such time carefully building their mounds, only to have them kicked. The worms crawl out on the sidewalks to breathe and breed, only to get trompled. Butterfiles peacefully flitting over the roads, and meet car grilles. But how careful can we be? This haiku catches the moment perfectly. Debbie

wet feet
in the grass
forgotten shoes

Michelle Dixson (2)

clouds at night
peacefully calm
stay put

Brandy Bockewitz

I like how this haiku makes me feel when I read it. I picture a calm evening, where two people are attempting to star gaze, but it is too cloudy to see anything. But because it is so peaceful, they don't want to leave. I also like the assertiveness the author uses in this poem with “stay put”. I feel as though one person is telling the other to stay, which makes me feel like they really like each other. Sam

the homeless man
looks at my ring &
drinks his coffee

Amy Van Rheeden (5)

With this haiku, I wonder what the homeless man is thinking as he looks at the ring. Is he remembering someone from his past? Is he happy or sad about how things are now? It brings him to life as a real person, especially as we tend to think of homeless people very distantly. Debbie

chickens scratching
in the backyard
a hawk flies over

freshpainted room
not yet dry
three caught flies

Debbie Myers

I love this haiku! I picture a fresh, white room with three flies in the center right hand corner. One can smell the paint feet away. Their poor wings are still flapping but this only makes things worse; fate is not on their side. The painters have not yet spotted the flies, but will be angered when they do. However, the flies can see the humans with paint brushes through their multiple set of eyes. Brandy

in the air
down feathers
from your blanket

Melanie McLay

I just relate to this haiku because my sister has a blue blanket she nicknamed “Downy” when she was seventeen or so. My sister’s one of those people who’s chronically cold, so she remains willing to nickname anything that will keep her warm. Not to mention, I appreciate the simplicity. The line breaks are very effective and the message clear. It’s a clear and accessible haiku. Amy

I had a down comforter in my dorm last year. I had little feathers EVERYWHERE! As warm as they are, they can create quite a mess. This haiku makes me think about the knowledge a person gets when she sees the little feathers in the air when she is making her bed. The knowledge that she’ll have to clean everything else eventually as well. Michelle

listening to the neighbor
swear at his children
weathered grey fence

Debbie Myers (2)

star gazing
the brightest one:
Jupiter

Melanie McLay (3)

I do a lot of star gazing, especially since my house is in the country and the view of the stars there is much better than anywhere else I can find, especially during the summer when the stars seem to be more spectacular than any other time of year. I find it interesting, though, that the brightest celestial body always seems to be a planet, and not a star itself, which is something that I think most people don’t realize. I think it’s funny that so many people are enjoying something so much when they don’t fully realize exactly what it is. Mark

squirrel's nut
into the box
out of the box

spring storm . . .
in the parking garage
a homeless man smokes

Amy Van Rheeden (3)

Like "in the downpour" I see this in a large city, where the parking garages climb about just as high as the buildings around them. The homeless guy--who strikes me for some reason as someone who chose that lifestyle--is taking refuge from the storm since the weather is unfit for being out in the streets. He's gone up several stories, just for the view (maybe he's watching all the umbrellas) while enjoying some (somewhat dry) cigarettes. Aubrie

cold rain outside
the camper bed
her holding him

every place taken
on the finch feeder
september rain

Aubrie Cox (4)

I used to watch birds with my grandma when she was alive, and this well-written haiku brings me back to those times—the good times before she slowly slipped into senility. Before I wax too sentimental, I must also say I appreciate the simplicity of this haiku— Anyone who’s ever watched birds in the rain can appreciate it. Amy

flipping the lightswitch—
sickening clack
of the mousetrap

Debbie Myers (3)

breathe in
breathe out
a bug crawls by

Melanie McLay (2)

carving pumpkins
with a butterknife
every one, smiling

Debbie Myers (3)

looking out across
the lake
loneliness

sunlight through pale jade
the decline
of her health

ants crawl
to the highest strand
my fallen necklace

next to last page
of the notebook
snowfall

Aubrie Cox (2)

around her neck
his ring . . . her ring
around his pinky

eating nothing
from the sushi bar—
a U.S. World War II vet

Amy Van Rheeden (5)

Sunday paper—
kitty sleeps
on Arts & Leisure

Debbie Myers (5)

fraternity brothers
drinking beer and watching
Love Story

Mark Beanblossom (4)

zen meditation
on the patio—
a sneeze

Melanie McLay (1)

high school ring
his lost memories
around my neck

train rolls by
calling other trains
the sleepers now awake