Global Haiku • Spring 2012
Dr. Randy Brooks

Keep Calm & Drink Coffee

by
Elise Frances Scannell

Author's Introduction:

Initially, I came into Global Haiku with the idea that I had a pretty good grasp on how to write—soon enough, however, I found that I still had much to learn. Although I had previous experience with writing haiku in Dr. Randy Brooks' Renga Roundtable class, there was a much broader range of styles of haiku, of which, I was completely unaware.

Through the study of wonderful haiku poets, such as George Swede, Peggy Lyles, and Matsuo Basho, I was able to find further inspiration in writing my haiku. Throughout the semester, I have attempted to improve the quality of my haiku by targeting the sensory aspects of the human world. While I am sure that I will never be a famous haiku poet, having the opportunity to write haiku and share those with my peers has been one of the most valuable experiences in my time at Millikin. Hopefully, some of these haiku will speak to others, as we all know that a haiku is not truly born until someone recognizes, and is affected by, its beauty.

—Elise Frances Scannell

brand new heels
her confidence slips
on black ice

brushing her hair
she never stops
critiquing

flipping through
a magazine
clothes she'll never wear

wedding veil
separating
truth from lies

home is where
the shell is—
turtle life

shaky fingers
fumbling for a pen—
3 weeks sober

slow moving
current
her lullaby

hospital bed
she snuggles with
grandpa

ticking clock—
the little black dress
never left the hanger

beads of sweat
flying with her wild hair—
summer of love

risqué scene
she quickly fast-forwards—
her father excuses himself

Sunday morning
after the sermon
she feels nothing

wedding day—
rushing through the vows
for a kiss

finishing touch
forever in finger-paint
home sweet home

tying his tie
for the thousandth time—
still in love

adventure book—
he never realized
he was my paradise

Haibun:

As the day wore on and the night began to take over, the little girl and her mother were still hard at work in the garden. The chickens, curious as they were, inspected the work every now and then occasionally adding their "bocks" into the background noise. The girl's dog watched loyally from the coolness of a nearby shade tree. Every now and then her mother would look up, expecting the little girl to be worn out from the day's work and ready to go inside. To her surprise, however, the girl kept working diligently and dedicated herself to the project. As the sky began to change from a baby blue to a golden mix of yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples, the mother looked up at her daughter one more time and asked her if she wanted to go inside. To the mother's surprise, the daughter responded, "Mommy, we can't go inside until we're all finished!" Smiling to herself, the mother continued on working with her daughter.

little hands
planting
seed by seed

Meet the Parents

staring out
the window
concentration at its finest

    clearing my mind
    preparing for war

cracking my knuckles
I take one last
deep breath

    entering
    my in-laws kitchen

I come armed
With apple pie
Homemade

    greeted with smiles
    mission complete

a rengay by
Elise Scannell, Wanda June & Merissa Marx