Paperbark Autumn Meeting

Paperbark Haiku promoted its “Autumn 2020 Ginko in isolation” followed by a Zoom meeting on Tuesday night 26th May, to share our freshly harvested haiku.

Paperbark’s Maureen Sexton hosted our virtual feast of haiku with esteemed haiku poets Brendon Kent (UK), Madhuri Pillai (Victoria), Myron Lysenko (Victoria), Coral Carter (South Australia), and from Western Australia, Rose van Son, Gail Willems, Melissa Moffat, Barry Sanbrook and Tash Adams contributing seasonal produce.

Conversation flowed like red wine. Participants took turns, reading each haiku twice to allow meaning to macerate. Each offering infused with the poet’s subtle flavour. Through isolation, we found new ways to come together and share our experience of a new world.

We welcomed poets that due to distance, would not normally attend. The accessibility of technology increased attendance on previous meetings and added to diversity. An uplifting experience and a resounding success.

Some contributions from attendees:

piercing the starling’s cry dawn

Brendon Kent (UK)

mother’s birthday
my bouquet of flowers
on the doorstep

Brendon Kent (UK)
Caribbean Kigo Kukai April 2020
Fare Voci May 2020 (an interview in an Italian magazine in Italian)

backyard
my silence immersed
in wattlebird’s song

Madhuri Pillai (Victoria)
Café Haiku

lingering afternoon
in dappled sunlight
birch leaves dance

Madhuri Pillai
Café Haiku

a single dad
for the second time –
grafted pear tree

Myron Lysenko (Victoria)
Chrysanthemum #23 April 2018

winter chill
children puddle jump
to the doctor’s surgery