the diagnosis
longer than
the treatment options

Katelyn Wendt

doctor’s dead eyes
          diagnosis
          no cure

Maliyah Battle

open casket
no signs
of life

Charlie Armstrong

driving home
his wedding band
in a plastic bag

Katelyn Wendt

the diagnosis
longer than
the treatment options

driving home
his wedding band
in a plastic bag

driving home
his wedding band
in a plastic bag

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

driving home
his wedding band
in a plastic bag

bottom quarter champion

the day after . . .
we lock fearful eyes
I understand

broken chair 
no longer needed 
at the table for two

the day after . . .
we lock fearful eyes
I understand

broken chair 
no longer needed 
at the table for two

Gracie Shaffer

calling him
before i remember 
he’s six feet under

Charley Condill

family photo
half of us
are ghosts

Natalie Mase

the day after . . .
we lock fearful eyes
I understand

Melis Barutcu

TOP half champion

driving home
his wedding band
in a plastic bag

CHAMPION

driving home
his wedding band
in a plastic bag

the candle reaches 
its end
flickering out

BOTTOM half champion

evening mist 
the moon 
hears our secrets 

Ava Zukowski

full moon
gives a spotlight
to dark water

Lily Moore

unplugged Christmas tree
the holiday spirit 
darkened

Caroline Arnold

downpour
the punishment
for a frown

Dayton Lasack

full moon
gives a spotlight
to dark water

downpour
the punishment
for a frown

full moon
gives a spotlight
to dark water

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

the candle reaches 
its end
flickering out

bottom quarter champion

the candle reaches 
its end
flickering out

shining windows
underneath lies
a junco

the candle reaches 
its end
flickering out

my fish
not supposed to
float belly up

Abby Wilken

shining windows
underneath lies
a junco

Dan Mungons

a bird
snaps a worm in two
I ponder my own end

Charlie Armstrong

the candle reaches 
its end
flickering out

Bella Palermo

the diagnosis
longer than
the treatment options

Katelyn Wendt

doctor’s dead eyes
          diagnosis
          no cure

Maliyah Battle

open casket
no signs
of life

Charlie Armstrong

driving home
his wedding band
in a plastic bag

Katelyn Wendt

I think these haiku matched very well because they are both morbid in the sense that someone that was close died or something happened to them, but I like the second one a little more because there is more room for interpretation by the reader. It doesn’t tell you exactly what happened where as the other one you know that the person has died. Abby Wilken, Fall 2024

I really like both Haiku in this match. We talked about the “driving home” one a lot, since it ended up winning, but I still want to acknowledge the creativity of this one. It seems like it’s leaving a lot of interpretations up to the reader, but collectively everyone seems to see the same thing, which is someone driving home alone from their husband’s funeral. It is a really sad and lonely feeling, and you can almost feel how quiet it is. It’s the type of quiet that is even quieter and heavier than normal silence. The first one is really good too, though. I think it does a good job at highlighting how conflicting and emotionally draining open caskets can be. On one hand, it’s some peoples only way to get closure. At the same time, though, it’s always incredibly hard to see someone you cared about dead, and they never really look the same. It’s that feeling that they’re literally right there, but the reality that it will never be the same hits. Matt Kordesh, Fall 2024

I chose this pair because it was hard to choose which one I liked better. I ended up choosing the second one because I couldn’t not pick it. It was written so beautifully. I love how the second one is more open-ended and open to interpretation. The first one paints a very clear picture of what is happening. Both are powerful representations of Kuro’s haiku strategy. Charley Condill, Fall 2024

broken chair 
no longer needed 
at the table for two

Gracie Shaffer

calling him
before i remember 
he’s six feet under

Charley Condill

family photo
half of us
are ghosts

Natalie Mase

the day after . . .
we lock fearful eyes
I understand

Melis Barutcu

I thought these two haiku made a really interesting match. Though different in content, I think that both haiku describe life after the loss of a loved one by showing the harsh realities of adjusting to the fact that someone you love is no longer with you. I think the first one gives the reader a peek into the thought process of the subject – perhaps they are sitting at the table and then they realize that they can get rid of the broken chair because no one is going to use it. The second haiku describes a moment in which the subject calls their loved one who has passed away. I assume that these people used to talk on the phone every day, so the person calls him out of habit and is immediately reminded that he is not there to answer. Katelyn Wendt, Fall 2024

evening mist 
the moon 
hears our secrets 

Ava Zukowski

full moon
gives a spotlight
to dark water

Lily Moore

unplugged Christmas tree
the holiday spirit 
darkened

Caroline Arnold

downpour
the punishment
for a frown

Dayton Lasack

my fish
not supposed to
float belly up

Abby Wilken

shining windows
underneath lies
a junco

Dan Mungons

a bird
snaps a worm in two
I ponder my own end

Charlie Armstrong

the candle reaches 
its end
flickering out

Bella Palermo

I think that these haiku matched very well because not only do they talk about the death of an animal, but they also have a very morbid feeling associated with them. I feel sadness over the fish and the junco. I liked the play on words in the second haiku; the way that the haiku says “underneath lies” it makes me think of a grave that might say “here lies” which connects to the idea that the junco is dead. Ava Zukowski, Fall 2024

Both deal with mortality through an observation of an ending. The first shows this through the active role of the bird, while the second uses the more passive flickering candle. I prefer the second because It relies less on the narrator’s perspective, and the candle metaphor better fits human mortality for most of us. Dan Mungons, Fall 2024

I thought this was a really interesting matched pair of haiku. Both seem to be talking about the sudden end of life in their own unique way. The first haiku starts more outward with the observation of the bird but shifts to be more introspective as the author begins to think about their own inevitable demise. It has a bit of a violent tone tinged with curiosity because of the words “snaps” and “ponder.” The author seems suddenly self-aware and maybe off-put but not overly alarmed as they think about death. The second haiku doesn’t specifically mention death but does still talk about an “end.” I still think this is very effective though, and an interesting comparison between life/mortality and a candle going out. It doesn’t have a particularly sad tone, but it’s ominous enough to encourage the reader to reflect on the idea of impermanence and endings. Natalie Mase, Fall 2024

Both of these haiku are about the end of something, but it isn’t until the last line of each that it is clear to the reader. The first one talks about a worm dying because a bird is eating it, while the second one is about light in the room dying because the candle is reaching the end. Completing the end of life in both these haiku really does make one ponder where one's life will go next. Nobody truly knows what will happen it could be a surprise like the worm, or it could be something that you could see coming like the end of a candle. Gracie Shaffer, Fall 2024

Both of these haiku deal with observing the end of something. In the first, it’s the end of the worm’s life as it it eaten by a bird. In the second, it’s the end of the candle’s flame. Though it’s only explicitly stated in the first, I think that both of these haiku address the feeling of seeing something come to an end and knowing that you will too. It’s a dark feeling, but these haiku don’t necessarily have that feeling. I think that they show a more neutral feeling. I chose the second haiku in the matching contest because I like the open endedness of it, and it is a really warm, calm tone. Melis Barutcu, Fall 2024

full moon
gives a spotlight
to dark water

Lily Moore

downpour
the punishment
for a frown

Dayton Lasack

I liked how you wouldn't think that these haiku could match, but they do. I think they both highlight a struggle with showing emotion and having someone try and force it out. The water in the first haiku can represent an issue or something you're holding back, yet there is someone or something bringing it to light and making it known. Making it harder for you to hide under the surface. The second haiku can show how you can show a little emotion but there is something trying to force it out of you. The downpour being questions as to why you're frowning and not being happy. I think they both have their own take on forced out emotions and how differently another party can push you. Maliyah Battle, Fall 2024

midnight 
voices calling me
to go outside

Melis Barutcu

wind advisory 
umbrellas flip inside out  
while leaves talk

Gracie Shaffer

carpool karaoke
each passenger
in a different key

Katelyn Wendt

perfect pink sunset
hear your favorite song
from a passing car

Caroline Arnold

wind advisory 
umbrellas flip inside out  
while leaves talk

carpool karaoke
each passenger
in a different key

carpool karaoke
each passenger
in a different key

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

carpool karaoke
each passenger
in a different key

bottom quarter champion

leaves 
falling 
they kiss the ground

floating on the lake
Moon
stares back

leaves 
falling 
they kiss the ground

crickets sip tea
answering
blinking stars

Maliyah Battle

floating on the lake
Moon
stares back

Bella Palermo

fighting gravity
the sparrow
wings

Dan Mungons

leaves 
falling 
they kiss the ground

Ava Zukowski

TOP half champion

carpool karaoke
each passenger
in a different key

CHAMPION
 

carpool karaoke
each passenger
in a different key

chipped nail polish
reflection of
my sanity

BOTTOM half champion

salt in the sky
my feet dance on
stars in the mud

Maliyah Battle

“no pets allowed”
the stray
cares not

Dan Mungons

helicopter blades
scissors
cutting paper

Abby Wilken

growing pile on the floor
all the outfits
that could’ve been

Katelyn Wendt

“no pets allowed”
the stray
cares not

growing pile on the floor
all the outfits
that could’ve been

“no pets allowed”
the stray
cares not

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

chipped nail polish
reflection of
my sanity

bottom quarter champion

chipped nail polish
reflection of
my sanity

writer's block
well
bottoms up!

chipped nail polish
reflection of
my sanity

writer's block
well
bottoms up!

Dayton Lasack

out of my mind
been so long, I fear
I lost the key

Dayton Lasack

today he finally talked back
the face
in the mirror

Bella Palermo

chipped nail polish
reflection of
my sanity

Natalie Mase

midnight 
voices calling me
to go outside

Melis Barutcu

wind advisory 
umbrellas flip inside out  
while leaves talk

Gracie Shaffer

carpool karaoke
each passenger
in a different key

Katelyn Wendt

perfect pink sunset
hear your favorite song
from a passing car

Caroline Arnold

I like this matched pair a lot because I like them both individually, and they pair well. The first one is fun, goofy, and very personal to the people you’re with (ie family, friends, etc). The second one feels more external, and with the sunset image I definitely feel this one being more calm and serene, maybe even alone in the car. And then hearing your favorite song from a passing car takes you out of your world and is like a reminder that there are other people driving around you with lives of their own. Rachel Nott, Fall 2024

Carpool karaoke is my favorite haiku because it reminds me of senior year of high school when I would drive my three best friends around after practice and we would blare music in my car and all four of us would just be singing at the top of our lungs while speeding down a backroad and those are some of my best memories of all four of us together now that we are all away doing our own things and haven’t hung out in our group of four in two years. Charlie Armstrong, Fall 2024

I chose these two matching haiku because they both are about riding in a car, but they have very different tones to me. The first one is a fun tone with each person seemingly having a fun time singing. The second one I thought had a more quiet tone until the person riding in the car hears their favorite song which give a sentimental feel to the haiku. I imagined they were riding alone and in silence until they heard their favorite song. Overall, both haiku have a generally positive tone, but the first one is more loud and the second is quiet. Bella Palermo, Fall 2024

crickets sip tea
answering
blinking stars

Maliyah Battle

floating on the lake
Moon
stares back

Bella Palermo

fighting gravity
the sparrow
wings

Dan Mungons

leaves 
falling 
they kiss the ground

Ava Zukowski

I think this is a strong pairing for matching. I like that there is a brief relation with fighting gravity and falling leaves, but the haiku are actually decently different. The first one sounds strainful whereas the second one sounds calm. They both paint vivid images in my head and I think they are both very good. Izzy Jones, Fall 2024

salt in the sky
my feet dance on
stars in the mud

Maliyah Battle

“no pets allowed”
the stray
cares not

Dan Mungons

helicopter blades
scissors
cutting paper

Abby Wilken

growing pile on the floor
all the outfits
that could’ve been

Katelyn Wendt

These haiku may not seem like they have too much in common at first. However, the more I read and reflect on these two the more alike they begin to feel. The big similarity is that both haiku demonstrate a "carefree" feeling. In both haiku, the "main character" is doing something that breaks some sort of minor rule. Whether that rule is laid out, like a no pets allowed sign, or more of a societal rule, like not dancing in the mud, both haiku demonstrate a feeling of carefree living in different ways. Dayton Lasack, Fall 2024

writer's block
well
bottoms up!

Dayton Lasack

out of my mind
been so long, I fear
I lost the key

Dayton Lasack

today he finally talked back
the face
in the mirror

Bella Palermo

chipped nail polish
reflection of
my sanity

Natalie Mase

I think this haiku is very clever. I always feel less put together when my nails are chipped or undone, so I understand what this haiku is saying. I imagine this haiku to be a description of a very put together looking girl, who is very stressed and messy in her life. Caroline Arnold, Fall 2024