Poetry Challenge - can you make a haiku poem?

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that is easy to make.  Things don't have to rhyme, but instead rely on specific syllable patterns.  Are there any budding poets out there?  Why don't you share your diet/exercise/lifestyle jouney with others through haiku poetry. 

The syllable pattern goes like this 5 - 7 - 5 for classic poems.  Haiku in languages other than Japanese often just goes for three short lines expressing something.  Often, Japanese will choose a theme and write poetry. One of the things which create interest in the poem is a contrast in ideas in such a few words.  There is also often an explanation of the background that led to a poem's being forming.

Example:  poem in 5 syllable, 7 syllable, 5 syllable rhythm followed by background information

    peanut butter jar

    calories much too high, but

    ahh, satisfaction

I was hungry and had just spent an hour jogging, so I wanted to eat something with protein.  The problem was as pay day appoaches, there is little to eat in the house except peanut butter.  It's a high calorie food that is pretty satisfying, and hey I ran, so why not indulge?

diet drinks are good

  pushing my stubborn body

to shed some more pounds

I am having diet shakes partly to shake up my regular food menu and also to get the vitamin balance.  Meal planning is easy on busy days too.   I hope I can lose some pounds this way.

busy days, no time

meals on the run -- no balance

leading me astray

Day after day of a too busy schedule makes it hard to exercise or eat right.  I've got to get it under control.

no haiku coming

then again it's 2am

maybe it's brain-freeze.

Not very elegant. Oh well. ZA, by the way, is South Africa. It's a lot browner and dryer than Japan - those green mountains look amazing!

I get brain freeze too.  I would love to visit South Africa some day.  The closest I have gotten is a couple day trip to Tangiers, Morroco. 

My haiku for today

   presents came for help

given a former student

  her speech rewarding

I helped a former student (actually a junior high English language teacher) plan and practice for a presentation.  She worked really hard, and it sounded like her presentation was a big success.  I was very happy for her.  It is hard to make a speech in English even if you are a teacher in Japan...  She brought me Japanese traditional sweets and two bottles of wine.

Fiance is back
Almost too much happiness
Now life can begin

Mmm, what are traditional Japanese sweets like? My sister brought back some goodies, but they turned out to be tiny packs of dried fish! Maybe it was a joke - her husband can read some Japanese...

I love the tiny packs of dried fish that are sauted with sugar, soy sauce and almond slivers.  It's pretty popular though it probably looks pretty adventuresome to western folks. 

The traditional sweets which are served with "maccha" green tea are made mostly from either pounded rice sweetened and shaped mostly like tiny buns or pinto beans or big white lima type beans that are boiled and sweetened, the water tossed out and mashed and shaped.  Most western folks like them a lot.  They are sort of creamy with a slightly grainy feel on the tongue.

I'm happy your fiance is back.  Good luck with your plans.

Today's haiku.

back on track running

  strong - sunny day - wind at back

     forward to 5K

I will run a 5K race for the first time in a big race on Jan. 1, 2009.  I'm really excited, but I want to race in under 30 minutes.  For someone going from Couch to 5K who started at the end of July, that is quite a challenge.  I think if I can shed a couple more kilos, with a lighter body, I can speed up.  Right now, my average time per kilometer is about 6 min 30 sec per kilometer.

I have found a friend

I reached out to someone and

I was rewarded

Thank you, kyashii

Christine

I feel the same way too.  We are lucky aren't we?  I am looking forward to getting to know you better.

Cheers  Kyashii

muscles disappear
body turns into a blob
go and work out, already!

I haven't worked out in weeks. This counts as scare tactics:p

Whatever it takes.  I have the hardest time motivating myself to workout, but every time I do, I wonder why it's so hard because I really love the feeling I have when I finish any kind of exercise.

Today's haiku:

 weary to the bone

   too many things to be done

    only two weeks left

I'm so tired, but I have a lot of things to do by the time we leave for the States on Dec. 19th.

Today's haiku

motivation comes

 too infrequently for me

   push myself forward

I am not very motivated right now, but I will try to get myself going...

It seems like I am

  constantly renewing goals

  yet sliding backwards

Twenty-five weeks have gone by since I startedCC+.  Making progress is like slogging through quicksand.  But, I hope I can lose another 15 lbs over the next six months.  Then, I would be in the healthy weight range.  Now, that is a goal worth slipsliding to.

Haikus are easy.

But sometimes they don't make sense.

Refrigerator.

(stolen from a threadless t-shirt!)

My own:

It is two AM.

Why am I not asleep yet?

twenty ounces, Coke.

My eyelids hurt me,

my corneas burn in light.

Sleep, why won't you come?

I turned the heat up.

It is 85 degrees.

My dad will kill me.

When my butt itches

I scratch it with your pencil.

I laugh when you write.

What wonderful insightful (?) haiku.  I really like them.  Doing several in a row is awesome.

Keep them coming.

running strong again

  two short runs, personal best

  to New Year's first run

I worked up a sweat.  I haven't been able to run as much as I wanted - partly due to apathy and protesting muscles.  But, I'm back on track.

Four nights out coming

  up and calories - food and drinks

   need to be controlled

Friday through Monday, we will be holding or attending events where the main purpose is eating and drinking in putting the year 2008 to rest.  They are big events in Japan.  I hope I can keep my calories and exercise burn in balance. 

Ah! Impulsiveness

 everything I want to be

  lost in a moment!

Cooked a huge batch of spaghetti bolognese for a crowd, and ate three times as much as I should - Aaaaaaaargh!  

Hope you manage to keep in control Kathy!

managing well - thanks

   food and drink galore do not

    tempt me - too, too tired

I didn't go overboard though many of my favorite foods were right in front of me.  Last night's banquet was good and I ate a lot, but I had exercised enough and not eaten earlier in the day to offset it.  Yay!!  Today's Open House we hosted had a nice turn out of nice people, and I was simply too busy to eat or drink anything.  The party ended with me being hungry...

Reese's candy bars

  yell at me from every shelf

but I am holding strong

I love the Reese's bars of every kind.  I bought two bars that I want to take back to Japan.  I guess I should cut them up, bag them and put them in the freezer for about 8 to 10 tiny treats... if they make it home.