trickling rain
collects on the petals
of the daisy

Nathan Bettenhausen (2)

cousins crawl under
Nona's hand-knit blanket
a little scratchy

boxes packed
dust wiped away
into the truck

Olivia Birkey (2)

One thing that draws me to this haiku is the switch of focus to the dust from the boxes. When moving, one literally packs up their life; here, everything, even the dust and the things forgotten are packed up and ready to move to a new place. The dust is such a mundane thing, but here, it's being taken with everything else without thought. Aubrie

busy toy store
a young boy begs
for ten minutes of happiness

Tyler Lamensky (2)

snow on her grave
I weep to remember
she hated winter

Jade Anderson (9)

I felt Icould really see visualize an interpretation of this poem. I see a middle-agedman visiting a cemetery on a winter day. He approaches his wife's grave,memories of her flowing through his mind. The falling snow reminds him of herdislike for the cold months. The thought strikes home, causing tears to beshed. A cold thought comforted by cold weather. Tyler

This haiku made me see a snowy cemetery, empty except for one man. He is standing at the grave of his wife, or perhaps his mother. His mother. He and his mother were so close when he was a child, but he drew away from her as he grew older. She has been dead for some time, and he still feels guilt for leaving her alone. He is at her graveside now, in the snow, and weeping as he remembers memories and times he shared with the woman who loved him more than anything in the world. Susie

gentle rain
taps the shoulder
of the girl

Nathan Bettenhausen (6)

I reallyliked this poem for several reasons. A warm gentle rain can be pictured as agirl walks home. What made the poem unique was the personification of the rainlanding on the girls shoulder. Instead of saying "landing", the word "taps" is used, implying an action many human use to get each other's attention. This isa great poem. Tyler

too cold
to write
a haiku

Grant Dartman (3)

I can just picture myself, or someone else, sitting there with a pen and note pad in their hand trying to write, but they’re distracted by the cold. I would be curled up in a ball, huddling with blankets and a hat and this haiku makes it seem like the cold still seeps through. Sometimes the cold is so bad that it freezes my brain and functioning preventing any productiveness, even of haikus. Then as I sit there this one pops out as a way to fight the cold and make humor from it. It makes me chuckle. Kari

half eaten deer
Karla turns
to gag

Kari Thorton

This one just made me laugh to myself. I could see a lady driving down the road and looking to the side where she sees this deer and gags to herself. I like how the haiku is short and sweet, but makes you feel what she feels. I also like how this is such a common every day experience. They take that experience and make it into a haiku that makes you feel. It’s very creative and simply touching. Olivia

chilled air
the dragon blows smoke
just a child

Nathan Bettenhausen (6)

The reason I chose this was because it painted such a clear image, and it really reminded me of my childhood and how cool we would feel to see our breath. Since I was born and raised in California, it rarely got cold enough for us to see our breath. That means that when we were able to see it, we had fun with it. Grant

a dogwood tree
blooming to life
a new me

Olivia Birkey (4)

black boots
snow slips down
wet socks

snow covered windows
blinded by love

each flake
a little different
a new day

Kari Thornton (7)

Like snowflakes, every day is different, even if it seems routine on the surface. Whether it's a bird that you see on the way from school or work, or someone who normally doesn't says hello to you. Snow and white often represent cleansing, starting anew. I think of walking across campus to class in the morning and seeing it begin to snow, and perhaps suddenly having a different outlook on the upcoming day. Aubrie

This was a nice haiku because of the wording. I love how it says that each flake is different, but also each day is different as well. When a new day starts, things from the past day can just melt away, like a snowflake. Becky

blue snow
moonlight sonata
out of tune

Aubrie Cox (6)

Right at “blue snow,” I can hear slow jazz playing, but as the haiku says, “out of tune.” The music is not warm, it is cold in it’s dissonance and in the glow of the moon. I can just see icy instruments glinting in the moonlight, unable to make music any longer. Also, the moonlight is warped in the haiku, so where it should be warm and smooth, it is cold and “out of tune” in the icy blue snow. Susie

Isreal,
battleground for religions,
also my heart

Grant Dartman (5)

hazy winter moon
black locomotive barrels
through the night

walking together
bitter cold
biting at their necks

snow lands on my eyelashes
melts in the warmth
i swear it’s not tears

Becky Smith (6)

The thing I like about this haiku is that is seems such a mystery. I don’t actually know how to interpret it. It’s almost as if the person is trying to hide the fact that they are crying by coming up with an unlikely explanation. Warmth may be the comfort that is disrupted by the cold snow that is bombarding them. Confidence being barraged by doubt? It continues to pose new questions, leaving me with no solid answers. Nathan

glittering night sky
fairy tale kiss
fireworks

Susie Wirthlin (5)

This one flooded love into my heart. I could just see a new couple lying under the stars together. They haven’t kissed yet but know that each other wants to. Finally they kiss. The excitement and joy that they feel is like fireworks inside of them. I really liked the simplicity of this haiku. However, I also liked how the simple descriptions were so vivid and easy to relate to. You could just feel being there. Olivia

This haiku is perfect for any hopeless romantic. I personally can remember kisses like these, in the cool night air with stars shining above, the boy leaning in and holding the small of my back, then the sparks fly. Fireworks from a kiss light up the night and make everything right in the world for those few precious seconds. It is a fairy tale and very romantic. I can vividly remember one of those kisses and will always long for more of those fairy tales. Also they’re about in any chick flick movie you will every watch. Kari

O Come Emmanuel
news networks covering
the terrorist attack

Aubrie Cox (3)

This haiku causes me to remember September 11, 2001. I remember coming home from school and finding my mother crying on the couch, watching the television. I looked to see what was on, and the images still haunt me to this day. It looked like it was supposed to be a city, but it was entirely gray, and gray people were walking slowly around. In the distance I could hear sirens and whistles constantly blowing. There was no newscaster explaining the scene, because quite frankly the scene explained itself. All was silent except for the distant blows of whistles of trapped firefighters amongst the ruins of the World Trade Center. When I read this haiku, it nearly brought tears to my eyes, because the first line speaks so much truth. Such horrifying images of death and destruction caused many of us to cry out to God, or “Emmanuel” on that fateful day. Jade

Mom joins us
under the blankets
snow covers

staring out the window
cold glass
on my cheek

Jade Anderson (3)

long line at the soup kitchen
mother-daughter
lunchtime

Susie Wirthlin (3)

I can imagine it is a summer day at noon, and the soup kitchen is filling with customers. A woman and her teenage daughter stand patiently in line, waiting for their meal. This lunchtime ritual has been theirs for quite a while, because they are suffering financially. I can imagine the silence between them as they eat their meal. Although they do not talk much, they still value their relationship, because it is all they have left. Jade

battling the blizzard
his boot sinks in
one step closer

Tyler Lamensky (3)

depressed girl
cuts herself to feel better,
hypothermia

Grant Dartman (3)

playground gym
catching snowflakes
on her tongue

trapped
breathing underwater
your icy hold on me

Jade Anderson (5)

This haiku is almost scary. If one takes it literally, it is depicting murder. However, I very much doubt that is what it’s talking about. Either way, the fact that it evokes such a powerful image is enough to bring my thoughts back to the idea even when considering more implied messages. It makes me think of someone who is trapped in a relationship with someone who will not let them leave. Perhaps the significant other has blackmail on them, or perhaps they are threatening them in some way. In any case, it seems hopeless for the person being ‘held.’ Other ideas came into my mind when reading this haiku, but these were the most prominent. Nathan

I loved this haiku because of the last line. The “icy hold” is so descriptive and really says a lot. I can see someone trying to get out of a relationship or friendship and the other person just keeps dragging them down with them. Also “trapped” says a lot because this person is “trapped” in a bad situation and they feel like they are drowning. Becky