cookie tin
so hopeful
crayons

Mikayla Mendenhall

childproof locks
5% childproof
95% adult proof

Sarah Mann

sunday afternoon football
my dad and I lean forward
together

Ryan Hickey

white breath
floats as they yell
HIT SOMEBODY

Ramey Sola

childproof locks
5% childproof
95% adult proof

sunday afternoon football
my dad and I lean forward
together

sunday afternoon football
my dad and I lean forward
together

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

the crunch of leaves,
her laugh
a reason for love

bottom quarter champion

the crunch of leaves,
her laugh
a reason for love

the crunch of leaves,
her laugh
a reason for love

burnt wood
the feeling of warmth
in the body and mind

the crunch of leaves,
her laugh
a reason for love

Mark Gahlback

autumn chill
leaves crunch under
my warm boots

Caitlin Husted

burnt wood
the feeling of warmth
in the body and mind

Alex Koulos

fall temperatures
sitting closely
at the fireside

Brock Hayden

TOP half champion

the crunch of leaves,
her laugh
a reason for love

CHAMPION
 

the crunch of leaves,
her laugh
a reason for love

clicking needles
the yarn
pulls at my thoughts

BOTTOM half champion

clicking needles
the yarn
pulls at my thoughts

Keila Hamed Ramos

wondering about
space
in my mind

Rick Trask

colorful blossoms
an infant's
renewal of sins

Codi Gramlich

stained glass
telling tales of old
ethereal glow

John Spaw

clicking needles
the yarn
pulls at my thoughts

stained glass
telling tales of old
ethereal glow

clicking needles
the yarn
pulls at my thoughts

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

clicking needles
the yarn
pulls at my thoughts

bottom quarter champion

the first spring
our Christmas lights
still lit

attic fan
smell of fall
scents my tea

the first spring
our Christmas lights
still lit

attic fan
smell of fall
scents my tea

Rachel Mudd

remembering Nona dance in the kitchen
through her old recipe
for garlic bread

Ramey Sola

the first spring
our Christmas lights
still lit

Morgan Oliver

the start of fall
qudditch teams prepare
for first match

Mark Gahlback

cookie tin
so hopeful
crayons

Mikayla Mendenhall

childproof locks
5% childproof
95% adult proof

Sarah Mann

sunday afternoon football
my dad and I lean forward
together

Ryan Hickey

white breath
floats as they yell
HIT SOMEBODY

Ramey Sola

While both poems are about football, I found myself able to connect with the 1st one even though I don’t particularly care for the sport. The 2nd one, while humorous was harder for me to connect to. The 2nd one seems to really focus on football, while the 1st one uses football as a means to address something else. It addresses the significance of family bonds, specifically between father and child. This seems to be more universally relatable to me, than a poem centered on football. I got a deeper emotional reaction from it. Morgan

I found these two very interesting in comparison. I had never thought of something like football being combined with haiku; it is almost a juxtaposition. Also, I liked how even though they share a similar thread of football, they both managed to have their differences. One is staged indoors, obviously in front of a television, while the other is outdoors. However, the authors did not have to state these settings, but let the reader imagine them through context clues. The last lines of both haiku are also intriguing. One is very simplistic, but conveys a strong meaning and emotion. The other used all caps to indicate yelling, but did not include quotation marks or an exclamation mark. The use of words as an art is captivating, especially when comparing two haiku like these. Mikayla

I really enjoy these two haiku because they both discuss a sport where the intensity is high. The tension and emotion that is expressed in football is very great and I enjoy watching the game when it is very close. These two poems both give clear images of what is occurring. They describe the emotion that the game brings to the viewers and allow the reader to really get into the poem and feel the excitement. I also notice that these two poems both express one thing in three lines straight. There is no third line that connects to the two other lines by making a connecting statement. All three lines are one long sentence that expresses a specific idea. Both poems have really descriptive words that add to the imagery that is very well perceived in the haiku. Codi

The reason I like these poems is because football is a huge deal around my house. My dad may have been blessed with three lovely daughters, but that didn’t stop him from spreading his love of football. Every Sunday after church, my sister, Emily, and I would sit down next to my dad on the couch and watch football. In all honesty, it’s one of my favorite memories from my childhood. There’s just something so peaceful about watching football in the living room with my dad. Sure, he yells at the TV, but it just makes me smile. I hope that when I get married and have a family, we will continue this tradition and watch football on Sunday afternoons after church. I like how these poems show two different sides of the sport. When I read the first one, I pictured a father and son sitting in their living room watching the game. However, when I read the second one, I saw a coach yelling at his players from the sidelines. The first one just seems a little calmer to me, making me believe that it is in a calmer setting like a home, rather than actually at the game like in the second one. I really love the imagery in both of these poems. With the first one, I can see the father and son lean forward together during an intense play. With the second poem, I can see the coach on the sideline yelling at his team, all the while, little white puffs of air are being made. Caitlin

the crunch of leaves,
her laugh
a reason for love

Mark Gahlback

autumn chill
leaves crunch under
my warm boots

Caitlin Husted

burnt wood
the feeling of warmth
in the body and mind

Alex Koulos

fall temperatures
sitting closely
at the fireside

Brock Hayden

These were my two favorite haiku of the day. Both were well written and brought forth sensory images. Although at first they seem quite different, both of these haiku are talking about deep feelings. In the first haiku, the act of a dad and son leaning forward together is a moment of bonding for these two people. This haiku is referring to the relationship of a father and a son. The second haiku talks about loving a girl. This is showing how a small thing about a person can inspire so much more. This haiku is also referring to a relationship, this time between a man and a woman in love. I also like how both of these haiku use the same seasons. Football begins in the fall so I always associate football with fall, and leaves fall off of trees in the fall. Rick

Both of these poems set up a seasonal image in the first line. They also both specifically mention leaves crunching, which mean movement and life. The first of the two was my overall favorite from all the poems we had to choose from because it makes me think of memories as a general term. I often put scenes and feelings together and recall on them from my memory. What I like more about the first one is that there is more than just an image. It brings people in to it and you can see someone reacting and almost feel the love in their heart. Ramey

I particularly enjoyed these two haiku side by side because while there was such a large overlap between the two, they each had their own character and inspired a different emotional reaction from me as a reader. Both of them immediately paint a picture of autumn, with colorful leaves falling from the trees, littering the ground. Also, they both created an auditory sensation when they described the "crunch" of leaves. The first one, however, had a romantic element to it which spoke to my emotions on a deeper level. All of the sensory experiences of the first haiku had the purpose of highlighting the love that was felt between two people. The second haiku, on the other hand, was more about the pure sensory experience, focusing on the the feelings, sights, and sounds that one experiences during autumn. John

I like this pair of haiku both have to do with the current season we are experiencing and a time where love seems to blossom. The numerous activities that two can partake in opens up the possibilities of love to grow. In the first haiku, that activity is playing in the leaves and the second could be inferred as two people taking a walk and one of the thousands of leaves on the ground is stepped on. Either haiku does a great job at showing the fall and its activities. Alex

These haiku made up my favorite pair in the matching contest. First, I loved the comparison of fall and bonfires and the similar senses of warmth. However, I also enjoyed reading into their differences. "Fall temperatures" gave a bit of a more romantic feeling for me because it gave me the image of a couple sitting closely. There are warm and fuzzy feelings. However, "burnt wood" was more of a general contentment because of the warmth in "body and mind." I imagined a group of friends around a dying fire with bellies full of s'mores after the conversation has died off to a comfortable silence. The group is warm physically, but they all feel great comfort and contentment around the fire. Rachel

autumn chill
leaves crunch under
my warm boots

Caitlin Husted

fall temperatures
sitting closely
at the fireside

Brock Hayden

the crunch of leaves,
her laugh
a reason for love

Mark Gahlback

burnt wood
the feeling of warmth
in the body and mind

Alex Koulos

I picked the two of these haiku because they both have the same flow and tone in their reading. Even similar in meaning, the two leave the reader with a sense of contentment and favor toward the season of fall. The fact that the first line of each of these means the same thing with different words, I find, ironic. In addition, both incorporate a reference to warmth with words like “fireside” and “warm boots”. Sarah

The first poem invokes a sense of warmth from another person, while the other seems to be from an actual fire. However, I can also see a possible connection between the two. Perhaps the fire is an event to which two people were walking . As they made their way along the leaf-covered path, the young woman laughs and her companion is filled with joy at the sound of her happiness. After reaching the bonfire, they sit next to each other and breathe in the wood smoke, both of them feeling the warmth of the fire and the inner warmth that results from spending time in each other’s company. I feel this is an excellent example of how two haiku which may not have seemed to have a connection before, can develop a connection when placed side by side.  Brock

clicking needles
the yarn
pulls at my thoughts

Keila Hamed Ramos

wondering about
space
in my mind

Rick Trask

colorful blossoms
an infant's
renewal of sins

Codi Gramlich

stained glass
telling tales of old
ethereal glow

John Spaw

I loved this comparison of haiku for several reasons. The first reason is that I think they compliment each other in a way that is hidden, but also very blatant. On the surface, they both speak of thoughts and the experience of being by yourself. Underneath this though, they are both uncertain and hesitant in experiencing things that they might not be prepared for and might not have control of. I also like how the second haiku can be read as a response to the other. It almost seems as if they were written together as one continuous story. Keila

clicking needles
the yarn
pulls at my thoughts

Keila Hamed Ramos

stained glass
telling tales of old
ethereal glow

John Spaw

attic fan
smell of fall
scents my tea

Rachel Mudd

remembering Nona dance in the kitchen
through her old recipe
for garlic bread

Ramey Sola

the first spring
our Christmas lights
still lit

Morgan Oliver

the start of fall
qudditch teams prepare
for first match

Mark Gahlback