Global Haiku • Fall 2025
Dr. Randy Brooks

Deflated Balloons

by
Samantha Ramirez

Deflated Balloons represents those moments in which something that could have been a sweet moment becomes bitter. The haiku in this collection focus on a variety of moments, ranging from a pet bee to grieving a loved one. They are all a mix of haiku mainly about connection with others or the lack thereof.

Writing haiku has been a journey of understanding the value of words and not overthinking. Writing haiku in the beginning was like writing a list of details and putting them all together but through reading good haiku I learned it is much more than that. Haiku has the ability to unite people, observe, and encourage introspective thinking.

Writing haiku takes time and observing your environment, haiku has helped me slow down and try to notice situations that I otherwise wouldn’t. In the pursuit of a good haiku I would realize that there is so much to be grateful for. Haiku has the ability to capture moments and have others feel the same intensity as the writer. I noticed that to write a haiku you either need to look within or look out into the world, even mundane tasks such as doing laundry can hold meaning. I found this to be true when we read the haiku about finding an extra sock or only doing laundry for yourself. Although on the surface level the haiku are just pointing out an everyday task, at a deeper level it is noticing the presence of others. Having someone else’s clothes mixed in with your own means that you have company and someone you care for, so although it may be tedious, it brings a certain level of comfort as well. Having the right setting as well can allow readers to imagine the smells, textures, and colors, essentially bringing an entire story alive with just three short lines. The haiku is open enough to allow the reader the space to connect to it on a personal level.

Additionally, haiku has helped me notice things about myself. When writing and reading haiku I realized I gravitated towards darker themes rather than silly ones. It made me think about my values and opinions as well as the stereotypes I hold. For my haiku essay I realized that I would make assumptions about the people being described in the haiku. I began to notice this pattern so I wanted to have more empathy instead. I would reread the haiku and try to take away my initial emotion, I would then see another perspective or reason for the actions described. For me haiku is so powerful because the way we read and understand them is different because of our unique experiences. For some certain haiku did not describe something relatable, so they were not able to engage with it as much as others could.

Ultimately, haiku has shown me the value of sitting still in a moment and experiencing gratitude. To observe the world around me and see things from a new perspective, that we are all seeing things with the bias from the life we have lived. Haiku is some of the most powerful writings as it can be so profound with a few simple words.

grabbing my new doll
I see
my dad’s calloused hands

This haiku was based on a scene from a show in which one of the characters' fathers passed away but she remembers how hard he worked to buy her the doll she wanted. She was bitter because looking back, all she wanted was to spend time with him before he passed away. I tried to capture the moment of grabbing the doll and the realization that her father had worked tirelessly just to make his daughter happy

blind eyes
they were the color
of the ocean

I really liked this haiku although I wish I could have written it better. The idea being it was my grandfather's eyes. When I was younger, I would look at his eyes and one of them was blue, which was not something I had seen often. He had lost his vision in an accident at his workplace yet being a kid I had no idea. I wanted to use a word that could describe the color while also expressing how I saw them as beautiful eyes. I believe during kukai someone pointed out the use of past tense, I did this intentionally as he is no longer alive. I wanted to express the feeling of loss and wishing to look at his eyes once more.

walking past you
i pretend
we are strangers

This haiku is one that people could relate to and one that I could as well. It is simple but it describes the moment in which you feel uncomfortable knowing you are walking past someone who knows so much about you. Having to pretend as though you do not know them either can be painful but sometimes it must be done. For some, this feeling is because you chose to distance yourself or simply grew apart.

buzzing crowds
in the murmur
I hear my native language

I liked this haiku because it describes a feeling, I know all too well. Being bilingual and having family in Mexico causes me to feel torn between two worlds. For others who may not experience this feeling it can be difficult to explain, but the way I see it is that every time I see my family in Mexico they are older, closer, while I am only becoming more and more like a stranger to them. When I hear Spanish songs or people speaking in Spanish I feel a sense of ease and belonging that I can’t quite get from anything else. The haiku starts with the buzzing as a way to describe everyone having their own lives and conversations but then I can hear Spanish and I feel calm once again.

we swat flies
one lands
on your face

my friend died
he was a bee
he stung me

stormy sky,
withering flower
on his tombstone

every year she waits
at their train station
he never arrives

a starry night
streetlights
the train stands still

old photo album
her dulled eyes still light up
talking about him

birthday party
deflated balloons
she celebrates alone.