Every artist has a medium. Some are painters, some are singers, some are photographers. We have dancers, poets, sculptures- a indescribable number of ways to express what we are feeling.

For the longest time, I always assumed my most skilled form as an artist was writing. As a child, I always had little stories floating through my head. I was selected twice to compete in the Illinois Young Authors (a competition for elementary-junior high writers to display their writing). I can't even count the number of binders and notebooks, pages filled with my stories, that are in my house. All through my public school journey, short story writing was my escape.

Then, my sophomore year at Millikin, I took a class on the Japanese tradition of Haiku. My class was taught by Dr. Randy Brooks, a known writer and publisher of Haiku. Dr. Brooks challenged every idea I had possessed about the genre. In a semester, I found my world completely engulfed by this new art form. I was scribbling haiku on the corners of my chemistry notes. I made a list of haiku on my phone's note taking app. Everywhere and everything became inspiration.

Today, I would like to share with you fifteen favorites from my original haiku.

1. Galaxies

Skin to skin-

leaving little galaxies

on you

2. Sad Ghost

lonely ghost

searches for purpose

my heart, I surrender

3. Strangers

tender smile

"I have loved you before."

Yuanfen

4. Signals

Reading your text

At the stop light

Mixed Signals

5. Breath of You

I tasted you

And I craved more

Secondhand Smoke

6. Fixing Me

Old pieces

New me

Kintsugi

7. Wishing and Wandering

1:23 AM

Wandering thoughts

Will I ever be yours?

8. The Sky is on Fire

lips to lips

my night sky

filled with stars

9. My Worst Nightmare

He pushes me away,

"I could never love you."

I wake up.

10. Trance

crystal blue eyes

I forget what

I was saying

11. Torture

I think about my fingers

Running along your bare skin

Cruelty

12. Candle in the Wind

How long

Will this candle burn?

Curiosity

13. Glimpses

Holding my close

I see ten years ahead

Little blonde curls

14. Odd Man Out

In a strange place

The black sheep

Searches for a home

15. What am I?

Do you want me, alone?

Or just when you are lonely?

Shoganai

For more of my original haiku, check out my haiku blog.