Haiku Kukai 02 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • January 2025
1 old cemetery Abby Heberling This haiku speaks to me personally because both my grandparents are deceased. I still work on the town they are buried in, whenever i ride pass their graves I make sure to either blow my horn or pray. Those they ride behind or on the side of me look at me sometimes in anger or confusion when i blow my horn unaware that i am not honking at them. Brandon Johnson, January 2025 |
2 walking in the park |
3 outside of a base |
4 spinning down the alley |
5 no parents Tionne Spates This haiku was instantly relatable to me and I bet so many others as well. Meals are a constant quarrel for me everyday especially living on my own for the first time. You tend to take your mother’s cooking or family meal time for granted but once you’re out of the house, you realize how special and, well, easy it was to get a nice meal every night while living at home. It’s now one of my favorite things about coming home and what I may miss the most once I’m back at school this semester. Though, it also prepares me for living on my own for good once I graduate and have a more decent job. Hopefully by then I will be able to plan ahead more, go grocery shopping more frequently, and channel more of my mom’s cooking and homeyness in the long run. Great haiku about nostalgia, memory, and moving forward. Eli Bland, January 2025 I relate to this one heavily as I am out of my parents house and have to take care of my own basic needs. What’s for dinner is absolutely a question you have to ask yourself, and it is definitely a question my partner and I have been asking each other often as we’ve cut back on take out food. In taking on your own house and your own meals you really realize how far into adulthood you are. I live in a house off campus with several roommates and my only source of food is me, so in this I have become completely independent. Lucas Wallen, January 2025 This haiku resonates deeply with me because it captures the bittersweet reality of independence. The absence of parents signifies a transition into adulthood, where the simple question of "what's for dinner" becomes a symbol of self-reliance and responsibility. The phrase "all grown up" encapsulates the mix of pride and nostalgia that comes with growing older and taking on new roles. This haiku beautifully conveys the complexity of growing up in just a few words. It also reminds me of those times when I forgot to eat because no one was there to make food, highlighting the challenges of managing everything on my own. Dalton Hoadley, January 2025 |
6 summer breeze Abby Heberling The colors I see in this haiku, are yellow, green, and white. Light sunshine pours through a grassy backyard and a young woman is hanging up laundry as she is visited by a bird. As she hangs the clothes, she pictures the outfits she’s worn and the occasions for which she wore them. She reminisces on the memories that are held within her wardrobe. This haiku is a gentle read that I am fond of. Lance Frederick, January 2025 |
7 in an empty gym Nathaniel Straughter When I was reading this haiku, I saw myself in the gym when I would go at midnight sometimes and it was completely empty and it's just me and the weights and slam balls. I would put on my headphones, start playing my gym playlist, and start lifting with squats, bulgarian split squats, flys etc. It was just me vs me in the gym and trying to lift more and heavier then my previous lifts and I could hear the weights clinging and being slammed on the ground when doing deadlifts. That everyday that I was in the gym by myself, I wouldn't care about anything else about the lift and trying to get one percent better. Aaron Alonzo Amaya, January 2025 I love this haiku for its ability to evoke a sense of solitude and discovery. The empty gym represents a quiet, almost meditative space where the sound of a bouncing ball becomes a focal point. This haiku highlights the beauty of simple moments and the unexpected joy that can be found in them. It reminds me of playing basketball alone, finding peace and clarity in the rhythmic sound of the ball bouncing, and the way it helped me clear my mind and focus. Dalton Hoadley, January 2025 This haiku is one of my favorite parts of life. Every time I go into the gym it’s like I’m getting my peace back and it’s flipping a switch into a new mind. No one has made their way to the gym at this point so that means I pick the good ball, I use whatever basket I want and as I begin it’s almost like my heartbeat and the ball are at the same pace. I love it. Tionne Spates, January 2025 |
8 words on a still train Nathaniel Straughter I really enjoyed this poem because I was able to imagine a train covered in graffiti. I imagine the sky is a red orange color as the sun begins to set. The haiku offers a beautiful and thought-provoking perspective. To some graffiti is a beautiful art form and to others it is nothing but vandalism which is like any art form it is likely that some will not understand but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ashleigh Johnson-Jones, January 2025 I personally wrote this haiku, but I really enjoyed it, and I think it may be my favorite haiku I have written so far. I wrote this on the bus ride back from Carthage, and I was thinking about how people’s perspectives are different. I wanted to try and figure out a way to project this idea and while on the bus we passed a vacant train with graffiti all over it. I thought this was the perfect thing to use as the main subject. Nathaniel Straughter, January 2024 |
9 tempting to touch |
10 little minnow |
11 wicked winds whisper Miamaya Parra This haiku starts off with a gorgeous string of alliteration. The winds are strong, but they are still delicate enough to carry a secretive breeze. The setting of this haiku is dark, deep, and beautiful. The streets are silent because a winter advisory has been called, and people have retreated to their homes to brace for the surrounding winter storm. This was by far my favorite. Lance Frederick, January 2025 |
12 on the couch Andalyn Hodge This haiku was a funny one to me, I used to watch "that 70s show" and i remember sitting on the couch leaned back eyes glued to the tv, waiting for my next laugh. I can see the person coming home from a long day, dropping down on the couch waiting for dinner to be done. When i first started watching the show i sometimes did not understand the humor in it, but as i got older i realized how so many parts of the show aligned with my life. Brandon Johnson, January 2025 I have been watching sitcoms with my roommates recently (mostly Malcolm in the middle) and it has become a sort of background noise to my house over winter break. My couch is also a second hand couch that we got from a friend/mentor who moved last year. It has a habit of absolutely swallowing you when you sit down, it is super comfortable, but definitely a lean back into sort of couch. This haiku captures that vibe that is emblematic of my winter break this time around. Lucas Wallen, January 2025 This is a relaxing haiku, and this is said by the action taken up by the narrator. They recline back so that they can unwind for the day with a show. Although the author could have been directly referring to “That 70’s Show”, I like to think the last line is referring to any show from the 70’s that you enjoy. For instance, my dad and I would watch “Three’s Company” for a time. It was a pleasant ritual to relax in the living room and enjoy the show. Because of the memories it brings to me, I chose this haiku as one of my favorites. Lance Frederick, January 2025 |
13 countryside shed |
14 sweaty palms Ashleigh Johnson-Jones I really enjoy this haiku because of the use of emotion, and it quickly puts the reader into the shoes of the writer. Everyone can connect to that nervousness at some point. It brings me back to the first time I picked a date up from their house. Palms sweaty hoping that her parents don’t open the door because I am afraid to confront them. Nathaniel Straughter, January 2024 Reading this haiku I was taken into the point of view of a guy in a random group setting, this guy often keeps to himself with not many friends and he likes it that way. One day he is put in this group setting and for some reason all eyes are on him and he’s attracting a lot of attention, this brings the uncomfortable fake smile to make it seem ok and the sweating hands of anticipation. Tionne Spates, January 2025 |
15 I do . . . Ashleigh Johnson-Jones I really like this haiku because it talks about indecisiveness. Sometimes in life, we as humans have to make difficult decisions. Thoughts of other people, how the outcome will be, and if this is truly the right choice are all things that make decision making difficult. This haiku shows that it is okay to not know what to do and to take time to be sure that we are confident with our choices. Abby Heberling, January 2025 |
16 sheets of muddy ice Lucas Wallen This haiku hit home for me because I grew up in low-income housing as a child. I remember coming outside and the snow would be muddy and i how uneven our sideways would be. i never understood why, but as a child you're just happy to play outside with your friends. As i got older i understood that a lot of us were just another number to the system we grew up in. Brandon Johnson, January 2025 |
17 laugh lines Lucas Wallen |
18 empty stable Lance Frederick I like the use of senryu in this haiku. Really what I think makes me like it so much it's just how easily it recognizable it is. Like I read the Haiku and I understood it right away I also like that it really leans into that silly goofiness of the original saying. Andalyn Hodge, January 2025 |
19 empty playground— |
20 happy life Brandon Johnson I found this haiku to be very entertaining. Everyone is familiar with the saying “happy wife happy life” but the narrator does not need a wife to be happy. By eliminating the wife from the equation, you automatically have a happy life. I found this haiku to be a very funny play on a popular saying. Ashleigh Johnson-Jones, January 2025 This poem offers an alternative viewpoint where contentment can be obtained on one's own, challenging the widely held notion that marriage is a requirement for pleasure. It has a broad appeal that speaks to anyone who has challenged social conventions or made unorthodox life decisions. Although it appears to be humorous, it quietly honors uniqueness and autonomy. Brittney Spalding, January 2025 This haiku really captures how it feels to not fit in with society’s standards. It is common for people to find a spouse and make a family but that is not always the perfect life for everyone. When I read this haiku, I picture a guy in his 20s. He went to college, got his dream job, and lives by himself. He is happy as can be. It may be hard for people to really understand why he is so happy because he does not even have a girlfriend let alone a wife. However, it does not bother him. I think this shows how you can be happy doing what you want to do and not be influenced by something. Abby Heberling, January 2025 It should come as no surprise to learn that I am queer, I am also in a committed relationship with a man. Throughout a lot of my life I was held to incredibly heterosexual standards and told that I should strive to force myself to fit them. My journey is a bit complicated on that end, but most queer people can relate to this sentiment of being happy despite defining conventional standards. I also identify as grey a-romantic, which means that I do not experience romantic attraction often and I have always been pretty open about that. This had led to me experiencing a lot of allo-normative rhetoric around my sexuality and relationships. Lucas Wallen, January 2025 |
21 middle of the night Brandon Johnson I really like the feeling of this one. the emotion within this piece makes me feel nostalgia. I'm thinking of dark muted purples and blues for the night sky, But I'm also thinking of the brightness of the headlights of the vehicle, the pitter patter of mosquitoes exploding on the windshield, stuff like that. Andalyn Hodge, January 2025
|
22 suitcase over weight Kendra Marnul |
23 winter dusk Brittney Spalding |
24 skipping rocks Kendra Marnul |
25 quiet house Jazmine Mileham |
26 mom watches |
27 snow crunch |
28 bustling terminals Jake Reed This haiku reminds me of when people are running late and running through the airport. I’ve personally never experienced this because my family would make us get to the airport 3 hours early. I can hear people yelling and the suitcases scrapping against the ground. Kendra Marnul, January 2025 |
29 the air bus waits for no one |
30 icicles Ashleigh Johnson-Jones I loved the formatting of this haiku and the imagery it gave me in turn with also how descriptive it is. Obviously the format and spacing is supposed to mimic an actual icicle, giving it that much more character and detail. Overall, it’s a great and fun poem and something everyone can relate to this time of year. Icicles also always make me think of that memorable line in A Christmas Story near the end when Ralphie says he’d gotten hit by an icicle instead of the truth being that he shot himself with his new BB gun on accident and his mother goes, “Those icicles have been known to kill people!!” Such a classic. Eli Bland, January 2025 |
31 tik-tok, tik-tok Cristina Borunda |
32 at the stoplight |
33 opening up |
34 at my therapist |
35 over and over Eli Bland |
36 we rush up |
37 at a farm sale |
38 coffee shop Abby Heberling This haiku paints a picture of a person going out by themselves. Maybe they are happy to be alone or maybe they feel lonely and long for a coffee companion. The situation of the character’s loneliness is up to the readers’ discretion, and I enjoy that. Ashleigh Johnson-Jones, January 2025 Readers are encouraged to conjure up the tale of the lone mug in this haiku. Was the partner absent, late, or never present at all? The poem emphasizes how commonplace environments, such as coffee shops, can mirror more profound feelings and experiences. It captures a universal feeling of solitude and longing, making it both relatable and quietly profound. Brittney Spalding, January 2025 |
39 sun in the sky |
40 she turns her head |
41 wipe my shoes Tionne Spates I can directly connect with this haiku as I am part of the Men’s Basketball team here at Millikin. The sound of shoes squeaking on the court can be annoying for most people, but it reminds me of a space where nothing else matters but basketball. As the last line says “a peace of mind” the court really is that peace for me. Whenever I’ve had a rough day or just a lot on my mind, the gym is somewhere I can go and forget, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Nathaniel Straughter, January 2024 |
42 pizza in hand Tionne Spates I like this haiku because this is the definition of college socially. Especially freshman year. You always see groups of people walking back to their dorm with pizza boxes in their hand walking and laughing. Pizza is also a stable food in college you can see. Kendra Marnul, January 2025 |
43 the smell of green Kendra Marnul |
44 new garden |
45 wiping dirty boots |
46 pile of debt looms Miamaya Parra This haiku stands out to me because it captures the juxtaposition of financial burden and personal achievement. The "pile of debt" is described as "hard as cement," emphasizing its weight and permanence. Yet, despite this looming challenge, the individual "walks the stage with a smile," symbolizing resilience and the triumph of spirit. This haiku speaks to the strength it takes to celebrate accomplishments even when faced with significant obstacles, making it both poignant and inspiring. It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of graduating college, knowing the debt that awaits but still feeling proud and accomplished. Dalton Hoadley, January 2025 |
47 white lace lays |
48 looking back Eli Bland |
49 walking the dog |
50 car horns Lucas Wallen |
51 knee pain |
52 crickets serenade,
|
53 train whistle Brittney Spalding This one also makes me feel nostalgic but in a different way the number 21. If I'm honest this Haiku reminds me a lot of The Polar Express. That very last scene when the train is slowly chugging off into the distance And you can see a little bit of his childish wonder has returned . That is the kind of feeling I get from this haiku. The feeling of coming home, And being a changed person. Andalyn Hodge, January 2025 |
54 winter walk Andalyn Hodge |
55 snow crunches Ashleigh Johnson-Jones |
56 roaring engine Aaron Alonzo Amaya When I read this haiku, I see my father asking for my help, when I was younger, to change the oil under my moms and his car. I remember when I was down there with my dad teaching me how to change the oil, he would talk to me about certain mistakes he made when he was a younger man. That one thing that really spoke to me was to not fully trust anyone at the beginning. That and many other lessons he has taught me over the years and that stick with me now and later on. Aaron Alonzo Amaya, January 2025 This is one that reminds me of me when something goes wrong with my car. I am not auto savvy. I usually called my dad because he knows. When I read this, is think of my car engine starting and can hear it. Kendra Marnul, January 2025 |
57 Time capsule opened excitedly |
58 snowflakes fall Emma Cox |
59 a dusty bedroom Nathaniel Straughter The idea that locations carry the echoes of their pasts is captured in this haiku. Readers are prompted to reflect on the lives and events that have impacted the spaces around them as the dusty bedroom evolves from a mere physical space to a symbol of memory and time. It encapsulates the subdued poetry of abandoned locations and their capacity to evoke creativity and human connection. Brittney Spalding, January 2025 |
60 a new year Nathaniel Straughter I feel like this haiku would be very relatable for people. At the end of every year, it seems like there is some sort of pressure to want to become the best version of yourself in the next year. New Year’s resolutions are made. Bad habits are supposed to be left in the past year. There is always some sort of hope at the beginning of each year. This haiku really captures the feeling of wanting to change, but how realistic the resolutions can actually be and will a change actually happen. |
© 2025, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.