summer thunderstorm
lighting
revealing the shadows

I see a small child tucked into bed and kissed goodnight after a bedtime story. There is a warm breeze coming from the bedroom window, but suddenly it starts to rain and the window has to be closed. Lightening and thunder seem to come from nowhere and the rain is beating hard against the bedroom window. The child becomes frightened, and the parent assures there is nothing to be afraid of. The parent leaves the room, and the child is finally assured that there is nothing to fear, when suddenly lightening hits casting a shadow of the big oak on the child’s wall, resembling a hideous monster with tentacles. Instead of two in the master bedroom, it was three that night! Becky

lilies bloom
child grasps Easter
egg among the flowers

dark cold night
tears in her eyes
long way from home

one eye staring
as the sunshine melts
the snow

brisk fall morning
deer hunter contemplates
beauty of nature

soothing hum sound
of the ceiling fan
as I snooze on the cool tiles

Linda Hayes (2)

outside the kid's window
a snowman
stands guard

Patti Freimuth (7)

cold winter evening
noise erupts
at the stroke of midnight

hot and muggy day
snow cones and cotton candy
screams on the roller coasters

Shawn Guise (3)

This person is revisiting her childhood. This is a fun memory at the amusement park which involves the entire family. It may have been a hot humid afternoon, but it did not stop this fun filled adventure. Snow cones never tasted better and cotton candy flavored the taste buds. The roller coasters provided excitement and adventure. Full of laughs, smiles, and memories, this retreat brought the family together even when the weather was oppressive. Keith

black velvet sky
stars dance
above our camp

Winter zero below
home cozy and warm
drinking hot chocolate

hot bright sun
umbrellas in place
surfers riding high

fire aglow
marshmallows roasting
cool autumn evening

The story of this haiku, as I see it, is about a man and a woman who are enjoying a quiet evening together before he leaves on his tour of duty overseas. As they sit by the warm fireplace their souls are entwined in the moment. The logs are burning slowly and the embers twinkle like stars. The two are sharing memories from the past, while leaving out any questions for the future. Departure time is at daybreak, this kiss must last forever. Tena

This haiku reminds me of two lovers sitting together looking in each other’s eyes. They don’t have a care in the world and can care less about what’s going on in the world. As they kiss, they realize how much they mean to each other. Time has stopped for this couple and they are enjoying every moment of the frozen moment. Shawn

poolside screams
as children splash
my hair

Bruce Nielsen (3)

I love this haiku because it makes me realize that I am not alone. My mom and dad have a pool and every Sunday we go over for Sunday dinner. In the summer on Sunday’s the pool’s filled with people. There are the few adults that like to lie on the raft and not get wet like myself, the other adults that are in the water cooling off and then there are the KIDS. They have the best time in the pool playing games, swimming and going down the slide. However, they do not like it when I am in the pool lying on the raft. Before I can get wet the temperature has to be at least over 90, because of this I am always yelling at them to not splash me or settle down because I don’t want to get wet or heaven forbid my hair gets messed up. My daughter is always quick to tell me that the pool is made for splashing and getting wet as they continue to play. Michelle

hot summer day
ice cubes in yellow liquid
melting

bare branches show
the age of the limbs
raking the leaves

walking through fresh snow
I'm hit in the back
snowball fight!

with fireplace aglow
the world disappears
lost in each other’s kiss

Diane Reasoner (7)

looking out my window
children laughing
bugs light up in their hands

Michelle Dalluge (3)

This haiku reminds me of growing up in the projects of Chicago, IL. I was raised in a religious family so it was hard for me to have friends. Grow up in the projects were gang violence and drug dealers was the lime life of my neighborhood. I could never go outside to play as a kid due to the drive by shootings. All summer I spent my time either reading the Bible or watching other children play out doors. Josh

I expressed my thoughts on this one to the whole class, because I have a very sweet, sensitive, quiet, well behaved Mama’s Boy. But, his father taught him this…and by my child doing this I realize..He is all boy. He pulls the butt(light) off of the bug, and paints the concrete, his hands, or he just brings the bright green streaks into the house for me to see. He really thinks I am going to enjoy this as much as he does. Jaylen

jack-o-lantern in the window
candle wax
runs from its mouth

Becky Voigt (4)

birds speak to each other
the feeders are full
neither for long

Diane Reasoner

country road to camp
gravel snaps
beneath the tire

Bruce Nielsen (3)

I chose this haiku to represent the word links. It speaks of driving down a country road. You can hear the gravel snap beneath the tire wich is on the country road. This haiku is all about focusing on the road to camp. It all links together. Crystal

crowd roars
ball floats
into the goal

Bruce Nielsen

bright light
star fades
into the darkness

Bruce Nielsen (2)

on the beach a falling star
one more wish
for life

Tena Myers (6)

snow sparkling
under streetlight
my first snow angel

Bryan Williams (2)

lightning flashes
children piled
in mom's bed

Joe Walters (5)

This haiku reminds me of when I was a single mom and it was just the 4 of us. We would always protect one another, and they always look to me to protect them, so anytime when just one of them would hear the slightest sound at night they would sneak into my room and climb in bed with me for protection. I can remember many thunder and lightening storms when one by one they would come into my room and pile into my bed hiding under my covers. This brought back many fond memories of my girls when they were little and those same memories keep us all very close today. Linda

I also expresses this one to the class. My children and I are petrified of the dark. So, we sleep with the hallway light on and have nightlights in every room of the house except for the kitchen ( I like to keep them out of there). One night when I was living alone with them…there was a pretty rough storm going on outside. Lightening was crashing and the thunder was pretty fierce, but, my children weren’t scared, although the noises woke them up, what made them scream, and claw at my neck was the fact that the power had gone out, and all the nightlights and the hallway light were out. Jaylen

steamy day
i nap under my
          majestic oak

leaves falling from above
the smell of marshmallows
roasting on an open fire

first day of summer
the smell of diesel
all aboard

a warm autumn night
fifty yard line
touchdown wildcats

colorful leaves
the smell of wood burning
and crisp cool air

Lori Baitto (3)

air-conditioned building
standing tall and proud
across the stage we march

Tena Myers

cornfield in a blanket
no footprints
morning snow

grandma’s raking party
          the smell
of burning leaves

Bryan Williams

almost dusk
sparklers flicker in
hands of our children

This reminds me of when we used to light sparklers as a child on the Fourth of July. The sparklers we used to have had a metal wire with flammable material pressed around them. I can picture the figure eights and circles that we would make. Of course, us boys always had to have a miniature flaming sword fight too. I can smell the smoke rolling off the sparkler and the light was so bright that there was always a bright spot, when I closed my eyes, that would stick with me long after the sparkler was gone. The big show in the sky would start and all of the sparklers would fade away as they were not quite the attraction that they once were earlier in the day. Bruce

Christmas bulbs
glow luminous
through the glass doors

winter sidewalks
my children
at the Icecapades

Becky Voigt (4)

hot blistering sun
tip-toe swiftly
on the blacktop

Keith Campbell (5)

This haiku reminded me of my summers growing up at my parent’s home on the dead end street. Since we did not live on a main road, our road had tar on it instead of nice blacktop pavement or concrete. The tar machine would come down our road and coat the street with the thick black tar about once every couple of years. On hot sunny days I would go out to the street and pop the tar bubbles with a stick or my fingers. It really was fun, how many could I pop? The smell of the oil would remain on my fingers and I would put them up to my nose and sniff. Why I do not know??? I didn’t mind the summer heat while I was popping the bubbles, perhaps because of my love of numbers. Counting the bubbles was fun. Kathi

paddling a canoe
as the water
rises over the yard

Deb Lehman (3)

ice covered trees
fire warms my body
not my heart

Kathi Overheul (2)

I picture branches weighted down with the ice that covers them. They glisten in the sunlight but the way the branches hang takes away the beauty of their sparkle. Inside there is a warm fire glowing in the fireplace. Although the fire warms your body from the harsh elements of the world around you it cannot lift your spirits. I myself have felt this way the past few Christmases sitting by my grandmother’s fireplace. It seems that so many people have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Patti

Christmas lights flashing
gifts under the tree
first Christmas memory

grilling out
fresh squeeze lemonade
a pink sunset

first snow
kids try making a snowman
soft snow

waves rolling against the boat
the big dipper
champagne