Mike Mays

Watching the Rain by Mike Mays I chose the title "watching the rain" for numerous reasons. First of all it is mentioned in one of my haiku. The main reason is that as soon as I read it, I instantly become in a relaxed state. With that I hope that the people who read my collection come in with an open and relaxed mind. I feel that these haiku show more of a sensitive side of me that most people do not usually see or know about. I hope that reading through my collection, they will be able to get a better understanding of the type of person that I really am. That is the ultimate purpose for me selecting the ones that I did. I hope that readers will see beyond the stereotype of me. Granted this haiku collection does not totally express me as a person. I just hope that people enjoy reading my haiku and will gain a better understanding of Michael Mays.

The haiku of Michael Mays function on a plane that some people should consider themselves lucky to experience. His writing is fueled by a deep emotion, the benefits of companionship, and above all, the many faces of love. He abstains from senryu, a move that reiterates his obvious dedication to topics of choice: true relationships are not meant to be trivial. under the stars I looked into her eyes and saw her soul In this haiku, the traditional nature element in the first line already introduces the scene with depth and exhilaration. The next two lines follow and finish exactly as they should—with intense emotion. The overt illustration of emotions does not, of course, mean that Mays' haiku do not adhere to the fundamentals of a good haiku, nor does it mean that he limits himself solely to the topic of love. He's not being overly sentimental. He's not trying to preach. He's just writing how he feels, which, in a college environment, is relatively refreshing.