Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 70
Thursday, February 20th, 2025[Share on Twitter/X | Facebook]
- gratitude is our business
Gratitude is our
business. And business is so
very very good. - sunday scaries
Oh no! The weekend
is almost over, and I
am dreading Monday. - turkey tally
How many birds do
we need for Thanksgiving? A
gaggle? What the flock?! - the bill comes due
The moment you’ve been
dreading: It’s time to pay up,
and you have no cash. - blinded by sunlight
No way to see the
road or the cars ahead faced
with maximum glare. - the unhealable thumb
A simple broken
nail leads to big ouchies from
every snag and catch. - let’s get petty
This game requires
a long memory and a
sour disposition. - psych yourself up for tiny wins
I’m going to get
moving. Any second now,
I’ll stand up for sure. - the snack cart
Baskets of cookies
and chips and fruits and nuts and
everything yummy. - the revamped walmart
Shoppers wander the
aisles looking for their misplaced
bargains and must-haves. - what charities will accept
Dirty jeans, moldy
books, scuffed furniture, ugly
sweaters, odds and ends, - man amongst the machines
He punched buttons and
swore at failures, adjusting
to the mechanics. - security on 25 screens
Black-and-white vision
aids watchful eyes in keeping
the site safe for all. - the ass crack bandit
Slippin’ them quarters
into bent-over butts while
remaining unknown. - sound signals of friendship
The right ringtones and
text tones spark instant joy from
incoming tidings. - the loudest guy in the room
His jovial ways
connect him with others in
keeping things relaxed. - fix a plate
Heap it with lots of
good eats, take a photo to
show off, then dig in! - beyond shopping
Take a walk outside:
Escape the material
world with its trappings. - the crocheted blanket
She poured love into
each stitch, weaving together
brightly colored yarn. - future dread
Thinking about the
future freezes my soul. I
can’t imagine why. - self care and the question of privilege
The world is burning,
but I’m retreating in haste.
Bigger fish to fry. - exploiting a vulnerability
Love is the pit of
your stomach wrenching in pain
from abandonment. - a hint of mint
Toothpaste doesn’t need
to taste like bubblegum or
goddam sassafras. - eat mor milkshakes
A peppermint chip
milkshake: the only food I
need in December. - catching a recruiter’s eye
All it takes is a
couple of keywords on your
LinkedIn profile page. - once, we were happy
A couple so in
love, spending time together.
Where did it all go? - the first phone call in months
Mother and daughters
take turns re-establishing
some kind of rapport. - the frailty of mom and dad
They got old so fast.
Brains, bodies worn out over
time. Goodbye comes soon. - the mini convenience store
Snacks and meals, sodas
and energy drinks. All run
from a checkout stand. - contraband in the planter
She found a stash of
mushrooms, fairly certain they
belonged to the teens. - the war against stuff
Don’t give me any
things. Fight clutter rather than
declutter again. - gig work as an elf
Santa runs a mean
shop. Quotas and deadlines on
expendable pay. - the wild robot
Machine reborn as
caregiver to a gosling
alone in the woods. - small joys every day
Rejoice in the wee
wonders that go unnoticed
brightening our lives. - at every moment, we are volunteers
Stephen Colbert says
to take everything with an
air of gratitude. - weighty matters
It’s OK to tell
the doctor that you don’t want
to step on the scale. - the stealth poet
Able to craft lines
and verses without being
detected by you. - when to hang it up: love edition
Two people without
hope to reconcile their own
insecurities. - when to hang it up: work edition
Relations sour
between once convivial
colleagues. Game over. - the shivery promise of a new season
Winter is here. Do
we hibernate or shed our
comforting jammies? - stressed beyond belief
Suffering under
too many obligations
and money troubles. - a relationship detour
Out of nowhere, a
time to re-evaluate
our shaky future. - who fills mama’s stocking?
Don’t leave out the one
person who makes sure to fill
the other stockings. - a christmas prayer
Worldwide conflicts tear
our lives apart. Seeking peace,
now more than ever. - the war within
Do I shut out my
friends to limit the carnage,
or share my chaos? - rainy, cold and dreary
Seemingly endless
cycle of wintry torment
in long barrages. - the value of camaraderie
To get through the tough
times, we should stick together
and love each other. - our hidden stories
We dare not share them
on social media, so
immense is our shame. - banned words, 2024 edition
Demure, brat, brain rot,
enshittification, cat
lady, skibidi. - going out with a sigh
Good riddance to the
vibes of 2024
and its doomsday scene. - new year, new you
… I muttered after
throwing my dead clone into
the nearest dumpster. - a shattered heart
The hardest part is
letting go. The easiest
part is letting go. - five stages of modern grief
Scrolling, vaguebooking,
numbing, ordering Postmates,
then narcissism. - an unbearable pain
Closing in on all
sides, unable to escape
her miserable life. - the littlest joys
We end the day with
reflection on small wins that
bring on such rare smiles. - conversational desperation
We connected but
for a moment, ending in
complete severance. - a disposable relationship
How do you throw love
away, when it’s so hard to
find in the first place? - to be a good man
Whether to shelve your
feelings and listen, or give
in to being hurt. - the best possible self
A version of me
stood proud for being loving
and fiercely loyal. - the place where wee things belong
Invisible signs
mark the spots where things should go,
home for each object. - seasonally, affectively disordered
Long nights bring gloomy
moods. Such dread manifests in
the gray winter sky. - the uncooperative treadmill
The readout displays
all 8s, meaning exercise
will take place elsewhere. - misery comes in twos
They faced their burdens
while holding each other up,
so great was their pain. - cooking efficiency
Make enough now to
eat again and again right
through the coming week. - how to date in 2025
Let AI make the
texts resonate, the photos
racy, the soul bland. - not working? networking
A year without the
right job means it’s time to call
in the cavalry. - the lost year
Sitting out of the
action, letting precious time
slip further away. - who could’ve seen it coming?
One moment, she’s in
a great partnership. The next,
she’s running from me. - the therapist blinked
Our session went quite
smoothly, until I revealed
my true misfortune. - on his day
King would not be shocked
to find our country ready
to back a strongman. - what she left behind
A fan, a bottle
of pills, a puzzle, fancy
pillow, her house keys. - on tap everywhere
Take a sip of fresh
water, you can really taste
the microplastics. - playing the field
Swipe left, swipe right, chat
up the ladies and locate
their social profiles. - dead inside
A piece of the soul
disintegrates, making the
body immobile. - fish sticks and doughnuts
Homeless and hungry,
the wanderers came in for
food and fellowship. - dish duty
I actually
don’t mind picking up a scrub
brush and scouring plates. - five queens
Black beauties around
a table trading good vibes
and laughing it up. - the burning of the sage
Out, OUT with the bad
juju, and in with the new
hopeful energy. - the legend of the chicken hat
Left behind by new
dates, giving an excuse to
call or to visit. - in the memory care unit
Residents, guided
by helpers, make their way to
their dining room seats. - the judge will sort it out
He said, she said. Their
lawyers out for blood. Let us
settle this in court. - the enshittification of content
We can make most things
with digital tools, but we
crank out loads of slop. - revenge of the dating apps
New methods to be
humiliated, harassed
and harangued online. - message to my ex
Fuck that fucking fuck.
Hope he gets shanked in prison
and dies bleeding there. - voice tracking, but for the tv industry
Local news, weather
and sports, but with broadcasters
far removed from here. - the cold
Runny nose, sore throat,
tired, listless and sore. At
least it’s not COVID. - finding out your worth
You’re worth so much more
than a dollar amount, but
those are our values. - a family in therapy
Mother and daughters
jockey for understanding
and for the last word. - an abundance of hospitality
Family welcomes
stranger into their home for
food and gifts and fun. - a house divided
Can a couple of
political opposites
get and stay married? - new york in 4 days
Take in a few shows,
concert, hit the museums,
dine around the town. - party for two
Presents plus a cake
and takeout dinner. What a
wonderful soiree! - what i like to do
Go walking, lift weights,
watch documentaries, write
poetry, dine out. - temper tantrum
Lashing out because
of high stress becomes ugly
pattern of abuse. - otp pdq
Find the one who bonds
with you effortlessly for
your one true pairing. - empathy surplus
It’s difficult to
empathize with someone who
is all empathy. - no penpals
Her dating profile
was all business, from height to
beliefs to shoe size. - career limbo
At a stage in life
where experience and smarts
get you nowhere fast. - an expensive hobby
Going out on first
dates is fun, but going out
on second dates rocks! - 5 o’clock conversations
Late afternoon was
reserved for talking about
how our dear days went. - the vanishing package
A porch pirate (or
naughty raccoon) made off with
my Amazon box.
• • •
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