moonlit garden
footsteps stir the scent
of chamomile

Andre Surridge, 1951 – 2019

Line one, moonlit garden, sets a beautiful, serene scene late at night. I imagine a bench positioned somewhere in an intimate garden setting. This garden seems romantic and somewhat magical when lit by the moon. In the second line, footsteps wake life into the night garden. These footsteps might make little, if any, sound though they stir movement. The sibilance of the ‘s’ in line two further enhances this sense of motion. As someone, we know not who, sets foot into this garden, the scent of chamomile drifts into the night. I imagine a woman risen from her bed dressed in her robe walking into the garden. Chamomile has therapeutic benefits being associated with elevated moods of relaxation and calm. The language of this haiku seduces, arouses the senses and evokes beauty. The words stir the scent also led me to visualise stirred ripples in chamomile tea along with its wafting scent, as some soul finds that inner calm as others sleep.

Haiku published: One Hundred Petals: A Collection of Modern English Haiku and Senryu, Andre Surridge (2019)

Selection and commentary by Anne L. Curran, New Zealand