PACE Global Haiku • Spring 2007 Dr. Randy Brooks

Chonita Ziegler Essay on Paul O. Williams

As Colors Fill the Sky by Chonita Ziegler I chose the title “As Colors Fill the Sky” from one of my favorite haiku. “As Colors Fill the Sky” can mean sunset or sunrise. Just anytime of the day. My haiku come from my experiences throughout each day. I sit down and look back on my day’s experiences, and that’s how I think of my haiku. So I find my title to be very appropriate for my collection. Reader's Introduction Chonita’s haiku spawn from many memories. In her collection as colors fill the sky, she writes what is on her mind and what she feels. Her haiku bring out feelings that people have inside but do not always think of. flashback from grade school valentines for the whole class but Johnny gets a kiss Every reader has had this kind of experience happen to them. Everyone has had that first crush but does not really think about it. In this haiku one can really feel the butterflies and awkwardness of grade school crushes. She also writes about past experiences that might not have gone exactly the way she wanted them to. I meet his parents… a beautiful steak dinner I’m a vegetarian The previous haiku reveals a great deal of irony and involves much emotion. In the haiku you can just feel the anxiety of not knowing what is going to happen, get steak and please everyone and gag, or speak up and say something. She writes a lot of haiku with emotions and a true sense of sincerity behind them. Each haiku has some past experience attached which is what makes her haiku so relatable. Shannon Hackl

dangling from the rearview mirror cherry blossom scent

on the porch swing two glasses of tea comforting words

I meet his parents… a beautiful steak dinner I’m a vegetarian

childhood crush a magnolia blooms the first of many

© 2007, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.