Fusion haiku by Regan Bledsaw This semester has been one of self-discover for me. Before I joined this haiku class, I knew nothing of haiku, but as the semester moved onward, I not only learned more and more about the tradition of haiku, but also about myself. Through the tradition of haiku I have learned to condense emotions into three small lines. This is something that I struggled with during the semester because I write a lot of poetry that allows me more room to express my thoughts. Haiku taught me how to select my words more carefully and also how to use more powerful images. While I had trouble with it throughout the semester, I thought it was easy to learn and edit because of the community I had around me. Everyone was so supportive and ready to give suggestions. This class was a wonderful experience for me as a writer. I called this collection "Fusion" because each haiku brings together my feeling or "moment" with the techniques learned and the inspiration gained from the other members of our class. None of my haiku would have been the same without the suggestions and comments given, especially by Dr. Brooks and my haiku buddy, Katie, who was always very helpful and insightful. Enjoy!

the taste of your kiss           lingers Of Regan's haiku, this is my favorite because I connect to it personlly, and also because it represents who she is. Many of Regan's haiku are romantic or linked to being in a relationship with someone. Clearly the closeness she feels with the people that matter in her life runs very deep. This evident bond is what makes the haiku so poignant beyond the words. The haiku itself is very well written and formatted clearly. I like that "lingers" is separated and last, so you think of it as lingering on the page. Besdies the wonderful sense of the taste of the kiss, the haiku asks you to remember a kiss of your own, whether it was recent like the one in the haiku, or in the past. This haiku evokes a sense of happiness and comfort, but also a longing for the kiss to come again. Katherine Steimann