Haiku Kukai 03 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Winter 2024
1 muscles sore Tara Becker This haiku stuck out to me because not only of the muscles sore part but when I am sore from working out it always feels like I did more than what I did which is where the mountains moved came into play and it always feels as such. Although people often downplay themselves on how much they accomplished I think it is important that people give themselves more credit for what they do do. Jacob Bullock, May 2024 |
2 balanced on one foot
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3 silent forest path Terrion White I love haiku that revolves around nature. This poem makes me feel like I am having a peaceful walk through the forest with delightful sounds of nature surrounding me. At the end “wandering feet” gives me a sense of exploration and interest in discovering what else nature has to offer. It could also represent a state of restlessness and trying to cope with something such as stress by enjoying a walk. I am reminded of different reasons that I have before going on walks and thinking about how that influences my time during the walk. Collin Applegate, May 2024 |
4 baseball diamond's dust Terrion White I really liked this one because I could easily picture a crowded baseball stadium with the lights shining on the baseball diamond. The game is currently being played so the dust is all over. The game is intense and the batter hits a home run. I can hear the crack of the bat and the crowd going wild. Danielle Piper, May 2024 |
5 one good stretch |
6 Alt+Shift+K Tara Becker |
7 Mom's gentle touch |
8 white wedding dress |
9 looking into his eyes Kylie Villarreal I have personally experienced this type of pain. Looking into the eyes of someone you once loved and now you feel yourself falling out of love hurts. It is a different type of pain than being broken up with. Falling out of love with someone takes a lot of acceptance and realization, with that comes having to let go of a lot of things you used to love that are not there anymore. Hailie Schafman, May 2024 |
10 empty passenger seat Hailie Schafman In this haiku, I imagine a father. He is on his way home from work in the middle of rush hour traffic. As he sits there he cannot help but remember. He thinks back to all the memories with his little girl being his copilot. As much of a hassle it was, he enjoyed driving his daughter around. And now that she is sixteen, and driving on her own, and always hanging out with her friends, he cannot help but miss these memories. Chance Cole, May 2024 Reading this I imagine a guy who just lost someone very close to him. How they used to drive around, laugh, joke and do everything together. That person was his other half, his flame, his heart. But now they're gone. And every time he gets in his car to drive he looks over at the passenger seat and can't help but to think about the memories they shared together. He’s reminiscing on the good times they had together. When his laugh was better, and he was in a better head space. Now that the person isn't here he doesn't know how to feel. His emotions are so loud but blank at the same time. The memories of them together just playing in his head and he can't help but feel sadness or pain because he knows memories like that can't be made again. Thomas Hills, May 2024 This haiku seems to represent the death of someone close and having difficulty getting over the memory of that person. Going on a long distance car ride that would usually include conversation with the other person to make time go by faster would seem like an eternity when contemplating all of the conversations that you will never be able to have. It is very depressing for me to imagine a person thinking about as many old memories with their friend as they can possibly remember. I think that having a very blunt tone works very well with this haiku as it gets the point across very harshly and triggers more of a response from the reader. Collin Applegate, May 2024 |
11 overtime win Hailie Schafman really brings out the excitement of an overtime win. The line "echoes through the campus halls" makes me think of all the cheering and noise. It contrasts nicely with "I am trying to study," showing how hard it is to focus when everyone else is celebrating. It's a great snapshot of college life and the push and pull between wanting to join in and needing to get work done. Alex Wozniak, May 2024 |
12 dining in silence Kylie Villarreal |
13 candle burns slow Thomas Hill |
14 cold breeze in the air |
15 tassels right to left Jacob Bullock |
16 eating healthy Jacob Bullock |
17 soft sounds Jacob Bullock |
18 the love of my life Thomas Hill I like this one because every girl dreams about their wedding. Like what the dress will look like, who will be in their wedding, what the wedding colors will be and so on. I feel like being in a relationship makes you think more about it because you see a future with this person. Reed Pierson, May 2024 I really like the ambiguity of this haiku. How you don’t really know if the author is also getting married, or being left behind in heartbreak. It’s something interesting that I like was left open to interpretation. Personally I like to think they aren’t getting married and play to crash the wedding in a sort of ‘speak now’ fashion. Tara Becker, May 2024 The haiku shows a lot of emotion. It speaks to universal experiences of love, loss, and acceptance, resonating with anyone who has felt the sting of unattainable love. It reminds us of the bittersweet nature of love and the resilience required to navigate its most challenging moments. Terrion White, May 2024 |
19 first snowfall |
20 bubble gum gas |
21 distant tires screech Lauren Killian |
22 the heart breaks Lauren Killian This haiku reminds me how easily you can be distracted from reality when deep into thought. When something bothers you so much that consumes you entirely, it's almost impossible to focus on the things around you. When you are not focused, chaos can occur. Bella Mattaliano, May 2024 |
23 evening fog Alex Wozniak |
24 lonely road Alex Wozniak |
25 walking Reed Pierson the haiku "walking" captures a peaceful moment perfectly. The line "no care in the world" makes me feel the sense of freedom and relaxation. The word "peacefulness" at the end wraps it up nicely, leaving a calm, content feeling. It's a simple but powerful reminder to enjoy those little moments of calm in our busy lives. Alex Wozniak, May 2024 |
26 night tune Reed Pierson I like that you know based on circumstances that this is about cicadas. They have been everywhere lately and are a huge level of inspiration. I particularly like how, while I infer its cicadas, its open to left the reader choose what haunts them at night. This is a great tactic. Tara Becker, May 2024 While reading this I am particularly reminded of the cicadas that we are experiencing at the moment, but I also think about people that are active during the night and how they behave differently than they would during the day. At night people tend to be more nefarious in their actions and the speaker saying “you can still hear them” even though there are less people out makes me think that they are doing more intense or crazy actions. Collin Applegate, May 2024 |
27 clock in, clock out Danielle Piper Being a student athlete, I feel this alot. Especially during the season, I feel like I never really get time for myself. I go to school, go to practice, workout, shower and then do homework and eat. By the time I get done with all that and finally get to unwind it's late and I'm tired. It's an everyday cycle and once I lay my head down on my pillow I gotta wake right back up and do it over and over again. It feels like a full-time job trying to maintain both my mental health and physical health. And having the stress of not only achieving in the classroom but also on the track. Thomas Hills, May 2024 |
28 grass stained socks Danielle Piper |
29 wrapped in blankets Danielle Piper I like this haiku. It could be interpreted in a couple of ways. When I first read this haiku I thought about someone getting wrapped in blankets after they pass away and they are ready to be buried. I read the haiku again and I could feel the comfort of crawling in my warm bed after a long day. It is the best feeling after a long day. When your body is really tired I think you get the best sleep. It's just such a relatable feeling after such a long day. Lauren Killian, May 2024 |
30 workout Reed Pierson I like this one because sometimes I feel like workouts are more of a hassle than anything else. You do not want to be there you are ready to be done and go hangout with your friends. After a long day the last thing you want to do is team workouts. Reed Pierson, May 2024 |
31 powerlifting Chance Cole |
32 the hum of the fan |
33 new year Collin Applegate This haiku encapsulates the complex emotions surrounding the passage of time. It is a reflection on the beauty and fragility of human connections, and a reminder to treasure the moments and people that define our journey. Terrion White, May 2024 |
34 smooth jazz . . . Collin Applegate |
35 coffee filter Collin Applegate Reading this haiku was really nice. Everything goes together. I imagined a painter brewing a fresh pot of coffee. I could smell the coffee while reading this. I love coffee so this is comforting to me. This coffee provides the artist with focus and inspiration in order to paint their canvas. This haiku is cool because it's two things being full, the coffee pot and the empty canvas will soon be painted or full. Lauren Killian, May 2024 |
36 morning run |
37 tears fall Blake Wiebe |
38 telling secrets Collin Applegate |
39 sandy footprints Danielle Piper I loved reading this haiku from Kukai 3. When I read it I felt like I was on vacation and thought about what vacations are meant for. I saw a setting sun in the background and the water washing away the footsteps we just walked. I could smell the ocean and what it meant. Blake Wiebe, May 2024 |
40 legally blind Chance Cole |
41 dessert dawn |
42 brotherhood |
43 the dock creaks |
44 my best friend and I Hailie Schafman I enjoyed this haiku because it brought memories of my friends and I all knowing the song that came on and for that 2-3 minutes we weren’t worried about anything in life but signing that song and making sure we remember the lyrics. I feel like music is something that can relate any people because of the meanings behind the music and what it can symbolize to a person. Jacob Bullock, May 2024 liked this poem because it's an activity I love to do all summer. I come from a small town where there isn't much to do. Therefore, me and my best friends love to drive around with no where to go screaming our favorite songs with the windows down. Danielle Piper, May 2024 In this haiku, I imagine two high school aged girls. They are best friends, they have been since they were five years old. They drive around on this particular Friday night, nothing to do, no destination in mind, just enjoying each others company. That is when their song comes on. Chance Cole, May 2024 |
45 in realms unknown |
46 a crowded room hums |
47 blind date Jacob Bullock I really enjoyed the storytelling this haiku told. Reading over this haiku I saw two people on a date for their first time after meeting on a dating app. I see them getting to know each other and when they talk they can feel something clicking and seeing a future between the two of them. I see them on a date at a dinner as I feel like it would the were they would pick. Blake Wiebe, May 2024 |
48 latex gloves Abby Park After reading this haiku, it reminded me of what it's like to be a nurse. During nursing school I have witnessed and experienced crisis hands on. It can be nerve racking and almost unmotivating as not feeling confident in your skills. When you are a student you tend to feel small and looked down upon by other nurses or patients. Bella Mattaliano, May 2024 |
49 candles in darkness |
50 milk mustache Lauren Killian |
51 sitting in silence Kylie Villarreal |
52 our relationship Thomas Hill This haiku shows the downsides of a relationship. When things get hard and one side doesn’t want to fix it, the relationship turns into a joke. Not just to the two people involved but to their friends, peers, families, or anyone from an outside perspective. It is a non-laughing matter to the one who cares. Hailie Schafman, May 2024 |
53 nothing to wear Thomas Hill |
54 friendship love |
© 2024, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.