Haiku Kukai 01
Global Haiku • Millikin University • June 2025
1 chalk-stained fingers Austin Nellessen `This haiku is powerful. It evokes emotions of pure bliss, and uncertainty. It also highlights the simplicity that life once held. When I read this haiku, I saw a beautifully crafted chalk landscape on warm asphalt. I see a kid who is enjoying their time outdoors as storm clouds roll in and the temperature begins to drop, and the humidity gradually rises. This haiku evokes bliss because it reminds me of my childhood and fond memories, I have playing outdoors wielding chalk feeling like Vincent Van Gaugh reincarnate on a different medium. The power and joy I would feel when I had chalk in my hand was insurmountable. I would feel in control of my life and my future, I held the power to make my own decisions, at least that is how I felt. This haiku juxtaposes the idea of being in power with creative liberty in art and the uncertainty of weather and rain. It discusses ideas of bliss being overshadowed by uncertainty and more powerful forces than the imagination. I also think that yellow is symbolic of joy, bliss, happiness, sunlight, and positive emotions. With this being said, the author is further juxtaposing stormy and gloomy weather with happiness, and sunlight. This haiku although simple in structure is layered and contains a lot of deeper meaning. Jacob Bloom, June 2025 |
2 my old ball glove Sam Dalton I think this is a haiku that every athlete can relate to. We spend years of our lives dedicated to our sports, hundreds of hours of practice. And then one day, poof, no more practice. No Thursday night games, no team meals. It is the aching of wanting to play one last game with your teammates, but the relief that you finally get to rest. Even if you did not particularly enjoy playing a specific sport, there will always be things that you miss. Arianna Morris, June 2025 I resonate with this haiku as I played baseball for 14 years, including 2 here at Millikin. I unfortunately had to stop due to multiple shoulder injuries, so my mitt has been currently hanging up in my closet for the last 2 years. Austin Nellessen, June 2025 This takes me to my garage where all of me and my siblings old sports gear is left. I can see the lines of bags, shoes, and accessories. I begin to look around seeing what kinds of old things I will find. There is one thing that catches my eye, it’s my old baseball glove. This makes the memories start flooding in, I start to think what could have happened if I would have played in high school. Then I snap back and I’m still in the garage and the glove is still hanging up waiting to be used. I go to pick it up and dust starts to fall off of it, you can tell it has been up there for a few years. This haiku really connected with me because growing up baseball was the main sport I played and it was arguably my best sport. However, when I got to high school, I gave up baseball and started football because I had always dreamed of playing. Although I don’t play anymore this haiku brought back lots of memories of good friends and ultimately how my love for sports started. This was my favorite haiku because of the emotional connection I have to sports and how it perfectly described my glove. Brock Trump, Summer 2025 |
3 late night rain Sam Dalton I really enjoyed this one because I love the rain. I like to turn my tv down to listen to the calming sounds. I also like to sit and watch the rain fall. The gloomy weather is the best time to cozy up and sleep. I even like to watch thunderstorms it’s just something therapeutic about the rain itself. I do hate driving in the rain. Damyah Word, June 2025 I love this one because it is something I would do if my window could be opened. I can imagine the smell of rain and cool breeze that flows through the window. It is a serene image that I love to imagine. Nevada Blake, June 2025 |
4 porch swing creaks |
5 cold hands, tight laces Austin Nellessen |
6 block letters fade |
7 crickets chirp Arianna Morris |
8 roller coaster Lydia Trump I like this one because I like going to fairs and amusement parks. It’s a nice sense of euphoria. The adrenaline rush from the rides is scary at first but afterwords it’s cool to know how brave I was. Seeing people around town I know or meeting new people. The different foods to eat afterwords and winning prizes. Amusement park memories are always a good laugh. Damyah Word, June 2025 |
9 red and white |
10 back of the line |
11 screaming above |
12 wind whipped hair Arianna Morris |
13 lunchboxes open Corlyn Davis This haiku reminds me of middle school lunchtime, when life felt so easy and full of fun. Back then, I had no real worries, and the only thing on our minds was what team we were going to be on after we ate. We'd open our lunchboxes, talk loud, laugh even louder, and just enjoy being kids. “Laughter fills the cafeteria” brings me right back to those days when the biggest decision was who was picking teams, and everything else could wait. Bravo Burora, June 2025 |
14 velvet flowers |
15 movie night Nevada Blake This haiku takes me back to those days when me and my siblings used to fight over the remote like it was the most important thing in the world. We’d argue forever about what movie or show to watch, everybody wanted to watch something different and no one wanted to give in. Sometimes the fights would last so long that it felt like we spent more time arguing than actually watching anything. Bravo Burora, June 2025 |
16 to the shooting star Nevada Blake This haiku is full of youth and wistfulness. It tells the story of a little girl looking up at the night sky through her open window. She’s not very old, only 8 or 9, and is absolutely begging the shooting star to get her mom to get her a puppy. There’s something so joyful about putting all of your hopes into something that, now, we know doesn’t really exist. Arianna Morris, June 2025 |
17 bouncing ball in play, |
18 a dust settles |
19 pencils sharpened |
20 girls in short denim Alanna Smith |
21 oval track Alanna Smith This haiku speaks to me as someone who is a distance runner. I have spent many hours of my life running laps around a track. I truly go nowhere when I am on the track. Even though I go nowhere, I still do it all the time. This is because running laps gives me a sense of peace. Being able to run, whether it be alone, with friends, with teammates, or anyone else, gives me peace of mind. Running has always been something I have used when stressed and I am in need of a way to clear my mind. Even though to everyone else it may seem that you go nowhere when running laps, as a runner it is far from that. Running takes me so many places. Whether that be through my own thoughts, stories my friends and I tell, memories we talk about, running can take you so many places while never leaving the track. Lydia Trump, June 2025 |
22 constellations . . . Alanna Smith Reading this haiku reminds me of my grandma and makes her presence feel exceptionally strong to me. I am a firm believer that any loved ones who have passed are always looking down on you. As someone who has lost their grandma ,this haiku resonated with me. I imagine kind of lying in the yard staring at the stars in the sky. I find calmness in this because I feel connected with those loved ones I have lost. Although my grandma physically might not be here, she’s above. She’s above watching me and protecting me and this haiku made me feel safe and connected to her, even though she’s not here. I think that sometimes we don’t realize what we have until we lose it. I try to live in the moment everyday because you never know what can be taken away from you. Love is a powerful thing that can truly make a difference in someone's life. I feel lucky to be loved by an incredible family and know that I have people who support me. The love my grandma showed me and cherished me with made a huge difference in my life. Maddy Hendricks, June 2025 This haiku blends the vastness of the night sky with a deeply personal sense of memory and loss. The ellipsis after “constellations” feels like a pause for reflection, drawing the reader into the emotional weight of the second and third lines. The idea of a grandmother watching from the stars is comforting and timeless , a poetic way of honoring someone who is gone but still felt. Sam Dalton, June 2025 |
23 my mind spins Jacob Bloom I really like the first Haiku that I chose because it's a good analogy for the way anxiety works. Too many thoughts to keep track of continuously circling and finding a way to resurface at the Forefront of your mind. A very good way of explaining confined commotion. Personally, I don't deal with anxiety very often but I thought this was a very good way of painting a picture for someone that may not understand how anxiety can feel. Corey Cebulski, June 2025 |
24 snow falling Jacob Bloom This haiku reminds me of when I first got my car. I wasn’t used to winter at all, and I didn’t know you had to warm up the car before driving. I’d just hop in, start it, and wonder why it felt so cold and stiff. "Snow falling, exhaust pipe fumes" reminds me of those early mornings when I was still learning and everything was cold. However, I eventually figured it out. As the snow builds around me, I now always start it early to allow the warmth to build up. It's one of those little things that shows how much I've changed, grown, and improved over time. Bravo Burora, June 2025 |
25 new classes, same old me Bravo Burora This one I think hit me pretty hard. It is the one I relate to the most. Starting college was not easy for me last year. I’m not good at making new friends, especially because I love my hometown friends. I also still live at home so it’s not like I don’t see them. So I tell myself that I don’t need new friends. So I was alone. New classes, new faces, everything new. The “I said straighter now” means to me that I am more tense or scared. That I am only thinking of the end. Getting out of there, finally getting to leave. Alanna Smith, June 2025 |
26 icicle sword Sam Dalton |
27 red wool mitten Sam Dalton |
28 after the fight |
29 I hear mama’s voice, Bravo Burora |
30 wind taps on the glass, Bravo Burora |
31 drilling a hole Brock Trump I commented on this during the discussion, but as I discussed before, I am an avid fisherman who has experienced this numerous times before. The whole point of fishing is catch fish, but unfortunately you find yourself staring at whole in the ice more times than actually catching them. This one made laugh! Austin Nellessen, June 2025 |
32 more weight |
33 fast food parking lot Randy Brooks |
34 a yellow jacket Tierra Cook |
35 under the big lights Brock Trump |
36 pink conch Tierra Cook |
37 carrot for a nose Maddy Hendricks This haiku is serene, and joyful. This haiku also highlights impermanence and how we are taught this lesson through daily life and at a young age. The first line “carrot for a nose” is a simple and concise giveaway on the subject of this haiku, that being a snowman. The line “upright in the ground” has me envisioning the snowman standing tall in the white snow-covered landscape with the sun beaming high overhead. The snowman glistens and seems to perspirate almost human like as the sun melts away at what once was the outer layer of the snowman's skin. The third and final line of this haiku “can’t stay long” is where I get themes of impermanence. A snowman can only stay for as long as the sun and the weather let it. Regardless of how hard we try to keep it and rebuild it will eventually melt away into the ground. This image is highly ephemeral, very impermanent yet evokes so much joy. Something as simple as a snowman never ceases to bring a smile to my face. This haiku is beautifully crafted with lots of emotion behind it. Jacob Bloom, June 2025 |
38 refrigerator hums Chase Mirelez |
39 weight scale rattles |
40 long streets Chase Mirelez |
41 grandma's house Maddy Hendricks |
42 bundled up |
43 an empty kennel Arianna Morris This one made me sad. Starting off so strongly with “an empty kennel” really sets the image and your expectations for the rest of the haiku. I can truly feel the loss of their beloved dog just by the description. I am not looking forward to the day I feel that loss. Alanna Smith, June 2025 This takes me back to a couple years ago when my dog passed away. I see my other dog looking around for his best friend to play with him, the empty food bowl, and the treats disappearing slower than usual. It has gotten quieter in the house, and it just doesn’t feel right, everyone is in a funk. I can feel the mood shifting and changing I begin to wonder if anyone is going to bring it up. It’s a bright day out but it feels so gloomy I find myself thinking will things get better. I guess we will have to wait and see if things get better but for now, we must continue to live our lives and move past this. I liked this haiku because it reminds me of my dog who past a few years ago. When she pasted, it was very hard for our whole family. My siblings and I could not remember life without her in it. The car ride home without her in the back seat with us, her spot in the kennel empty when we come home, her empty food bowl but dog food still in the pantry, no pitter patter of her nails on the hard wood floor. To my family and I, her presence in the house graced us. She was the most loving dog. She would always cuddle and lay with you. To us, she was the best dog in the world and it was heartbreaking to lose her. Lydia Trump, June 2025 This one is something every pet owner has been able to relate to. It never gets easier losing a pet, and it is like losing a family member. It is weird to be in a house that no longer has the clacking of the nails on hard wood floors, there is a deep sense of absence in this haiku that reflects the situation. Nevada Blake, June 2025 This haiku hit me on a personal level because it brought back memories of my childhood. I grew up with a lot of dogs and cats, and each time one of them passed away, the house felt noticeably emptier. The simple image of an “empty kennel” perfectly captures that quiet absence, a space once full of life and energy that now feels still and silent. The phrase “paws no longer grace the floor” is especially powerful to me. It reminds me of how I used to hear their footsteps throughout the day, and once they were gone, the silence was a constant reminder of their absence. This haiku, though short, reflects a feeling of loss that’s hard to put into words, and that’s what makes it so moving. Sam Dalton, June 2025 |
44 anxiety stepping up Corey Cebulski |
45 vibrant broad symbol |
46 warm hot chocolate Corey Cebulski |
47 kickoff at noon sharp Austin Nellessen |
48 cool air through the pines |
49 rock skips Jacob Bloom The reason why I chose this second Haiku was because one of my favorite outdoor activities is simply standing by the lake and skipping rocks. there's something incredibly calming about hearing the pitter patter of rocks across calm Waters. I also really like the second part where it says I keep pushing forward because eventually you're going to run out of rocks to skip and you're going to have to go find more. Corey Cebulski, June 2025 |
50 blowing bubbles |
51 beach vacation |
52 the harsh breeze |
53 chicken |
54 swing set moves Lydia Trump This reminds me of my childhood and how things in life were so simple. I wasn’t worried about going to school, working, and other stressful factors. The little things in life brought me the most joy, such as swinging. I would play outside for hours and not have a worry or care in the world about anything besides my hair in the wind, and how high I could get the swing to go of course. To me, this haiku reminds me of innocence and how I once was a young girl playing outside for countless hours. It reminds me of a time when life was simple and I was a little girl. I didn’t realize how influential these times were when I was young and living them, but looking back now I certainly do. There will never be another time I am a young girl playing in the backyard. I will never have the most stress-free life as I did when I was a child like that. Looking back, this haiku made me realize I should’ve cherished this time more. It didn’t seem like something I would miss at the time, but now I want it back. Maddy Hendricks, June 2025 |
55 morning fog |
56 pigtails swing Lydia Trump |
57 dark and cold |
58 snake coiled up Nevada Blake |
59 smell of snow |
60 winter dusk Sam Dalton |
61 late autumn Sam Dalton |
62 warm cafe Maddy Hendricks |
63 we dreamed in the dark Bravo Burora |
© 2025, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.