This Reddit Haiku Perfectly Sums Up Mario Kart
Reddit can be a strange place, but a gem pops up every once in a while that makes the whole platform seem worthwhile. Sometimes it's full of users debating the best "American Horror Story" couple, and other times they're sharing cringeworthy "Call of Duty" videos, but a new thread was recently created which speaks to a deeper truth gamers everywhere can identify with. Reddit user Tcav23 posted a piece of poetry about everyone's favorite racing game featuring a certain mustachioed Italian plumber. Titled "A Haiku about Mario Kart," it reads: "Are you kidding me/ Who the f**k threw that blue shell/ I will f**k you up."
According to "Poets.org," "a traditional Japanese haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. Often focusing on images from nature, haiku emphasizes simplicity, intensity, and directness of expression."
"A Haiku About Mario Kart" certainly follows the syllable count rule and there's no denying that it emphasizes simplicity, intensity and directness of expression — but more importantly, it perfectly sums up that all-too-familiar rage that the infamous Blue Shell is known to inspire. There's nothing worse than the feeling of helplessness you get when you see that spiky azure turtle shell spiraling over you as you're in first place and the finish line is in sight. Others on Reddit felt the same way.
Reddit writes Mario Kart poetry
Several other Reddit users were inspired to create their own Haiku's about the "Mario" game that gets more popular every year after seeing Tcav23's post. Several of them flooded the comments section with their own variations of the poem, as well as a few original creations that perfectly sum up the epic highs and lows of "Mario Kart." July_Sandwich posted, "I am in first place/ Everyone is passing me/ I am in last place."
There's a certain symmetry to this one. It seems to express that terrible feeling as all those players you clawed your way past in the first few rounds suddenly race by you, leaving all your hard work and careful maneuvering in the dust.
Others took a more tactical approach. User kaikai34 posted, "Here comes the blue shell/ I wish I had that damn horn/ Only bananas." This Haiku references the Super Horn, which is one of the only ways to counter the Blue Shell. It's a rare item to get when you're in first place though, since "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" usually only drops bananas and coins to players at the head of the pack.
It's pretty amazing to witness the outpour of creativity that "A Haiku About Mario Kart" sparked in the Reddit community. At least one good thing came out of that Blue Shell.