Tuesday 12 April 2022
Due to one thing and another, only three of us found ourselves @ The Oaks this time—Marietta McGregor, Glenys Ferguson, and Jan Dobb. Our thoughts were with our missing three—Hazel Hall, Kathy Kituai, and Greg Piko—as we settled around a small table beneath the autumn trees.
Marietta produced some copies of the attractive American haiku journal Akitsu Quarterly, till now unknown to Glenys and Jan. A browse through these soon led on to conversation with Marietta about her task as guest editor of THF ‘Haiku Dialogue’, and she was keen to express to us the stimulation of reading all the submissions and the satisfaction of readers’ feedback. An exacting and constant project that Marietta excels at.
The upcoming International Haiku Day came under discussion and although it seems unlikely that any of us will be available for the Zoom meeting on Sunday 17 April, it was agreed that Jan send Rob Scott one each of our poems from our recently published chapbook The Ink Sinks Deeper. Between us, we selected our group’s contribution.
Marietta brought to our attention, ‘Haikupedia’, a project by Charles Trumbull, details of which can be found here. Among other things, Charlie is inviting submissions to a compendium of short biographies of haiku poets around the world. Something for Aussie poets to consider . . .
And so, the afternoon wore on as we relaxed and shared our experiences of haiku in the general course of life. Such privilege to share our mutual understandings and insights together among the now familiar trees at The Oaks.
Till next time, and with fingers crossed for a full house once again.
Jan Dobb
Australian Haiku Society 