Daily Haikus

1.
A world of knowledge
hidden behind her old eyes.
Yet she says nothing.


2.
Pass no judgement here,
mind open to a world of
possibilities.


3.
Let love in your heart
and it will shine through your eyes
reflecting your soul.


4.
Old friend, you meet me.
Wagging your tail to greet me:
Noses are not blind


5.
Curled up round and wound
into a ball, he lies there
absorbing the sun.

Under Exam Conditions

Ninety Minutes Silence

Face rumpled, hair tousled,
frowning concentration.
Pencil stuck in hair scratching.
Lips murmuring...
chasing the words.
Pen scratches,
fingers counting,
pencil tracing
rubber scrubbing
pencil stubbing
Thoughts clicking
lips licking.
Brows drawn in concentration


Shoulders slumped, gazes glazing,
hand rubbing tired eyes.
Words blurring,
mind slowing
finger rubbing lips slowly.
Background rumbles
clock ticking
papers rustle
pencil pauses.
Mouth gaping yawns escaping
soft coughing hand muffling.
Head nodding, knuckle propping.

Nothing to do but sit and stare.
Nothing to do but sit and stir.

Miss-ing...

‘Miss, I haven’t got a pen – the library’s shut – they had no change Miss.

I couldn’t find my bag – I don’t have a ruler Miss.
Will I be in trouble Miss? Will I be sent home Miss?

Do I have to do this exam Miss?’

These are based on a series of free-write exercises I did whilst invigilating Y9 exams...ninety minutes is a very long time.

Collateral Damage

They met in May, in a café, quite accidentally. A spilt coffee cup, a pile of wet napkins, an ‘excuse me’. They married in June; coincidentally that was not her name. Time passed slowly, he learnt to love and hate her, equally. By July, they had died of despair: boredom and old age, that killer combination, not a tragedy.

This is based upon an exercise from The Writer's Block that Russell recommended. The idea is to write a complete story in just 59 words...it's harder than it sounds!