A haiku before bed

A haiku before bed, makes your head hurt less!

No, that's not it... but it is now!

I've set myself a little goal, or at least, I've been forming a good habit.

Habits are hard. Old ones die hard, and new ones take forever to form, at least intentionally.

I've hit a 14-day Duolingo streak today, which I am proud of, but the hard part is keeping it up from now on. The threatening notifications don't really bother me, or, at least not enough to encourage me to do a lesson, but coupled with another productivity app called Finch (strangely, another bird-related mascot) also helps me keep on top of my goals; I like doing things with friends, so the buddy feature has been fun!

I've got three daily goals that I share with friends:

1. Drink water - very important, and something that I strangely keep forgetting to do. So, visual reminders and notifications to take a break and hydrate has been refreshing (haha!)

2. Italiano 🤌 - complete at least one Duolingo lesson in Italian. I've made a promise to myself to not lose this language skill, and sadly Duolingo lessons (not that they're bad, they're just...limited) are currently the most accessible way to keep this skill alive consistently. It is better than nothing, so I will continue.

3. Connections - try to solve the daily New York Times puzzle, Connections. I find this one difficult to make myself do, because up until two days ago, I had spent my attempts making random guesses and never guessed even one of the categories!

I watch Hank Green on YouTube sometimes do the Connections puzzles. His own personal goal is to guess the categories in order of increasing difficulty (because why wouldn't you make it more complicated?!) and the way he makes does it makes them look so easy, but then I also think how?! just, how can someone's thought process be perfect enough to solve that puzzle so quick!

But, I am proud I've found motivation to do them from my little streak, and with the buddy goal; I think I've always been better at Wordle. It just makes more sense, and there's even an Italian version called Parola, which translates to word!

What was the very start of this about? Haikus! Right.

I didn't want to just post a three line haiku and call it a day, but there has been a little thing I've been doing that is now turning into a habit. Writing three little haiku poems on a sticky note while doing work, writing in my journal or just while bored.

I've done this twice now, totalling six haikus on some little sticky notes. They're random, reflecting my thoughts, usually during the wind-down period of the night where Google Chrome switches to dark mode and my fingers get sore from typing.

I often write poems, but I find myself steering well away from anything with too many rules to follow. I find rules constricting, like a pair of jeans that are too tight after eating. Rules, for me, are uncomfortable.

But, it is June. Halfway through 2026 (I'm freaking out too, okay, I know! I know!!) so maybe there's an incentive to make a small change. To reflect on the year so far and think: hey, what's something I haven't done that I'd like to try?

For me, it's trying to write more structured poetry.

Haikus present another contrast to my writing habits; they are short. I am not known for my ability to be concise - just read any of my poems. There's a reason that I go through more than one notebook/journal per year (and no, it's not just because I have large handwriting!)

I have always struggled with word limits, let alone line limits, let alone syllable limits. You see what I'm getting at? Veeeery different!

So, I'd like to present to you, today's three haikus, as a reminder that habits are the result of a little bit of change, a little bit of motivation and a little bit of creativity. And whether through progressively angrier notifications from a green owl, buddy-up goals with friends, or a random challenge you've set for yourself, they can be built. Slowly but surely; bit by bit.

I hope these haikus I wrote before bed make your heads hurt less, or whatever the original saying was...🍎

Thanks for reading!

~

We are strangers now

I do not like to miss you

So I will refrain.

/

Clouds and horses dance

Someday we will fall asleep

In bright, blooming fields.

\

Heart ache; ghosts with dreams

To be held and hugged; maybe

We are not strangers?

~