Haiku

by 10000 B_C


The Station

Another summer day by the homestead, spent outside in the warm sun, or inside, drinking cool lemonade with a good book. Another day of calm, relaxing quietness and small town charm. But this day, two ponies are leaving the serenity of quaint Ponyville to the bustling town of Manehatten, to visit their friend in need of a good time.
The old station looks clean, and plenty of ponies mill about on its shores, waiting for their ride to somewhere besides this little slice of Equestria. The sun glints off the windowpanes of the small stands that dot the platform, and some ponies have taken the opportunity to break out the sunglasses. It's been that kind of day, the kind one wishes for in the winter.
A closer look at the station reveals more than a clean building and a crowd of stalled ponies. The plights of a mare who lost her ticket come into focus; a mother, chasing after her foal through the throngs of equines is evident; a stallion turned away from the ticket booth, a downtrodden look on his face turns visible to the naked eye. But it is not close enough, not yet.
Closer, zooming past the point of no return, highlights two mares, standing by two rusty old benches, currently unoccupied. One is enjoying a fizzy drink, the label "Sarsaparilla Delight!" plastered across the side. The other is glancing about the station, taking in the group of ponies in the lull between trains. The one enjoying the sarsaparilla, coat a shocking shade of pink, stops drinking for a moment. The second mare, a pale orchid coat with a horn, takes the opportunity for what it's worth.



“Pinkie?”

The mouth, reaching for the straw, stops on its way there to smile at the orchid coat.

“Yes?”
“Do you know what a haiku is?”
“Of course! I love wordplay! It’s like a game, only with fewer prizes!”

The second pony pauses, pondering something, perhaps about the pink coat by her side. She shakes her head and begins to speak.

“Well, would you care to make some haiku with me until the train gets here?”
“Sure! Oh! Make one about me!”
“Alright… let’s see…”

The orchid coat pauses; having to make a haiku on the spot is not an easy feat, given the nature of their surroundings. Ponies passing by their spot almost bump into them, and shouts of friends meeting each other and exchanging hellos make creating a haiku with just the mind difficult.

You make me crazy
I try to understand you
But you elude me

The pink coat raises an eyebrow.

I am not complex
You’re just not looking at me
Your eyes are still closed

The pink coat had taken less than two seconds to make the haiku, which has apparently confused the orchid coat a great deal.

“What?”
“It’s your turn to make a haiku, Twilight.”
“Umm... Alright then…”

How do I see, then?
Am I just trying too hard?
Or not hard enough?

Don’t worry 'bout that
All you should worry about
Is why you’re trying

The orchid coat lowers her eyebrows in suspicion.

“Pinkie?”
“Your turn, Twilight.”
“…”

I’m not thinking right
I need a moment to think
Could you give me that?

I can let you be
But I’m wondering if you
Can leave me alone

Of course I can, why
I could stop right now, you know
But I won’t, not yet

What’s deep about me?
I plan parties, not chaos
Two-dimensional

The pink coat lowers her head at the last five syllables. The orchid coat seems offended.

Two-dimensional?
You have more depth in your soul
Than anypony

The pink coat raises her head. She wears a trembling smile.

That’s too kind, Twilight
I am like any other
Just much, much louder

No, you are unique
You attract me like a moth
To a neon light

Now the pink coat raises an eyebrow.

Did you say attract?
I am not like a magnet
And neither are you

Attract can mean things
Besides the want to be close
You know that Pinkie

The pink coat wonders for a few seconds, than her face shouts comprehension.

But I think you do
I think that’s why you spend days
Trying to get me

The eyebrow raising switches again, to the orchid coat.

Think that I do what?
Haiku isn't the way to
Explain things, you know

I think that you, Twi
Want me to try and get you
Like you try for me

I’m not deep, either
I just run a library
Why would you seek that?

I have no clue, Twi
You make me crazy, but I
Can’t look away yet

Are you saying what
I think that you are saying?
That I attract you?

The heads look at each other, lost in each others' eyes. A train stops, loads with passengers, and leaves in the space of a few minutes.
The culmination of their game, a game of words and wit, is viewed by all who care to look.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Sighing, wistfully
At things never done, perhaps
Or words never said

But we did, Pinkie
We said what needed saying
By that old station

It was just a game
A game of words, nothing more
But we made it more

I know now, Pinkie
Haiku brought us together
And here we still are

And I couldn’t be
Any happier without
You by my side, Twi

And you right by mine
We’ll face what comes together
With fire in our hearts


The End





*A/N: I wrote this out of random inspiration, and also because of a story called Alliteration by Baby Seal Burritos(http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Baby%20Seal%20Burritos) that got me interested in playing around with words. I posted the original, all haiku and no description except for dialogue, on fanfiction.net. I felt like adding more to it, though, even though I have other stories on hold. *shrug* Also, the writer who wrote this (http://www.fimfiction.net/story/830/Sun-and-Moon) made an awesome comment, and that story is another bit of awesome poetry[haiku is poetry, right?]. And to everypony else who commented, thank you- negative or positive, I enjoy every one. B_C*