Global Haiku • January 2026
Dr. Randy Brooks

Being Present, Aware and Thoughtful

by
Katiuska Nunez

My life has changed since I learned to read and write haiku. I used to believe that haiku was just a quick way to write. I understand now that it's a way to pay attention. I learned from haiku to take my time, pay attention to the little things, and let the idea come out on its own. Because it helped me see things I hadn't seen before, the change has made my life better.

I'm more careful and pay more attention at work now that I write songs. It takes time, self-control, and choosing what's most important right now to write a haiku. These skills will help you right away at work, where you need to be alert, pick up on small hints, and keep your cool. I learned from haiku that I don't need to explain everything. It's better to keep things easy and on time sometimes than to talk a lot.

Haiku has helped me deal with things in my life without making them too hard. Even if they can't be fixed or solved, things that happen can still be important. When I wrote haiku, I could feel things like happiness, fear, hunger, or calmness. I didn't judge them. When I stop to notice and accept things as they are, my daily life feels more stable and on track.

Being present, aware, and thoughtful is something that haiku has taught me that has usually made my life better. It taught me to stay still, trust words, times, and myself, and to take things easy. It will change how I work, talk to people, and go about my life.

late night drive
your hand finds mine
green light

late night silence
my phone lights up
just once

hospital hallway
the vending machine
hums
all night

eyes closed gently
the room feels larger
than my worries

breakup night
even the mirror
takes your side

cool breeze
leaves scrape the pavement
before me

first date—
we both pretend
the menu matters