T’was a warm and humid day when I fell asleep
Outstretched under a tall, shady maple in a forest so deep.
After an endless dream I was awoken by the strangest sound,
The squeaky voice of a large white rabbit, hastily hopping along the ground.

“I am late, I am late, I must hurry, I must haste, yes I know it;
If Inspiration and the Muse fail me now I will no longer be a poet!”
As I rubbed my eyes in utter disbelief I looked up to face the creature
And asked him what was causing his panic and perplexed facial feature

He then told me he was a great poet and his work was for “Pathetic”.
But failing to spin a word this past year he could be certain prophetic
That his fellow poets would cut him off; throw him out by the ear
Hence his utter despair, being truly convinced of the truth in his great fear.

Not wondering at all that I was just talking to a hare
I tried to be serious and managed to avoid making a stare
But I laughed and consoled him with a gentle pat on the back
And assured him I would do all I could to get him on track.

Then I asked him to tell me the exact nature of his ills, and to be precise;
For I wanted to help him get out of this pickle, as I always try to be nice;
I asked him to concentrate and outline to me what he’d already thought,
But he lamented that his head was a blank; that’s why he had not written a jot.

Well, I asked him how much inspirational time he had before the deadline
And pulling out his pocket watch he told me that “...well it’s 7 o’clock now ; I’ve still got to nine.”
“Good grief you silly rabbit; why your all but in the pot;
You cannot write an epic, nor a ballad to get out of this spot.”

Well I thought about it and pondered away but really did not know what to do
But suddenly as if inspired by the muse; I shouted “I know you’ll write Haiku!”
“Yes, you’ll make it cutting and short, a classic 5,7,5;
As if the great Masaoka Shiki was still alive!”
So after explaining to him the special nature of this genre
He assured me he got it and we came to a timely entendre
So he left to be alone with the muse and to be back at eight
With his Haiku poem ready, a Haiku poem by a rabbit I could barely wait

But later and well after eight , as the clock kept ticking and the minutes moved on;
I set out to search for the beast, wherever he may have gone.
And soon I found him sitting calmly crunching carrots under some tree
Then he turned and looked at my red angry face and said: “relax, here it is,come and see.

Well I read it and somehow found strength not to laugh; but here I will read it
to you,
But please keep in mind that we have a rabbit writing Haiku.

Are you ready? Here it is just below
But please keep your laughter in tow.....................


“Carrots, orange, in a bunch
I must really take my girl
Out for a fine lunch”


“How is it?”, my rabbit inquired?
I said, fingers crossed behind my back,
“Truly inspired; should be more than enough to meet what “Pathetic” required!”

And indeed it was, and his membership never ever expired;
As he next moved on to lettuce, truly inspired.

The End

06/06/2011