Haiku Kukai 03
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Fall 2024
1 the walk to class |
2 hike on the |
3 pigeons pick through Lily Moore (2) |
4 going out Lily Moore (7) I relate to this haiku a lot. I live in a sorority house on campus, and getting ready to go out always becomes a social event. Even if someone is not going, almost everyone gathers in the bathroom or in their friends’ rooms to help each other get ready. We share makeup, clothes, and opinions, often changing and re-changing before we settle on a final look. It almost feels like a bit of a game and makes me feel like a little girl again. I don’t go out often, but when I do and I’m all dressed up, I feel like a slightly different person from the girl who typically dresses for comfort and just wears t-shirts and sweatpants or jeans. I almost feel like I’m dressing up as a character with all my friends, and it’s always very fun. Natalie Mase, Fall 2024 This takes me back to getting ready for homecoming and prom with my best friends in high school. I had the same best friend group from 4th grade to my senior year. When we were younger, we would play dress up at Catherine’s house, because she had 2 older sisters whose old clothes became our dress up clothes. We would wear their old dresses and act like we were going to prom. Eventually, it became our turn, and every year we got ready for those events at Catherine’s house. We were finally getting to dress up, put on heels, and wear jewelry and makeup to somewhere other than downstairs to show her mom. I love the idea of wanting to be older and having places to go out, and then being older and reflecting on the times where you used to dress up to play like you were going out like that. Melis Barutcu, Fall 2024 |
5 the stars see |
6 years of practice |
7 texting mom Natalie Mase (7) This makes me think of that first 2 or 3 weeks of college where my mom wanted to know everything that was going on, while I was just trying to make it through the days with all the things I had to do and how busy I was. I like the usage of the word “warfront.” This could genuinely be a haiku from someone enlisted, but since we’re Millikin students I’m assuming it’s a more lighthearted comparison between war and being at school. Overall it’s just a relatable haiku to me. Matt Kordesh, Fall 2024 This haiku is very clever to me, and it reminds me of texting my mom to tell her about all the crazy things that happen while I am away at school that she needs to be aware of. At these moments, it can feel like I am “away at war” and my family is back at home safely. I am very close to my family, so sometimes it truly does feel like I am writing letters home from a war. Caroline Arnold, Fall 2024 |
8 a lone dimple Bella Palermo I really liked this poem because it put me into a scene. I imagine lying on your back, watching the stars, and turning to the person lying next to you noticing their smile. I love star gazing and it is such an intimate activity. To share it with another person is so impactful. It is so wonderful to admire the world with someone that you admire. How romantic is the sentiment that this person is more beautiful and special to you than all the stars in the sky. Aubrey Diedrich, Fall 2024 |
9 abiogenesis Bella Palermo (3) I honestly don’t even know where I go when I think about this haiku, because it’s a thought that crosses my mind all the time. It makes me think of a lot of different things though, from my stars and galaxies class to watching youtube videos about space. It’s a cool haiku to me because it talks about one of the reasons I ended up studying what I am today. I am super interested in exoplanets, as well as love seeing theories and research that tries to uncover the process of producing life out of non-living things. Matt Kordesh, Fall 2024 |
10 handprint on the map Natalie Mase (5) |
11 first date Natalie Mase (3) |
12 no special purpose |
13 happy mother’s day Melis Barutcu (3) |
14 Haley’s comet Melis Barutcu I really like this haiku because it reminds me of the fact that we only exist for such a short amount of time in the grand scheme of the universal clock. It reminds me of the fact that if the existence of our universe was a 24 hour time period, humans would only show up at 11:59pm. This is very interesting to me, and it was the first thing I thought of when I read this haiku. Caroline Arnold, Fall 2024 |
15 an apple a day Caroline Arnold (9) I liked this kabuki because of its simplicity. It is more obvious than some haikus we have gone over, but I think it still works beautifully. I also like the rhyming scheme of the haiku, and think it adds more since the haiku itself is obvious in interpretation. I also liked the meaning. No matter how hard you try to keep yourself healthy, things happen and you will still get sick. I believe it’s a good reminder to keep yourself healthy, but that getting sick is also healthy in a different way. It shows that you still have a strong immune system to fight off infections and illnesses. Maliyah Battle, Fall 2024 I thought this haiku was clever and relatable. I like the fact that it refers to the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctors away,” with which most readers would already be familiar, but then puts its own twist on it. I also really liked the rhyming element of it because it resembled the flow of the original phrase. I found it relatable because I always seem to get sick around this time of year, even though I try to take care of myself as best as I can. Katelyn Wendt, Fall 2024 I think this one is really clever. I like the play on words of the original saying to make a new, relatable message. I like how this one rhymes. This haiku is also very relatable because in the dorms it is kind of inevitable that you will get sick. Izzy Jones, Fall 2024 This one of mine is just funny because in college, you are around so many people, and you don’t have your parents to help you not get sick and be safe. No matter how hard you try to stay healthy, you are bound to get sick at least once throughout each semester. Gracie Shaffer, Fall 2024 This was my favorite haiku from kukai 3 because it is so relatable. No matter what you do, you will always get sick in college because you are around so many different people every day and living with friends who have been with new people. It is a clever haiku instead of the typical phrase that follows ‘an apple a day.’ I love the creativeness and truthfulness of this haiku. Charley Condill, Fall 2024 I liked this haiku because it was very lighthearted and funny. It reminded me of how you can try so hard to stay healthy, but you will still get sick regardless. I also liked the rhyming in this haiku and the play on the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Abby Wilken, Fall 2024 |
16 encircled on a mat |
17 lift heavier Caroline Arnold (3) This haiku made a connection to my personal experiences with lifting weights and training as an athlete. Prior to college, I never really had a structured workout routine where I would train to do heavy lifts. Now, as an athlete, I am constantly working harder every week to increase the amount of weight that I can lift. This haiku made me picture myself in the beginning where I was drenched in sweat and having to push through a challenging workout. Now, with time, the lifts are not as much as a struggle which shows that I am getting stronger. Ava Zukowski, Fall 2024 |
18 mom and daughter Melis Barutcu (6) I liked this haiku because it reminded me of when I was younger, and I used to stargaze with my parents. We would go camping a lot when I was younger, and we would always go stargazing late at night. I also liked the comparison of the mom and daughter and the big and little dipper. Lily Moore, Fall 2024 I liked this haiku because of its surface image as well as the implied comparison that I interpreted from it. On the surface, it is a sweet image of a mother and daughter spending time together, which makes me think of similar times I have shared with my mom. I think that the haiku is also comparing the mom and daughter to the big and little dipper. The daughter might look just like her mom, just younger and smaller, like how the little dipper is just like the big dipper, only smaller. Katelyn Wendt, Fall 2024 |
19 grilled cheese |
20 a sculptor Charlie Armstrong (5) When I read this haiku, I thought about how people are always trying to change the way they look or act to fit in with whatever is trending. We are always changing and trying to fit in. Though change is not always a bad thing, constantly chipping and trying to fix ourselves can be exhausting and damaging to our self-esteem. Lily Moore, Fall 2024 I love the connection between being too harsh on oneself and the idea of using a chisel to chip away at a rock. I can just feel more and more negative self-talk happening in this situation, not helping myself to get out of this frame of mind. Learning to become more forgiving for yourself because once you chip away too much, there is no getting it back. Gracie Shaffer, Fall 2024 I liked this haiku because it can be taken in whatever direction you want. One might read this and think that it is a haiku about the horrors of overthinking and the constant want to change one's image to match unrealistic standards. On the other hand, one might read this haiku to be a testimony of how one could change one's self for the better. No matter which way you take it, it creates a vivid image in your head. Dayton Lasack, Fall 2024 When I read Charlie’s haiku, I imagined myself. His haiku reminded me of how hard I can be on myself sometimes. I want to be the best version of myself, which means that I have to push myself and do things that I don’t want to do sometimes. I also want to be at peace and take gentle care of myself. I have to ride a fine line between pushing myself and taking care of myself, and I can’t stay on that line all the time. Bella Palermo, Fall 2024 |
21 wake up |
22 aircraft beacon Katelyn Wendt (4) I love this haiku because of the imagery and innocence it portrays. I imagine a young boy in the backyard with his dad looking at the stars, and thinking he is seeing a shooting star when it’s really just the light of an airplane. I like to think that the dad doesn’t correct him, letting him believe he saw a shooting star and letting him wish on it. It also reminds me of childlike perspectives on life and how those tend to change with age. Melis Barutcu, Fall 2024 |
23 sweat dripping Charley Condill This one encapsulated the feeling of being in a close game or just playing the sport that you love. It is hard work but it always feels so rewarding after. I like that this poem gives off intense vibes. I also like that all the lines are the same length it is aesthetically pleasing. Izzy Jones, Fall 2024 I liked this haiku because I was clearly able to imagine the scene described in the haiku, even with such little real scene description. I liked how it displays the blissful ignorance of children. The child does not know that it is not a real shooting star. It doesn't really matter to the child, they still believe their wish will come true. I also like how this haiku implies that a parent or someone older watched this happen and knew that it was just an aircraft beacon, but they decided not to tell the child to keep the wonder alive. Dayton Lasack, Fall 2024 |
24 frustrated mumbling Charlie Armstrong (4) |
25 freshman orientation Katelyn Wendt (3) |
26 blowing a kiss to papa Katelyn Wendt (4) |
27 morning meditation |
28 sitting beside |
29 step after step Izzy Jones This makes me think of when I’m cutting weight for wrestling matches. As I am sweating off ounces at a time, I remind myself of the goal, that the thirst and hunger is temporary, and that all I have to do is take it step by step, drop of sweat by drop of sweat, to make sure that I make the weight I am supposed to. When the going gets tough, the way you talk to yourself is critical, and is what separates athletes from giving up on themselves. Charlie Armstrong, Fall 2024 |
30 introverted thoughts |
31 vending machine snacks |
32 books open Gracie Shaffer (4) |
33 pencil in my planner |
34 people come Gracie Shaffer (4) |
35 endless sky |
36 starting my watch |
37 my feet stop growing |
38 Saturn returns I show up for me Aubrey Diedrich (3) Admittedly, I wrote this haiku and I was quite proud of it. I was minorly disappointed more people didn’t like it, but I think it is hard to understand if you don’t know the significance of Saturn returning. In astrology, a Saturn return is when the planet reaches the same position in the sky that it was in when someone was born. It happens about every 27-29.5 years, typically in someone’s late 20s, late 50s, and late 80s. These times in a person’s life often corelate with transition and great changes. Some believe that Saturn’s return can ignite a time of personal growth. I really liked that idea of taking charge on your life, getting a new perspective, growing, and evolving. I thought it was a cool concept for the Heavenly Bodies topic, and I had fun trying to write a one line haiku. Aubrey Diedrich, Fall 2024 |
39 earthquake |
40 distant galaxies |
41 jogging across a brook Dayton Lasack (3) |
42 bad day Dayton Lasack (5) This haiku reminds me a lot of myself. I am an avid cartoon watcher and a huge fan of my own “comfort show,” Avatar the Last Airbender. I have actually watched the whole series 4 times now. Some might call it an obsession, but I call it self-care. Even if I just let it play in the background while I clean my room or while I do homework, there is something very comforting to me about hearing the voices of my favorite characters and the soundtrack of the show that has always brought me so much joy. Even on my worst days, I can always count on my favorite show to cheer me up and remind me of the joy of watching it for the first time. I feel at peace and remember the simpler times when I could just watch cartoons without all the responsibilities I have now. Natalie Mase, Fall 2024 |
43 rings in the sky Rachel Nott (2) |
44 sunlight peeking Rachel Nott (3) |
45 anticipation high |
46 a wildfire |
47 one pound of terra-cotta Maliyah Battle (2) |
48 one pair of slippers |
49 off to college Matt Kordesh (8) I don’t have a dog, but I have two cats. Whenever I leave for college, I wonder if they think about where I am and when I am going back. My cats are very social with my family, and whenever we come home they are always sitting near the door waiting for us to come back. I think about if my cats ever sit by the door and wait for me when I’m at college. But in reality, they don’t know where I am going and what I am doing. This haiku made me also think about how you are your pet’s entire world. They wait for you to see them and they get so excited when you are with them. The pure happiness that pets experience when you are near them is so cute. I miss my cats when I go to college, but I always get so excited to go home when I see them. I hope that they get as excited as I do. Ava Zukowski, Fall 2024 I liked this haiku because it reminded me of my dogs and how excited they are every time I come home for a weekend or for a break just like I never left. But when I do leave, it makes me sad because they never know how long I will be gone or where I am going but they just are always there. Abby Wilken, Fall 2024 |
50 one after the other |
51 hard work Bella Palermo (8) The future is always something that many people have inside their minds. Going to college for the future, doing internships for future jobs, creating a five or ten year plan for the future. It becomes easy to stop living in the present and enjoying the things we have now. This haiku is a good reminder that we think about the things we want to do and where we should be at, yet we should also wait for that time to come. Nothing good will happen from trying to rush the impossible, so making a simple wish and allowing things to be as they are now. Maliyah Battle, Fall 2024 |
52 chartreuse walls |
53 cyclopropenylidene Bella Palermo (4) My mind immediately goes to my organic chemistry class when I read the cyclopropenylidene. Although it sounds super complicated, it is named systematically so experienced chemists can visualize the molecule just by the name. The prefix “cyclopropen”, from what I know so far, is a circular parent ring of the compound that is made of 3 carbons. However, I have no idea what the end may mean, and I feel the same way as the author, as I constantly am asking for someone to show me what something may mean whenever chemistry decides to hit me with crazy words and chemicals. Charlie Armstrong, Fall 2024 |
54 beautiful day Matt Kordesh I honestly just enjoy this haiku a lot because it mentions cafe food. I think the haiku is trying to shine a negative light on cafe food, but I can't quite tell. Which is pretty poetic if you ask me since I cannot tell if cafe food is awful or not. It all just depends on how I look at it and what kind of food is being served today. Dayton Lasack, Fall 2024 |
55 tern circling |
56 midwest highway Dan Mungons Growing up in the midwest, a common topic of conversation were the local opossums or coyotes that would roam our neighborhoods. It is common knowledge that these animals roam our areas because our neighborhoods were once their homes. There has always been a prairie behind my house, and whenever I hear our local owl I am reminded that this earth is not only my home, but it is also theirs. My eyes are opened to the hatred that we all seem to have towards even the most innocent animals, and how unnecessary that hatred can be sometimes. Bella Palermo, Fall 2024 I wasn’t really sure why, but I connected to this haiku pretty instantly. I have been taking an environmental writing course, and I feel that I have been engaging in a lot more climate activism since starting university. I read this haiku and it reminded me of the sad fact that human industrialization has taken much of our natural world. The poem just gave me a sinking feeling. Like this bird has no home. I can’t quite place what about it is so striking, but I most definitely was impacted and it sparked a lot of thought. Aubrey Diedrich, Fall 2024 |
57 stadium lights Abby Wilken This one makes me think about the building atmosphere over any sort of long-period sporting event. Of course, as a tennis player, I’m immediately going to think about tennis. It’s a pretty interesting feeling when things are silent, and there’s usually a moment where you can finally point out the completely silence and that’s how you know all eyes are on you. Even at the events your supposed to be quiet at, there are at least some other sounds or murmers going on, like at a baseball game. However, when it really comes down to it, everything gets silent, and I think this haiku captures that heightened atmosphere and pressure really well. Matt Kordesh, Fall 2024 |
58 quiet chatter |
59 soft whiskers Ava Zukowski (3) |
60 weighted dino Charley Condill (8) This haiku made me feel very at peace. It reminds me of calm mornings, waking up to the soft sunlight and slowly welcoming the day. I don’t personally have a weighted dino, but I do have a weighted axolotl and many other stuffed animal friends that I love very much. My bed on campus also directly faces the window. Reading this haiku, I felt myself all cozy in my bed, under my blanket and surrounded by all my stuffed animals. The sunlight peeks through the blinds and softly shakes me awake. I lay there for a while, taking in the comfort and beauty and peace of the moment before I stretch and take on the day. Natalie Mase, Fall 2024 |
61 cameras flashing |
62 a sunflower Caroline Arnold (6) I think this one is adorable. I love getting flowers, but it is kind of sad when they die. My dad just started buying my mom the lego flowers now because she likes to built legos. I think it is so sweet and I love seeing them in little vases around the house. Izzy Jones, Fall 2024 |
63 rubber duck Caroline Arnold (4) |
64 the tip of the iceberg Gracie Shaffer This haiku was very smart because the tip of the iceberg part made sense without seeing what was down below. With a deeper meaning, it meant to me that someone can look so pretty and put together on the outside, but on the inside, you never know what is going on and how horrible it can be for them. Abby Wilken, Fall 2024 |
65 worn leather |
66 an addict Charlie Armstrong (4) |
67 advice from dad Charlie Armstrong This haiku really resonated with me because my parents do tend to have different beliefs than each other and even me. This can make asking for advice somewhat difficult – I have to make sure I ask the right parent. Lily Moore, Fall 2024 |
68 long day Dayton Lasack I love this haiku. It summarizes my relationship with my mom. She is a rockstar and always goes above and beyond for me and is the rock in my life. Anytime I feel that I miss her, I immediately let her know. She will always be my biggest supporter in life and the haiku made me realize that even more. Charlie Armstrong, Fall 2024 |
69 spring cleaning Katelyn Wendt (7) I can acknowledge that I am a very sentimental person. I have 3 totes of stuffed animals in my basement that I don’t think I’ll ever be abe to part with. I’ve gotten better about it, and I’m definitely not at a hoarding level; however, this haiku reminds me of going through my old things and finding something that I can’t bring myself to get rid of, despite not having used it in a long time. I also love the way the words in this haiku work together to create the image. “Spring cleaning” and “keep pile” are really good lines, and “cleaning” and “dusty” work well together as well. Melis Barutcu, Fall 2024 |
70 puppy kisses |
71 fallen eyelash |
72 thank you letter Lily Moore (3) |
73 wine in hand Lily Moor(3) I enjoy this haiku because it reminds me of how we seem to find happiness in the saddest moments. To me, wine signals a moment of gathering, and it also symbolizes laughter. Now that I am writing it out, wine most likely was meant to symbolize a somber moment for those planning the funeral, but I imagine people sitting around a table. I imagine them telling stories about grandpa instead of actually planning the funeral. The people sitting around this table aren’t able to control their laughter because the stories of grandpa seem to be endlessly hilarious, and because they miss him. When the worst happens, it can bring us closer with those we love, or even those we never thought we could be close with in the beginning. Bella Palermo, Fall 2024 |
74 late night thoughts |
75 worst day of my life . . . |
76 feeling lost Izzy Jones |
77 big toe Maliyah Battle (4) |
78 red car |
79 stargazing Natalie Mase (3) |
80 paint crusted nail beds |
81 silent night Natalie Mase This one didn’t really get talked about, but I really enjoyed it. I love how it implies that someone is outside at night, looking up at the moon and maybe stars. They aren’t worried about hanging out with other people, the only person they need is themselves. Even though the person is alone, they don’t seem lonely. The tone of the haiku is peaceful and relaxing. Charley Condill, Fall 2024 |
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83 how can I miss someone two seats over? |
84 election season |
85 stuck in the static Rachel Nott (3) I thought this haiku was very relatable because I interpreted it as an analogy for how it often feels as a college student. The static is our time in college, which occurs between our two favorite programs, childhood and adulthood. We’re not kids anymore, but we also aren’t fully on our own yet. We have dreams and goals for the future, but we haven’t quite reached them yet. We’re waiting with anticipation for whatever is coming next, which makes this time of preparation feel even longer. Katelyn Wendt, Fall 2024 |
86 shaking hands |
88 for a brief moment Matt Kordesh I feel like I can relate to this haiku. I enjoyed watching the volleyball and gymnastics at the Olympics this year. I also play volleyball, so it was very cool to see our country succeed at this sport globally. This haiku makes me feel like we are in the olympians shoes, standing on the court, or on the mat, or on the track. I can almost feel the crowd's noise as I read this haiku. Caroline Arnold, Fall 2024 |
89 the stony terrain |
90 closet cleanout Melis Barutcu (7) I can still pull out items from my closet that have been sitting in the dark for years. Periodically when I do the seasonal closet clean out, they are never put into the donation pile. They hold so much meaning and represent a part of my life that shaped me who I am today. I can’t wear them anymore and they are way out of style, yet they are still beautiful in my heart. At some point in time, I will learn to let them go as I continue to shape and find out more about myself. Maliyah Battle, Fall 2024 There were a couple of different readings of this haiku in class, and I read it in a different way than those. I imagine looking through my clothes and having so many options, but I always resort back to the same white North Face zip up because it is my favorite. I’ve had it since the beginning of high school, but it is such a go-to item that I cannot let it go. Also, I have a hard time of getting rid of clothes when I clean out my closet, even though I won’t remember if I gave it away. Charley Condill, Fall 2024 I really liked this haiku as it made me think about the passage of time and growing up. As I grow older, I am always sorting and looking through clothes that I don’t need/want anymore, or clothes that don’t fit me. I do this about twice a year and then donate the clothes that I don’t need. It made me think about how the clothes that I liked, for example when I was in 8th grade, are not the clothes that I like now. As time continues, you change so much as a person and can be reflected in things such as your choice of style. A second interpretation of this haiku is that I am cleaning through my closet and I find a jacket that has so many memories associated with it and was a big part of my life. I think about the wonderful memories about it, and put it back into the closet. Ava Zukowski, Fall 2024 |
© 2024, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.