Haiku:

[billy]

That makes the haiku

5, 8, ....

you can't have 'I almost shit myself' 'cos that's the present tense and so 'shat' is correct - personally I don't use that version of the past tense of 'shit' I always use the more refined - 'shitted'

a person who knows the difference between shit and shat is a ok in my book

as for the 575 format. in truth it's a guideline. as long as it can be said in a normal breath is how the japenese form was used. it was easier for the west to say 575 sylls somehow it sort of became a bit too fast.

A bee by Matsuo Basho

A bee
staggers out
of the peony.

some more by basho.