Haiku Kukai 02 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • Winter 2024
1 eraser marks Tabitha Barowsky I enjoy this haiku because it makes me think of a very creative person just trying to get what their imagining perfect. I’ve taken on a couple different journals for reading and personal journals that I try to be as creative as I can in and I’m so familiar with having eraser marks everywhere and still not getting it how I want it. I think they’re a good reminder that we’re still trying despite our little mistakes, and we will get it right eventually. Hayley Fitzpatrick, Winter 2024 I really enjoyed this one in particular because I could feel this exact image as if I was the one trying to draw a masterpiece and being very meticulous with the picture, so I am constantly erasing and fixing the image to make it perfect but no matter how long or how many times I redo it, it just never seems to be right. Kobe Roulx, Winter 2024 |
2 small talk . . . McKenna Beals I liked this one as it reminded me me of when im talking with people im close to, or want to get closer with. The ability to skip past the small questions of the day and skip to the questions and topics that we actually want to talk about with one another. Sure, weather is fine, yes traffic is crazy, but the actual meat of the talk lies beneath surface level discussion that could be had with any stranger. The ability to be vulnerable without having to “warm-up” the conversation first is a feat that i truly admire among close friends. Dylan Hill, Winter 2024 |
3 mood-lit restaurant McKenna Beals This piece of poetry works me up a bit. I imagine bringing a girlfriend to a nice restaurant with a pleasant mood on an anniversary. Instead of talking to me while we wait or eat food she’s looking at her phone being disrespectful. I might wonder why I wasted my time dating her for a year. Maybe I could be wrong if more context is involved. Maybe she’s just checking for a minute and not looking down the whole time. Keegan Gephart, Winter 2024 This haiku really tells the emotion of this relationship. It shows that this couple may be coming apart, “phone in hand” shows that they are not talking to each other they are just staring at their phones. The beginning of this haiku uses great words to explain the rest “mood-lit”. Kaylee Holland, Winter 2024 |
4 a lone mallard |
5 don’t look Tabitha Barowsky I just like how simple and motivating this one is and makes me want to push farther in life because if you work the hardest no one is behind you to pass you up. Dawsen Loafman, Winter 2024 |
6 I still remember Tabitha Barowsky The tone i get from this haiku is akin to a one sided relationship, where one person is putting in more effort than the other. The question reads to me as confrontational, with one finally questioning the other person and asking how much they really care about them. Another valid interpretation is one of remembering someone that you haven’t seen in awhile, and knowing what their favorite move is after all this time, but forgetting your own. It’s been so long and while you can find the ability to recall the details about someone you were once close with, remembering details about who you were back then seem to elude your thoughts. Dylan Hill, Winter 2024 |
7 roaring engines Dawsen Loafman The sound of roaring engines and mud flying, struggling to hold food in your hands and looking all around the grandstands for a good seat rushing before you drop your nachos. Michael Breedlove, Winter 2024 |
8 pointillism in motion . . . |
9 soaking up sun Dylan Hill In haiku number 9 the author describes a scene of people enjoying the sun in winter coats, highlighting the mix of warmth and cold. This moment hints at a short break from winter's chill, providing a quick escape to enjoy the warmth of the sunlight. It conveys a joy for the simple pleasures amid the winter season. I feel the emotions of happiness and joy while reading. Carlene Hawkins, Winter 2024 |
10 bass of the speaker |
11 barren path |
12 three pedals Dawsen Loafman Now this was a very different one compared to the first in the fact that this wasn’t a specific image by any means that popped up in my head but rather a vision of multitasking and trying to do multiple things at once and this is saying that yes sometimes there is more than the regular workload and it can be sometimes difficult for most but to him its nothing. Kobe Roulx, Winter 2024 I really like this haiku because it reminds me of a very specific memory. I had never driven a manual before. My boyfriend was very keen on me learning how because "everyone should know how to drive a stick". He had a blueish gray Volkswagen Passat. The three pedals seemed so daunting. I had only ever drove an automatic... Why is there a third pedal? Apparently, it's called the clutch. I only have two feet though and three pedals. Also, when I was learning to drive an automatic, I was taught to use one foot only... ever. This concept seemed so foreign. I actually never figured out how to drive a manual, so I guess it was definitely complicated to me. McKenna Beals, Winter 2024 This haiku brings me back to my childhood. I was always riding a bike around as a little kid but struggled with the 2 wheels when I was 5 years old. I would always ride a three-wheel bike to make up for it. Gannon Harshman, Winter 2024 |
13 last football game Noah Meyers The haiku shows a great image and has a lot of emotion. It shows an image of a football player standing in the middle of the field with friends all around, they lost the last game of the season, and they are upset. This brings back memories to me as this was me during my last volleyball game. Kaylee Holland, Winter 2024 |
14 walking to midfield |
15 little brother Noah Meyers In haiku number 15 the author describes the bittersweet moment of time passing as they reflect on their once little brother who has grown older and walks alongside them. It displays a mix of nostalgia and the inevitability of change within the sibling relationship. While reading this haiku, I imagine 2 siblings who are now older and get along so well. I am the youngest of 5 girls and I believe all my older sisters feel this way about me now. Carlene Hawkins, Winter 2024 |
16 newly built |
17 small snowflakes Noah Meyers Number 17 makes me think about the snowstorm we had years ago that left us without power. Tons and tons of small snowflakes and trees hanging so low they could possibly snap in half. Michael Breedlove, Winter 2024 |
18 running Gannon Harshman When I read this haiku, it brings feelings of warmth and coziness. I imagine being in a wooden cabin, surrounded by trees and snow, covered in some layers of blankets, and maybe even a hot chocolate, hot tea, or coffee sitting near me. I imagine the chair I’m sitting in is somewhat near the crackling fire, so that I don’t have to walk back and forth so far to keep changing logs. This haiku makes me think of one of the most perfect indoor winter day. Hayley Fitzpatrick, Winter 2024 |
19 barking dog Kobe Roulx This shows a big sense of emotion for me. As I am a big dog person, it makes me so sad to see dogs alone outside if it is cold. Some dogs are made for the cold, but it still makes me so sad for them to be lonely. It also shows a great image, picturing a dog running along the side of a fence lonely and wanting someone to play. Kaylee Holland, Winter 2024 |
20 bounce of the ball Kobe Roulx I played basketball growing up. I would always look up to the high school players in middle school. When I got to high school, I was astonished by seeing the younger kids in my shoes from when I was in middle school. Gannon Harshman, Winter 2024 |
21 playing Pokémon go |
22 broken down fence Kobe Roulx I enjoy this haiku because even once the house is gone, the memories are still there. This can go with anything though. It doesn't have to be a house. It can be a relationship or friendship. Something may be gone but never forgotten. One thing that you will hold onto are the memories associated with these specific things or places. I think as we age this becomes more prevalent. We see old homes that we once lived in, or simply, plots of land. The family home once stood, quaint and quiet on the outside. But vivacious and thriving with love on the inside. I think this shows how things come and go and we always try to hold onto the positive. McKenna Beals, Winter 2024 |
23 walking slowly |
24 sinking into the abyss |
25 all over my |
26 daydreaming Addy Kirkpatrick |
27 thunder strikes Carlene Hawkins It makes me think of my summer of 2023 which was pretty unpleasant. Through a mix of storms an house electrical wires being old I had lost half the power of my house. Some places in my house lights and outlets would not work. In addition to this I had no air conditioning for 2 weeks so the house would go past 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I had many nights with struggles to sleep. Outside of that this poem makes me think of those times where you have no access to electricity. It really makes you appreciate the work that electricians do to maintain parts of your lifestyle and society. Keegan Gephart, Winter 2024 |
28 freezing cold Carlene Hawkins |
29 school awaits |
30 takes one |
31 grandma’s house Hayley Fitzpatrick |
32 caterpillars |
33 butterflys in the air Kaylee Holland In haiku number 33 it describes a touching picture of butterflies gently swirling around the speaker's grandmother's grave, creating a natural and serene scene. The fluttering butterflies suggest change, and a possible spiritual connection. Reading this haiku i feel emotions of sadness, happiness, peacefulness. Carlene Hawkins, Winter 2024 |
34 midnight Hayley Fitzpatrick This one brings me back to an image of someone with ADHD relaxing on the couch late at night watching tv and as they are laying there their mind starts to wonder and they think of all the things that they have to do tomorrow or about all of the people coming over tomorrow and they get a jolt of energy and they immediately start cleaning the ENTIRE house. Kobe Roulx, Winter 2024 This one just related to me right to a t. I am a very clean person at night so this just describes a couple of nights a week. Dawsen Loafman, Winter 2024 As someone who has had to go for midnight walks, i understand the feeling of restlessness that can come with late night energy bursts. The feeling that you can’t sleep and keep tossing and turning for hours, only to realize that you won’t get anywhere so you might as well be productive. It’s a strange bout of inspiration that occurs every once in awhile where suddenly you feel like fixing things and getting them in order, whether it be laundry, homework, dishes, or a midnight workout to feel like you’ve accomplished something, even if you should be sleeping. Dylan Hill, Winter 2024 |
35 a new father Kaylee Holland |
36 city lights aglow |
37 sweet cinnamon fragrance Mariah Crawford |
38 taking longer strides |
39 year of the dragon Randy Brooks |
40 waiting to say I do Mariah Crawford |
41 footprints in the snow |
42 snowflakes softly land |
43 dating app |
44 dishes pile up Tabitha Barowsky I enjoy this haiku because it's relatable. The dirty dishes are piling up in the stink. The trash is overflowing in the trashcan. You'll continuously put it off until the next day. I feel like this haiku describes what depression is very well. The person is in their house or apartment, and they don't know how to get out the slump they're in. The seasonal depression they're feeling is overwhelming. They don't know how to continue to these daily tasks that are required of them. Putting everything off until the next day when they feel better about it or even have the energy to do something about. Day after day though, the mess continues to get messier. It reflects how their mind and thoughts are at the moment. I think the relation between the mess and the mind is an important factor of this haiku. It shows that sometimes if we don't take care of our mental health, the physical world around us may suffer as well. McKenna Beals, Winter 2024 |
45 sun beams Tabitha Barowsky |
46 pine trees Dawsen Loafman I enjoy this haiku because it reminds me of my best friend’s childhood yard. Since 3rd grade, I’ve spent countless nights at her house and it’s lined with pine trees, almost acting like a second fence to the cow pasture and corn field next to her house. I see us running through the trees, trying to climb them to scare each other, and trying to see how close we can get the cows to come to us. This haiku brings back a lot of childhood memories. Hayley Fitzpatrick, Winter 2024 |
47 cracked mirror Dylan Hill |
48 following the footprints |
49 dad goes to work Noah Meyers This haiku reminds me of a blue-collar worker trying to support his small family. Many of these workers build the roads and buildings we use every day and we should respect their dedication and hard work. Gannon Harshman, Winter 2024 This just makes me think of how grateful I am for having a hard-working blue-collar dad in my life who sacrifices everything he has to give my family the life he never had. Dawsen Loafman, Winter 2024 |
50 visiting grandpa Noah Meyers |
51 rainy spring day |
52 the rocky trail |
53 the calm pond water McKenna Beals Number 53 makes me picture a pond fishing with my pawpaw and no matter how many times we heard thunder roaring pawpaw would say lets just cast it one more time. Michael Breedlove, Winter 2024 |
54 the ants swarm |
55 after head lice |
56 plant hanging Gannon Harshman |
57 stinky city lake Hayley Fitzpatrick |
© 2024, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.