Haiku Kukai 02 Favorites
Global Haiku • Millikin University • May 2026
1 after her silence Taylor Stewart |
2 empty playground— Emma Babb I used to absolutely love the swings on any playground as a kid, and still spend hours on swings as an adult when I visit my friends over the summer. I can hear that old rusty swingset sound in my mind so clearly. I also like the ominous feeling of the empty playground and the evening wind; it feels like the start to a campfire ghost story. Elaine McLaughlin, May 2026 I imagine a grown up, taking a stroll at the old school park where she used to hang out every day with her friends. Things will never be the same as some have moved out of their hometown. Since the passing of her best friend, the friend group has fallen apart. The winds pick up and are warm, brushing past her cheeks as if to send a warm hug from the afterlife. The swings gently swing creaking chains. An ache in the heart for just one moment to relive the past. Tariqkah Abdullah, Summer 2026 |
3 autumn sunset— Emma Babb This haiku seems like it is maybe about grief, but never directly says that someone is gone. The image of the dad’s old work boots by the garage door makes me picture a father’s presence still being felt through the things he left behind. The autumn sunset adds to the feeling because autumn often connects to beautiful wndings. I like how quiet the poem is. Taylor Stewart, May 2026 |
4 sunset walk— Emma Babb This Kaiku reminds me of a crisp aired evening walk, used to help sort out thoughts. I imagine the trees are transitioning heavily at this time, and the red, yellow and brown leaves are dropping with every blow of the wind. The creek is full of leaves that migrate back to the bank and get pushed back onto the land. The couple walking together have rain boots and walk closer to the water and slowing submerge their feet. The pools have closed so, this is the closest thing they will get to outdoor water until next summer. Tariqkah Abdullah, Summer 2026 |
5 child’s wake Taylor Stewart This is a sad haiku but important one. The rain is both a blessing and a bother but touches everyone there. The earth itself seems to be crying for the child. Randy Brooks, May 2026 |
6 playing football Taylor Stewart I liked this haiku because it made me think of when I played soccer while growing up and coaching little kids for a couple of years. Where I lived in the spring and fall seasons always had muggy weather and we would only cancel if there was lighting. This haiku reminded me of all the slide tackles and falls in the mud I’ve done and seen. Every bruise and scratch was worth the memories! Oniza Royeen, May 2026 |
7 late night laundry Emma Babb This haiku stood out to me because it captures a feeling that many people experience. The speaker is alone doing a simple chore, yet the sound of the spinning quarters becomes more noticeable than their own thoughts. I like how the poem turns an ordinary moment into something meaningful. The contrast between the loud machine and the quiet mind creates a sense of exhaustion and reflection that feels very relatable. Emma Babb, May 2026 |
8 breakfast in bed Payton Hale This haiku stuck out to me because of both my experience with being homesick and being sick at home. I love how easily the meaning shifts based on the interpretation of the last line, entirely based on that space between home and sick. Elaine McLaughlin, May 2026 |
9 dirty coffee cups Payton Hale This haiku reminds me of a busy Sunday morning due to a family who attends church every Sunday. I imagine a huge family of 9 all on their way to church. There is a big breakfast on the table that includes pancakes, eggs, waffles, bacon, and so much coffee. The whole family drinks coffee, even the youngest who recently turned 13 years old. As they finish all of their food and coffee, they each put their coffee cups in the sink without rinsing them out. Asia Sheumaker, May 2026 |
10 frozen on the screen Payton Hale |
11 red hammock |
12 bare feet in the grass Lexi Stengel This haiku made me think of my two nieces. They live out in the country and are a little feral. They never wear shoes and constantly ask to play outside and in the water. This piece reminds me of how kids used to be (and some still are) before iPads. Payton Hale, May 2026 |
13 neighborhood streets Lexi Stengel This one brings me back to when I was in middle school. I can invision a group of 5 or 6 kids riding bikes around the neighborhood. I can see them going house to house to pick up more friends. And I bet they make a few pit stops for popsicles. Payton Hale, May 2026 |
14 midnight gas station— |
15 library silence Emma Babb |
16 senior year email Oniza Royeen This haiku effectively captures the uncertainty that comes with major life transitions. The unread email symbolizes the future and the changes that come after graduation. The phrase "not ready yet" is simple but powerful because it expresses emotions that many students feel during their senior year. I appreciate how the poem uses a small everyday moment to represent larger feelings about growing up and moving forward. Emma Babb, May 2026 |
17 muddy water Elaine McLaughlin |
18 prairie grass Elaine McLaughlin I love the nostalgic feeling of this haiku. "A taste of what once was". It seems that the prairie grass is associated with many memories for this individual. Often times a great haiku will make you feel strongly in one way or another, and this one certainly does. Kyson Pflum, May 2026 |
19 small town night and Oniza Royeen |
20 her cat watches |
21 a love Elaine McLaughlin |
22 empty baseball field Emma Babb I chose this haiku because it creates a vivid image and a strong sense of loneliness. The empty baseball field suggests that a game has already ended and everyone has gone home. The rolling soda can becomes the only movement in the scene, emphasizing the silence and emptiness. I think the poet does a great job of showing how a small detail can communicate the passage of time and the feeling of something being over. Emma Babb, May 2026 |
23 folding his flannel |
24 half packed boxes Oshea Darrington |
25 credits roll Oshea Darrington I liked this haiku due to the different perspectives it could have. My roommate and I have been falling asleep on the couch while watching movies so this instantly made me think of that. People having movie nights and falling asleep after watching so many. On the other hand I see people that have watched a movie so good they sat in shock after it was over. My past roommate and I watched Bugonia (with Emma Stone) on our couch and this exact situation also happened to us. Oniza Royeen, May 2026 |
26 library window— Emma Babb This haiku creates a quiet and lonely feeling but also weirdly enough makes me feel comfortable. The reader sees their reflection while the rain moves down the glass, which makes the moment feel emotional. I think the rain can also act as a sort of comfort for some people. The library setting also adds to the silence. It feels like the reader is alone with their thoughts. Taylor Stewart, May 2026 |
27 after the storm Emma Babb This haiku feels peaceful after something like a massive storm has passed. The storm reminds me of trouble, but the puddles holding pieces of sunset make the ending feel more hopeful. I like the phrase “pieces of sunset” because the light seems broken but still beautiful. The poem shows how something pretty can remain even after a hard moment. It feels calm, but not empty. Taylor Stewart, May 2026 |
28 standing at the edge |
29 a young boy cries Kyson Pflum |
30 a shocking phone call Kyson Pflum |
31 long drive Kyson Pflum This haiku reminds me of my aunt who lives in Evansville, Indiana. I imagine a family of Two girls and a boy, all siblings, driving down to go see their aunt. They don’t talk to anyone else in the family, nor have a relationship with them besides their aunt's side of the family. As they visit with her, they laugh and talk about all of the things that went wrong in the family they used to talk to. They bond over the process of healing their own traumas. Asia Sheumaker, May 2026 |
32 6 AM |
33 peaceful neighborhood Kyson Pflum |
34 old photos fade Caty Schmidt |
35 blades Caty Schmidt |
36 doors slamming shut |
37 empty swing set sways Caty Schmidt The beauty of this haiku is that it can be interpreted in different ways. In my mind, I picture a child who has just gotten off the swing laughing with a nice cool breeze on a spring afternoon. However, I believe it could also be interpreted as a memory. Seeing that the swing set is empty could bring memories of a child's laughter to a nostalgic parent. Kyson Pflum, May 2026 |
38 phone rings |
39 her head |
40 family cookout |
41 cracked watermelon Payton Hale |
42 foot steps |
43 black dress Payton Hale |
44 warm breeze |
45 baby cries Asia Sheumaker |
46 soft blanket Kennetra Shelby I like this haiku because it reminds me when I just go to lay down in my bed with my cozy blanket hoping to take a 30 minute nap and I wake up and its much later than that. But I find these naps so refreshing and lets me relax after long days. Caty Schmidt, May 2026
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47 laundry day Kennetra Shelby |
48 along the trail |
49 empty hallway |
50 muddy sneakers |
51 warm spring breeze— Emma Babb |
52 the movie plays Lexi Stengel This haiku reminds me of my own brother. He always wants to have a movie playing in the car, even when everybody else wants just to listen to music. Often times in longer car rides he will fall asleep, so we are all listening to the movie that he wanted to watch and we didn't. It's always annoyed me a little bit, but any good sibling does that sometimes. Kyson Pflum, May 2026 This haiku instantly reminded me of my siblings. I can’t even count the amount of family road trips or even just drives we had in our SUV with the built in TV. We had a whole CD collection in a binder and my siblings and I would take turns picking movies from them (my personal favorite was Barnyard). I’m also the oldest by several years and whenever I take them for drives or trips it always ends up with them falling asleep in the back no matter how loud my music is. Oniza Royeen, May 2026 |
53 burnt toast Blake Whitener I used to absolutely love the swings on any playground as a kid, and still spend hours on swings as an adult when I visit my friends over the summer. I can hear that old rusty swingset sound in my mind so clearly. I also like the ominous feeling of the empty playground and the evening wind; it feels like the start to a campfire ghost story. Elaine McLaughlin, May 2026 This haiku is very nostalgic. The burnt smell of toast brings back memories of my childhood home. My father would toast his bread longer because he loved the taste of chard toast. The smell reminds me of early mornings with my coffee co-insurer of a father preparing for a long day of work. As an adult I love a good chard taste myself. I now find it very fulfilling to get up early just to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and catch up on current events. Tariqkah Abdullah, Summer 2026 |
54 father and son Blake Whitener |
55 evening walk Carder Reich This haiku makes me imagine a young girl walking her dog in a cozy small town after school. The girl gets off the bus and runs inside, eager to walk her new puppy she recently got for her birthday. When she gets the dog finally on the leash after the puppy jumps all over. They both walk outside. After a while of walking another dog barks at them behind a fence, so they both start running and laughing all the way home. Asia Sheumaker, May 2026 This reminds me of my evening walks I take with my dog around the trail in our neighborhood. In which the dogs like to bark at mine and she barks back but its just a very descriptive way of describing a walk. Caty Schmidt, May 2026 |
56 bird call overhead |
57 clear shallow water Lexi Stengel |
58 history class Taylor Stewart |
59 limbs |
60 after a long week Kennetra Shelby I really liked this haiku because it reminds me of a sunday reset day when I have a week of working or school or just busy in general; but get to finally relax in a clean bed in which is just such a great ending to the week and to just chill. Caty Schmidt, May 2026 I really relate to this piece. Nothing is better then finally getting rest at the end of a long, hard week. Fresh sheets is the cherry on top for a perfect night. Whenever I have a hard week and manage to wash my sheets, I always take a long hot shower and jump into bed. Payton Hale, May 2026 |
© 2026, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.