Haiku Kukai 01 Favorites - May 2026
1 the waitress Oshea Darrington |
2 empty basketball court Oshea Darrington This haiku stood out to me because I myself played basketball throughout my childhood. My family was always there supporting me, so the line mentioning a brothers laugh is meaningful to me as well. I can just see the picture of a game with little attendance, but my little brother there cheering me on. Kyson Pflum, May 2026 I think #2 stood out to me because I noticed how naturally it captures both memory and absence at the same time. I enjoy the image of an empty basketball court because even though it creates a feeling of loneliness, the line “my brother’s laugh hangs / in the netting” gives it emotional depth. It feels like the speaker is remembering someone through a place they have associated them with. I like how the poem trusts the reader to feel the emotion instead of overdescribing it. Taylor Stewart, May 2026 |
3 September hallway |
4 party cups stacked Oniza Royeen |
5 new hands wave |
6 kindergarten gown |
7 2 a.m. laundry room Emma Babb |
8 silent bedroom Emma Babb |
9 snow against the window Emma Babb |
10 half asleep Taylor Stewart |
11 dawn parking lot Taylor Stewart |
12 bare foot on the mat Taylor Stewart |
13 summer dusk— Emma Babb |
14 cold dorm hallway Emma Babb |
15 parking lot rain Emma Babb This haiku stood out to me because it captures emotion through very simple imagery. The setting of a rainy parking lot creates a lonely atmosphere, while the detail about the hoodie smelling like cigarette smoke makes the memory feel vivid and personal. The poem suggests heartbreak and attachment without directly saying it, which makes the emotion feel more natural and powerful. I also like how sensory details are used to create meaning. Smell is strongly connected to memory, so the lingering cigarette smoke makes it seem like the speaker cannot fully let go of the person they are thinking about. The haiku feels quiet and reflective, and it leaves enough unsaid for the reader to connect their own emotions to it. Emma Babb, May 2026 |
16 coffee going cold Kennetra Shelby |
17 I fold your sweatshirt Kennetra Shelby I liked this haiku a lot. I lost my dog last month and I have just been able to start looking at her blankets and toys without crying. The pain is still there, but it has settled more now. Greif is a crazy emotion, one second I’ll be fine then I see a brown Great Dane and I instantly think of my girl. I have always been someone that has felt everything so deeply, my dog is even part of the reason I even went vegetarian (5 years so far!). Oniza Royeen, May 2026 #17 stands out for me because it’s like the moment after heartbreak, right when the pain has taken a different shape. The whole poem from beginning to end feels very human. The speaker isn’t dramatic or angry in any way, but more worn down by the past, and finally accepting the current status of this relationship. I like that the writer used the ordinary actions that I was bringing up in the interview, this time being folding the sweatshirt, to bring emotion to an everyday action. They also don’t explain everything in detail, there’s no need to. The restraint to leave it open ended makes it even more powerful. Oshea Darrington, May 2026 |
18 bare legs on cool sheets Kennetra Shelby This haiku does an excellent job of painting a picture in my mind by using sensory. I can feel the cold sheets on my legs and smell the rain coming through the screen. Sounds like a nice relaxing afternoon nap. Kyson Pflum, May 2026 |
19 a long drive home Lexi Stengel |
20 late night drive Lexi Stengel This haiku reminds me of just the other night. My friends and I went to Taco Bell at two o'clock in the morning. I imagine friends stumbling to the car while laughing. They are eager to get food after a long day. As they drive to where they are going, the passenger keeps turning up the music. As the music goes up, everyone's voices and laughter get louder. Asia Sheumaker, May 2026 This haiku stood out to me because it captures a feeling of freedom and youth. The image of friends driving around at night with no destination feels relatable and nostalgic. Even though the poem is simple, it creates a warm mood through the phrase “a car full of laughter,” which shows how meaningful small moments with friends can be. I also think the final line gives the haiku deeper meaning. “With nowhere to go” could literally mean they are aimlessly driving, but it also suggests enjoying the present moment instead of worrying about the future. The poem feels both happy and slightly bittersweet, which makes it memorable and emotional. Emma Babb, May 2026 I really enjoyed this haiku. I relate to it a lot from living in a small town. I have lots of memories of having nothing to do in the summer and all the time in the world. Me and my friends would often go for late night drives just for something to do. Payton Hale, May 2026 |
21 crowded main street |
22 all cards on the table |
23 dark shadows Carder Reich |
24 early morning Carder Reich |
25 we talk softer now Kyson Pflum #25 was picked as a favorite of mine because it uses a seasonal image to show the emotional distance between two people. The line “we talk softer now” immediately reminds me of change and tension or sadness, while the falling leaves mirror the silence that is growing between them. I also liked the phrase “between our words” because it gives the leaves a heightened meaning without it sounding forced. The calm vibe makes the emotions feel even more genuine. Taylor Stewart, May 2026 |
26 sunny afternoon |
27 sunrise on the farm Kyson Pflum |
28 Ding! |
29 factory stink Elaine McLaughlin |
30 laying our blankets |
31 the home crowd silent Caty Schmidt I really liked this one because as a soccer player it gets really nerve wrecking during the more important games to the point where when it gets close people tend to go silent. So I like the emotion behind this because being in the game you can feel the tension and high emotions during it and how everyone is just on the edge of their seat. Caty Schmidt, May 2026 |
32 multiple snoozed alarms |
33 cozy Sunday dinner Caty Schmidt Every Thursday night, I have dinner with my dad and grandparents. This haiku reminds me of this; how we always play board games and talk to my sister on the phone, so that's what I picture when reading this. Elaine McLaughlin, May 2026 I love how they tied the laughter back into the dinner by adding how it was piled on the plates. This piece reminds me of family dinners when the longest part of the meal is spent sitting around the table after everyone is done eating. The Sunday night detail adds to the coziness and warmth of the setting. Payton Hale, May 2026 |
34 bake sale |
35 friendship bracelets Asia Sheumaker |
36 quickly, quietly Asia Sheumaker |
37 small town Blake Whitener |
38 bright stars Blake Whitener |
39 no patience Blake Whitener |
40 tossing graduation caps |
41 bright lights |
42 a knock at the door Payton Hale |
43 i’ve got your back Tariqkah Abdullah This haiku stood out to me because of the perspective it had. I see it as what goes on in the mind of a fair-weather friend. I think a lot of people can relate to having someone that is there solely on a superficial level. If I had to give it an image I think of someone crossing their fingers behind their back. I also like how it can be read at all once or in two separate parts. Oniza Royeen, May 2026 |
44 hay poles day |
45 big family dinner Tariqkah Abdullah |
46 campus parking lot Emma Babb |
47 late night drive-thru |
48 empty football field |
49 red traffic lights Oshea Darrington |
50 old concert ticket Oshea Darrington I know this is my poem, but after the kukai I wanted to take the time to dive into it, since I didn’t in the meeting. I like the themes of identity and memories in the poem. The poem on the surface feels nostalgic, but there’s something also unsettling about it. It’s like an example of how people change until objects that mattered so much at one point become something that feels like another’s life. The poem doesn’t say much, but I really like the atmosphere it does create. The ticket is more than just an object, it’s like a tie to a past life that I’ll never get back. Oshea Darrington, May 2026 |
51 radio jazz Oshea Darrington |
52 cornfields pass by Oniza Royeen This haiku feels quiet and emotional to me. The image of cornfields passing by gives the feeling of being on a long drive through a familiar place. I like how “nothing is new” shows both comfort and maybe a little sadness at the same time. The last line, “I close my eyes, home,” makes me think about how home can feel so familiar that you do not even need to look to recognize it. Kennetra Shelby, May 2026 |
53 days come and Oniza Royeen This is a really good haiku for summer because after the school year we get 3 months off from school but it just seems to go so fast. I swear these days don't go that fast during the school year! At one point it is the day and then an hour later its already night and summer is over like that! Caty Schmidt, May 2026 |
54 around the bonfire |
55 not many close friends Kennetra Shelby |
56 a marshmallow |
57 pink journal Kennetra Shelby |
58 from the second floor |
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60 arm out as far as it reaches Randy Brooks |
61 midnight sweat Tariqkah Abdullah |
62 city stoop |
63 four friends |
64 unlabored breaths |
65 small town sunset Emma Babb |
66 grandma’s kitchen |
67 midsummer afternoon Lexi Stengel |
68 running |
69 Senior sunrise Lexi Stengel |
70 piano recital Kyson Pflum |
71 siblings fight Kyson Pflum I used to fight with my sister a lot as a kid, and would often get jealous of her always claiming first player when we would play videogames on the gamecube or wii just because I'm younger. But when I spoke up about this bothering me, it'd either get dismissed as me getting upset over nothing or we'd both get punished for arguing. In retrospect, it really wasn't a big deal, but it sure felt like one at times when I was younger. I feel like this is what this haiku is getting at here: that as kids we end up losing out on some good things because we don't realize how some of the little details aren't worth the trouble. Elaine McLaughlin, May 2026 The haiku made me laugh because it feels like a real moment that happens in families all the time. The siblings are so focused on arguing over who goes first that they both end up losing their ice cream. I also like how the ending adds humor as if someone else got to eat both scoops. It shows how small arguments can sometimes ruin the fun for everyone. Kennetra Shelby, May 2026 |
72 summer rain Carder Reich This haiku reminds me of a summer day with my family. I imagine going outside with my siblings when we were younger and jumping through the muddy plies. Two girls and a boy playing out in the rain while their parents watch them through the window. They watch them with smiles on their faces reminiscing of how they know they will miss this moment when it ends. Once the kids are done, they run inside laughing and leaving their muddy shoes by the door for the parents to clean later. Asia Sheumaker, May 2026 |
© 2026, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.