1

fabric softener
the winter chill
draws us together

Page Shields

2

greens and yellows
of the growing corn
the tractor camouflaged

3

party after
the game.
first quarter

Aiden Etchason

4

ash crawling
on stone-cold skin
firefly

Page Shields

5

faded lyrics
line the walls:
the quirks of home

Page Shields

This haiku reminded me of my grandmother’s house: old, smelling of yellowed paper and peppermint. She has the hallways lined with bible verses and the occasional quote. It reminded me of the first time I played on her out of tune piano, years before I even began lessons. It was Bach’s Well-tempered Clavier in C, just from listening to it. My grandmother was so excited, and even though my family isn’t all that musically inclined, for some reason I took to it really quickly. Maddy Cummins, Fall 2022

6

the warning signs, 
my grandmother's pain . . .
unnoticed. 

Femke Stuut

7

you are the ocean
to my shore
always yearning

8

angels sing,
father warms 
the child's hands.

Femke Stuut

9

I close my eyes
this lipbalm . . .
tastes like chocolate

Femke Stuut

10

list of tasks
so long
I lie in bed

Aiden Etchason

11

we join hands
while father says a prayer
Thanksgiving

Mikayla Craw

12

sunshine
reflects the metal bowl
on the counter

13

crumpled pages
in the bowling alley
writers’ night off

Page Shields

Creativity and bursts of inspiration in writing are often sporadic and unexpected, and this haiku perfectly demonstrates the variety of settings in which this can be experienced. The last line of this haiku is interestingly contradictory to the imagery in the first two lines since the writers clearly do not take the night off. The contrast between the pages and the bowling alley is unexpected and compelling, further highlighting the unexpectedness of inspiration. Olivia Swords, Fall 2022

14

a cloud
around their noses
ice dragons?

Maddy Cummins

15

a young hand
reaches for the bow
the violin squeaks

16

the paper falls 
to the floor 
she cries in the stairwell

McKenzie Greene

17

reaching 
for the tallest apple 
laughter in the kitchen

McKenzie Greene

18

cracked window
gold streams in
dust

Maddy Cummins

19

beneath the glimmer
the dimmed theatre is
            lonely

20

2,996 lost
rebuilt in honor
One America

Olivia Swords

I like this haiku because without saying the name of the event, I immediately knew what the haiku was about. In 7 words, the haiku perfectly sums up the tragic event of 9/11. When Olivia writes, “rebuilt in honor,” I think of the pools where the twin towers once stood that now commemorate the lives lost. I have been to the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon for the lives that were lost on American Airlines Flight 77. It is a beautiful place, and it has captured the feeling of that day. Mikayla Craw, Fall 2022

21

the stubborn tick
of the ruby hand
i click my heels

Olivia Swords

22

picnic basket 
in the field
reeling in a big catch

McKenzie Greene

23

laughing I imagined
my friends,
as sisters

Femke Stuut

24

first snow, 
the bunny 
and it's tail

Femke Stuut

25

butterflies kiss her 
wobbly knees
a haven

26

the waiting room
choking with silence
a crowd awaits

Olivia Swords

27

cursive touch
my weary fingers
find solace

28

water runs
through the bamboo
in the garden

Mikayla Craw

29

bundled up 
nose peaking out
a snowflakes landing spot

McKenzie Greene

30

stomps of feet
across the football field
cattle

or

stomp of feet
across the football field
stampede

Aiden Etchason