Global Haiku • June 2025
Dr. Randy Brooks

Windows

by
Johnathan Burora

These haiku are little windows into my life, some from my past in Rwanda, others from my present in Illinois. I wanted to show what it feels like to miss home, to find new comfort, and to hold on to the memories that still warm me up inside. Some of these haiku are quiet and emotional, and some are just small funny moments. I chose these because they remind me of who I am and where I come from, and how both places live in me now.

wind taps on the glass,
Rwanda's warmth in my chest
Illinois sleeps cold

cold breath in the air
Hyundai ties stuck in snow
home feels far tonight

I hear mama's voice,
soft songs in Kinyarwanda
even in my dreams

we dreamed in the dark
now your voice is on the mic.
look at you, cousin

Monday morning
I check my phone
I missed the bus

video call ends
my face stops smiling
I miss her already

shirt full of mangoes
my sister yells from below
"don't fall, bring me one!"