May 2023
We had a bit of a hiccough to start the autumn ginko at Elizabeth quay in the Boorloo (Perth CBD) on the banks of the Derbal Yirrigan (Swan River), as the café we intended to meet in was not open until 11.30am, but our meeting time was 10am. Fortunately, Barry Sanbrook had scouted around and found a second café. Our wonky start did not blight our meeting, as we had ten attendees, including two new members, who found their way to us after a workshop they had been intending to attend was cancelled. We had one of the best meetings in terms of attendance and are thrilled to welcome newcomers.
During our coffee we read and discussed several examples of one-line haiku, the second most practiced form of haiku in English today, including Marietta McGregor’s poem that gained an Honourable Mention in the John Bird competition 2023. We decided to have a go at writing one-liners.
It was rainy and grey, unusual for Boorloo (Perth). Recalling that the haiku masters of old would not have been deterred by the weather, we ventured outdoors to write haiku for half an hour or so, returning to share our one-liners and thoughts.
raindrops soggy leaves wet eyelashes Pat Johnson tiny pink bells festoon the correa tinkling in the rain Rita Tognini traveller’s palm years since I saw you Rose van Son boardwalk seagulls ripple in the wind Candy Gordon the depth of this river so many stories Liz Nicholls shelter—the statue has an umbrella Barry Sanbrook cold rain tropical plants crowd together Coral Carter pillars in pointy-white hats mark edges Angela Aris my words drizzle down inarticulate Ruari Jack
Australian Haiku Society 