we don't speak much
the dead
do the talking

Andrea Burns

a family portrait
in a huge house
not a sound is heard

Yunek Moore

bricks in my stomach
tell me
it's time to speak

Brittany Walsh

head spinning
somewhere
someone will hear me

Kyle McMahon

we don't speak much
the dead
do the talking

bricks in my stomach
tell me
it's time to speak

we don't speak much
the dead
do the talking

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

i have always found beauty in
the freedom you have
alone with the stars

bottom quarter champion

i have always found beauty in
the freedom you have
alone with the stars

watery eyes
walls start turning
back to bed

i have always found beauty in
the freedom you have
alone with the stars

watery eyes
walls start turning
back to bed

Kate Gebultowicz

friends going out
soft pillow
beckons me in

Nicholas Kemp

silence
a small cough is heard
between fiction and nonfiction

Amanda Donohoe

i have always found beauty in
the freedom you have
alone with the stars

Olivia Gonzalez

TOP half champion

i have always found beauty in
the freedom you have
alone with the stars

CHAMPION
 

i have always found beauty in
the freedom you have
alone with the stars

roommates gone this weekend
my only company
the sound of a washing machine

BOTTOM half champion

roommates gone this weekend
my only company
the sound of a washing machine

Jacob Melssen

tv off
lights off
silence

Caitlyn Latshaw

shoreline waves
calm breeze
the mother snores

Kala Keller

sitting on a bridge
tossing rocks
day's end

Nick Retherford

roommates gone this weekend
my only company
the sound of a washing machine

sitting on a bridge
tossing rocks
day's end

roommates gone this weekend
my only company
the sound of a washing machine

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

roommates gone this weekend
my only company
the sound of a washing machine

bottom quarter champion

counting freckles
I pull the sheets
heavy breathing

counting freckles
I pull the sheets
heavy breathing

rose petals fall
the stem bends
still no calls

sitting on our dock
feet barely touching the water
still see her reflection

Kyle Kite

counting freckles
I pull the sheets
heavy breathing

Jordan Oelze

rose petals fall
   the stem bends
still no calls

Paige Dorsel

seven white roses
one petal
. . . falling

Chase Smith

we don't speak much
the dead
do the talking

Andrea Burns

a family portrait
in a huge house
not a sound is heard

Yunek Moore

bricks in my stomach
tell me
it's time to speak

Brittany Walsh

head spinning
somewhere
someone will hear me

Kyle McMahon

I think that both of these haiku match well because they allude to silence and set a scene of stillness. The first haiku is very eerie with the subject of the dead. However, I really enjoy it because it shows how even though there is silence on the surface, both people on the inside are having discussion or they are thinking very actively. The second haiku is also interesting because the big house is empty and silent, despite the people that live there. This is slightly sad to me because it says to me that the people in the house do not have a good relationship with one another. In terms of both haikus, silence can be a scary thing shared between two people. As humans, we do everything we can to fill the void, to fill the room with conversation and laughter so we don't have to be alone with our own thoughts, because that is truly what is terrifying. Brittany

These are my favorite matched Haiku from the matching contest because I feel like they really capture the theme of silence. When I read both of the poems I could feel the silence from the lines of the poem. The family portrait poem talks about a huge house where not a sound is heard. I think that using the word huge makes the last line fall even more silence. In the, we don't speak much, poem I felt that "the dead" that were doing the talking make the atmosphere the poem creates fall silent. Caitlyn

I liked these matching poems because they are about not wanting to speak. The first poem I feel represents speaking in front of a large group maybe for a speech. The second one comes off as not wanting to be heard by anyone. They both are about not wanting to speak to people, but the second poem feels like they are battling with their inner self about anxiety problems or something else. They relate so much, but simple wording can make an impact on how you see the person. Nick K.

watery eyes
walls start turning
back to bed

Kate Gebultowicz

friends going out
soft pillow
beckons me in

Nicholas Kemp

silence
a small cough is heard
between fiction and nonfiction

Amanda Donohoe

i have always found beauty in
the freedom you have
alone with the stars

Olivia Gonzalez

I think that the first one is a more calm setting. It describes an introvert who is not very fond of going out and would rather just get some sleep. The second haiku is more of a traumatizing one. The author is clearly upset and expresses that by describing that they're about to cry and that the walls are turning around them. Both find comfort from their beds or just going to sleep. I think the both turn to a resolution at the end. I think the second haiku's problem is a lot more severe. They both have very similar structures. The second one has more emotions described, where as the first one is more situational. Paige

bricks in my stomach
tell me
it's time to speak

Brittany Walsh

silence
a small cough is heard
between fiction and nonfiction

Amanda Donohoe

Both of these haiku follow silence. The first one shows that silence can lead to fear and anxiety. An silent crowd waiting for the speaker to deliver words of hope. It seems as though a lot of pressure is put on this person. The second haiku (I honestly forgot that I wrote until halfway through this response) seems to be about a little girl in a library. She's just finally starting to realize the type of books that she enjoys reading and is browsing the library. She is in between two aisles, one side fiction, and the other nonfiction. She coughs while picking out her next read. Amanda

I enjoyed this haiku because it had a different emotion than the rest of the haikus, which were calming or pleasant. I liked this haiku because it was anticipation or excitement. I can relate to this when I am in class because I am quite shy in class. I do not mind getting my name called, it is just the fact when the teacher would stand and look to see who to call. I also liked this haiku because it did not only talk about the anxiety part but the last line showed to overcome it. I think this matches how I feel in class because I do feel the bricks in my stomach before I am suppose to speak but then it is time to speak, time to have your own voice. Everything will be just fine, it is not the end of the world. Olivia

roommates gone this weekend
my only company
the sound of a washing machine

Jacob Melssen

tv off
lights off
silence

Caitlyn Latshaw

shoreline waves
calm breeze
the mother snores

Kala Keller

sitting on a bridge
tossing rocks
day's end

Nick Retherford

I really like the comparison between these two haiku. The first one leaves you hearing the load of clothes tumble in the washing machine over and over again. The second one leaves the reader almost empty. It makes me think of getting home after a long day at work and just wanting complete silence and being alone. The first one sounds like it longs for company and the second one wants nothing to do with anyone else. Nick R.

I chose these two haikus as my favorite matching ones from the first contest we have done. I picked these two because they both have to do with water. They both bring a relaxing feeling to me. The first one is very relaxing because of the calm breeze and the waves. The last sentence for me is also relaxing because when I sleep if I can hear other people sleeping it helps me relax and get better sleep. This is also relatable because my mom snores very loud. The second one is relaxing because I picture sitting on a bridge over some water just watching the ripples in the water. I can see some throwing little rocks into the water just to see the ripples that brings a relaxing feeling with it. The last sentence makes me picture that the sun is setting while they are on the bridge. I really like to watch the sun set. I voted for sitting on a bridge and it ended up moving on to the next round. Chase

This matching of haikus was a great comparison of relaxation and just straight being lazy on vacation, which is totally exceptable. This made me realize how many times I have been caught on the beach in Michigan relaxing as the sun is coming down and the day is slowly coming to an end, sitting on a beach chair exhausted from your day taking a nap on the beach. These two haikus were great in comparison to each other as they both scream an end the the day of great adventures as both are expressing times of relaxation. Kyle M.

i have always found beauty in
the freedom you have
alone with the stars

Olivia Gonzalez

roommates gone this weekend
my only company
the sound of a washing machine

Jacob Melssen

This is the championship match up, and I picked this pair because I think they both capture a real essence of silence. “I have always” expresses the part of silence that leaves you abundant in thoughts and thinking about whatever you want. Although no audible sounds can be heard, your voice in your head is running rampant. And I think the “roommates are gone” haiku highlights the loneliness of silence, and how any sort of noise can become your friend or make you feel safe instead of lonely. Both excellently written haikus. Kyle K.

sitting on our dock
feet barely touching the water
still see her reflection

Kyle Kite

counting freckles
I pull the sheets
heavy breathing

Jordan Oelze

rose petals fall
   the stem bends
still no calls

Paige Dorsel

seven white roses
one petal
. . . falling

Chase Smith

I chose this matched pair because of their emphasis on the “other”. So often we write about ourselves or nature or objects, but these two have their focus on another person and it's very refreshing. I also notice that the focus is on simplicity and intensity. The focus is about the moment and being present in the moment, I think. In the “counting” haiku, it's an intense moment and there is some stillness, but also our a heightened sensory experience. And with the “sitting on our dock”, it's all about the focus on seeing the other and seeing “her”. Very interesting pair and definitely a hard decision to pick a favorite. Andie

I get why these two were paired together, but nothing can really compare to the second haiku for me. Again, I will always appreciate a poem that isn't afraid to approach something like sex and make it frank and beautiful at the same time. So many haiku are wistful and longing for the past, like the first one, but the second one puts you right there in the moment and you experience it along with them. You imagine someone, you count their freckles, you hear the heavy breathing and maybe it's coming from you or maybe from them, or maybe both, but there's all that sensory detail going on in such a little poem and it's just really awesome. Sam

I found these haikus to be very similar, yet with totally different meanings. Obviously the repetition of the rose as an image was enough to make them a fun pair. The first haiku has several rose petals falling, while the second haiku only has one rose petal falling. The first haiku is a darker image for me. There is something wrong in the situation. The steam being bent and the rose petals falling makes me feel bad for this person. Perhaps they are gripping the rose so tight that it breaks, because they're nervous and angry that the other person stood them up. The second poem makes me feel like a person is falling in love. They have seven white roses that a loved one gave them, and one single petal is falling. They're that petal, falling in love and dancing to the ground. Jordan

My favorite haiku from the matching contest were about roses and I thought their structure and interpretations were unique. As I read both I can see the motion of the stem bending and the petal falling. Even the basic picture of the rose petal falling and the stem bending explains an action but also a feeling. The author concludes it by telling the readers that there wasn't a call back so the person is hurt. The other haiku kind of represents attempts to make things work and things not falling in to place. They both do a great job using roses to describe the scene and display a certain feeling. Kate

counting freckles
I pull the sheets
heavy breathing

Jordan Oelze

rose petals fall
   the stem bends
still no calls

Paige Dorsel

I liked that these two haiku ended up being matched together because they are both describing very simple things and also are kind of opposites. The first one makes me envision someone sleeping in bed with their partner. They are watching the other person sleeping peacefully and are counting the freckles on their nose or shoulders. It's very simple and peaceful, but has a lot of meaning behind it. The second one makes me think of someone who has been stood up for a date. They are waiting for their date to arrive, but the roses they brought are starting to wilt, and they've received no calls from their date. This one is also very simple but has a lot of meaning. Additionally, it's about being alone or without someone, while the first one is describing sleeping in bed with another person and them being together. Jake