The lovely and ancient art of haiku poetry, originally Japanese, found its way into the computer world early in the 21st century, when error messages were replaced with the poetry. Many examples are well-known:

A file that big?

It might be very useful.

But now it is gone.

Chaos reigns within.

Reflect, repent, and reboot.

Order shall return.

First snow, then silence.

This thousand-dollar screen dies

So beautifully.

The poet Jimbo - 1951 to 2553 - wrote some of his most poignant haiku early in his career, before he wasted years (one step ahead of the law) selling timeshares to a nonexistent ashram-resort and managing a disreputable geisha house. Here are a few of his more tender laments, later adopted as alert screens by Sony Computer Corporation:

Like a frozen brook

Your bitstream is not moving;

Wistfully, reboot.

Flowers never seen

Bring to mind your document:

Imaginary.

Like storms in winter

Flurries of data pass by

Never seen again.

Looking through Windows

Hoping for a view of warmth:

Nothing lies within.

Pleasure is fleeting

As are the faint memories

Of your files, now gone.

Is life an error?

If done like your last keystroke,

Then, surely, it is.

Inspired by his classic computer haikus, others emulated the poet Jimbo soon after the great opus was complete...

Just as you read this

know panic in its pure form;

virus is attached

--Rob Schwartz, AIA

Better to type right

than fly in the ointment

of misunderstandings.

--Tom Key, Esq.