Life in 17 syllables... or less

Yes, grammar bitches out there, I know it should be fewer, not less, but I don't care. Nitpicker that I am, it bugs me, but not enough to waste brainpower thinking of another headline.

Enough meandering.

Lately I've been thinking in haiku. Did you know that a haiku can be any three-line short poem? That 5-7-5 syllable thing that I thought was set in stone... nope. Apparently 17 syllables was the original Japanese rule, but in English you can say so much more with 17 syllables. The late Keiko Imaoka said the English approximation is more like 11.

Random fact: did you know the plural of haiku is haiku?

However, technicalities aside, I've been sticking with the 5-7-5 format to date. And even with the full 17 syllables, it's not easy to convey an idea or thought in so few words. For months all my book reviews on Goodreads have been haiku, and I find myself looking at life through haiku-colored glasses.

Yesterday my friend Mud, pictured here in zombie form, was trying to write a zombie story to submit to an anthology. She asked me for a "motivational zombie haiku." So here it is...

Yum yum, chomp chomp chomp.
Brains brains the musical fruit.
Oops, there goes my arm.

:)
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The ultimate incentive

I made my New Year's resolution, and it's the same as always: lose some weight and get fit.

This hasn't always worked so well for me. Yes, some years I've managed to lose some weight, but most years I haven't, and it's always a struggle.

On New Year's Day my sister called. She was making reservations and needed information. Woo hoo, she's taking us to Hawaii!! And not just Dave and me, but the girls, too! She's using timeshare points to get 2 condos on Kauai, one of the westernmost of the Hawaiian Islands, and cashing in her multitude of airline miles to fly us there.

Let's see... white sand beaches, snorkeling, scuba diving... Yeah, definite incentive! Our whole family started yesterday, with the goal to lose weight by the time we take the trip in October.

And when the hunger gnaws, or when my knees hurt from exercising, I just have to think about the trip. It'll all be worth it when I put on that coconut bra and grass skirt!

:)
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