Global Haiku • Fall 2017
Dr. Randy Brooks

Little Fingers

by
Masha Kostic

These haiku resemble snippets from my life; things about the world I notice. In some of these, I pay attention to detail or little things in life one would normally regard as small or insignificant. My haiku are primarily focused on people or objects I notice, some of which have signicance in my life, such as the bicycle or castle. Others consist of things I like, such as popcorn and candles. To someone who doesn't know me well, the haiku may seem somewhat interesting, but for people who know me very well, they understand the importance of these haiku. I think readers will be able to see the way I see the world when reading my haiku.

rubber band
stretching
the truth

dancing in the wind
a flaming dress
the candle's flicker

rusty bike older than me
still carries fresh bread
from the corner store

crumbling castle battlefield
I can hear the arrows
rocketing past my skin

last flicker of light
the old puddle
honey wax

three little fingers wiggling
they wait
under my door

fingers fumbling
beneath the surface of popcorn
colliding into one another

unopened jar hides quietly
devoured the next day
three possible suspects

little buns lined up
oozing cinnamon everywhere
shiny swirls of glaze

opening my eyes
to the smell of kacamak
I know who made breakfast

wrinkled hands seal grape leaves
lined up like soldiers
green uniforms

homemade potatoes
each generation
puts their own twist on it

Rolled Out of Bed

I remember my insecure teenage years. Everyone was very self-conscious and wanted to look good before school. I'd wake up at 5:45 am every morning in high school in order to have enough time to straighten/curl my hair, do my makeup (maybe), and get my outfit ready in order to make the bus at 6:44. Of course, this rarely left any time for breakfast, which my mother sometimes packed and I'd eat it at around 7:30 in the cafeteria with my friends before school started. On occasions that I didn't have enough time to fully finish my makeup, I'd pull it out on the shaky bus and attempt to put on mascara, foundation, and maybe a lip color, usually without a mirror. Over time, my mirrorless skill developed and I was able to quickly swipe on my makeup without looking in the mirror, except for the foundation of course. I was so worried that everyone would stare at me and judge me if I didn't wear enough makeup or if my hair wasn't curled or if my outfit wasn't cute. I stressed so much about my appearance that almost daily, I'd look at how my favorite fashion bloggers dressed and how makeup artists meticulously patted on their eyeshadow. Looking back on my previous self, I shouldn't have been so worried and concerned over the way I looked because I knew everyone else would be insecure, and I learned during my senior year of high school that no one really cares how you look. At least, not as much as I originally thought. Now in college, I still try to maintain my appearance without looking like I rolled out of bed. I have found a good balance between casual and dressed up. People care even less now, and whether I walk around with a full face of makeup or none at all, I couldn't really care less because I'm much more confident in my appearance.

scrambling to cake up
my young face
for no one in particular

Masha Kostic

I really enjoyed this memory of someone who was extremely self-conscious about what she looked like to people she barely knew. I remember when I was in high school, and there were tons of girls that would cake on the makeup and make sure they were dressed "super cute." There were also a lot of guys that tried to dress nice, wearing khaki pants and a collared shirt. I was the complete opposite. I wore sweatpants or athletic shorts every single day because it was comfortable and I didn't care what I looked like to others. I remember people telling me how they woke up 2 to 3 hours before school to get makeup and clothes on. Usually I would wake up 10-15 minutes before the school bell rang and put on whatever clothes I saw first. I thought people were crazy to put that much effort into something so meaningless plus 99% of the time I don't notice if a girl has really nice clothes on or has makeup on because it isn't a big deal. I am glad this person has realized that they don't have to put much effort into their appearance for people that they don't even know. Along with this memory, I enjoyed the haiku. I like the words "scrambling" and "young" as well as the last line stating "for no one in particular." It makes the reader question why they are putting in so much effort to begin with. Austin