chilly spring evening
softball game at the park
wrapped in blankets

Sue Short (2)

hot day
children playing softball
in the park

windows open,
waking to my alarm clock
chirping birds

Traci Batchelder (4)

I loved this haiku. I love waking up on cool spring mornings, with the windows open and the breeze blowing through the window, and just laying in bed for a few minutes, listening to the birds. Those are the days that I feel most rested and relaxed. I would much rather wake up to the birds than the annoying ring of my alarm. Jami

sunlight on my face
sand in my toes
music in my heart

Amber Potts (6)

This reminds me of some of the wonderful vacations I have taken in the Caribbean. Walking on the beach feeling the sand as it runs through your toes and taking in he beautiful scenery. The Caribbean music that you have been accustomed to hearing throughout the day still looms, especially the song that seemed as though it spoke to you in someway. You feel at peace because you do not have to think about your daily life of work, home, etc. you mind is just at ease and you are enjoy every moment you spend in this wonderful place. Kecia

I am a real fan of most all types of music and love to listen most any time, when I am near a player of some sort. When I am outdoors though, I would rather listen to the sounds or music one hears in nature. Now if you couple that with a little sun, a beach that runs for miles, along with blue and foamy white surf, I have all the music I need to get me by for days. Maybe longer, but I have not had the opportunity for months at a time…yet.
My best days at the beach so far have been on the isolated corner of an island that was a 2 hour hike away from the closest sign of humans- a rock parking spot. Not a 2 hour hike on a trail, but a walk across lava fields. Not something for the faint of heart, but the most secluded beach and best day of surf watching I have been able to enjoy. Good enough that I did the hike two days in a row, just to hear no music other than what you could hear coming off that beach. Mike

the cold snow blowing
as we make our way
to the steep hill

tiny red leaves sulk
spring coming?
                   again

streaming sunlight
through the sun porch door
so many fingerprints

Amber Potts (5)

I saw this beautiful warm sunlight through the glass door, it was warm and relaxing and then the third line I thought of my children’s prints on my mother’s door that she left for months after a visit. I could also think that no matter how beautiful the first two lines paint the scene that the third line throws in the “there is always more work to do” motto of most mothers. It reminded me to stop and look at the beauty and try to forget the after thought of what is not perfect. Holly

I like this haiku a lot. It is very cute. It reminds me of my daughter putting her hands on my mom’s glass doors. I always got yelled at for touching them, but with Sydney she thinks the fingerprints are so cute. I think it is a grandma thing. I smell the scent of lemons in this haiku and I see a lot of yellows from the sunlight. Heather

warm afternoon
lime topped bottle
siesta

Rusty Johnson (5)

This poem brought about memories of some really good times. I really liked the way this poem gave a lot of detail and description in such a short amount of space. Within the first line I see a bright and shining yellow sun, and I can feel the warmth coming from the sun. I also see blue skies, and blue water. I see and feel the sweat running down my face and back. In the second line I see the different shades of green of the lime. I can see the perspiration on the bottle, and I can see the bottle dripping onto the table. I can also see the carbonation in the bottle. I also see the amber color of the beverage. I really like how in the last line of the poem brings a tropical feel into the poem. The poet could have used any other word, but this word within itself describes so many things. Because of the word choice the scenery can go from backyard to a sandy beach in some foreign country. All in all I feel this was an excellently done haiku. Amber

I like this Kukai because it reminds me of a nice warm summer day.  Maybe you have just finished with the yard work for the day and now you just want to kick back and take a rest break on the hammock.  So you pop the top off of your favorite drink and just rest for a little while enjoying the warmth of the day.  It is always a good feeling to know that you have everything that you have to do done and now you are just able to relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend.  Nicole

atop of the high dive
a five year old cries,
not so brave after all

Heather Senger (6)

I chose this haiku in particular because it brought a somewhat fond memory, when I was about 6 or 7 I thought I was a big time swimmer at girl scout camp. I wanted to be a red cap, which was considered to be the most advanced group of swimmers, so I went all the way down to the deep end and got my red cap. I walked up to the diving board and jumped feet first with everything I had. Needless to say I almost drowned the camp counselor had to jump in and get me. I then proceeded to go all the way down to a blue cap, not such a brave little swimmer after all! Jenn

This brings back vivid memories of my childhood summers spent at the Surf Club. I recall climbing up the ladder, fearing to look down, because all you saw was cement, and you didn’t want to go splat on the cement. Then you finally reach the top of the ladder. Your heart starts pounding. You walk to the end of the diving board and look down. It looks soooooo far down. You wonder if your body can bounce and you end up hitting the edge of the pool rather than the pool. The palms get sweaty. The tears fall silently, because you are struggling to look like a big girl. After all, you had to pass a swimming test just to get on the silly diving board! So you sit down at the edge of the diving board, you are closer to the water sitting on the diving board than you are standing! Karissa

ditches swollen
from a summer storm
the race is on

new spring day
like glass
flying across the water

all day trip
caterpillar
crossing the road

Rusty Johnson (2)

watching the rain
longing to play
in the puddles

thick air
hard to breathe
pesky mosquitos

dark clouds
waves crashing
midnight storm

Kara Nihiser (2)

perpetual raindrops
on tear stained cheeks
a long goodbye

Amber Potts (5)

               morning fog
floats across the outfield
tournament presses on

rain
lightly coming down
counting the worms

Jami Martin (3)

stormy night
under the covers
flashes of light

Sue Short (2)

warm spring night
two bodies on the beach
slowly become one

Sue Short (7)

swirling wind
two pairs of teeth chatter
in the closet with the dog

summer downpour
creek floods up the hill
child slides down

unexpected family time
huddled in the basement
waiting

Jami Martin (8)

I love, love, love this Haiku. We live in a little bitty farmhouse in Warrensburg. My husband finished the basement and built our master bedroom/bathroom down there. When it is stormy, Wes, Connor, Lexi and I huddle in our king size bed. I can remember last year when the tornadoes hit Springfield badly. Wes was gone to Aurora for training so it was just the kids and myself. We all fell asleep watching the news. It was great having that close time with my babies!! Traci

This selection has tornado written all over it. It reminds me of every time we have to go the basement because of severe weather. When me and my family hear the siren off we go with the things we need. We are all huddled together just waiting for the all clear. We also listen to the police scanner we have. We hear better information from it then what we do from the radio or television. Its amazing the things we do while waiting. We play card games, hangman, or just make up goofy songs. This helps because sometimes my son gets scared and if we keep him occupied with doing these things he seems better and not as scared. Kara

wet spring day
muddy little face and hands
it’s time for a bath!

w  o  o  l  y    worms
crossing the  s  t  r  e  e  t
winter debates

freezing rain
phone begins to ring
soccer canceled

monday morning
just the name wakes me
Starbucks

Amber Potts (4)

warm spring day
barefoot in the grass
she waxes the car

mud
fresh from the rain
squishing through my toes

Jami Martin

shade tree
warm breeze
the wine flows

Jenn Perry (2)

muddy foot prints
in the corridor
her head hangs low

Nicole Stonecipher (5)

                       moonshine
Saturday night                   in a mason jar

        Rusty Johnson (9)

young winter wheat
       white necktie
              the kingfisher waits

beautiful snow
another day
with nowhere to go

lush green grass
wind on my face
Achoo

hot dark night
eyes catching light
ker-plop

damp summer
kids hiding
kick the can

warm sun
beating on my face
during the game

lamb
       or lion
we wait

overcast sky
lone green leaf budding
on the new tree

rain drizzles down
under the shelter of the porch
the cat sleeps

sunny day
merry go rounds
sound of children laughing

sun glaring off the ocean     seeing for the first time

feathery pink
white buds
apple blossoms wait patiently

large wind gusts
golf ball size hail
we’re gonna die!

hot summer day
children holding hands
jump in the pool

mud puddles
boys jump in
new shoes

Sue Short (3)

This is a parent’s nightmare but a little boy’s fun. It reminds me of a mother or father that he can go out and play but stay out of the mud puddles because you do not want to get your new shoes dirty. Of course when the boy comes back in his new shoes are wet and muddy, he just could not resist the fun of playing in the mud puddle. After a talking to by the parents the boy says he is sorry as he hangs his head down. Rusty

Last summer I went on a mission trip to Honduras with a group from our church. We were blessed to be able to interact with the family of the caretaker of the compound where we stayed. Although they did not understand English and we did not know much Spanish, we figured out how to communicate with each other. It rained one day and flooded parts of the compound leaving great mud puddles. When we returned from a field trip, the five year old son of the caretaker was wading in the puddles in his dad’s rubber boots. He could hardly walk in them since the tops went up higher than his knees. It looked like so much fun, some of the people in our group starting wading and splashing around with him. At one point his mother called for him. The “I can’t hear you” signal of putting his hands over his ears was a statement we could only understand through his actions but not his words. But the message was quite clear. He was not wearing new boots or new shoes, but might as well have been. Since the economy is so poor and laundry is washed in a stone sink on a back patio, we suspect his mother was not too happy about him playing in the mud puddle. Karen

Friday night
couples everywhere
the paperback comforts again

Amber Potts (2)

blowing rain
in and out of
puddles

winter
stealing my warmth
the candle goes out

snow on the ground
icy branches
my warm bed

a note out of tune
fingers not quite long enough
for Julliard

This reminds me of when i played the piano, my fingers could not quite reach that octave. I would stretch my hands to make them longer and wider. I would also hit a note out of tune trying to make it work. Sue