Nine poets met for the fourth Gadigal Ginko, held in a corner of Centennial Park on Saturday 3rd February. We welcomed three first-time participants – Zina, Jane and Devni – joining Subha, Carol, Margaret, Susan, Wanda and Leanne.
It was a humid, overcast morning. The park was busy with families, cyclists and dog walkers. We witnessed various small dramas, as toddlers fell off their balance bikes, and a tattooed man ran into the pond to rescue his dog that had chased a black swan. There was plenty of natural inspiration in the bird and plant life of quieter areas and the Guriwal Trail provided insights into the area’s Indigenous culture.
Photo credits: left & centre: Wanda; right: Leanne
After dispersing for each to undertake their ginko, we gathered again around a shaded picnic table to share and discuss our draft poems. The conversation also turned to the use of personification in haiku, as well as news about Haiku Down Under 2024 and the recent call for volunteers to join the Australian Haiku Society Committee.
Leanne Mumford
Convenor: Gadigal Ginko
Australian Haiku Society 