Global Haiku • Fall 2024
Dr. Randy Brooks

Seeds: A Haiku Collection

by
Rachel Nott

I’ve learned a lot about haiku over the past several months. As soon as we learned that haiku are not restricted by the 5-7-5 rule I had learned in elementary school, I instantly felt so much more inspired knowing how unlimited this art can be.

As the semester went on and as we read more and more haiku from different authors, I started to pick up on certain patterns. An emphasis on nature, displaying two different images to draw a connection or send a message, or a focused perspective on certain senses, like sound or scents, that go unnoticed. I tried my hand at all of these at some point or another within this collection, but overall, what I wanted from my haiku was to tell stories. I am an actress, I am a storyteller. And what a challenge it is to tell a story in only three lines.

It felt more like I was planting seeds for the reader to come up with the story, instead of the direct storytelling I am used to with acting. And it just so happened that the word “seeds” corresponded with my signature haiku, included in this collection. So I hope you enjoy these Seeds of poetry and stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

the stony terrain
splits the water
you’ve made up your mind

brick and mortar
peeking out
the first wave of snow

a pause
between the sirens . . .
I hear the crickets chirp

misty streetlights
we drive an hour
for fast food

burrowing deeper
in my den
due at midnight

helicopter seeds
or a lion’s roar
you tell me you love me

the red and blue
flashing
i let you hold my hand

your shoulder’s weight
against my skin
the room has eyes

closing a book
unfinished
please return my call

winning the lottery
i show my mom
the starfish i found

dorm floor
we’re not too big
for pillow forts

playground songs
everyone has learned
different words

when i go
lay out my bones
for the birds

old sawdust
clinging to the curtain
i take my usual seat

script down
i don’t know what to do
with my hands