Global Haiku • Fall 2018
Dr. Randy Brooks

Bio: Isabella Spiritoso is a sophomore at Millikin University. Born and raised just south of Cincinnati, OH, she decided to move to Decatur, IL to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre at Millikin. Isabella is also in the honors program and is a member of Alpha Chi Omega.

See Isabella's essay:

She Persists:
The Voices in Femku Mag

I Can Finally Breathe

by
Isabella Spiritoso

My Intro:

Haiku is an artform in which the artist captures the complete essence of a singular moment in time through written word. I find writing haiku to be a therapeutic way for me to process the events of my day, or a way to reflect back on past memories. In order to write a strong haiku, I feel that the moment I am capturing must be genuinely impactful to me; this does not mean it has to be monumental, but it must be a moment that can brew in my mind long enough to evoke the feelings and thoughts need to write a haiku. I enjoy writing haiku about my relationships with others, my inner monologue, objects that have sentimental value to me, and the surroundings in my everyday life. This collection is a compilation of haiku on a variety of subjects that I have written in the past semester. Please enjoy this brief look on my haiku journey thus far.

Reader’s intro:

When reading Isabella’s haiku, it is obvious that she pays close attention to the details surrounding her haiku. Each haiku starts off with a simple image that clarifies itself as the last lines are read. My personal favorite is her haiku:

I gather the courage
to look at her with love
my reflection

I love this haiku simply because of how honest it is. It is simple and tragic, and heart-wrenching. It is simply beautiful, much like the rest of her haiku. ~ Daria Koon

rain pouring
through the sun roof
we throw our heads back with laughter

dusty fingertips
sifting through voices of the past
old record store

heart locket
your picture inside
your heart is always next to mine

connecting the dots
late at night
constellations

pine needles
pierce the cool mountain air
I can finally breathe

I kiss his cheek
to see if he is awake . . .
                             a grin

her smooth pale skin
drenched
in moonlight

scrabble
thoughts in my mind
I can’t form into words

her laugh
cuts through the crowd
mom never misses opening night

young couple
we drive into the credits
of our own movie

glossy black pavement
we dance
in soaked t-shirts

my fingers glide
into the gaps between his
naturally

driving home from work
today I choose
a different path