After suffering a long, cold winter, spring has finally made its way to South Bend. What this means is we only have three weeks left to celebrate the return of the sun before having to return home. Some people have already chosen to spend their time hanging out with friends on the quad, while others have decided to go to the Stepan fields and play volleyball and soccer. One suggestion I have to commemorate this special occasion is something that I also find to be highly cathartic - writing haikus. But don't just write your typical three lined, 5-7-5 syllable, nature themed haikus that we all learned about in the fifth grade. They must all be centered on one of the most fascinating creatures the Notre Dame wildlife has to offer - squirrels. In this column, I have taken it upon myself to share 10 of my own squirrel haikus (and one last one from a friend) to show the endless possibilities a three-lined poem can have. But before reading them, there is one thing I must clarify. I use the word 'squirrel' in several of these haikus, and it is not one, but two syllables according to Webster.com. So if you are one of those individuals who firmly believes it is only one, all I ask is for you to look beyond this small dilemma and appreciate the beauty of the haiku.
Oh squirrel, you rock To love you is so, so sweet Don't eat trash squirrels
Squirrel, you're so fat You fall from branches a lot Don't die squirrel, don't!
Scruffy, your fur's gone A huge spot out of your butt Don't be self-conscious
Winter stopped mating But now you chase everything Spring is in full swing
You bit my hand, why? Friend, what did I do to you? You should be locked up
A hawk attacked you You couldn't stop the pecking Squirrel, he ate you
You jumped on my back After smelling chips in my bag I screamed like a girl
You move so slowly Don't become road kill, squirrel Life is too precious
Jackie Chan style Two squirrels fought for ice cream Squirrels - learn to love!
Domesticated You eat food out of my palm You love me, don't you?
Squirrels and students Man and animal are friends We should live in peace -LP
I hope my haikus have inspired you to go out and create your own masterpieces.
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