Haiku Matching Contest PACE Fall 2005

(select your favorite for each pair and write it in the box below the pairs)
(then select favorites of those pairs, etc... until one is the top pick)

Haiku Roundtable--PACE Fall 2005

Miss Jody says to take out your books playing school Jenny Munro	first day of school the frayed edge of a baby blanket hidden inside the backpack Starr Dawkins	bedtime my faded, one-eyed rabbit gets tucked in beside her Starr Dawkins	worn rag doll regaining youthfulness next generation's love Missy Goad
These haiku together show the complexity of children. They surprise us with their imaginations and remind us of how much they still have to grow. Just the other day my niece who is five sat my daughters down ages 3 & 2 and tried to get them to play school with her. She wrote Mrs. Ruby on a piece of paper with a red crayon and propped it on the play table. I was so tickled to she her trying so hard to be calm and mature like her teacher probably is but losing patience when my daughters wouldn’t pay attention to her lessons. Also, being a mom of two young daughters, both who have special blankies, I relate strongly to the haiku on the right. Children, although seemingly more mature these days, still need to be treated as children. This haiku reminds me of a loving parent trying to provide their child with comfort while they are away. Maria
first day of school the frayed edge of a baby blanket hidden inside the backpack		bedtime my faded, one-eyed rabbit gets tucked in beside her
	top quarter champion first day of school the frayed edge of a baby blanket hidden inside the backpack
	top half champion young lovers the cornfield swallows their car
	bottom quarter champion young lovers the cornfield swallows their car
young lovers the cornfield swallows their car		How do I love thee? let me count the ways… What’s for supper?
strapless red dress she hides her wrinkled hands Marlene Gardner	young lovers the cornfield swallows their car Maria Clark	honeymoon in Mexico stepping off the plane a dove takes flight Maria Clark	How do I love thee? let me count the ways… What’s for supper? Donna Hyland
Both of these haiku have an element of expressed love. The first indicates a woman who although looks very sexy and good for her age, her wrinkled hands remind her of how old she is. In contrast, the second haiku reminds us of a youthful love. Young lovers parking in a cornfield to be alone. Both indicate the need for love, at all adult ages. Jamie I really like both of these haiku. The author of the first haiku provides an image of a woman who is trying to hang on to her youthful appearance. The strapless red dress would suggest a garment worn by a young, vibrant woman who wants to draw attention to herself. The woman in the haiku, however, is no longer young and must hide her hands to conceal her true age. In contrast, although the young lovers have youth on their side, they also have something to hide. The reader gets a sense that perhaps no one knows the two young people are lovers. In the car, in the cornfield, they can hide from the world and no one will know their secret. Donna
	top half champion young lovers the cornfield swallows their car
	champion Mother's Day a toothless smile delivers a handmade card
	bottom half champion Mother's Day a toothless smile delivers a handmade card
unexpected diagnosis strange I don't feel sick Susan Love	six toes instead of five unconditional love Brooke Weemer	pet store little black nose sniffing out a new family Missy Goad	cardboard houses line the streets American dream Megan Alwardt
I think this pair from the matching contest is very interesting. After reading and thinking about these, I decided the reason they go together is because in both haiku something has happened that is unexpected or uncommon but unnoticed and not dwelled upon. In the first haiku the unexpected happens to the surprise of this person. In the second haiku, the uncommon has happened to this person (or a child) but there is still unconditional love given. I like both because they are not a common haiku; they are real and have deep feelings of real life situations. These both make you realize everyone is not perfect and that is OK. Megan This six toes poem symbolizes for me a mother’s unconditional love for her child. No matter what the child looks like or whatever medical condition it may have, it is perfect to its mother. This is very dear to my heart, as my son was born with congenital heart disease. His poor little body looks like a road map, but he is perfect to me and always will be. Jenny
unexpected diagnosis strange I don't feel sick		pet store little black nose sniffing out a new family
	top quarter champion pet store little black nose sniffing out a new family
	bottom half champion Mother's Day a toothless smile delivers a handmade card
	bottom quarter champion Mother's Day a toothless smile delivers a handmade card
Mother's Day a toothless smile delivers a handmade card		no eyes, nose or tail head attached with pins a child's favorite toy
Mother's Day a toothless smile delivers a handmade card Starr Dawkins	little hands rolling the dough the smell of gingerbread Missy Goad	no eyes, nose or tail head attached with pins a child's favorite toy Mickey Hrvol	holes in the knees paint on the ankle my favorite sweats Mickey Hrvol
		Each of these haiku represents something old and worn that is still a favorite. Although one is a child’s toy and the other is a pair of sweat pants, each holds value to its current owner. Both authors use the word “favorite” to describe their feeling toward the subject of their haiku and both authors describe vividly the damage that has been done over time. Starr