wet grass
I slip
and can’t stop laughing
Lexie Huston
at the edge
poised to jump
you only live once
Hailee Peck
unbridled bliss
twenty feet in the air
swing set
Katie McDaniel
spring pool—
the koi
nibble at my toes
Megan Vail
at the edge
poised to jump
you only live once
unbridled bliss
twenty feet in the air
swing set
at the edge
poised to jump
you only live once
top quarter champion
TOP half Chamption
at the edge
poised to jump
you only live once
bottom quarter champion
taking off her habit
the nun sighs—
bubble bath
taking off her habit
the nun sighs—
bubble bath
twenty-first birthday
grandmother sharing her wisdom
through slurs
crescent moon
she runs to the lake
midnight skinny dip
Wanda June
taking off her habit
the nun sighs—
bubble bath
Elise Scannell
girls night out
one mojito . . .
virgin
Stefanie Davis
twenty-first birthday
grandmother sharing her wisdom
through slurs
Elise Scannell
I loved this matched pair because they both describe that release that night allows. In the first haiku, I can imagine a young woman who might be rather timid or shy during the day just letting go and enjoying the freedom of a solitary skinny under the cover of night. The use of the word "crescent" also leads me to imagine a thin moon not giving off much light, and combined with the word "midnight," I can really imagine the darkness of the scene which makes it even more solitary. The second haiku also has a very solitary feel to it. When people think about a nun, they imagine someone who is always completely covered and quite devout. It is hard for people to imagine nuns as just regular women. Again, this second haiku describes a solitary moment when the nun is able to be more than just simply a nun. Both of the haiku describe the transformation that takes place in people when they can take a quiet moment for themselves. Catherine
crescent moon
she runs to the lake
midnight skinny dip
at the edge
poised to jump
you only live once
family night
by the fireplace
the baby laughs
twenty-first birthday
grandmother sharing her wisdom
through slurs
Although these haiku were not paired up in the matching contest, I feel that they complement each other very well. When read in succession, they seem to describe different moments of the same scene. I see the first haiku as the hesitation of actually going skinny dipping. Our society sees the naked body as taboo, and I feel that almost everyone who has gone skinny dipping has had that thought “Is this okay?” The second haiku is the excitement of casting off that taboo and just having fun and enjoying the little things in life because, as the first haiku reminds us, you only live once. Megan
Aside from the first line "twenty-first birthday", both of these haiku remind me of Christmas Eve with my family. Whenever my whole dad's side of the family gathers for Christmas Eve, or even Thanksgiving and Easter, at my Grandma's house, my dad, my uncle, and my Grandma usually have a little bit to drink. We'll sit around her dining table later in the evening and play games and poker. At about that time, they'll pour a short glass of scotch or whiskey with ice and maybe mix it with something. Whenever it's time to open presents, the whole family goes into the living room, we sit in practically a circle, and usually my grandma or another elder will distribute all of the presents. There's a fireplace in the living room, and the second haiku reminds me of past Christmas Eve gatherings when my little sister was a baby, or when my nieces were a little bit younger. These two haiku together make me really reminisce on all of the family gatherings, such as Thanksgiving and Easter as stated earlier, and especially Christmas Eve. Eric
TOP half champion
at the edge
poised to jump
you only live once
CHAMPION
baby's first steps
on the Fourth of July
stops the parade
baby's first steps
on the Fourth of July
stops the parade
BOTTOM half champion
soft light
reflects the cello
Bb minor
Conner Kerrigan
found treasure
nobody looks
under the bronze man
Kendall Harvey
small town diner
fresh roasted coffee
birds chirp
Moli Copple
Sunday dinner
on the grill
a cool breeze stirs
Lindsay Quick
soft light
reflects the cello
Bb minor
Sunday dinner
on the grill
a cool breeze stirs
Sunday dinner
on the grill
a cool breeze stirs
top quarter champion
BOTTOM half champion
baby's first steps
on the Fourth of July
stops the parade
bottom quarter champion
baby's first steps
on the Fourth of July
stops the parade
baby's first steps
on the Fourth of July
stops the parade
family outing
we laugh together
the whole ride home
baby's first steps
on the Fourth of July
stops the parade
Jessica Claussen
picking the dandelions
meticulously, important
for his mom
Eric Landgrebe
family night
by the fireplace
the baby laughs
Adam Blakey
family outing
we laugh together
the whole ride home
Courtney Gerk
picking the dandelions
meticulously, important
for his mom
small town diner
fresh roasted coffee
birds chirp
I know that these weren't chosen as a matched pair for the Kukai in class today—however, I couldn't help but think that these two would go together perfectly. Each haiku has a sort of small town, comforting feel to it. The first haiku is sort of the setting that provides some background and scenery for the second haiku. With the first haiku, you can feel the warm, welcoming small town, see the smiling faces, hear the birds chirping, and smell the fresh coffee wafting from the open diner door. Moving on to the second haiku, you can see a little boy who, after school is let out, is walking to the diner where his mom works. Along the way, he carefully picks out random flowers that he sees growing in grassy areas—careful to only pick the best ones for his mother. This matched pair just emits a loving, warm feeling. Fabulous match! Elise