1

a dresser
her scarf
collects dusk

2

after the argument
her empty chair
collects rain

3

remember it all
too well
the cardigan doesn’t fit

Randy Brooks

I really like this one for multiple reasons. This first is what I see when I read this is a girl finding an old cardigan hid in the back of her closet. It opens a flood of memories and she remembers everyone. I know I have felt this recently when cleaning out my room and finding old things I forgot about but they bring back so many memories. This haiku also reminds me of a couple Taylor Swift songs which is fun. Addison Ross, July 2026

18
after the anthem
my child asks
who are the free

4

blue tango
a dress from
mother’s playbook

5

melting pot
the twilight takes
every shade

6

snapshots
I show my daughter
what life used to feel

7

everything piles up
I miss
real summer

8

tennis courts
age
no longer matters

9

room service
an afternoon breeze
wrinkles the curtains

10

crisscross applesauce
waiting for
grandpa’s fireflies

11

just the two of us
things no one said
out loud

12

the wind howls
I try to escape
chilled to the bone

13

my best teacher
and biggest enemy
a green fuzzy ball

14

painting the nursery
cat paw reaches
under the door

15

bonsai tree
sold for pennies
at the garage sale

16

thick clouds
the sun shining through
my thoughts

17

July heat
the crown rusts
in the meadow 

18

after the anthem
my child asks
who are the free

Michael Jouanneau

When I read this one, I imagine a small child and their parents standing for the national anthem at a sporting event. This is a very common thing, but what the child says catches the parent off guard. Especially with the fourth of July just passing, these thigs combined have really made me think. Yes, we do have freedoms that others do not have but are we really free? There are still so many people that are fighting for rights and so many inequalities, it’s hard to feel like we are actually free. Addison Ross, July 2026