Global Haiku • Fall 2025 |
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xxxxx by Haiku, while concise, is a very complex art form. It requires a level of thought above most forms of writing, while relying on spontaneity at the same time. In this last semester learning these intricacies, I’ve honed in my thoughts on what makes the best haiku. I believe the best haiku remains concise. While I don't subscribe to the 5-7- 5 format that beginner western haiku artists do, I do believe haiku shouldn’t be too crowded with syllables. The author should try to convey the story and image with as few words as possible. The best haiku use simple flowery language, pretty but to the point. Painting the scene is also very important in haiku– if the reader doesn’t know where we are in the haiku, then none of the other imagery can truly solidify. That being said, haiku also doesn't have to follow a format. I’ve read many haiku that have no description of a setting, very little imagery, yet it still tells a story and expresses the emotions the reader wants. While I do think these stray from the original art of haiku, they have their own merit. Among the 50+ haiku I’ve written for this class, I’ve found some similar traits among my favorites. My favorites tend to have a very personal connection to me. They’re usually about my hobbies, my adventures, and my loves. Whenever I tried to write about something unrelated to me, something I had little or no experience in, the poem fell flat. Meanwhile, some of the most personal ones are my favorite from my collection. These sentiments continued among my readers– upon showing some of these haiku to my friends and family, my most popular ones had deep personal connections with me. In this collection, enjoy the pieces of myself found in every poem. ~ Coraline Nelson |
plump stray cat This is my personal favorite haiku that I’ve written. It has the things I think good haiku should have; it’s concise, focused on one image, doesn’t tell you how to feel. However, it’s not my best haiku. I think my best haiku is “under stage lights”. This is my favorite haiku because it’s silly. It’s about a friendly, chubby little cat. That’s so cute!!! It makes me smile every time I read it :) It’s such a joyous haiku. “Plump stray cat”, immediately, this cat is well fed. This cat is not struggling to survive, but he’s also not dangerously large. He’s* simply plump, round (*I don’t know why, but I picture a boy cat for this haiku. I think it might be because the boy cats I've met have been friendlier, gentler, and chubbier). “Doesn’t run” means he’s approaching the reader. Being approached by a cat, especially not your own cat, feels magical. “From strangers” – the cat doesn’t run from strangers! That means strangers have been kind to him! He doesn’t fear people. This makes me really happy :) Coraline Nelson, Fall 2025 |
under stage lights I’ve talked about this one quite a few times, but there’s a very good reason it’s my signature haiku. This haiku is perfect to me. My personal favorite is the plump stray cat one because it’s silly, but I think this haiku contains everything I think a good haiku ought to have. The poem creates an image that’s specific but allows for some personalization for the reader’s imagination, as the colors, the set itself, and the stage/theater space are all open for interpretation. The poem takes place in one single moment, with the movement from the ceiling stage lights to the set onstage, then backing away into the audience looking at the set. This haiku also stems from a real, personal moment. I am a scenic carpenter for SOTAD, so I have played a large part in building the sets for all mainstage productions since Zombie Prom in fall 2024. Most recently was building The Tempest set. The set itself was very abnormal, so building it was engaging the entire way through, no moments of mundanity. It was my favorite set that I’ve built, and seeing it come together under the stage lights was a magical moment. More than that, I was an actor in The Tempest. Onstage, under the stage lights, I was surrounded by a set I made. I played such a large part in The Tempest, and as I and my set were under the stage lights everything felt whole. These instances both carry the deeper meaning of this haiku– it’s about creativity, progress, and fulfillment. It’s the moment when everything you’ve worked for comes together, whether it’s a small art piece or a multi-month (or longer term) project. This haiku is the moment of fulfilling breath when you know you’ve achieved something. Coraline Nelson, Fall 202 |
dark already . . . This haiku is about seasonal depression, and it stems from my thanksgiving break. Over break, I changed my sleep schedule to spend more time with my partners, who often worked in the morning. Thus, I wouldn’t wake up until 10 am at the earliest, and I’d be left with 6 hours of sunlight. If I took my time in the morning, taking a thorough shower, doing makeup and self care, getting in a nice pretty outfit, eating lunch, I'd only have 4 hours left. I hate when it gets dark outside. So, this poem is myself, frustrated with the darkness, asking out of anger if the moon gets tired. This is also asking if the moon relates to me, if the night gets tired, exhausted, depressed like it makes me. Coraline Nelson, Fall 202 |
drowning in paper |
breathless |
oh good |
listening to the piano |
the world in my arms |
climbing the steps |
© 2025, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.