2020 Haikus about Running and Life (authored by many)

In times of stress, I often find myself writing poetry. (An aside: The most memorable example of this for me was in the middle of my Masters at Notre Dame, when I was applying to Ph.D. programs and basically had insomnia, and got up in the middle of the night to write an actually very good 3-page long poem about going to the zoo with my mom.) Most often though, I end up writing haikus. There is something comforting and neat about that 5-7-5 pattern of syllables per line and the idea of capturing a single moment in time. Maybe my inner math major enjoys the preciseness there too. Writing haikus is somehow cathartic, and stress-relieving.

During this last long but quick month of 2020, I found myself writing haikus about this particular year in the shower after a workout. Here are those 3 haikus:

I go to bed late,

But there’s nothing in person,

So I will sleep in.

Haven’t shaved my legs

In some time, but there’s always

2021.

Hello, my pet cat.

I’m so glad you are my friend.

Let’s watch more Netflix.

This became the inspiration for a haiku writing contest on Instagram, which then just had to be made into a more permanent blog post here: these haikus are not just good and sometimes very funny, they are also very relatable. Without further ado!

My boss doesn’t know

I’m watching Christmas movies

During the work day.

— kate.thenugget

Tech kept us apart

Now tech brings us together

Better than nothing.

— runningontap

Rotten bananas

Come in handy for a bread

Next year they are banned.

—coynedontchange

Solitude on runs

No crowd to cheer you on, yet

We push and race on.

—fasterby40

Anxiety is

Very high this year, you know,

Hey, where is my mask?

—mcatvt14

Friends are virtual.

My grandparents are online.

The robots have won.

—katie_scharf

Travel is a dream.

Do the far off lands exist?

The world seems bigger.

— aceisoutside

Fresh air at lunchtime.

No work commute anymore.

The silver linings.

—fasterby40

I am a mother,

Sleep is something like a dream,

Running makes me free.

— coachcraigcc

Jammies and sweater

From yesterday, will shower

After I go run.

— shmefferd (alternate last line: Stop judging me, cat.)

Life online is not,

In my humble opinion,

Life in sweats and tea.

— its.abigailgrace

Laces tight, chin high,

Off to train away the day.

Another cancelled race.

—lolly_lux

Mother runner here,

Virtual school with two kids,

Zero alone time.

—good_sky_runs

Four hundred square feet

And not enough rooms with doors

Weird we’re not engaged.

—c.mccracken

Life is all online,

Except when I leave to run,

That’s when it gets fun.

— julia_manzano

My family sent

A box of toilet paper

For my birthday gift

—daniellecurtis7

All my life I’ve been

Looking for excuses to

Skip social events

— runningbcba

I must confess this

Stopped wearing bras, pants with zips

Sweatpants forever

—annarunstrails