First Year Writing Award: 1st Place, Style: "My Home: Cabin Haiku"
by Fred A. Bushyhead III
The purity of sky/ trees enveloping the hills/ stars shining at night.
The scent of pine trees/ clean air untainted by man/ uncontaminated.
This land I know well/ Colorado is my home/ a cabin my home.
An old stagecoach stop/ log cabin built years ago/ still cozy and warm.
The fireplace warms us/ the feel of isolation/ comforting us all.
Absent sounds of cars/ the gentle breeze of the wind/ this is peacefulness.
Playing on the swing/ riding on the space trolley/ playing in the snow.
Watching tv shows/ playing my videogames/ it was relaxing.
Mom making dinner/ comfortable by the fire/ sister gone to play.
Shunned by my sister/ dreading her return back home/ hiding in my room.
Each morning I wake/ waiting for the bus to school/ what will the day bring?
Anger boils inside/ coming home the only peace/ dreading tomorrow.
My sister hateful/ a brief moment of hatred/ no more hatred now.
The single mother/ overworked and underpaid/ loving and caring.
The father long gone/ his internal turmoil/ never knowing him.
Eight losses so young/ my mind is fractured from loss/ every funeral.
A buffalo skull/ bustles feathers and his roach/ remembering dad.
The house has spirits/ though they never bothered us/ we knew they were there.
The needs of others/ departing my home for good/ family comes first.
It’s been years since then/ I miss my home even still/ I wish to return.
Instructor: Alex Peary