So I was going to post a writing tip today, but then I got bored and decided to go rooting through my ENIGMA file folder instead. ENIGMA was a short story club I formed in university, which at its heyday had a grand total of four active members. Apart from one very exciting and never-to-be-repeated occasion, I was the only person who ever actually wrote anything. But that’s cool, because I like writing, so pickles to them.
Anyway, I happened upon a trilogy of haikus that I wrote for one of our meetings. As you will see, this epic triad is titled “Out of Time” — a reference to the essay I had due that day. Instead of finishing said essay and handing it on time, I elected to procrastinate for several weeks beforehand, and then started writing that essay the day of. I believe I went on to hand it in three days late. But the story has a happy ending — we were only penalized 3% a day, so I ended up with a respectable mid-80s grade. Huzzah for lenient teachers!
And now, my haiku trilogy:
Out of Time
—
Time is up for me
I snatch and grasp for it now,
But I am too late
—
Blank space on a page
My essay is due today
Come, inspiration!
—
Shimmering starlight
Elephants flounce in the snow
Slightly off topic?
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Unrelated media of the day:
- Source: http://i.imgur.com/3knGYkv.jpg
Michelle Proulx - Author 
Great haiku, Michelle! I should try writing some of those myself, to counteract my innate tendency to write long (really long) prose pieces.
Haha thanks. I love haikus. They’re so easy — all you need are two minutes and a basic ability to count to 7, and you’re golden 😀
Haha, I particularly like the third haiku. Of all the things to flounce in the snow!
I get weird when I write haikus, lol.
Ah, I cannot count the number of times I waited until the day before an assignment was due before beginning to write. And then being complimented by my writing by my English professors.
(if my rushed, ham-handed prose – presented in rough draft, no doubt – was enough to draw their attention, then how poorly must the rest of the class written?)
Hahahaha right? I still remember all those times I would send my mother one of my essays for her to edit (she loves editing), and she would return it full of red with the note “Not your best work”. And then I’d get an 80 or 90 and be like SUCK IT. Except I didn’t actually say that, because she’s my mama and I love her 😀 But that’s what I was thinking 😀
I wanted to read
but I became distracted
by the Star Wars pic
Yes, I know I haiku isn’t supposed to be a sentence arbitrarily broken up in a 5/7/5 pattern. I know that, yet it didn’t stop me. Let me try again.
I find poets weird
Always counting syllables
Just buy a guitar
I actually did buy a guitar. Then I gave it away, because I’m totally incapable of playing the guitar. And now I’m back on haikus 😀 Also, arbitrarily breaking up a sentence into 5/7/5 is the hallmark of haikuing, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
I like the last one best. Quality 🙂
Great Star Wars pic.
Lol thanks. And thanks! On the original printed out version of the haikus I brought to the short story club, I drew an excellent rendition of an elephant flouncing in the snow. Except that I can’t draw, so the snow resembled mashed potatoes, and the elephant resembled a butterfly. I like to think I got the message across, though.
I like it.
Ready for the fight
A butterfly stuck in mash
Waiting for gravy
How does the gravy help? I assume it weakens the stickiness of the mash and allows the butterfly to struggle free.
Absolutely. 🙂
Love the Star Wars pic! 😉
It’s funny cuz it’s true 😀