I walk through the door
something’s wrong—
no smiles on their faces

• • •

This haiku is interesting because it captures a single moment in time when your mood can instantly change and pull a 180. You can be on top of the world, but when you walk into this situation the first thing that comes to mind is usually the worst-case scenario. When I read this haiku, my first thought was that this person's life is about to change drastically. I don't know what has happened, but I can take a pretty good guess that it isn't good. That kind of feeling is what makes this a very good haiku. Nate

I like this one as well because it makes you focus on the small things. What has happened or what is going on? Just a normal action by walking through the door but suddenly you feel something is wrong. Carrie

walking briskly
around the corner
a hole in the skyline

This one was a favorite of one of my friends. She liked this haiku because of the feeling it invokes. You're walking around a familiar area, and then suddenly you reach a point where something looks off. At first you can't really place what is missing, and when you think back to what building, tree, or whatever used to be there you get hit by an emotion. That feeling could be a good or bad one. Maybe there was a giant, dead tree that was absolutely horrendous to look at that was removed, but it could also be an empty lot where one of your favorite buildings used to be. Nate

granddad’s grandson smells          
sweet cigar smoke
no more

granddad’s grandson smells
sweet cigar smoke
no more

My family really appreciates this haiku because my grandfather was an inveterate cigar smoker. When I read this haiku, it struck me because it reminds me of the cigars grandpa used to smoke. I also like how a sense of smell is conveyed in this haiku. Amy

stepping off the plane
a city awaits
just me

Evokes warm and fuzzy feelings because this will probably be me within the next year when I move! Missy

alone on
point pleasant drive:
the summer corn still high

does he love me?
the last petal falls…
no answer

does he love me?
the last petal falls…
no answer

i really liked this one, its so simple and so old, yet s new thought to it because why do poeple do that, there never is a real answer. i think i like it cuz i was like ya, so true. Missy's friend

November 1st
on the sidewalk
dried pumpkin innards

Innards is a funny word. Makes me laugh. And I like it. Missy

small bowl full
of cloudy water
no fish

So true for my childhood pets--love it! Missy

This haiku provides really good imagery. I think it seems like either a pet someone has had for a long time and now that fish is no longer there or it is a child that has lost its first pet. Carrie

This haiku brought back a lot of memories for me. My mother is allergic to cats and my sister used to be afraid of dogs, so we didn’t have the generic pets that most of our neighbors had; instead, we had many fish. My sister and I would always get very close to our pets and whenever they died, we’d feel a terrible emptiness inside our hearts. This haiku reminded me of the days when I saw the fish’s water is dirty, but that it doesn’t matter, because the fish is already dead. Goli

sailing the seven seas
engulfed in the waves
the few, the proud, the marines

finally
my turn in the bathroom
. . . no toilet paper

This haiku really reminds me of my house in Decatur. For some unknown reason, the housemates insist on keeping the toilet paper in the cleaning closet out in the hall. All too many times have I gone to do my business and then turned around in horror to notice that the toilet paper is missing. It's rather awkward venturing out into the hallway right in the middle of the act. Very funny haiku. Rick

replaced bulb in the motion light
my dark sanctuary
not the same

restaurant down the street
childhood favorite
. . . a pet store?

Things change. This haiku offers a perplexing view. When you're not around, you don't see the changes . . . It reminds me of the "Welcome Back, Koetter" theme. People and places have a funny way of changing when we're not around them. Amy

sun shining
I hold my breath
as he lifts the veil

• • 

This haiku is so beautiful because it makes me think of a bright summer wedding, one that makes everyone cry. It has been such a beautiful ceremony that everyone is just waiting for that final moment, the climax of a marriage, when the bride and groom finally unite in their first kiss as man and wife. The couple is so perfect for each other that not a single soul ever had doubts that this day would come for them, and no one has any premonitions about a sour marriage – it is all perfect just like this eloquently described moment. Missy

This entire haiku reminds me of a beautiful wedding scene. Afraid of her new married life, the bride holds her breath. Wow! This haiku is breathtaking! Amy

the wind tonight!
even bitter
to the rain-soaked flag

moonlit interstate
85 in a 65
the trooper… snoozing

If we could all be this lucky... Missy

eyes sharp
on the ball
kick it hard!

the car ride home
nothing
but the radio

This was another haiku chosen by my friend. They liked it because it leaves room to imagine what's going on. There could be a couple that just had an argument and are no longer on speaking terms for the time being. Maybe there are some children sleeping in the backseat, and the parents don't want to wake them. No matter what is happening the radio remains constant, and it's the only thing making a sound. This really emphasizes what's going on inside the car. Nate

stitching the quilt
a spider
unnoticed

I chose this haiku as one of my favorites because it truly articulated the concept of size and its effect. The spider is so small, and perhaps so close in color to the quilt, that the woman sewing does not realize it is there. The insect is lost in miles upon miles of fabric, in a sea that seems to never end, while a quilt, to us, is rather small. The magnitude and important of size is brought out well in this poem. Goli

same street and home . . .
no friends
just my fall break

the single fisherman
washes his hands
in the warm river

I really like this one. I discussed in class once before that my father loves to fish. As a child, I remember many,many fishing trips. Now, my father usually goes fishing alone. Sometimes, my cousins will go. I guess he really loves it….sometimes, I worry about him fishing alone….seems dangerous. Kristen

foot taps lightly
rustling of papers
during the exam

the old tree
beside her headstone;
now a stump

Being at peace with death is a good thing. Missy

This haiku brings to mind how quickly life changes, even as the dead remain the same. The tree that marked her grave has been torn down; life goes on without her. Carol

the empty chair
at her wedding:
for her father

bedtime at last
stumbling over
the laundry pile

sand in my eyes—
trying to rub it out,
so very tired

broken elevator—
no ding
on floor seven

silence
after he cuts the
umbilical cord

Everyone in the family voted for this one. They said a lot about how powerful a statement the silence was. Carol

home alone—
mother said to do the chores
do I?

full bookshelf
endless possibilities
one spot empty

the floral print
of grandma’s dress
. . . new quilt

Most of my family members enjoyed this haiku because it reminded them of a scarf my mom made out of my grandpa's ties. It's the creation of something new after someone's death that makes this haiku come alive for me. Amy

stained carpet & creaky door
but
it’s my own place

home
sitting alone during prom
nobody loves him

the widow has
his portrait
across from her chair

I get a strong visual from this one. Can you imagine the loneliness. The widow pretends that her husband is still alive by placing his portrait across from her chair at the dinner table. She even speaks to him. This is sad. Kristen

guitar pick
left in the closet
no guitar

the sequin
brightens
the kitten’s eyes

Everyone loved this one too...I think because everyone in the family likes cats :) Carol

sitting on a lake
the moon shimmers
before daybreak

sitting on the grass
not so alone;
leaning against her headstone

pounding feet
I can see it
the Finish Line

alone
by the rushing river
skipping rocks

I like this haiku because it gives you the site and the sounds and the feeling of being outside. Feeling the air from the rushing water and hearing the stones skip. Very content and visual. Carrie

the artist's forehead
wrinkles—
the line's still crooked

I like this haiku mostly because I can relate to it. I find it amazing that I can spend almost an hour drawing, erasing, and redrawing the same line over and over again, and it still manages to not look quite right. It is a feeling that is beyond frustration, but as an artist you learn to get over it and move on. One of the first things I learned about being an artist is that you are your own worst critic and it is sometimes impossible to convince yourself that the piece of art looks good. Nate

I really enjoyed this haiku because to me there was almost a double meaning with the last line. Of course the first image that it produced was that of an artist staring a canvas or piece of paper that he has been slaving over for hours because one line will not go straight for him. However, I also thought that it was the artist’s forehead that had the crooked line, and although this route is a bit of a stretch and does not make as much sense, it seems funny to think of the wrinkles in someone’s forehead being crooked once when he made a goofy face, but for them to stay that way because he made the face repeatedly. So some observer is watching this particular artist and laughing to herself because that line on his forehead is still there – serves him right for always making that face. Missy

This haiku made me laugh because of the parallel the crooked line and the wrinkles on the artist's forehead. It also really embodies the perfectionist nature of many artists. The haiku seems simple enough, but is still very effective in conveying a humorous image. The structure is also well done. Rick

I like this one because I wonder if the “line’s” the one in the artwork or the line on the artist’s forehead or both. Makes you think the artist is thinking and still in the middle of creating. Carrie

I liked the contrast between the artists wrinkled forehead and the similarly crooked line on the page. Carol

standing at the precipice
I can see
for miles and miles

peace and quiet
finally I can hear
MY music