Day: July 14, 2017

A collaboration between Vanessa Proctor and Gregory Piko, Blowing up Balloons, is a collection of 90 haiku and senryu about the experience of becoming and being a parent. The moments shared relate to the stages in a child’s life from the first hint of pregnancy:

distracted the curve of a new moon

to the early years of childhood:

bathtime / they re-enact the sinking/ of the titanic

walking home from ballet/ my daughter pirouettes/ through the blossom

These sensitive and tender poems evoke a sense of wonder and amazement that bringing a new life into the world gives rise to, and of the joy that can be found in the presence of these little human beings entrusted to our care. The opening haiku perfectly encapsulates this:  Continue reading “Blowing up Balloons – review”