Haiku @ The Oaks

Thursday 15 June 2023

Warm greetings and a table near a heater—just the right tone for a haiku lunch on a crisp winter day. Five of us this time—Kathy Kituai, Hazel Hall, Greg Piko, Glenys Fergusen and Jan Dobb.  We missed Marietta McGregor.  Another chum, though, was a local magpie who insisted on remaining inside with us despite the staff’s attempts to evict her. 

As lunch orders arrived, our talk turned to Greg’s website and appreciation of his latest post.  In keeping with his usual attractive standard, Greg presented the result of the John Bird Haiku Award and the co-incidence, this time, of its link to Haiku @ The Oaks.  https://gregorypiko.com/2023/06/14/2022-john-bird-dreaming-award/

Hazel mentioned her upcoming poetry reading at Smith’s venue in the city but informed us that she had chosen not to read any haiku.  This led to some interesting discussion, and we tended to agree that haiku, by its very nature, does not read well without a quiet environment and adequate dreaming time. Even reading twice affords little solution, and a few past events were recalled.  Tanka and longer forms, we felt, may hold an audience more immediately.  A reminder that distinct setting and regulated pace are vital for an effective rendering of haiku.  Thanks for expressing the sensitivity, Hazel.

The recent issue of Eucalypt was circulated and a few tanka read, including ones that represent The Oaks.  We appreciated the general Aussie flavour of this attractive journal.  An observation was made that this was not the first time a poem that failed to make an overseas journal had appeared in an Australian one.  A feature of cultural allusion . . .?  Some follow-on included comment about how useful, rather than disappointing, a rejected poem might be as subsequent discoveries and possibilities emerge.

After our discussion of artificial intelligence last time, Jan had brought some examples she had come across of haiku and tanka written by AI along with an AI description of each form.  Although far from prize-winning quality, we agreed that perhaps for ‘a beginner’ AI showed promise!  If so, will AI, like anyone who is serious about developing the art, improve over time and write a few winners?  Our reactions to this prospect ranged from creepy, to intriguing, to exciting.  Who knows?

Other topics began to surface, but time and energy sighed ‘next month’. To be continued . . .

Jan Dobb