Haiku Kukai 01 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • January 2023
1 silent night Isabel Vincent This haiku also reminds me of my childhood around Christmas time. The feeling of having presents under the tree but the silence was so loud throughout the house, everyone was content and happy. This haiku takes me to colors of red and green. Addison Sargent, January 2023 |
2 as distant as space Ari Hughes |
3 we used to hold hands Ari Hughes |
4 fussy whining |
5 load the car Salat Al-Nurridin This haiku leaves me in awe, it is a bittersweet feeling. It is a simple and clear haiku, yet I am sure many can relate to those 3 lines deeply. For the first 7 years of my life, I grew up as an only child before my small sister came along. As much as being the only child comes with its own perks, the downside to that is that it can get lonely. My parents have always worked all day and night sometimes, so I spent most my days alone or with our nanny who had practically become an aunt to me. So, you can imagine how excited I was when I found out I had a new sibling. As both my parent come from a very large family (10+ siblings), they always make sure to take my sister and I to go visit grandma at least once every year regardless of what part of the we might be in. This haiku brings me emotions of both excitement and chaos at the same time. The chaos of preparing and making sure not to forget any, this haiku perfectly describes my family dynamic before a long trip to grandma. Larissa Olympe Senga, January 2023 |
6 cap and gown Charly Warlow I really enjoyed reading this haiku for a number of different reasons. The first reason I enjoyed reading this haiku was because the general structure of the poem itself and how each line begins and ends a specific moment in time yet the poem as a whole creates the overall time passing. It begins with the line ‘cap and gown’ which symbolizes the beginning of this journey into the final line ‘a new chapter’. Then we move into the middle line of the poem ‘steps across the stage’ - this for me was my favorite line in the poem because it is the climax of this event as a whole. From the start where you are receiving the cap and gown to the beginning of the graduation ceremony the moment that you have worked towards comes to and end as soon as you step across the stage… leading you to the ending of one chapter and the beginning of the next. |
7 bride and groom |
8 father-daughter Charly Warlow Number eight was a relatable one for me because a lot of my favorite childhood memories with my dad are doing a bunch of outdoor activities. My dad made sure that I was not hooked on electronics, which is kind of a blessing and a curse nowadays. I can imagine me and my dad at our campground, walking down to the pond with our fishing poles and bait that we had just purchased from the campground store. I can feel the air becoming cool, after a long hot summer day. I can hear the crickets start to chirp and the bullfrogs croaking on the other side of the pond. I really enjoy this haiku because it brought out some of my favorite childhood memories. Lauren Adcock, January 2023 |
9 chili on the stove Salat Al-Nurridin After reading this haiku it gave me a feeling of familiarity. On holidays my family has the NFL games playing and it is usually “turned up loud”. Although we do not eat chili on holidays we do have other food like carrots and cucumbers, etc. I envisioned my uncles and cousins yelling when a touchdown happens and pure happiness in a room filled with laughing. This haiku reminds me of a family football Sunday at my grandma’s house. There was always Tons of food, loud laughs, and good times by family. This was a time that was the family was able to be together and have a good time. I love the joy that this haiku is filled with. Addison Sargent, January 2023 |
10 homemade Coleman Klimek |
11 hot water bubbles |
12 driving home Coleman Klimek |
13 snow is falling Trevor Voss |
14 the time for cheer Trevor Voss |
15 bundle up Conor Reynolds |
16 two rocks |
17 hat and gloves |
18 following the nurse |
19 feeling so alive Lanie Bacon This is one of my favorite haiku’s from the Kukai since it makes me think of being a kid again. I’m from a small town so the only fun things to do are go walk around walmart, drive on country back roads and drive around town listening to music. This haiku takes me to a warm summer night. My old friends and I listening to music with my car’s sunroof open just driving on open back roads blaring the music. It reminds me of my parents getting angry that I was out late driving with them, and all of the arguments we would have over what my curfew should be. This haiku takes me back to the summer, especially the summer of 2020 when COVID-19 had everything shut down. SInce I wasn’t in school, we would go get baja blasts from Taco Bell and drive around all day. Madison Foreman, January 2023 I really enjoyed this haiku. Some of the best times in my life still are those days or nights where you spend the entire time with friends just running around town and not caring about time or responsibilities. Especially in Decatur these are my favorite times and I cannot wait for everybody to get back so we can have more pointless adventures together. Not having a care in the world and finding things we didn’t know our town had is so peaceful and fun and I can’t imagine spending a day in a better way. This haiku makes me miss my friends and how comforted I feel when I hang out around them on days where we have nothing specific to do. We can choose to make that day whatever we want to make it without asking permission or having to specifically coordinate a plan. Ari Hughes, January 2023 |
20 I click submit Isabel Vincent As a senior in college, this haiku grabbed my attention. A lot of times I feel like I am constantly chasing deadlines, from having to balance work, school, my internship and having a social life. It can be exhausting trying to keep up, but the fulfillment and relief that comes with having every box checked of what you were supposed to do is inexplainable. When I close my eyes, this haiku brings me emotions of anxiety and restlessness. However, the second and third line “finally I feel / relief . . .” brings me to a euphoric state. It is almost like nothing can go wrong in that very moment; this is what constantly pushes me to get all my work done. Larissa Olympe Senga, January 2023 This haiku reminds me of the feeling of weight being lifted off my shoulders when I complete an assignment and turn it in. I felt a relaxed feeling from this poem. Also I envisioned myself opening my computer, going to moodle, uploading my homework, and then hitting submit. I went through the steps in my head. This haiku made me think of final exams and the stress of college in general. I am a very dedicated student and take a lot of pride in getting my assignments done well and on time. During the last two weeks before Christmas break and summer I always feel like I have so much that needs to be turned in. I can feel the stress right now just thinking about it. The best feeling is when I finally get that last assignment done before I can go home. I can see myself clicking submit through Moodle and the weight being lifted off my shoulders. No matter how many semesters I complete I will always feel a since of relief when I click submit before a big break. Charly Warlow, January 2023 |
21 off to college Addison Sargent This haiku was one of my favorites because it is so very relatable. It’s hard to believe that just a few short years ago, I was in high school and now I’m a junior in college. This haiku took me back to a very scary and hard time in my life – finishing and graduating high school during a pandemic. I’m reminded of the uncertainty the surrounded my future and what my first year of college was going to look like. Now, with only one year left in college, I’m beginning to realize that I will soon have to be making big life decisions. It seems like I’ve already lived the majority of my life but in reality, my whole life awaits. Charly Warlow, January 2023 |
22 cool night Addison Sargent Number twenty-two caught my eye because it reminded me of my childhood during the summer. I would spend all day outside until the street lights came on, then I knew my mom wanted me home for dinner. The feeling of being outside all day in the 98-degree weather and then feeling the temperature drop toward the evening is one of my favorite feelings. Lauren Adcock, January 2023 |
23 sand between our toes Madison Foreman I enjoyed number twenty-three because it reminds me of going to the beach and a storm starts to roll in. When I go to the beach, I enjoy sitting there and watching the clouds roll over the ocean. It almost looks too amazing to be real. I enjoy sitting on the beach and sitting through a five-minute shower storm while watching everyone else around me run for the hills. When it comes to the beach, you just have to wait it out because the rain does not last very long! Lauren Adcock, January 2023 Songs, like perfume, make me nostalgic. Music is my therapy, and I am that annoying friend that asks, “Did you just hear that?” and no one seems to understand or notice the small details in music. I do not just listen to songs; I listen to everything they consist of. I tend to notice the ad-libs in the background or the change of key notes and instruments. That last line, “from worlds far away,” is something I can greatly relate to. I feel like music brings all of us together as one, regardless of our cultural background or upbringing. Through music, we get to be a part of someone else's world, even if it is just for a few minutes, which is why I loved this haiku. Larissa Olympe Senga, January 2023 |
24 listen to the faint song Madison Foreman This was also another favorite of mine from the first Kukai. I think this one really stood out to me because of my long history in music and the universal symbolism in this poem. For most of my life I have been involved in some form of music, from choirs and orchestras to being in musicals and other performance groups, I have always been a music kid. With my background in music I am able to better understand some of the deeper meaning in this poem and what truly lies beneath the words. After reading this haiku I decided to break it all down to better understand the message and meaning behind it. The beginning ‘listening to the faint song’ could be about anything in my opinion and while the idea of what ‘the song’ is, to me the song is the people I have met in anything that I have done, and the memories that are associated with them. They are the song that is playing faintly in the background. While the second line ‘that changes keys’ is a metaphor for the ever evolving and changing world we live in and the personal changes in everyone's day to day life, and for me it is the growing apart from those people I once knew in the song changing into new people (with the key change). Finally ‘from worlds far away’ to me means the end of my time with the people, and how my life has changed and grown so much in the past couple of years that some names and faces just seem to be from world’s far away. While I do not know for certain what the intended purpose the writer had for this haiku I have a deep understanding of what it means to me and the message I took away from it. For me, it symbolizes the changing of time and the evolution of people's lives. Outgrowing those friends you once knew and while you may worlds away from them now, the song of their memories play faintly in the background of life with every (key) change that comes. Brad Spradlin, January 2023 |
25 snow falling Lauren Adcock |
26 Santa's coming Lauren Adcock I enjoyed reading this haiku because it brought me back to the excitement that came with Christmas when I was a child. I remember the joy in believing in Santa and making sure that we had the carrots and cookies set out just perfectly. I picture my grandma’s house decorated in Christmas decor with joy filling the air. Addison Sargent, January 2023 I loved the childlike sense of Christmas joy this haiku made me feel. When I was really little Christmas was always made into a huge magical moment for me. In my family we stay up until midnight on the 24th and then Santa comes and we open all of our presents. My cousins and I would sprinkle “reindeer food” onto our driveway and our parents would sprinkle it on the roof for us. My cousin Olivia and I would carefully lay out Santa’s milk and cookies together. My mom and aunt would leave the room and our Grandpa would read the Night Before Christmas to us every year. In the other room my mom and aunt would pretend to make the noises of a sleigh coming and mimic Santa. It's funny to think about now but as a kid it was so real to me. I couldn’t believe I was awake hearing Santa in the other room and I would be extra quiet so he would still leave the presents. I remember the sheer excitement and happiness I would feel when my mom and aunt came back to tell us “Santa came!” and my cousins and I would run into the living room to see what he brought and if he ate the cookies. Ari Hughes, January 2023 |
27 the first day of school Brad Spradlin I really enjoyed number twenty-seven because it reminded me of my first time going to kindergarten. It reminded me of the chaos that comes along with the first day of kindergarten. There are the kids that are overly excited and there are the kids that are clinging to their parent's legs. I was the child clinging to my parent's legs. Eventually, I did go into the classroom and met my best friend, who I am still best friends with to this day. Lauren Adcock, January 2023 |
28 merry christmas |
29 don’t make a peep Charly Warlow |
30 summer heat Coleman Klimek I thought that number thirty was interesting because it reminds me of my bedroom in the summertime. It is extremely hot, to the point where it is almost impossible to fall asleep. I also thought about this haiku as the summer heat beating down on you and it's getting so hot to the point where you can’t breathe. Then, you kind of get that feeling like you are about to pass out. I kind of thought about it as a scary-feeling haiku, and I think that is the reason I was attracted to it. Lauren Adcock, January 2023 |
31 watching the sunset Larissa Olympe Senga This is one of my favorites from the Kukai because it brings me to a happy place full of good memories with my boyfriend. When we first started dating, we would go to Fairview park in Decatur right by the school and watch the sunset and stargaze. It became our thing. We would go out at least twice a week back then. Fast forward to Junior year from Freshman year, we don’t have that free time anymore but we do go on his back porch and stargaze still. I love how this haiku makes me feel this sense of calmness and happiness all at once. I kept revisiting this one in particular when reading through the list just because it made me feel something and brought me to that peaceful time with my boyfriend. Madison Foreman, January 2023 I have always loved sunrises and sunsets. Something about watching the sun slowly rise and set has always been calming for me and brings me peace. What I like the most about them is that each one is different and unique in its own way, but they are so beautiful each time. I love the colors that each one presents and seeing the clouds in the sky change colors as well. This haiku triggered a specific memory of a time I was in Panama City Beach, Florida. After a long, hot day at the beach we got ready for dinner and ate at a restaurant on the beach. As we finish eating our food, the sun starts to set and the sky began to turn a beautiful orange color. I can imagine hearing the waves crash behind all of the chatter from people around us. This haiku allowed me to really imagine the sunset and the smells of the ocean in the air. Isabel Vincent, January 2023 |
32 mommy turns into |
33 summer evening Larissa Olympe Senga This haiku really channeled my inner child and brought back so many great memories. When I was growing up, we had a group of kids in our neighborhood that spent a lot of time together. I am so happy we did not have access to the electronics and social media we have today which caused us to use our imagination and spend all of our free time outside. We would make “soup” with rain water, mud, grass, dandelions, and any piece of nature we could find to put in there. It was so fun to explore nature, jump on the trampoline, play hide and seek throughout our street, and ride our bikes around the neighborhood. There were many nights we would be outside until it was dark and the street lights would come on as our signal to head home. As children, we did not truly know what the world was like quite yet and I miss the innocence of this time. Isabel Vincent, January 2023 |
© 2023, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.