holding MY BOYFRIEND
in my hand
tiny candy hearts

huddled together
we relish the warmth
from our hearts

hooded sweatshirt
she explains
she can walk herself

fingertips
find my tummy—
spring butterflies

three words
even Neruda
can't explain

          Dan Simpson (8)

This haiku is excellent. The best part of it is that it is saying that Pablo Neruda can't even say how to say I love you. It is so good because Pablo Neruda is a very famous poet and could write extremely well. He writes about some of the most beautiful things in the world, including poems about love. I think it is almost funny, because I picture a guy who is in love trying to read a bunch of poems by Neruda to help him express his love for his girlfriend, but cant even seem to find the words that he feels from one of the greatest poets in the world. Brooke

Every time I reread this haiku, I enjoy it just as much as the first time I looked at it. Maybe I only assume that this poem is about love because that was our assignment, but it makes me laugh to think that even a prominent poet cannot explain “I love you.” This was a very insightful haiku. Laura

empty bar
nothing
worth noticing

          Nick McLenighan

I love this haiku! I think that it perfectly sums up the way you feel when you finally meet the right person. There could be a million people in the bar but without that person it feels empty. This may be the same exact setting that intrigued you just a week ago, but now nothing compares to the feeling you get from that one special person. I like this because at first glance it could seem sad or lonely, but if you dig deep it's a really beautiful haiku. Cory

at dinner
the silent couple
desperate for words

          Chris Merritt (7)

I think anyone who has been on a blind date or been set up by a friend can relate to this experience. You've exhausted all possible introductory topics of conversation (the standard small talk), but dinner hasn't arrived yet and there's literally NOTHING left to talk about. So you play with your silverware, fold and refold your napkin, stir your drink, clear your throat and try to come up with something — anything! — interesting to say. And all the while you're wondering if the other person is feeling the same way or if they just can't wait to get out of there. Molly

This brings the image of two people sitting at a cold dinner table, both hiding secrets. They are pretending that there is nothing wrong with their relationship but their silence says it all. I like this haiku because in every relationship ther are times like this, and the word Desperate brings a sense of want and need as well as urgency to the problem. This is sort of depressing but real. Cory

indescribable feelings
I tell her
my middle name

fettuccini alfredo
as soon as he finds
the strainer

we sit
in silence
and smile

next to me
your spot
is now a vacancy

windowless cell
the lonely tutor
spins in her chair

leftovers
scooped into Tupperware
—enough for two

words of love
in one ear
out the other

Molly Burns (5)

salty tears
we kiss
for the last time

Ashlee Peth (6)

early morning sun.
heartbeat against
my shoulder

          Nicole Silverman (3)

Boyfriend/girlfriend sleepovers are the best, and I can't think of a better way to describe one (well, any type of romantic relationship will work, but I pictured a guy and a girl, for moi). I see the couple laying in bed together, the girl in the guy's arms, just naturally that way out of habit or rolling over in his sleep. Her head is nesting close to his, as his arm and shoulder almost become one with hers, enveloping her. His chest is placed so perfectly against his back; just close enough that she wakes up, or happens to already be awake, and it's so still that she can hear and feel his heartbeat against her. This is such a sensuous haiku. Joanne

the spring rain
holds only
unwarranted melancholy

          Nick McLenighan

I imagined every spring day where all the students are eager to look for mates. They are twitterpainted just like the animals in Bambi and the ones that aren't are just simply depressed. Spring is supposed to be a vibrant, happy time while sometimes it just makes everyone feel alone unexpectedly. Katie

another couple
mirrors
what used to be

          Ashley Knezevich

This one gives such a sense of sadness and melancholy. It is really easy to remember only the happy kind of love, the dropping-feeling-in-your-stomach love, but not everyone thinks about what happens and what it feels like when that love ends. It is especially hard when you are in a relationship that is only pain, and somehow you only see happy couples around you. There is pain, but it is a pain that everyone can relate to and everyone is familiar with. Ashlee

romantic evening
curled on the couch
just me and Ben & Jerry

          Ashlee Peth (10)

I like this Haiku because it has some humor to it. I like how the first two lines set you up to see something romantic between two people and then the last line turns everything around. It is almost as if you go from being happy because of love, but then it turns sad because the person is all alone. This haiku is written very well and I enjoyed it very much. Brooke

At the moment, this is certainly MY idea of a perfect evening. I'd be quite content sitting on the couch with a big bowl of ice cream watching a movie (preferably something mindless like Harry Potter). This haiku makes me want to do just that. As a jaded nonromantic, I like the surprise factor of this haiku's final line. After the first two, I'm expecting some cheesy clincher and am pleasantly surprised to find that someone else also enjoys the company of good old Ben & Jerry. Molly

I like this Haiku because I think it is real. There are so many people especially woman who get lonely. It is just a “known” thing that when you are depressed or lonely that you can eat anything you want and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is a common tool to counter depression. Loneliness can really stink sometimes and you need something to help you through it and ice cream is a perfect remedy. Jill

This haiku is interesting to me because it was hard to tell if the author meant for this haiku to be happy or sad. At first, the reader thinks that the person is comfortable having an evening to themselves on the couch eating ice cream. However, being a girl, I can imagine a girl sitting on a couch with a pint size box of Ben & Jerry (probably something containing a lot of chocolate) and a big spoon eating it right out of the box. I think of a girl just getting over a break-up and watching romance movies like Jerry Maguire crying and emotionally eating to make herself feel better. I can relate to this because I’ve been there, and ice cream really does help. Sarah

Normally when one might think of a romantic evening it usually involves a couple with candles, starlight, or something that is stereotypically romantic. This haiku does a great job of leading us on for the two first lines, getting use set up for this couple on the couch, maybe in an embrace, yet the last line takes use for a spin. The lead up lands us on this single person, maybe a man or maybe a woman with a container of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream. What is truly refreshing about this haiku is that it is not saddening to be alone but very content to just be this person with their ice-cream. Dan T

insipid messages
on candy hearts
I throw out the pink ones

          Molly Burns (7)

I think I liked this one because its so cynical and sarcastic. It made me laugh. I really just saw this person sort of alone in a huff in the corner, jealous, or for what ever reason angry or agitated, in total spite of the “lovey-dovey” atmosphere all around. The only salvageable portion of the day comes in the form of meaningless cliches and candy- both which are probably bad for you. Nick

Sure, there’s the cliché angst felt towards Valentine’s Day in this haiku, but I chose it rather for the use of the candy hearts. I’ve always hated those hearts; they’re disgusting. This haiku seemed humorous to me because there is the parallel of this rejection of love and all its intrinsic sappiness and those sick little hearts. I hate Valentine’s Day not for the commercialization of love, the sheer stupidity of the event, or the stupid colors chosen to represent it, but rather for those wretched, little candy hearts. Mike

black satin
eagerly awaits
its debut

          Jennifer Godwin (8)

When I read this haiku, I instantly think of someone’s wedding night. The haiku is creatively written; the black satin is personified and thus allows the audience to view the evening from a unique point of view. I also enjoy the irony of the color choice: white wedding dress versus black lingerie. Wonderful job! Laura

This haiku is sexy. It reminds me of all those times that a girlfriend springs some surprise new undergarment only to have it wind up on the floor. It not only reminds me of how excited I was to see it, but also how excited she is to show it to me. There’s a lot of potential energy in this haiku which I am able to use up in whatever direction my mind takes me. Mike

morning dew
cool between my toes
a long kiss goodnight

          Ashlee Peth

This haiku is a wonderful image of summer love. I can imagine getting off of work to go spend the evening with my girlfriend. After dinner, we would watch the sunset and then we would catch the last few fireflies in the grassy knoll and then we would relax on a blanket underneath the stars. After a few hours snuggling together in the moonlight, we would wake up and watch the sunrise in its splendor. The kiss goodnight wouldn’t happen until the morning’s dew because the night would be so enjoyable. I mean a date that ends with breakfast is the best kind of date right? Zack

faded polaroid
a wreath of daisies
my lost love dances

in the crystal
their forbidden love
reflecting

words
softly whispered
over candlelight

french words
from an irish girl's lips
I may be in love

the lingering taste
of candy hearts
our lips meet

leaves fall
epochs pass
between the echos of her voice

lonely
fingers entwine
Southern Comfort

a dozen chocolate roses
cherished not eaten
. . . diabetes

          Dan Tempkin

This poem appeals to both the physical and emotional senses. A dozen chocolate roses poses a pretty sight; certainly they were bought arranged perfectly with a red bow tied around the stems. He gives them to her and she loves them... not through taste, but through the powerful emotions shared between the couple. David M

he hides
the heart shaped box
behind his back

          Jennifer Godwin (4)

I think this is a traditional moment that all girls wait for in their lives. It is the day when the meant hat they love will ask her to marry him. I can just imagine a girl with her boyfriend and seeing something little in his hand behind him and just totally losing your breath because you know what he might say to you. Most girls dream of this moment since they are little girls and then when it finally comes they can barely contain themselves with joy and yet for some reason we always cry at a moment like this. Jill

someone to confide in
this sudden gust
of wind

          Laura Podeschi (3)

This made me think of a when I met a person, got to know them quickly and then we went our separate ways. Usually it takes a long time to get to know a person and be able to confide in them. Sometimes you meet a person, you click and the entire lifespan of the friendship is put into hyper-speed. This haiku made me imagine what it is like to have a person come into your life and confide in them soon after meeting them, and then having the relationship disintegrate. You can almost sense some wistfulness about the loss of someone in this haiku. Rachel

moonlight kiss
as we leave the tavern
“will you move to L.A. with me?”

James Hartnett

long-stemmed roses
tangled up
in love

love notes
on my porch
junior high stalker

silence
I hang from your breath
by a telephone cord

          Michael Knowles (7)

When I read this haiku I thought about a lot of different things, but I took this as two people in love talking on the telephone, I see them as being a distances from each other. Maybe the couple is wondering why they are still together and the “silence” is them just thinking what to do because they love each other. Tony

For 2 years I had a long distance relationship where we heavily relied on the use of a phone. Nothing is worse than silence from a person over 300 miles away. If the silence was caused because of a lack of conversation, that caused worry, if the silence was caused by a moment where the two felt comfortable, it caused longing and if the silence was caused because of a fight, it was the worst, painful feeling you could ever feel. This haiku reminds me when my bastard ex-boyfriend broke up with me over the phone just a few days before he’d visit for our two year anniversary – the horrible silence coming from my end when I didn’t know what to say…. yeah…boo-hoo…I’m over it. Sarah

This was another favorite I had as well for the reason that when I have been in relationships they have been with people from home which is 3 hours away and that makes the conversations so much more difficult. I was really able to put myself in this persons shoes where every word that is spoken between the two of you is cherished. Yet when there is silence you still can hear them breathe like they were right next to you. Amazing how love can turn a simple little conversation into something you will cherish so much, waiting for that phone call each day and hoping that it goes well without and argument is always the main goal. David K

I imagine myself on the phone with my mom, she left a message earlier that day asking me urgently to call her back. Now, hours later I called her back and I asked her what was wrong, she takes a long pause and I hear her breathing, it seems like an long time before she starts speaking again. While I am waiting I feel the muscles in my chest tighten and my heart pound. I ask her again what’s wrong and she finally talks. Rachel

fireproof box
old wedding vows
and divorce papers

          Michael Knowles (9)

I can see our own fireproof box at home, sitting in the place where we all know it's kept, until something "important" needs to be taken out of it or placed inside it. In this case, I see a recently separated couple digging out their box to discover what made them a couple in the first place. The emotions evoked in this haiku are very conflicting; a part of me wants to see them reconcile, while the other part of me feels that the wedding vows only serve as a reminder of why they were divorced in the first place. Conflicting imagery from one haiku? Wonderful. Joanne

I thought this haiku was very poignant. It showed two very different things, happy and sad, together in the fireproof box. They are safe from danger of destruction, unlike their lives and marriage together. The papers are kept for legal reasons, but serve as reminders of a painful past. The “old” wedding vows seem to bring an age factor into it, like the 2 people have been married for a long time. The divorce papers appear to be fresh and that it has not been too long since the divorce. Someone could be placing the divorce papers into the box for the first time, only to remember how it all began… Jennifer

This one I thought was very clever because the wedding vows were cancelled out by the divorce papers. Now both are null because they are kept in a box that cannot be destroyed. The box seems to be an example of an oxymoron in the sense that both coexist together in the same permanent environment. I found it to be very ironic. Katie

dad’s birds and bees
a stack of videos
under the bed

the elderly couple
worn by life
sparkle in each other's eyes

          Chris Merritt (11)

This was a very sweet haiku. I imagine an elderly couple sitting at the table, still very much in love looking in each other’s eyes. The words “worn by life” are a very good way to describe older people. The reader gets the feeling that they have lived a long and happy life together. I love the word sparkle to describe the look they have for each other. The haiku portrays a sense of warmth and love between two people that radiates to the reader. Jennifer

I love this one because it gives such a sense of universal, lifelong love. A couple that has probably been together for fifty years and been through every hardship one can imagine can still look at each other and be completely in love. It gives such a sense of hope and love, something that everyone wants in life. A lifelong love. Ashlee

I love this haiku. To envision this elderly couple that has been through everything together, good and bad, and knows that they still turn to one another with the same adoration and affection as the day they met… that is the embodiment of love at its best. Angie

I thought this was a pretty good one because I can really get a sense of myself being told this one time. I have been in relationships before and sometime girls are just so damn stubborn and mad at you that they want you there but they don’t. In a way I find it humorous because I am not in a relationship right now and it is funny just to think back on past experiences. Then on the other hand I also see someone who just wants to be left alone, b/c possibly you as a guy did something to her that she does not want to touch her or even come close to her. So yes it can be a guy’s fault as well its not always the girls fault. David K

forced laughter
at the creepy joke
I smile at him

          Rachel Walker

This one really hit a chord with me because it isnt your typical “love” haiku. It was very similar to many of Misajo Suzuki’s haiku. It was very real. It was not just a surreal or ideal situation. It's really disturbing in a way, which love can its self be. Nick

eyes that tell
stories
never heard

          James Hartnett

Eyes are capable of expressing feelings and emotions in a way that words are incapable of describing. This haiku not only gives us a clear visual of eyes, but also gives us the feeling that they are hiding something… as if holding back the pain. On the other hand, it could be that the memories are so wonderful and still in continuation, therefore words are not necessary to encompass the stories beneath. Angie

low voices
the gold from her finger
on the table

          David Meyer (3)

I think this haiku uses sensory perceptions very well. The first line is strong and the “low voices” are a strong sense to begin the haiku with. With the sound of the voices in the background, the haiku then goes to the gold wedding band lying on the table, another strong image. The beauty of this haiku is what it does not say. The lines never once mention marriage, divorce, or fighting; however, all of the sensory lines evoke a sense of the situation. The first line draws the reader in and the second line lends perspective and a sense of distance. I feel as if I am somewhat outside of the situation. Perhaps I am in the room with the wedding ring and I have walked into the house in the middle of it all, drawing my own conclusions from what I see and hear. Perhaps I am a child. Either way, the haiku is powerful and carefully written. Nicole

when I see
her
I melt.

          Tony Lipka (4)

This haiku is really cool because it is a guy saying this. So many times it seems like girls fall in love so much easier than guys yet this is not the case with this one. He is just in total and complete love with this girl and I can imagine him being like a manly man and then after meeting her he has turned into just a soft hearted teddy bear. He truly loves her and by the words he gives it makes me think that he would do anything for her. Jill

morning sunlight
in her sleep
she squeezes my hand

          David Meyer

This haiku is beautiful. I love waking up next to my girlfriend and watching the sun shine on her delicate face as she sleeps. Sometimes I am lucky enough that she will hold my hand in her sleep and I can wake up with her warm hand clasped with mine. After so many years of sleeping alone, I can say that I have cherished the many mornings that I have opened my eyes at dawn and noticed her hand squeezing mine. Zack

takes work
Is it worth it?
LOVE

years of eyes
lifetimes of smiles
we hold each other at last!

crayon against cardboard
leaves "Love" behind
         glitter on the table

sitting right beside me
  he
       is far away

I ask where we're going
just keep your eyes closed
she whispers

walks alone now
breeze still chilly
our old path

my best friend
         then
  my love

          Jill Guffey (6)

I like this haiku, I can see two people best friends they are always around each other, they know what each other like, obviously they like each other’s company, and one thing leads to another. I have seen it before so I can relate to this haiku. Tony

I enjoy the image given by this haiku. It's a very simple expression of a very powerful emotion. The imagery created by this poem really can't be seen, heard or touched, but it is felt just the same. David M

when all is gone
you come walking
always with the answer

sweat forming on my brow
walking her home
should I reach for her hand

Matt Tierney (3)

empty
shoebox decorated
for valentines

first kiss
his mouth
swallows my face

inside the quiet bus
he slips his hand
under my hip

my soldier overseas
a beautiful bouquet
on the doorstep

gentle spring rain
all alone in the wood
her tears on my cheek

cold, wet nose
tickles my cheek
“puppy love”

side by side
I listen as you
fall asleep

          Sarah Bassill

Again another haiku that does not place us in the perspective of either the man or the women but gives that to the reader to decided. There is something wonderful about laying next to someone you care for and listening to them as they fall asleep. The gentle sound of their breathing, the soft rhythm of their heart beat, and the warmth of a body next to yours. Added to that from my, a males, perspective is the scent of her hair, which I can't say why but it is intoxicating. This haiku does a wonderful job giving the reader the setting but really lets the reader become a part of it and fill out the details between the lines. Dan T

winter night
snow on the ground
warm hearts

early morning raindrops
from the eyes
of fallen angels