Read and enjoy each haiku, then compare haiku next to each other, selecting one to move forward in the competition. Write the first line of the selected haiku in the line above or below the pair, then continue with the matching comparison readings until you select one top top top champion.
 

attempting to sleep
the smell of the candle
just put out

          Katie Steimann

first date . . .
wearing flip-flops
to match his height

          Joanne Weise

first date . . .
wearing flip-flops
to match his height

grocery shopping
running with a pumpkin
to catch the bus

the candy bowl empty
Mom turns off
the porch light

          Nichole Johnson

grocery shopping
running with a pumpkin
to catch the bus

          Emily Evans

grocery shopping
running with a pumpkin
to catch the bus

Notre Dame cathedral
the whispers
of atheists

Notre Dame cathedral
the whispers
of atheists

sitting still—
hearing what the house hears
when i'm gone

          Emily Evans

I liked that both of these haiku dealt with sound and gave a clear sense of place. In the end I chose “an echo” because it was less ambigious than “sitting still.” I felt that the second haiku had a great ambiance about it, but I wanted to know some of the specific sounds the house made, so I could better envision it. Katie

These haiku both present an image of emptiness. They take the author and place her alone in a large empty space.   I like the idea of the author being almost small and unnoticeable compared to the vast emptiness. Rick

Notre Dame cathedral
the whispers
of atheists

          Katie Steimann

Notre Dame cathedral
the whispers
of atheists

your chicken-scratch
absent
from the shopping list

          Joannne Weise

the leaves crunch
behind me
not my footsteps . . .

          Regan Bledsaw

This pair was perhaps the hardest to choose between because I liked both of the haiku very much. The first haiku is very serene and puts the person in a comfortable and accepting place in the world. They are not scared of being alone, they are assured that they will be fine and even more complete when they come upon the perfection of a small mushroom. I also like the second haiku for the tension of the feet or person following the speaker in this haiku. In the end I moved “walking through” forward because it seemed to me to be reminiscent of the haiku of the masters we have been reading like Basho and Issa. Katie

These haiku share a woodland setting and a surprise element. One walker discovers a mushroom by chance while walking through the woods and the other discovers that someone is behind her. Although the two haiku may have different tones, the surprise element still exists in both. Rick

"the leaves crunch" I really liked this haiku because it presents an almost ominous scene. When I walk through the woods during fall, I often stop and listen to see if I can hear any other people or animals around me.   The scene described in this haiku is somewhat suspenseful because the author has no idea what is approaching from behind. Rick

Notre Dame cathedral
the whispers
of atheists

<--top half champion
Katie Steimann

waking up--in a new home
same old dog
at the foot of the bed

waking up--in a new home
same old dog
at the foot of the bed

both of us drunk
finding an alley
only you get to pee

          Emily Evans

I chose this haiku as my top choice because it is a great image and it is uniquely humorous. These two friends need to find a place to go to the bathroom and either the speaker is watching out for the other one while they go, or the speaker is a girl and can't just go on the spot, it is funny that only the other person gets the opportunity. Perhaps they are discovered before they can both relieve themselves. Having to go to the bathroom when you are drunk is urgent enough without having to do it in an alley. I like it. Katie

jeans and a hoodie
dirty hair in a knot
he tells me i'm beautiful

          Jennifer van Natta

waking up--in a new home
same old dog
at the foot of the bed

the big game
a cup of hot chocolate
warms my mittens

          Regan Bledsaw

waking up--in a new home
same old dog
at the foot of the bed

          Lea Evers

This "waking up" haiku is my contest winner. I like it because it is not simply an observation, rather it is something the reader can meditate on for a moment, and bring their own meaning. I thought about changes during one's lifetime, and the few constants that remain - maybe a significant other, a parent or sibling, ...or a dog. The "same old dog" gives the haiku a comforting feeling, a feeling of loyalty. I like knowing that some things never change. Emily

waking up--in a new home
same old dog
at the foot of the bed

waking up--in a new home
same old dog
at the foot of the bed

returning home
taking down
memories of you

gravel dust
follows
me home

gravel dust
follows
me home

          Abby Kavanaugh

an insult said
the circle fills
with laughter

          Alicia Scott

gravel dust
follows
me home

returning home
taking down
memories of you

sitting across the table
from you
so glad you're home

          Jennifer van Natta

returning home
taking down
memories of you

          Lea Evers