EN340 / IN350 Global Haiku Tradition
Dr. Randy Brooks
Spring 2003
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Selected Haiku
by

Michele LaBrose

To me, haiku is an expression of self. This is why the majority of my poems are based on personal experiences, or at least stem off of them. I tend to base my work around people. Occasionally, I work with nature, but I prefer to capture those instances in life that involve a human experience. My family and loved ones are my strongest source of inspiration.

In this collection, my attempt was to not only compile my best work, but to also compile those haiku that provide a variety of content. My goal is that all readers will be able to relate to at least one haiku and that the emotioanl value varies in connotation. I wanted to represent life in this collection: the good, the bad, and the indifferent.

Reader's Preface

Michele's haiku gathers some common emotions shared by all and incorporates both the seasonal and environmental elements. While reading her haiku, I could feel the color and warmth of a spring day, as well as the disappointing chill of a long winter. Her work reflects the spontaneous burst of expression that can be found in all aspects of life.

The haiku include several action words that allow the reader to feel the sudden jolt of unexpected observations. I find myself reminiscing about the simple splendors in life that usually take the back seat to what "really matters." It is obvious that she appreciates her surroundings and everything they include. Through her haiku she has managed to capture the unnoticeable and verbalize each moment.

—Dorina Aguilar


three generations
in the warm kitchen
I get to stir

best haiku of Spring 2003 class


a toothless smile
explodes from beneath
her pink Easter bonnet


white buds
bursting
from mangled branches

 

 

hilltop
feet off the petals
wind in my hair


first sunny day
laying out
the construction workers yell their approval

 

 

bare feet
        on the cool
                  hard wood floor

dad feeds the dog


           Smoky Room

sitting alone
paranoid
among "friends"

ml

silently screaming
no one hears

dl

she goes unnoticed
as they laugh
and drink

ml

invited, but unwelcome
she questions her presence

dl

old puzzle piece
not fitting as well
as it once did

ml

she slips out the door
leaving the smoky room behind

dl

 

 

hectic day
daughter on her lap
she finds peace

©2003 Randy Brooks, Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois || all rights reserved for original authors