hot summer heat
sleeping in our bathing suits
at my childhood home

Sara Reynolds

water puddles
trail from the pool
into the house

Amber Gray

oar in hand
the water
warm as a bath

Tim Jankowski

floating around in circles
the water takes the sting
from the summer sun

Staci Whitcomb

This takes directly down south to Florida! We have vacationed in Florida ever since my daughter was born. She is now 7 years old. We vacation in Fort Myers, Fl where my father-in-law owns a home. Every year, I expose myself to as much sun as possible on the first day we arrive. My ultimate goal is to take as much sun back with me as possible to show my fellow co-workers! Never fails . . . I ALWAYS end up with a ruthless sunburn! I end up spending the rest of the vacation, floating around in the pool, with a shirt on, trying to get some relief by being submerged under water. Sunscreen? That is for girls! Adam

I really enjoy the lazy river. I like to get on an inner tube and let the water carry me on. I always end up with raccoon eyes because the sun beams down on you, and doesn't have any mercy. I enjoy the sun, but I am always rest assured that if it gets too hot, the water is there for a back up. TyKyna

water puddles
trail from the pool
into the house

floating around in circles
the water takes the sting
from the summer sun

top quarter champion

water puddles
trail from the pool
into the house

top half champion

water puddles
trail from the pool
into the house

bottom quarter champion

beach towel and sand
I listen to the waves
Corona in hand

beach towel and sand
I listen to the waves
Corona in hand

sandy beach
two year old's toes
fear

beach towel and sand
I listen to the waves
Corona in hand

Tyler Riggs

This instantly reminds me of the Corona commercials on TV. In the commercials someone is always sitting on the beach with a Corona in their hand. The commercials always make me feel very relaxed. From seeing those commercials, every time I go to the beach I think about having a Corona. When I read this haiku, it gives me the same feeling of wanting to sit on the beach with a Corona in my hand. Amber

I personally like this because it reminds me of my only vacation I had this summer. It was me and eight other guys at Daytona Beach. We all had beach towels at one point on the beach and a beer in hand the entire time. It simply reminds me of a good time. I would also like to point out that it rhymes. I honestly think that if it rhymes it helps with the haiku. Tyler

swimming pool
float
margaritas?

Kim Blunt

sandy beach
two year old's toes
fear

Karen Logue

sandy beach
my toes
dancing to the towel

Erica McDonald

top half champion

water puddles
trail from the pool
into the house

champion

summer wedding
she looks up
to the clouds

bottom half champion

summer wedding
she looks up
to the clouds

swim suits and towels
she stands on the chair
to braid my hair

Tera Cook

soaked from head to toe
my three year old laughs
he turns it on me

Sara Reynolds

already soaked
not yet to the
water

Tim Jankowski

flip flops full of sand
a manatee swims by
in the ocean waves

Amber Gray

soaked from head to toe
my three year old laughs
he turns it on me

already soaked
not yet to the
water

top quarter champion

soaked from head to toe
my three year old laughs
he turns it on me

bottom half champion

summer wedding
she looks up
to the clouds

bottom quarter champion

summer wedding
she looks up
to the clouds

sitting beside the pool
the splashing of water
children's laughter fills the air

summer wedding
she looks up
to the clouds

sitting beside the pool
the splashing of water
children's laughter
fills the air

Shauna Mays

This represents another summer day, sitting in a swimming pool. I hear lots of splashing of water and the kid's laughter. I'm sunbathing on a tube, and can feel the water splashing on me. It sure feels good on this hot summer day. Kim

hot summer day
youngsters having fun
splashing in the pool

Tyler Riggs

summer wedding
she looks up
to the clouds

Tera Cook

This haiku reminds me of my step-daughter. She recently had an outdoor wedding at a friend's house. She was so terribly worried the night before regarding the forecast. There was an 80% chance of rain. We all kept telling her not to worry about it. We assured her it would all be ok. The day of the wedding came, and I believe she had too much on her mind, and the weather was not one of them. She didn't seem to be bothered by the weather. She was her happy, outgoing self, but it was us who kept looking up to the clouds praying it wouldn't rain until later. Thank god we got through the whole ceremony without any disturbances, or rain! Kim

This was my favorite from the matching contest. I thought this was well written. It took you to many different places but for me. I thought of a bride entering the wedding and taking that last look and deep breath before walking down the aisle to be married to the man of her dreams. Every bride wishes for everything to go smooth on the big day and when they are taking their final walk down everyone is trying to determine what is going on in her head. And, when we see her exhale and smile it's like knowing everything is ok and "I'm ready" Shauna

When I first read this it took me to thinking about my wedding that is going to be next June. I am getting married at an outdoor amphitheater. Two thoughts came to mind. Either the clouds look like it's going to rain on my special day, or I am looking up to the sky towards a loved one who isn't able to be with us on my day. Whitney

This haiku immediately brought thoughts to my head because I have a summer out door wedding coming up in one month. We are getting married on a golf course outside on what hopes to be beautiful September day. I have pictured my fiance getting ready to walk down the aisle and before she gets there she will take a deep breath and look to the sky for comfort. What a powerful haiku that my fellow classmate has written. Zach

a blanket by the pond
the monkey
turns into a poodle

Je'Taun Irons

I love to look at the clouds to see what images I can find. As a kid my friends and I would lay on the ground and look up to the sky to see how many different images there were. Sometimes one of us could see it but the others couldn't quite make it out and we would have to try to explain it so they could see it too. Karen

summer day
children play kickball
ghost man on first

Karen Logue

a barren dusty lot
a group of friends
homerun

Je'Taun Irons

the sound of children's laughter
I sit on the park bench
and . . . highlight

Beth Miller

This Haiku reminds me of present day, taking my little girl to the park to keep her busy while I catch up on reading and homework. I can hear her yelling," Mommy watch this", as I glance up from what I doing. I can feel a cool breeze and smell the freshly cut grass. I often end up abandoning my work to join her at play. Je'Taun

the bat cracks
and the hands fly up
homerun

Aaron Weldy

I instantly started feeling that great feeling that you get when you experience an awesome homerun. I am a huge baseball fan whether it is major league or good ole backyard ball. Whenever that homerun is needed and it happens there is no greater feeling. It is enough to talk about for days after. I have been to a few awesome Cardinal games in the past and when the crowd goes crazy in that moment it is an adrenalin rush well remembered. I love it. Erica

This is my favorite from the matching because my family are huge cardinal fans. I know the feeling of hearing the bat crack and seeing that it's a homerun. You get so excited throw your hands in the air and high five everyone around you. The crowd goes nuts. One of the best feelings at a baseball game. Tera

summer day
children play kickball
ghost man on first

the bat cracks
and the hands fly up
homerun

top quarter champion

the bat cracks
and the hands fly up
homerun

top half champion

Sunday afternoon
$9 beers at the ballpark
I watch it all go down the urinal

bottom quarter champion

Sunday afternoon
$9 beers at the ballpark
I watch it all go down the urinal

hot summer air
cold lemonade
brings alive my tastebuds

Sunday afternoon
$9 beers at the ballpark
I watch it all go down the urinal

hot summer air
cold lemonade
brings alive my tastebuds

Brittany Smith

There is nothing better to me than a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. My grandmother would always have a pitcher of lemonade in her refrigerator. I can see it in my mind right now. It was a red pitcher with a white inside and a built in handle. I thought that she made everything from scratch, but she was the original semi homemade cook. She would start our lemonade with frozen minute maid lemonade and add fresh cut lemons and a touch of sugar or simple sugar to it. I learned later on that she did that with most everything she made unless it was a special occasion. One other thing I thought she made from scratch was her pecan coffee cake. I asked my mother years later if she had the recipe and she said Sara it is a frozen Sara Lee pecan coffee cake. Who would have thought? I guess that is why I thought she was magic. Sara

My first reaction to this haiku is that I like the image it brings to my mind. I would, however, like it better if the words "hot" and "cold" were left out for our imaginations to fill in. I remember being a kid and selling and making lemonade to counter the humid heat of July and August. I remember I loved my lemonade WAY too sweet and would often put in so much mix that it turned into a lemonade puree rather than a juice. The contrast between hot and cold is nice in this haiku, better if we were forced to fill in those adjectives ourselves. Tim

ice cream truck
Ding! Ding!
snack time

Whitney Blickensderfer

This reminds me of being a kid and playing outside and when the ice cream or sno-cone truck would come you would run and ask for me. The truck came around the same time daily and you could hear from around the corner. You would have just enough time to beg for money and then come back before he reaches your block and could flag him down. These times bring back great childhood memories and I love that. Shauna

1-1
13th inning
better get another beer

Staci Whitcomb

Sunday afternoon
$9 beers at the ballpark
I watch it all go
down the urinal

Adam Buxton

Of course you knew I was going to pick this as one of my favorites. I can't count how many times I have gone to a Sunday afternoon game, either with my dad or others, and spent a ridiculous amount of money on crisp, cold Budweiser! This haiku starts off in with that feeling . . . the feeling that you get when you don't care how much you're spending on frosty beverages at the ballpark, but yet you still take careful note of the price. It's not until your standing in front of the urinal during the bottom of the 5th inning, quite buzzed, that you think about all that cash going down the drain! Aaron

top half champion

Sunday afternoon
$9 beers at the ballpark
I watch it all go down the urinal

champion

Sunday afternoon
$9 beers at the ballpark
I watch it all go down the urinal

bottom half champion

cool summer nights
neighborhood kids
chasing lighting bugs

spool-unraveling
the wind carries the child's
kite into the sky

Celeste Settles

hot summer day
the car is locked
my keys are inside

TyKyna Fox

This haiku has a lot of objects. It describes the type of day as hot and sunny. I picture someone running around doing errands. Then comes the realization of the car being locked and the keys are in the ignition. Unfortunately, this has happened to me too many times! Kim

cool summer nights
neighborhood kids
chasing lighting bugs

Shelley Benson

This scene reminds me of my kids when they were smaller. They loved to go outside with their neighbor friends and catch lightning bugs. They would pair up into teams with a jar, and see who can catch the most bugs. There would always be a lot of laughter, fun, and running around. This was one thing they seemed to be able to do without any fighting going on. They all seemed to be pros at catching the darn bugs. They have even been known to count them as they would plop them in the jar. Kim

night fishing
moon and stars shine
nothing but mosquito bites

Whitney Blickensderfer

In this haiku, I see a man sitting on a stump at his preferred fishing hole using his favorite bait, puzzled he has not yet had a bite. I picture this to be a cool autumn evening with the moon glistening off the water and the line. The ripples of the cast end quicker than seen throughout the day and instead of swatting flies, tiny buzzing of mosquitos concerns his ears. Even though the only thing biting will leave an aggravating itch, the clear sky and cool breeze is too relaxing to want to leave. Finally, the mosquitos have become overwhelming, the moon leaves the pond, and the stars are at their brightest. The man then decides to turn in for the evening, not wanting to leave the nature that surrounds him, but with the thought of knowing he will return to the same spot and his luck may go the other way. Celeste

Unfortunately this has happened to me many times. For some reason I always get covered by mosquito bites. When we would spend time in Minnesota for the summer we would fish the entire time. I literally would have to wear double layers of clothing to help keep from getting bitten. One year I had a cast on one of my legs and I had bites underneath the cast. Staci

hot summer day
the car is locked
my keys are inside

cool summer nights
neighborhood kids
chasing lighting bugs

top quarter champion

cool summer nights
neighborhood kids
chasing lighting bugs

bottom half champion

cool summer nights
neighborhood kids
chasing lighting bugs

bottom quarter champion

the days are long
the nights are lonely
so . . . I pray

summer night
we walk
in love

the days are long
the nights are lonely
so . . . I pray

late summer night
he leans in close
butterfly kisses

Tera Cook

This Haiku reminds me of a first date. The evening has passed by way to fast and it is now time to say good night. He leans in wanting a kiss but patiently waits for her to move into him. Their lips meet and their tongues have a slow dance with one another. She is hesitant to pull away, but when she does her belly is filled with butterflies. Beth

summer night
we walk
in love

Kim Blunt

I love going on walks, especially at night. Summer nights are peaceful because you can still hear crickets and animals singing. Going on walks while in love is romantic. The cooler breeze reminds you how nice it is to not have the heat. I imagine looking up to see stars as he leans in for a kiss. Brittany

late summer night
she sneaks out
to pray at church

Adam Buxton

A lot of scenery is in this haiku. I picture late at night in the summer. A young girl sneaks out of the house and runs to a nearby church to pray. Kim

the days are long
the nights are lonely
so . . . I pray

Beth Miller