Haiku Kukai 1 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Fall 2013
at the park |
pink cheeks Ramey Sola (3) |
I already told you Mikayla Mendenhall (5) This haiku makes me think of a little kid throwing a temper tantrum. But I also think that it has deeper connotations to it. This poem could easily relate to tradition and change. It physics, an object in motion wishes to stay in motion and an object that is not moving wants to stay still. The author of the story simply wishes to stay in one place. I can relate to this childhood nostalgia. I wish that I could freeze time and stay little forever. Keila Because I live in the country, I could really relate to this haiku. I never liked living there and I often asked my parents to move. I may have even said those exact words at some point. I liked how I could relate to this haiku. Rick |
Led Zepplin Morgan Oliver (7) |
the door is open Brock Hayden (4) This haiku caught my attention because I directly related it with another haiku about pickles which came from Peggy Lyles. A connection was made between that particular haiku and a menopausal woman. From this, I began to picture the new haiku in this same light. I pictured a woman lying in bed, the door to her bedroom cracked open. She sees the light she left on in the kitchen and begins to become obsessed with a sudden pickle craving. After hearing the author's story about writing this haiku I realized this is clearly not what he meant. Mikayla |
church bells ring |
fall leaves Codi Gramlich (2) What I loved so much about this haiku from Kukai 1 was that it was so true to my life. Even though I have only gone to four different schools in my life, every school year during the fall I get the feeling of a fresh start and feel like surrounded by new things because there are students that have moved on and some that have just started. I love new beginnings for school because an individual can literally become anyone they want to be. Alex
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prison sentence John Spaw (8) Like the last haiku, this poem allows readers to connect and imagine different experiences from their past. Every child has encountered a meal where he or she refuses to eat something that is placed in front of him or her. We have all been given different consequences if the food is not eaten, however, the fight will still continue until someone gives in. Usually the parent will tell the child to take one more bite and they can be done. However, some children push their limits to try and get a treat or sometimes get into trouble for not obeying their parents. In this poem, the only way to get out of trouble is to take one last bite and be done. Codi
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DADDY'S HOME! Keila Hamed Ramos (4) |
fanning the fire alarm Sarah Mann (8) This haiku stimulates many of the senses that each person portrays. The sense of smell is used when the stench of the burnt food fills the room around you. The heat feels very hot when it starts to surround the body in the kitchen. The imagery is immediately created once these words are read because almost every person has either encountered or viewed this action take place. This haiku makes me laugh at the thought of this happening in my past, though the fear of it actually occurring is much greater inside the body. I love how this haiku is able to connect to anyone, however, the ideas and pictures that are created from this poem are very different for each reader. The author gives readers the ability to make their own interpretations and connect to the poem however they wish. Codi This haiku creates a sense of frustration in my mine. Putting myself in this person's shoes, I imagine that dinner is waiting on the table, yet the fire alarm is blaring relentlessly due to burning biscuits. In such an instance, all that I would craving is for the alarm to shut up so that I can just enjoy my dinner. This poem succeeds in capturing the attitude and frustration that would occur in such a situation. John The contradiction between the first two lines to the last is both excellent and truthful. It gives two entirely different attitudes from someone angrily cursing the fire alarm to a sweet smile proclaiming that dinner is ready. We used to joke in our house that my sister timed her food via smoke detector. Mark
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learning cursive Sarah Mann (5) In class, we talked about this poem a little and most students said that they never use cursive anymore. I found this funny because I don’t use print anymore; I only use cursive. As a kid, I hated writing in cursive because I thought it looked silly and it was harder to do, so I stuck with print. However, my senior year in high school, I decided to give it another try. Before too long, I was saying goodbye to print and hello to cursive. I just like the way that cursive handwriting looks. It makes my handwriting look fancy and sophisticated. I don’t think I will ever go back to using anything but cursive. Caitlin This poem actually made me chuckle a bit. I appreciate its relate-ability. No one uses cursive. I also read it in a Yoda voice in my head for some reason – the arrangement of the sentences, perhaps? But this also didn't fail to create an image for me. This one sparked memories of second grade: sitting at a desk, repetitiously writing in the practice book, with the teacher looming overhead. Ryan
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she walks down the aisle |
silence in our home Sarah Mann I picked this haiku as a favorite because it reminds me so much of my home. With four younger siblings, noise is something which is almost always present; and when it is not, trouble is not far away. When the two-year-old has not been heard from in twenty minutes and is not likely to be napping, you can bet paint or lotion will be smeared thoroughly through the carpet and new Barbie's hair. Mikayla I really liked this haiku because my family and I can really relate to it. When my sister comes to visit with her five kids, we generally always know where they are because they are so loud. However, if anything ever goes silent, everybody is always asking, "Where are the kids?" in a very alarmed voice. Silence means they are getting into something they shouldn't be. It brought me back to the moment when we found one of the kids who found his way into our collect of permanent markers. We had wondered why we couldn't hear where he was. Rachel |
getting off the bus John Spaw (3) Every day after school my mom used to ask me how my day was. When I was little I used to tell her every tiny detail starting for the morning and following through chronologically. As I got older I stopped telling my mom so much and didn't want to talk to her. I wish that I would have enjoyed our time in the car together more. Now I call my mother every day and tell her everything, just like I'm a little kid. I miss her. Keila |
little rebels |
sister Mikayla Mendenhall (5) Response: The simplicity of this haiku is what really captured me. I could hear a child saying it when I read it and it captured that straightforward honesty that most young children have. The voice I heard when I read this poem was serious about that the fact that they wanted a brother, very matter-of-fact. It made me smile, because that is one of my favorite things about kids is that they say what comes to mind. Morgan I can relate to this poem in a direct manner because I have three brothers of my own. I always wished for a sister when I was young, but now that I am older, I have grown to appreciate my three-brothers-no-sisters circumstance, and I can’t think of a reason to be disappointed in it anymore. I also loved how short this poem is. The author could have easily crammed another line in there, but she didn’t. I enjoy the brilliant simplicity of it. Sarah
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morning light Morgan Oliver (3) |
mountains of snow |
fresh lemons on the furniture |
at the lake Rick Trask (2) As a child, I would go to the lake with my grandpa and fish the day away. I don't remember many of our conversations from back then because I was so young, but I recently began going fishing with him again to be sure that I spend more time with him before he moves on to Heaven. We have some of the best conversations that fishing is barely the reason we go anymore. I love hearing about his times when he was my age and we pick each other's brains on what is going on in the world today. It's always awesome to interact with someone who has seen as many things as he has in his life. Alex
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July afternoon Caitlin Husted (2) |
burning sun |
rose red cheeks Ramey Sola (4) |
ice cream cone PLOP Sarah Mann This haiku managed to make me giggle to myself in class. It's very easy for me to picture a young child eating an ice cream cone at a park or at the zoo when, suddenly, the delicious treat falls to the pavement. However, as opposed to sobbing, he glances about before picking it up and setting it back on the cone. The five second rule still applies, right? I feel it represents the resourcefulness of a young child and shows that we, as adults, can take some notes from the younger generation by making the most of a bad situation. Brock everything sticks The sun beating down from above can be both a blessing and a curse. Sitting in a car with leather seats makes things even worse. Despite its smooth look, there is a price to pay for the looks of the upholstery in this vehicle. I can picture one of those hot days during which the heat is so intense that even the air conditioning unit in the dash cannot keep up with the suffering taking place in the vehicle. Every move is accompanied by an almost sickening squelching sound as the skin is peeled from the leather, drops of sweat running down faces and tempers growing shorter and shorter as one passenger tries to roll down the window as a last resort. Brock |
first date |
everything sticks Ramey Sola (3) In my mind, the poem tells a brief story that causes a series of emotional reactions. At first, I enjoyed how the poem made me feel somewhat uncomfortable, almost dirty. When I feel "sticky", I usually just want some sort of relief to make me feel clean. The second line offers the possibility of hope since uncomfortable, gross feelings can often be alleviated by forcing fresh air to flow. However, the last line shoots down and hope for relief, indicating that not even fresh air can save us in this case. This entire experience, captured by three lines of text, feels complete and emotionally satisfying. John A perfect haiku for a hot spell in summer. Our family never turns on the air conditioner and now I live in mills hall. Sometimes the best thing you can do for the heat is lie in bed spread eagle in just your boxers and be absolutely miserable. You can actually feel you sticking to yourself while reading it. Mark
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cool kitchen Rachel Mudd This haiku reminded me of my own grandma and grandpa’s house, as they have lived three doors down from all my life. Needless to say, I have always been very close to them, and now that my grandma is gone, I remember details about my childhood in their presence more than ever. Things like the Oreos and Cheese Nips they bought for us regularly, and tea parties I “invited” them to. The second line of this poem is my favorite- peppermint patties and orange juice-. These are two items that I wouldn’t normally associate with each other; we all have unique memories of our grandparents. Sarah |
in the grass we lay— Sarah Mann (2) |
sitting in a boat Caitlin Husted I like this one a lot because it has unspoken aspirations woven into it. It has two completely contrasting scenes playing into it. Although it could be a nice speed boat off the coast of New York, I instead picture it as a small fishing boat in a pond. Being on a boat like that means there is a lot of time for a mind to wander, a lot of silence that overcomes someone. During this time the person wants something different for themselves. They want to be in the bright and glorious New York City! Ramey
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cheeks flushed Caitlin Husted (2) |
Memorial day |
standing silent Mikayla Mendenhall This was especially well crafted. When I first read "standing silent" my first reaction was to correct the author to "standing silently". Upon second thought, however, I believe that it was the author's intention to describe not the way they were standing, but that they were standing and not speaking. As a whole the poem creates a very pensive and anxious mood. I cannot decide whether it is a good or bad atmosphere. Ryan |
early morning news John Spaw (9) Response: The punctuation in this haiku really embodies the feeling of anticipation that every kid who's ever waited to see if they would get a snow day feels. Not only that, but the ending line, gives that sigh of relief when you finally see your school's name on the list. It makes the memory really clear because it takes you through those stages of emotion in the way it is written. It does not simply provide the visual but stimulates feelings as well. Morgan I love this poem because we can all relate to it. The feeling of having a snow day is such a relieving and exciting thing. Seeing the snow fall begin at night and hoping for inches upon inches the next morning when we wake up always seems unlikely but we all hope for it. So when it really happens, it's like a wave of relaxation and relief comes over you. We've all woken up earlier than we should for school to sit in front of the t.v. in our pajamas and un-brushed hair to watch the little red bar roll across the screen on the local news station, trying to spot our county name. The way this is written helps us feel the anticipation that is felt while waiting to find out if there is a snow day. Ramey |
returning home— Sarah Mann (4) |
black Camaro Mark Gahlback This haiku reminds me of high school. In high school, I drove my mom's Camaro to school so this haiku brought up a lot of memories. I remember after school the car would be incredibly hot from the sun hitting all day long. Rick |
footsteps running |
pale blue dot Rick Trask (2) |
bubblegum and leather Ramey Sola My entire family loves playing baseball. I can picture the soft leather of baseball gloves and smell the bubblegum in this haiku. Red dirt from the diamond makes the sun beat down hard. I can picture that dirt flying around, turning your skin orange. I can even see the shape of the shadow of a ball cap on a boy's face. Of course, I can also see the sweat lines along the outer edge of the ball cap. Rachel |
the moon rises |
leather sticks to skin |
summer melody Morgan Oliver I really loved the imagery in this poem. This is an image that everyone can picture with little to no difficulties. Everyone has seen a summer sunrise or sunset at some point in their life. Also, by saying that the sun is the accompaniment, it makes the reader feel rather than see. I love the feeling I get when listening to a certain song. There are some songs where the beauty just astounds me. I will sit there with my eyes closed and just take it all in; which is what I do when reading this poem. I can see the sun set below the horizon just as the climax of my favorite song can be heard. It's a beautiful image that makes me miss summer. Caitlin |
Summer concert |
the sun shines in |
© 2013, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.