Magic in Costa Rica

Five Haiku

Alma,

First of all, you were right. Jigsaw was not just about how much you hate puzzles, although I still find it hard to believe that you have never hurled insults at a puzzle piece, so that's still up in the air as far as I'm concerned.

Second of all, I would like to say that I am very disappointed because I was really hoping that you were terrible at writing poetry! I've wanted to give you a B ever since your Jane Eyre essay and I was sure that this would be the assignment, but alas, I was wrong. You even rhymed it when I said it didn't have to rhyme, you try-hard!

In all seriousness, I really did enjoy your poem. It made me sad at first, but the ending was surprisingly lighthearted, coming from an angsty teen such as yourself (sorry, I know I said "in all seriousness" but I can't help myself). Overall, it was a powerful, extended metaphor (not simile) and I really enjoyed it. Well done.

See you Friday,

Mr. Miller

I smiled at my screen and sat up, yawning and stretching my back. I swept a curl of my messy hair from my forehead and blinked lazily in the morning sun that was filtering through the curtains. I laughed silently as I typed a response:

Dear Mr. Miller,

I'm glad you liked my poem

See you on Friday

Man, I was getting good at writing haikus. Or was is haiku? P.S. Is the plural of haiku also haiku? Or is it haikus? I snickered again and hit send. I still had to write four more haiku/haikus for my assignment tomorrow about people in my life. Unfortunately, I found it a lot harder to force myself to come up with them than letting them come naturally. I shrugged, I would work on that later, after I talked to my dad. My stomach churned as I contemplated our conversation tonight. I cursed myself for joining in on that dumb pact with Carla and Mark. I really wanted to support Mark and all, but the only things my dad and I ever talked about were the weather, work, and school. How was I supposed to just casually bring my mom up in conversation? I wondered if Carla and Mark had talked to their parents yet, and decided they probably hadn't. I walked into the library at lunchtime to see them both slumped in between the bookcases, looking like they hadn't slept a wink.

"Are you guys as nervous as I am?" I asked as I took a seat next to them.

"Yeah, I could barely sleep last night," Mark yawned and Carla nodded in agreement.

"Me neither," she groaned. Ethan placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and patted her affectionately.

"It'll be okay, babe. I'll be right there beside you." He smiled warmly at her and she smiled back. Even though they teased each other relentlessly, Carla and Ethan had a wonderful and supportive relationship. She knew how lucky she was to have a guy like him by her side, and he knew just as well how lucky he was to have a girl like her. I gasped in a moment of inspiration and took out my notebook. I scribbled down the words hastily before they were swept from my mind:

Hand on her shoulder

I'll be right there beside you

It will be okay

I smiled proudly at my second submittable haiku and closed my notebook, turning my attention back to Carla, Ethan, and Mark, who were all staring at me suspiciously.

"What?" I asked, tucking my pen back behind my ear.

"Um, what was that?" Mark gestured towards my notebook. "What did you just do?"