Haiku Kukai 01 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • May 2022
1 lonely night Tristan Keller This Haiku reminds me of moving to Decatur from Chicago 11 years ago. How the night sky is so different because living in Chicago you don’t get to have much open space to see the whole sky. How the full moon can illuminate the sky with no city lights making an impact on what you see in central Illinois. It is said the city lights are what you are seeing in the sky and not the stars. Roxanne Rodriguez, May 2022 |
2 early birds chirping Roxanne Rodriguez My first favorite haiku from this section is number 2. I like this one because it reminds me of the time of year when its too warm for heat but too cold for air so I open my windows instead. I love sleeping with the windows open and waking up and hearing nature outside. It is so peaceful. Lexi Bolt, May 2022 |
3 morning storm Sara Runyen I like the choice of words used in this one. Birds tend to chirp in the mornings at the first day’s light, but this uses the birds chirping in the dark, play on words if you will. I enjoy calm storms in the early morning when I don’t have to be at work or school, and this makes me think of a cool morning like that. Sara Runyen, May 2022 |
4 in the morning Roxanne Rodriguez |
5 from green to blue Sara Runyen I picture a little kid waiting in line to jump off the high diving board. Green to blue describes his emotions as he gets to the top. He feels sick to his stomach while in line, then as soon as he gets to the top and is standing about to jump off he feels nervous. Then at the last second he jumps off with the biggest smile on his face. Tristan Keller, May 2022 |
6 huge rocks Tristan Keller |
7 sun through the blinds Cleah Roberts This Haiku makes me think of all the late nights I would have on the weekends. The sun coming through the binds and thinking to myself if I pull the covers over my head the day doesn’t have to start yet. Especially being out all night the sun through the binds means why did I do this again. Roxanne Rodriguez, May 2022 |
8 new outfit Cleah Roberts I really liked this haiku because it gave me such a good sense of imagery. I was brought back to high school when I started a new school and the only constant I had in my life was the fact that I still had my old backpack with me. I was able to imagine the different first day of school outfits I would wear, as well as the feelings of anxiousness and excitement. Riley Cremeens, May 2022 |
9 pre-recess excitement Riley Cremeens I picture a kid just staring at the clock, waiting for it to be recess. He’s patiently waiting for the teacher to dismiss him. Once he’s finally let loose, he sprints down the halls hoping to get to the swings before anyone else. Thinking that today is the day where he can swing. His heart is beating and he’s running out of breath. Then he finally gets through the last pair of doors and looks and realizes that the swings have already been taken. He’s upset but isn’t discouraged because he knows that tomorrow he can just try again! Tristan Keller, May 2022 |
10 grandma clenches my hand Gabriella Barone |
11 blowing out candles Gabriella Barone |
12 rain drops Kaitlyn McIntyre This haiku made me feel like I was a little kid again on vacation at the Lake of the Ozarks. Waking up early because I am so excited to spend the day out on the lake and seeing other people already out there was so much fun for me. I would try to imagine what was going on in the minds of people who had also decided to get up bright and early to enjoy the lake. So I definitely had a good time reading this haiku, it made me feel happy and nostalgic. Riley Cremeens, May 2022 |
13 7:15 A.M. Gabriella Barone |
14 leaves changing colors Lexi Bolt I like how in this haiku you can envision what they are talking about and how it can take different people to different places in their minds. Kaitlyn McIntyre, May 2022 |
15 morning sunrise |
16 two chairs, a table |
17 dandelions cover the field Kaitlyn McIntyre This one is deeply written. Growing up as children we pick dandelions for our loved ones because we see them and pretty yellow flowers. We become teens and mow over the weeds in the yard. Now as adults we are seeing dandelions have many antioxidants and help manage pain and inflammation. Sara Runyen, May 2022 The imagery and juxtaposition of this haiku really made me reflect as an environmentalist. A lot of times dandelions are seen as an invasive weed to a human's landscape, but dandelions came first. So are humans and their need to have an “idealistic” landscape really the ones that are being invasive towards the dandelions. Recently I have been working on the revitalization of Torrence Park. The baseball diamond at the park is covered in dandelions. The rest of the team that are working on the revitalization and myself debated over what to do. We decided we did not want to use unethical weed killer such as Roundup to eliminate the dandelions to make a more “idyllic” baseball field. Professor Laundra, who is in charge of the project, said that the kids in the community still play on the diamond despite the massive overgrowth of dandelions. I thought that was a beautiful thing, that humans and the natural earth had decided to coexist instead of one or the other winning out. I think this haiku really embodies that sentiment that a dandelion can be both a weed and a flower, both invasive and belonging. Gabriella Barone, May 2022 |
18 once bright and red Kaitlyn McIntyre |
19 picnic packed |
20 2 AM Addi Wagner |
21 cousins gather |
22 state champs again Tristan Keller |
23 soaring through the sky Tristan Keller Traveling is a passion of mine so this caught my eye. Looking over the land beneath you as your fly makes everything below seem so small. Giant buildings, rivers, lakes, everything seems like it’s at a standstill and there isn’t a care in the world. It’s terrifying being that high up, don’t get me wrong, but it is a beautiful country we live in. Sara Runyen, May 2022 |
24 packing the tote Sara Runyen I really enjoy this one. I always forget something when packing. The way this is written is almost like a whistle or tune to sing as you try to go over what you have packed and what you still need to pack. Kaitlyn McIntyre, May 2022 This haiku reminds me of packing for college. Trying to collect your entire life from a place that was once your home, now to move into a small room for months. You try to remember all of the things important to you, but you know inevitably you will forget something. Cleah Roberts, May 2022 My second favorite haiku from this section is number 24. I like this haiku because it reminds me of summer and going on vacations. I absolutely love vacations, but I dread packing every time and usually wait until the night before leaving to pack. I have a packing list that I always use and every time I pack for something I am always saying to myself “what am I forgetting.” Lexi Bolt, May 2022 |
25 bugs and dinosaurs Sara Runyen I feel like this haiku stuck out to me a lot because that is exactly how I felt when I was growing up. I was always a tomgirl and I liked playing with a wide range of toys, no matter what “gender specific” they were for. When I read this, I was able to imagine all the different areas around my home where I would play, and all my favorite toys. Riley Cremeens, May 2022 This haiku really resonated with me as a mother. I want my daughter to have an open opportunity to pursue her interests. I tend to buy gender neutral clothes. I will not deny peoples gifts of a pink outfit, but I want her to be in a home that lets her decide what she likes and give her options to be able to figure that out. I bought her these dino shoes that are absolutely adorable from Target and I did not understand why they were labeled boys. Why can’t all children's clothes be classified as purely children’s clothes rather than tied to a gender identity? I also really enjoyed the alliterations that were used in juxtaposition; bugs and barbies, dinosaurs and dolls. It really drove the point in. Gabriella Barone, May 2022 This haiku shows the duality of this individual. Though society tries to put restraints on genders and enforce gender norms, these individuals push past all of those things. They show despite gender or sexual orientation, you can enjoy all things life has to offer. Cleah Roberts, May 2022 |
26 long, black hair Riley Cremeens |
27 splashing in water Cleah Roberts I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the feeling of being carefree matched with caution. The first line creates the image of a playful child in the pool on a hot summer's day. The second line makes you think what is the child holding onto? Holding onto the last few days of summer before school? The third line clarifies that the child is physically holding onto the edge of the pool, creating a sense of dependency that was not felt in the first line. Gabriella Barone, May 2022 |
28 childhood friends Riley Cremeens I picked this as one of my favorites because it is relatable to me I've had the same two close friends since sixth grade. I like the cleverness of picking the three musketeers. Kaitlyn McIntyre, May 2022 |
29 a busy playground Riley Cremeens I imagine seeing a playground from the perspective of a grade schooler. He sees everything around him as amazing and can’t believe he can do this while at school. In the middle of him admiring the view, he’s tagged on the shoulder as one kid yells, “You’re it!!”. That then leads to an all out free for all amongst all of the kids. Tristan Keller, May 2022 |
30 Dad holding on Cleah Roberts |
31 early morning Cleah Roberts |
32 summer day Riley Cremeens Oh, how fun it is to be at the dog beach on a summer day. The different activities that you can do with your best friend. Not only is there something for you and your dog but usually there are other people there with their dogs to meet and play with. Not only do you want to be out on a summer day, but your best friend can be there with you. Roxanne Rodriguez, May 2022 |
33 started a daughter Gabriella Barone This shows the life cycle of a woman. She comes into this world a daughter, but eventually becomes a mother herself. She soon learns she is a mother to a daughter, who may one day become a mother herself. The daughter she births is born during July, making her a Cancer child. Cleah Roberts, May 2022 |
34 dance in the kitchen |
35 dad picks me up Gabriella Barone |
36 painful silence Riley Cremeens |
37 I float through space Roxanne Rodriguez |
38 nothing to do on a winter day |
39 thunder Cleah Roberts |
40 onion breath Randy Brooks |
41 summer weather starts Roxanne Rodriguez My third favorite haiku from this section is number 41. I like this haiku because it’s about summer which is my absolute favorite season. I love summer weather, wearing flipflops and being outside. I always say I need to live somewhere where there is summer weather and flip flops all year round. Lexi Bolt, May 2022 |
42 tears fill up |
© 2022, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.