cold hands of clay
missing that warm touch
memories fade . . .

January sun—
her cheeks flushed
with cold

Natalie Perfetti (5)

I really like this haiku. One may think that the girl's cheeks would be flushed from the sun, however it is in fact the cold that is making them painted with color. This happens to me all the time! My face gets really red in the winter and it doesn't help when its really cold and dry out. I really enjoy the twist this haiku gives. Very well done! Brandy

yesterday
lips chap crack and peel
hot coco soothing my soul

Jey Smith (2)

bitterly cold night
cuddling on the couch
watching windows freeze

a frozen glove
in the middle of the road
black slush

Ryan Murphy (2)

I felt like this is the Haiku that I could relate to the most. I can completely visualize this because I have seen this many times before. It makes me feel like I am in a car passing this glove on my way to where ever I am going. I feel like the glove has been there awhile, and it did not snow very recently because it is described as black slush. Since the glove it frozen, it seems like it is very cold outside. Emily

gasoline feud
he finally leaves the car
with her gloves

Brandy Bockewitz (6)

This kukai totally reminds me of myself. My boyfriend never wears gloves and then looks at me when he has to pump the gas. I don't want to be stranded with out gas so yes I hand them over but, I am the one in the car blowing and rubbing my hands together to stay warm. Yes , the heat is on but the gloves just top it off and make you just feel nice and cozy. Whoever wrote this did a wonderful job. It really put my imagination to work! Jey Smith

retreat from the snow
     mounds
          of ice cream

Natalie Perfetti (2)

icy hands
tepid kiss
Happy New Year

Bill Ryan (4)

split and crack
wish I had
chapstick

diamonds across white silk
shielding eyes
with numb hands

Ryan Murphy (3)

frozen solid
on my lawn
reindeer shit

driving by
even the snowman
wears a coat

Brandy Bockewitz (3)

I like the simplistic and humorous nature of this haiku. I imagine the writer driving by and seeing a large snowman, sticks for arms, rocks for eyes and mouth and the typical carrot nose, but with one new accessory, the coat. I believe that the writer is trying to imply that during winter no one is safe from the clutches of cold, even a snowman. Jennifer Goodwin

I enjoyed this poem because it managed to convey cold without ever explicitly writing the word. Also, the haiku manages to convey humor while still reflecting a poignant image. I first imagine the cold of driving in a car in winter—the heaters blow out cold air at first, the steering wheel feels like a circle of ice, and icicles cling to the car. While thinking about these things, the driver passes a yard with a snowman sporting a coat. The irony of the situation causes the driver to laugh, expelling small puffs of breath into the air. The snowman himself stands still in the yard, and I can imagine his coat stiff with the cold. Natalie

purple glove
waiting for me
in the lost and found

bent steel—
wraiths walk the street
clasping jackets closed

escape….
windows closed
65 degrees and rising

fog I breathe
I wait
in my car

torn shoes
trudging through snow
temporary paralysis

hot cocoa . . .
my icicle hair
thawing

Natalie Perfetti (3)

numbin’ fingers
frozen room
bill’s Overdue . . .

John Whittingham (3)

smooth leather sole
hovers above dusted ice
steady now

Sierra Shaw (2)

white morning
step outside into the air
breathless

Lacey Florey (4)

I particularly like this one because it is mysterious in a sense all because of the wording. “Breathless” is, in my mind, the key word to this haiku. The question is what it exactly means. Stepping outside into cold weather can often take your breath away because of the shock of the brisk air. But that may not be what “breathless” means in this particular haiku. Perhaps it is in reference to the “white morning”, a beautiful sight of a winter wonderland that came over night which the person in the haiku is seeing for the first time since its arrival. Bill Ryan

dark panes rumble
an icy lullaby.
chilled covers

Sierra Shaw (4)

dark panes rumble
an icy lullaby.
chilled covers

I like how the panes seem to take on a life of their own. The wording paints a vivid picture. You actually can feel the haiku. It places you in the room, in a fetal position trying to keep the cold out the covers. I’m anemic so I REALLY can relate. Christa

beneath the door
warmth glows . . .
key jam

Natalie Perfetti (7)

Jack Frost
nipping
at my Ass . . .

John Whittingham (5)

So funny! I love the irreverence in this piece! It defies all of my expectations and past experiences with haiku. It uses casual language- well, profanity in some people's opinions- but it is an effective choice for me because I am still taken to a specific moment. There comes a time every winter—and it usually doesn't take long—when I am completely disenchanted with the snow and cold. I feel cynicism and disgust from this poem, and I love that the poet used humor to process those emotions. Sierra

breath freezes
seeing it float away
here comes soar throat

anticipation lurks in the darkness
a name is called
chills down the spine