Haiku, DQ

The haiku is a form of poetry that is brief but complete: 17 syllables, three lines long. Very regimented. From Japan, originally.

Well, leave it to people with a sense of humor to come along and use poetry for their own amusement. Thing is, it amuses me, and today I could use it. My friend, DQ Prieto, died today. He was a 17-year-old cat who lived with my friend Alicia. (We know cats cannot be "owned," and if one in a home could be owned, it would be the human.) He was something special, and I know I'll miss his insistent "meow" and the way he raced down the stairs to lounge about on the cement. (Never ask "why" with a cat....)

So, in honor of DQ, I submit the following cat haikus (gray, like DQ):

The rule for today:
Touch my tail, I shred your hand.
New rule tomorrow.


The food in my bowl
Is old, and more to the point
Contains no tuna.


My brain: walnut sized.
Yours: largest among primates.
Yet, who leaves for work?


Please check out the rest of them at the Cat Haiku Web site and the Cat Fancier's Haiku Web site. They are not all perfect, but they're funny. (If you don't like cats, they're even funnier.)

Give it a try: write one or more of your own. The rule is three lines, with the first and third being five beats and the second being seven beats. Count out the ones above to see what I mean. Send me yours today!