ravaged closet
half the hangers
              . . . empty

Mark Beanblossom

I really liked this, because I can relate. I look for something and then take everything out of the closet, and never find what I wanted... I look back in the closet and things have fallen off the hangers or they are scattered on my floor and bed. I can imagine the frustration here, which is very well conveyed. Carrie

single penny
down the wishing well
. . . no clink

Raquel Burns (2)

fireworks...
then
car alarms

laundry room
the dryers spin
as I turn the page

only one home
drawn in by the power
of computer solitaire

noise of the city
in the distance
I see a shooting star

paper, books, pencils
finals in one week
only me—studying

empty parking lot
just me
and the blowing leaves

I enjoyed the haiku about the empty parking lot and blowing leaves because there have been plenty of times that I have walked out of Oakland, especially now, and see nothing but leaves. I also like the haiku about fireworks then the car alarms because I have witnessed many times car alarms go off because of fireworks mainly around the fourth of July. Anthony

crisp fall air
blows across leaves
only I notice

along the picnic bench
  p
  e
    r
     f
       e
         c
         t
        l
      y
  o
  r
    d
      e
        r
          e
            d
            a
           n
         t
        s

Deidre Fields

I love the visualization I get from this haiku-- I can see the ants "go marching one by one" (hoorah, hoorah!). This is such a playful haiku, especially because of the actual formation of the letters of this haiku. The author made some very bold choices.This was a very clever and exciting, out-of-the-ordinary haiku. I had a good time typing it! Raquel

Ok, my first favorite is probably the ant poem...I'm guessing this is Dierdre's mythic ant poem, and I'm glad to finally be privvy to it. It reminds me of that ant ant ant ant ant magazine. I really like how playful this haiku is. Haiku are supposed to bring an image to your head, and this one does that really well with its layout. What's great about it is that it isn't just a gag; even if there wasn't the winding line, it would still be a haiku. But the inventive format does so much to bring this one to life. Josh

back stage
excited whispers
empty auditorium…

checking the window,
2 hours late
still no headlights

bird watching
from above
not one chirp

strawberry cake
i can taste
the missing eggs

Josh Wild

midnight walgreens
the overhead lights
are deafening

all saint's day
the leaves applaud
their own deaths

vomiting crazy child!
mom at the bar
screaming for silence

Oregon superhighway
miles and miles of
tree stumps

first one in the louvre
mona lisa smiles
at my tweed jacket

Josh Wild

I really enjoyed this one. I love art and imagine being at the Louvre then seeing Mona Lisa first, out of the group of people I am with. It is fun. Like the person and Mona Lisa are exchanging a special moment. Very intriguing and a really awesome mental image. Carrie

Haha well, I will admit, I couldn't remember exactly what or where the Louvre was, so the second line helped. This is such a fun haiku. I love the idea of being face to face with a work of art that's so universally known, and thinking that she's smiling at you, or more specifically, at your tweed jacket. It's just such a cute image. Good stuff. Joanne

the desk next to mine
she's sick . . .
. . . again

working out
with my MP3
no battery life

Anthony Holeyfield

I choose this one because I really feel it. I used to go running all the time in London, and sometimes I'd be somewhere around the 4th or 5th mile and my CD player would go out, and I'd be in that mode where I'd just leave the thing on. There's just something embarrassing about taking it off, running with a CD player in your hand. Tangentially, this also reminds me of the time I dropped my CD player on a sidewalk one time and it didn't even skip. That was ridiculous. From that moment on, I knew I was in love. Josh

her best friend
always on time
. . . the driveway is empty

the bright lights
wrapped around the tree
no Christmas cheer

opening the shower curtain
Grandma!
and Grandpa!

Rick Bearce (3)

petals
like paper
dried rose bloom

fishing trip
father and daughter agree
only on silence

gym class
leading the pack
a mile ahead

in bed at night
i fart
so loud

Josh Wild (3)

bridge in the mist
the next step
unseen

only me and
the black piano
—sweet music

outside
by the lake
my reflection is so clear

the streaming tears
down the young girl's face
no emotion

old trailer
under the rotted floorboards
dead animal smell

Rick Bearce

My sense of sight and smell are very "tapped" by this haiku. The author does a fantastic job of putting the reader in the environment, however unsightly or repulsive it may be...! Raquel

crows feet--
the age
of your eyes

research piled high
only hours left . . .
flag football

my hand on her shoulder—
steady steps forward:
blindfolded

downcast eyes
past mistakes
relived

Deidre Fields

This is a harsh image. I'm seeing a parent talking to you in one of those ways where they're not mad, they're "disappointed." That's always killer. Every time I see my dad's or mom's eyes staring down at me, I think of whatever put me in that position last, and how much I really hate being looked at in that way. This haiku does a marvelous job of capturing that. Joanne