A photo posted by molly murphy (@shebelievedandsoshedid) on Nov 11, 2016 at 8:32am PST

Our 2016 Fall Elephant Academy apprentices (who join in from around the world) recently took the time to share with us a series of haikus.

Their reflections on the 2016 U.S. Election are powerful beyond measure. So much can be said with so few words. The message that we can read between the lines is immensely powerful.

~

Sally Bartolameolli

Woke up from a dream
Smile on my face with news to read
didn’t believe, couldn’t
~

Stella Bonnie

Furious siren
Wrapped in flames she dies alone
A phoenix rises
~

Tori Buchanan

Stayed up to late
Overwhelmed with words
Searching for hope
~

Lindsay Lock Butler

Fear won in darkness
How does so much reside here?
Weep and roll up sleeves
~

Alisha Shanti Chauhan

Stark silence scary
Fiery heat burning feelings
Only love wins now
~

Gabriella Moonlight Dahalia

Adrift in my tub
wishing to drown my heart in
the softness of my breath
~

Briana DeLucia

This is what happens
People don’t know how to lose
Enough is enough
~

Rohana Dewfall

Ah, Trump, oh my gosh!
International chaos:
Inevitable
~

Adrienne Dygert

Deep nausea foggy head
How to cope
Who will protect them
~

Paul Fenoglio

Donald J. Trump said
The electoral college
Was bad years ago
~

Cecilia George

I slept through the fear
I awoke numb but angry
I will rise fight
~

Michelle Hardie

Feeling numbed,
Worry about my Muslim friends
How will the world change?
~

Ashleigh Hitchcock

Awake at midnight
The world needs cheering up
Big Instagram hug
~

Don Hudson

Donald is the new
Long live old king Obama
The new King must fall
~

Briana Johnson

Stillness in the air
Dust settling on my cold tea
Couch embracing me
~

Amanda Kelly

From empty streets I see
TV screens through the windows
Trump wins. We are lost
~ 

Montse Leon

Trying not to scream
I changed my citizenship
Day of shattered dreams
~

Nicole Marchant

Expecting Hilly
I slept inconsistently
I woke to Trumpdom
~

Dawn Matoy

No television
Keeps refreshing Google screen
Tears fall on my phone
~

Tony McReynolds

Growing more quiet
As the once bouyant pundits
Turn somber themselves
~

Claire Morra

Lost and driving home
I heard Michael Steel say
I am shocked, shocked
~

Molly Murphy

Chopping onions
Pretending not to listen
TV louder than soup
~

Josette Myers

Election returns
Mitch McConnell my hero?
The Donald is blocked
~

Kaitlyn O’Connor

Woke up to the humidity of Mexico
My heart started bleeding as it read the news
A step behind for humanity has just begun
~ 

Caitlin Oriel

Sleepless night awake
My phone screen was not lying
Flashing lights can’t lie
~

Hermina Popa

I’ve been sitting on this chair for hours
My eyes are stinging—tears? Screen glare?
Breakfast still untouched on my counter
~

Jaquí Rodriguez

Red sofa, late night
Anxiety could not sleep
Trump announced, I froze
~

Susan Rubin

The pundits who made
This bigot into hot stuff
Should be accountable
~

Jen Schwartz

Too much stimuli
Cannot disengage from hate
Wonder what comes next
~

Autumn Sellmann

Sleep in my eyes still
The phone lights up a text comes
Breath is hard to catch
~

Tracy Simpson

My heart scared. Don’t want to explain
How do I explain to children? How do I help?
They don’t understand. They are worried. This is in Canada…
~

Galina Singer

Woke up in crumpled bed
Heard the news blaring loudly
What will happen now
~

Alex Smith

Career dream darkens
My solar job is at stake
Can one man do this?
~

Nikki Townsley

Assaulted women
Unfurled the deplorable
And it’s only begun
~

Christy Williams

My eyes were closing
Until I heard the fireworks
Celebrating hate
~

Sasha Wilmott

Blurred vision on phone
Feels late to telephone Dad
And say I feel scared
~ 

Jennifer Wysocki

Can’t fall back to sleep…
What to say to my students?
Is it wine time yet?
~

…and editor-in-chief, Waylon Lewis

Sitting on my gray couch
Crying, then staring into space
My coconut ice cream forgotten, melting on the coffee table

~

Authors: Participants of the Fall 2016 Elephant Academy, and our Fearless Leaders and Guest Professors

Image: @shebelievedandsoshedid on Instagram // @elephantjournal on Instagram

Editor: Caitlin Oriel