Haiku Kukai 05 favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Spring 2021
1 karaoke nigiht |
2 Sunday meditation Linnea Nordstrom •••• |
3 snack time at grandma’s Linnea Nordstrom ••• I love this haiku because it reminds me of my grandmother. Every time we go to her house, she lets us raid the pantry. We always check the labels, because more often than not, the food has expired. It’s funny because older people tend to forget to check for expiration dates, but we don’t want to hurt her feelings, so we pretend we’re not hungry. Alyson Robbins, Spring 2021 |
4 looking up from Linnea Nordstrom •••• I talked about this one a little in class but could honestly talk about it for hours. This haiku just makes me think of all the adventures I've had and want to go on in the future. Whenever I hear this haiku, it takes me back to being a small child dreaming of hitchhiking and getting lost in the west. Finding myself in mountains and hills being guided by the stars. The funny thing is, I always imagined doing these things with someone else. I think that's the one part that's crucial to the experience. I want it to be something I build up with someone else. I love solitude, but for adventures like these, what's the point of being the only one who can remember them? |
5 the church hymnal Sarah Barter •• |
6 puffy eyes and aching head Sarah Barter •••• After reading this haiku, I was immediately reminded of my friends and I. We are all graduating in May, so motivation is hard to come by. I can see the bags constantly residing under our eyes, as sleep is being sacrificed in order to finish assignments. This point in the semester is always a challenge, as a break is in sight; however, I feel that this has greatly intensified during my final semester. I found this haiku to be very relatable, as I know senioritis is a reoccurring feeling amongst those near the end of their college careers. Additionally, I like the author’s use of comedic relief. It initially describes symptoms that could be severe, but concludes with a comical diagnosis. Chloe Herbert, Spring 2021 This haiku really speaks to me as I am in my last semester of college. It seems that since I have fewer classes and COVID on top of that, it is hard to get the work I need done for the classes. Having a job on top of being in my last semester also proves to be a challenge as well, since I would be tired from working and I would not want to do my homework by the time I got home. This brings me back to my freshman year where I struggled with figuring out how to balance my classes since I was always at max credit hours, but now its like I have the same challenge but different circumstances. Katelynn Watkins, Spring 2021 This I relate to so much. I just keep sitting here and stressing out about the different assignments and deadlines that are occurring. I also have a new job offer in Peoria that requires me to move. This has been added onto my list of things to do. I just pictured someone like me sitting and just so overwhelmed by everything going on as they finish their last year. Paige Hockman, Spring 2021 |
7 for that price? Bryce Bayer ••••• |
8 thick hair Bryce Bayer • |
9 in the forest Linnea Nordstrom •• This one gives me really witchy vibes. With the way that my mom and her family taught me, nature is very important and magical in its own way. I have always felt the magic in the world. Whether people believe me or not is up to them. Scientifically, the world is filled with electrical signals. Sometimes, those electrical signals are more apparent to some people. I feel as though I can, but of course I can’t prove it. I just know what I feel and how I feel it. Energy flows like wind and sometimes, if you listen hard enough, nature might just call you. Savanna Prasun, Spring 2021 |
10 the mountain Savanna Prasun •••• This haiku is written so beautifully. I feel as if I am standing before this mountain and watching its colors extend to the heavens. It makes me feel calm and soothed. I enjoy the idea of colors rising back to where they came from. After all, the sun illuminates its surroundings on earth. This is an awesome visual. Alyson Robbins, Spring 2021 I really love this haiku. I feel like we have all seen those advertisements for Arizona and Colorado where there are just some sweeping shots of the mountains during sunset, and trying to figure out how those colors and places can be real. I am really intrigued to see if the author will continue these haiku because I would love to see more of these! Colin McGonagle, Spring 2021 |
11 broomcorn Savanna Prasun • |
12 big bite |
13 white skull Savanna Prasun ••• I really liked this one because of the inspiration from Marvel’s Punisher. I am a huge Marvel nerd! Well, a huge MCU nerd...I could never get into the comics, unfortunately. I know Netflix has or had a series revolving around this character that I need to get around to watching, but I just really liked how this portrayed the character. Brooke Oitker, Spring 2021 |
14 eggs in basket Carly Clo ••• I really enjoy this haiku because I feel that it perfectly captures Easter celebration. Why is that we celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, by going on Easter egg hunts? I am sure there is some meaning behind it. This conflicts me because I feel like the egg decorations and baskets of candy takes away the true meaning of Easter. The blood that was shed on the cross for our sins is the true meaning. Sarah Barter, Spring 2021 I loved this Easter haiku because it was a great way of tying together the different aspects of the Easter holiday, and it also just did a really great job of creating the juxtaposition between the first and second lines. I thought it was interesting that the Easter eggs were mentioned first because that is what comes to mind for a lot of people first when they think about Easter, and the true meaning is sometimes lost for those who celebrate. The mention of the nails through His hands was a good way to show that while we are having fun with Easter egg hunts and other fun traditions, it is important that Christians also honor and remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for all of us. Linnea Nordstrom, Spring 2021 |
15 6 hour drive home Carly Clo • |
16 Christmas poinsettias Linnea Nordstrom • |
17 side by side Linnea Nordstrom • |
18 perfect chemistry Carly Clo ••• This haiku makes me think of the possibilities. I imagine that the two people mentioned in this haiku have known each other for a long time. Friends tend to have good chemistry, which is why they are friends. They have things in common and they also have things that they like about each other. I imagine that one friend is thinking about what would happen if they push the envelope and try out a romantic relationship. I imagine the other friend being more hesitant because they don’t want to ruin the friendship, which is what inevitably will happen. Kionah Flowers, Spring 2021 I can really relate to this because I've been experiencing this the past couple of nights. I have a lot of deadlines coming up, specifically graduation, and I'm constantly thinking about all the crap I have to do. I've started taking deep breaths before I go to sleep to help me! Piper Charlton, Spring 2021 |
19 after the storm Linnea Nordstrom •••• I really enjoy the imagery that comes with this haiku. I can perfectly picture the dark grey clouds that slowly begin to part after releasing a heavy rain fall. The clouds part and begin to slowly reveal the beaming sun. Perhaps, a rainbow forms in the sky. I always love how the sky looks after a storm as the sun begins to peak through. It reminds me that storm may suck =, but they don’t last forever and there is always beauty behind them. Sarah Barter, Spring 2021 |
20 Covid-19 Marissa Garcia-Kaliner •• |
21 flowers in full bloom Marissa Garcia-Kaliner ••• Anyone with seasonal allergies hates the spring season. Swollen eyes, sneeze attacks, and the sniffles for a solid three weeks while everything pollinates. An absolute nightmare. My mother loves gardening and we have flowers return every spring that I just want to take a trowel to. I want to sneeze just thinking about them! Brooke Oitker, Spring 2021 |
22 matzo ball soup Marissa Garcia-Kaliner • |
23 big family dinner Piper Charlton • |
24 sun through my window Piper Charlton •• |
25 under the moonlight Kionah Flowers ••••• • I absolutely loved the imagery this haiku presented. I could see the tinted blue hue that is caressing my skin in the moonlight. I remembered this advertisement poster for the movie Moonlight when we discussed this haiku in class. This beautiful poster that had a metallic quality that shared the moonlight blue hue I was thinking about. Such a gorgeous haiku. Marissa Garcia, Spring 2021 I don’t know what it is about moonlight, but it attracts me. There is something about that kind of light that just wakes things up. The world turns into something different at night and it has a kind of allure. It is both beautiful and mysterious, but it is also dangerous. There could be anything lurking out in the dark, and yet humans still feel the want to go out into the cold light. Savanna Prasun, Spring 2021 |
26 end of service Kionah Flowers • |
27 little horse, Katelynn Watkins •• |
28 fresh air, Katelynn Watkins • I have been going on so many walks these past few weeks because of how nice the weather has been. I went down to the stream in fairview and just let my feet be bare in the water and feel all the water rushing between my toes. The moments of peace I find in the hectic days are what really keep me sane, I really resonated with this one. Colin McGonagle, Spring 2021 |
29 Easter brunch, Katelynn Watkins •••• From this haiku, I instantly pictured my grandma’s crowded kitchen. In my family, all of the girls work together to prepare Easter brunch. During this time, it is not uncommon for us to gossip about someone or something in our small town. As it’s not hard to become invested in what the others are saying, this usually slows down our meal preparation times significantly. This haiku evokes feelings of happiness, as I love the memories that we have made together while helping my grandma in the kitchen. Chloe Herbert, Spring 2021 |
30 scratching at the Alyson Robbins •• |
31 in the night Kionah Flowers • |
32 egg hunt |
33 Easter morning Jeana Pierson • |
34 2-year-old Jordan Hildebrand •• I imagine going to my boyfriend’s family events. They have so many little children running around and it is just a nice change of scenery. I do not have any younger kids on my side of the family. The youngest is 16 on my dad’s side. I just love little kids and this made me think about the family events we go to on his side. Paige Hockman, Spring 2021
|
35 early morning practices Jordan Hildebrand • I related to this haiku heavily because it takes me to the times where I had early more practice for tennis. Every day for the beginning of February we practice indoors at 6:00am. I am never a morning person, so every time I walk into practice, I’m a hot mess with my hair all over the place and I look like a zombie. This haiku just made the perfect extinction to how my morning is for being an athlete. Danni Beard, Spring 2021 |
36 pink sprinkles Jeana Pierson • I always love haiku that are centered around nature, especially those that mention cherry blossoms. Spring is my favorite season because I love the transition from the cold into warmth with everything finally starting to bloom. Whenever cherry blossoms are mentioned, I am always reminded of the cherry blossom trees that grow at the park by my house that I always walk past on beautiful spring days. In this haiku, I thought the line pink sprinkles created such a fun and beautiful image to open up the haiku. When I read “she twirls amongst the cherry blossoms” I could just picture a girl standing underneath a cherry blossom tree spinning and dancing around with friends or family just enjoying the warmth of a spring day and the beauty of the cherry blossoms in bloom. Linnea Nordstrom, Spring 2021 |
37 snap crackle pop Jordan Hildebrand ••••• • I spoke about this one in class, but my lord does it relate to me so much. I played sports most of my life before getting injured and having to stop. Due to that, I have no cartilage in my knees, an MCL injury that physical therapy didn’t help fix, and a knee condition that likes to dislocate my kneecaps. Fun times. When I stand, when I sit, and even when I move into a more comfortable position while lying in bed, my knees sound like Rice Krispies. That’s why I laughed so hard reading this one because it’s so accurate. Brooke Oitker, Spring 2021 This haiku had me chuckle. The imagery of one of my favorite cereals that is opposite of very cracky joints just made my day. As a dancer, my joints all crack. The more active you are, I guess means the more your joints want to crack and pop. It was a great way to picture my joints and their fun. Marissa Garcia, Spring 2021 This is me in ballet class. Every time we go down into plie, my knees are cracking so loudly. It's so embarrassing, but luckily a lot of the other girls knees pop, so I don't feel so weird. I have no idea why they crack, but they always do. Piper Charlton, Spring 2021 I relate to this haiku so much. My knees and hips pop every time I stand up. It sort of is a satisfying feeling, but I feel like I sound like an old person when I walk. The cracking of by bones and tendons produces such a distinct sound. I don’t know what I did to my body to cause this cracking. I love how this haiku produces the snap, crackle, and pop sound in my head. As soon as I read this haiku it gave me a little chuckle just because of the silliness of the wording. Sarah Barter, Spring 2021 |
38 waves lap my feet Brooke Oitker •• |
39 sticky hands and Brooke Oitker • |
40 to do list Alyson Robbins ••••• ••••• •• I really liked this haiku when we read it during class. This time in the semester is always so busy for me. Between softball, school, turning in assignments on time, and having a social life, my planner has been booked up from the time I get up in the morning to the time I go to bed. I always have to change things and rearrange my stuff around, so I have time to fit everything in. Last week alone, I had so many cross-outs on my planner from using a pen that I about stopped using my planner and was going to put all my stuff I had to do in my phone calendar. I am not sure where I would be without my planner because I check it about six times a day. Camryn Skundberg, Spring 2021 I can imagine the to-do list mentioned in this haiku. I can also hear the sound of a pen scratching things off the list. To-do lists are essentially a list of ideals. It would be ideal to get all of the things that you want to do finished. However, that is not always the case. And rather than seeing all the things that you accomplished, it might be easier to see all the things you didn’t accomplish. I imagine that the speaker in this haiku is trying to avoid that emotion, which is why they want to use a pencil instead of a pen. Kionah Flowers, Spring 2021 I think of the end of the semester. As I previously mentioned with the senioritis haiku. I am very stressed out about everything going on in my life right now. I have so many things to do for school, for my upcoming work, and also dealing with all the different adjustments that need to be made. I just have so much on my plate at the moment. This poem is just like completing one task and then boom something changes and now you have 3 extra things to add to your list. Paige Hockman, Spring 2021 |
41 twenty years old Alyson Robbins ••• |
42 Nat 20 rolled Brooke Oitker •• I absolutely adore this one. In one of my groups campaigns, my character is married to a dragon. That trope is one of my favorites because it’s so corny. The kind of chaos that this haiku denotes is unknown to those who don’t play D&D. This kind of chaos is normal in a session, but occasionally it gets crazy enough that people lose their minds. It is so much fun. D&D is the closest it gets to being able to leave this world behind and have a kind of fun that you can’t experience here. Savanna Prasun, Spring 2021 |
43 Easter egg in plain sight Danni Beard • |
44 tears brushed away Linnea Nordstrom ••••• ••• This haiku has a gentle feeling to it. There is a sense of melancholy due to the mention of a grave, which equates to death. However, the immediate mention of a garden afterward changes the feeling of the haiku. In this haiku, beauty is grown through sadness. Kionah Flowers, Spring 2021 |
45 we sit in the pew Sarah Barter •• This haiku is very powerful. I just like how this makes me feel grounded and humble. It is also a great reminder of the greatest gift and how we live in the greatest love story of all time, and I like that Sarah was able to capture that in just 3 lines. Carly Clo, Spring 2021 |
46 a secret Jamie Gamonez •••• |
47 Easter morning Kaitlin Hathaway ••••• I really enjoyed this haiku because it reminds me even though I’m getting older I still feel that easter is a day to celebrate but like my mom clearly it isn’t. I always ask my mom on easter where is my easter basket and she always says aren’t you too old for one and I tell her I’m never too old to get one. I like how this author emphasized Easter morning rather than the day before because it implements that there needs to be more empathies on the actual day. Danni Beard, Spring 2021 |
48 lonely inside Kaitlin Hathaway •• |
49 unwanted pregnancy |
50 Easter Jamie Gamonez • |
51 in the bathroom Jamie Gamonez |
52 I lay down for bed Camryn Skundberg ••••• •• This haiku reminded me of myself, as this happens to me almost every night. I can see myself tossing and turning, until I eventually fall asleep. Although my body feels tired, I often struggle to get my mind to shut off. I find myself constantly thinking about my to-do list and preparing goals for what I want to accomplish the next day. This haiku evoked feelings of reassurance, as it was comforting to know that I am not the only person who does this. Additionally, I thought the language used within this haiku was perfectly selected. Chloe Herbert, Spring 2021 I can really relate to this because I've been experiencing this the past couple of nights. I have a lot of deadlines coming up, specifically graduation, and I'm constantly thinking about all the crap I have to do. I've started taking deep breaths before I go to sleep to help me! Piper Charlton, Spring 2021 |
53 first Spring day Camryn Skundberg •• This one is incredibly similar to that one haiku we read about the first day of spring where a guy took his shadow for a walk, but I'm gonna be honest here: I like this one a lot better. This adds a bit of humor to the sort of pensive solitude that the other one had but still keeps everything that one had as well. The humor of a pet rock mixed with the certainty of loneliness in those moments is not lost on the reader even if the haiku masks it with comedy. I love to read haiku especially like this one. I can imagine seeing a child walking around the park on a nice spring day with a rock or stick in their hand. I feel that as a kid, I always wanted to grab things from the ground no matter how gross it would be. I also think it is super cute when a child is carrying around a random twig or rock around like it is their best friend, its almost like it becomes part of their toy box as they come home, and they keep it around for a lot longer than it needs to be. Katelynn Watkins, Spring 2021 |
54 trying to poop Elliot Mahon ••••• • I just think this one is so funny. I have a friend who has a cat and every time I'm at their house the cat always has to come between my legs and lay at my feet when I'm using the bathroom. But any other time I try to pick up the cat or give him so love he bats at my hand. It's like he only wants love when HE wants love. Picturing this haiku just makes me giggle. Jordan Hildebrand, Spring 2021 This haiku is also very funny just because it brings me back to all of the times my cats have rudely intruded while I was going to the bathroom, and I like that I am not the only person who has experienced this haha. Carly Clo, Spring 2021 This haiku reminds me of my own cat that I have here in Decatur with me. I adopted her with my boyfriend, and she has brought a lot of peace during these stressful times. Raising her in quarantine though became to be a challenge when we started going back on campus and spending time away from her. Now whenever I go to the bathroom she meows outside until I let her in. Though its not the best experience to have with a cat who wants to jump up on your lap while you are doing you business, I secretly enjoy it as it means that she loves being around me and that she wants to spend more time with me. I am glad that most people with cats have this experience, so I am not alone in this awkward experience. Katelynn Watkins, Spring 2021 |
55 drama alert! Camryn Skundberg •• This haiku is so funny because of how relatable it is especially right now. There has been so much drama recently, and I never get involved, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t entertained by all the tweets. I mainly like this haiku because it makes me laugh and there are so many times that this has happened. Carly Clo, Spring 2021 |
56 Easter alone Elliot Mahon • I can relate to this haiku because a lot of the times my parents are out of town for easter and I am by myself. It just takes me to those lonely times where everybody is celebrating and then there is just me by myself contemplating how my life is going. I find joy in being able to hear from friends I don’t normally talk to and they ask me if I want to join their family for easter and it just brings tears to me. Danni Beard, Spring 2021 |
57 wizard Elliot Mahon •• |
58 Easter egg hunt Jeana Pierson •• |
59 the aggressive howl Chloe Herbert • |
60 lights from Chloe Herbert ••• |
61 grandma’s garden Chloe Herbert ••••• • I really just enjoyed the way this created a picture in my mind. My grandmother has yellow roses in her garden and this just gave me those good good feelings of nostalgia. Colin McGonagle, Spring 2021 I don't have this memory. My grandmother never had tulips in her garden. But what I do have are the ever recurring memories of the lighthouse on the street overlooking her window. Whenever I think about her being gone, the biggest thing I can think of is just looking out over the water with tears in my eyes by that lighthouse that we will never go to together anymore. Her house was sold. Even if I went back there now, it would never be the same. The place only exists in my memories. And now all my memories involve looking over that lighthouse, that small detail has taken up so much of my lived experience in memories. I think tulips might be that to whoever wrote this. The one thing the mind held onto after everything disappeared. |
62 morning coffee Jeana Pierson ••••• •• I make a trip to Dunkin' Dounuts almost every single day. My friend and I usually go together. We go so often that the works know out name and call us their friend. When that first sip of coffee hits your tongue, you can't stop drinking because it's so good. I like to call my coffee my “go go juice”. I just don't feel right until I have had my morning coffee. Jordan Hildebrand, Spring 2021 My favorite part of every morning is when I can sit down and enjoy my coffee. I know the days I get to do that instead of rushing through everything I have to do, it is going to be a good day. I love that I can smell the bitterness just by the words Jeana chose to use, and her word choice of “invincible” in this last line is really empowering. I do not think non-coffee drinkers understand the weight that drinking a good coffee in the morning can have, and when it does not happen, everything seems thrown off. Camryn Skundberg, Spring 2021 |
63 Toy Story clouds Jeana Pierson •••• This was a beautiful haiku with really clear imagery of a perfect sunny spring or summer day. When anyone says Toy Story clouds, it is impossible not to immediately picture the iconic fluffy white clouds against the bright blue sky and know that it was a perfect sky. I liked the last two lines of this haiku a lot because I think that it’s really easy for people to have deep conversations when they’re not just across from each other making eye contact, but when they are focusing on something else, like staring at the clouds or the stars in the sky. I think that when our eyes are fixated on something else, deep conversations sometimes happen more naturally, and that is what this haiku reminded me of. Linnea Nordstrom, Spring 2021 |
64 the speckled remains Colin McGonagle • |
65 picnic in the park Colin McGonagle ••• This haiku is fun and colorful and that is why I love it. To me, I do not necessarily picture a picnic in the park, but rather laying on the lawn. Since the weather has been nice, laying out on the front lawn of the Tri-Delta house has become one of my favorite pastimes. Gingham and paisley are two very different patterns that arguably do not look good when put next to each other. But in the context of this haiku, I see those patterns as blankets on the grass. The patterns juxtapose each other and almost create a patchwork image. Together they give such a bright, beautiful, and distinct image of what this first day of spring looks like. Jeana Pierson, Spring 2021 |
66 new projects Courtney Klein ••• I need to read this haiku more often. I have always struggled with having confidence in my work. As a writing major, I am constantly in need of someone else to read my work and reassure me that I am doing okay. I envy the author of this haiku. I wish I could start an assignment or project and instantly be reminded that I am talented. Deep down inside, I know I am talented, but I thrive off of approval from others. I think I need to write this haiku on my planner to remind myself that I need to be more confident in my abilities. Jeana Pierson, Spring 2021 This haiku was very empowering to me. I am a math education major and by the hard math classes I have to take, I forget that I am good with numbers even though some of the subject matter is frustrating and difficult. Sometimes those reminders are just what I need to get through an assignment or even have the energy to encourage my friends that they can do the same. Sometimes it is just a bad day, not a bad life and I think I could apply this haiku to all aspects of my life. Camryn Skundberg, Spring 2021 |
67 Funko Pops Courtney Klein • |
68 Autolycus . . . Courtney Klein •• |
69 the air gets colder |
70 night rooftop Elliot Mahon ••• My friend and I these last couple weeks have been talking about how we are going to go to Miami. We said we were going to drive and sleep in our cars so that way the only expense we would have is gas and some food. We pretty much talk about it every day. I think we are just so stressed with school that we just want to get away and lay on the beach somewhere. I feel like that is what they are doing in this haiku. Squinting and trying to picture themselves somewhere else. I may have to try that to see if it will get me to Miami. Jordan Hildebrand, Spring 2021 |
71 Easter eggs! Danni Beard •• |
72 staring at my friend’s Brooke Oitker • |
73 music on, windows down, Danni Beard • |
74 crossing the line Alyson Robbins • |
75 printer does not budge |
76 walk in the park Piper Charlton • |
77 he is not Bryce Bayer ••••• • This haiku made me laugh for a couple reasons. First off, it reminds me of a scene from one of my favorite shows, New Girl. One of the characters is reflecting over a past breakup and reads a poem he wrote about her when they first split. The poem read, “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? No, a summer's day is not a bitch.” I have always found that scene so funny and this haiku reminded me of that. In general, I think the play-on Shakespeare is so fun for two reasons. One because the meaning of the original lines is flipped in that it is now not talking about someone's beauty, but someone's lack thereof. I also think it is funny because Shakespeare would hate this. Shakespeare was a stickler for strict, poetic rules and haiku is anything but that. Overall, I loved this haiku, and the author did a perfect job at reworking and delivering the iconic Shakespeare quote. Jeana Pierson, Spring 2021 This haiku made me LAUGH! It was already clever because of the nod to Shakespeare, but imagining someone saying this is too silly. It’s a fun way to draw old literature and modern thinking! I loved this haiku. Alyson Robbins, Spring 2021 I loved the Shakespeare imagery used. Shakespeare’s love sonnet “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” is being challenged by knowing that this man is not worth it. It was a great comparison and lovely way of sharing this viewpoint. Marissa Garcia, Spring 2021 |
78 staring Piper Charlton •••• |
79 time passes Elliot Mahon •• |
80 in the shadows Chloe Herbert • |
81 Easter chaos; Brooke Oitker |
82 free time Jordan Hildebrand • |
83 stuffed eggs |
84 freshman year |
85 Easter Sunday Camryn Skundberg • |
86 sunbathing in the grass Jeana Pierson •• |
87 wicked claws |
88 spring breeze Linnea Nordstrom • |
89 zoom call, Paige Hockman •••• |
90 bright lights Paige Hockman • |
91 the bunny |
92 basement laundry room Katelynn Watkins •• |
|
© 2021, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.