An Experiment in Restraint

Intro

I wanted to see if I could write a short story entirely in a handful of haiku.

1: Waiting

Rain ticking on glass
he waits with a trembling cup.
Whiskey, barely sipped.

2: Arrival

Her coat hits the stool.
Red dress, no umbrella,
no ring on her hand.

3: Reckoning

Their talk tastes like smoke,
old pain stirred in new honey,
truths that almost stick.

4: Distance

A glance at the door.
She checks her phone. Not smiling.
The jukebox wheezes.

5: Gesture

He leans in, quiet.
She lights a cigarette, shakes
her head at the flame.

6: Evasion

Past midnight, bar thins.
He asks what she’s running from.
She says, “Don’t be cute.”

7: Closure

Rain has stopped by now.
The barman wipes clean glasses.
The neon flickers.

8: Contact

He touches her hand.
Then pulls back, like it’s a gun.
She finishes her drink.

9: Departure

Lipstick on the glass
she left with one tear showing
and nothing explained.