Day: January 3, 2020

 

1^st Place

fiery sunset
a single red blossom
on the blackened branch

Louise Hopewell

 

There is no doubt that the weather is changing and that there is a climate emergency upon us. In Australia the records keep being broken, records of storms, high temperatures, low rainfall, and continuous drought, all of which have beset our beautiful country. I chose this photograph, which I captured on a recent deployment in Queensland fighting the bushfires with other Tasmanian crews, to use for the seasonal image for the Kukai. The fire was out of control and burning over the surrounding mountains. I was looking for haiku that worked with the power of the image to bring us an emotional connection. Louise has captured very well the danger of the scene, but she has also expressed an overwhelming feeling of hope. Things have their time and place, but there will be rebirth. A lot to pack into a one-breath three line haiku, but I think it has been achieved very well indeed and so I would like to award it a worthy first place. Continue reading “Results of the Australian Haiku Society Summer Solstice 2019 Haiga Kukai: Seasonal”

 

1^st Place

 

painted cow –
the village boy’s makeup
still taboo

Isabel Caves

 

This haiku appealed for the mystery that it evokes along with the brightly coloured display cow. Who is the boy and what is his life like shrouded in what is still seen as taboo? It seems very much a social comment about the changing times and attitudes we have towards each other. Good haiga are when the haiku and image combine to create something more than their individual parts. I think this combination leads us to examine our thinking, and how there can be change for the better. Continue reading “Results of the Australian Haiku Society Summer Solstice 2019 Haiga Kukai: Non-Seasonal”