A few weeks ago, right before bed, I logged into Facebook to browse through a friend’s photos.

I really don’t like using Facebook (for a variety of reasons that I won’t discuss here), but friends sometimes post their photos in their Facebook account and in order for me to view them I, too, must hold a page in this so-called book.

I looked at the photos and just as I was about to close my browser window, I realized I had received a message via the Facebook chat feature.  It was from my most important English professor.

In the spirit of this clever haiku, she asked, what could you come up with?

Haikus can be fun
But sometimes they don’t make sense
Refrigerators.

The letters on my screen had begun to blur long before, but no way could I sleep without completing my assignment.  I dashed off a response, and then another, and then another.

First thought:
Mommy I’m hungry.
Mommy help me wipe my butt.
Crap.  Five o’clock yet?

Nonsense haiku:
Blubba, flubba, spit.
Nonsense as I brush my teeth,
Jabberwocky talk.

One last:
Sleep deprivation
Makes everything seem funny.
Time to go to bed.

My haikus didn’t have the same surprise as the refrigerator haiku, but I still like the first best.  The haikus for today would be something like these below.

From this morning’s car ride:

Mommy!  I need snacks!
Mommy!  I need my water!
AN EXCAVATOR!!!

From later today, when I started to feel really, really yucky:

I have the (swine?) flu
Nice Carmen gave it to me
Someone is coughing.

After Carmen and David’s ear thermometer indicated a fever I drove to a small clinic in our Walgreen’s to get tested for H1N1/swine flu.  If I tested positive, I might be able to make my recovery a little easier and quicker with a course of Tamiflu.  After the chaos and sleeplessness of the past couple of weeks, I really feel like I need to catch a break.  The NP was very helpful and supportive but unfortunately, at the time of the visit my nose wasn’t runny enough for a reliable swab and test.  So, I’m just going to rest well, eat well, and spend a few days cloistered from the rest of society as my body fights this nasty little thing.  Carmen is much better after last week’s illness, but a less-than-productive cough still bothers her at night as she falls asleep.

I feel like my brain is made of porridge.  Time to go back to bed.

Edit, 24 May:  The brilliant thing about staying up late is that I can make the most amazing errors.  Late at night I am apparently unable to count syllables!  The last lines of the first thought and sleep deprivation haikus have had the extra syllables removed.