Last day of summer 2024

Paperbark Haiku Ginko WA

Text and photo by Rose van Son

It has been a hot summer here in Perth, the heat unrelenting and so many days over 40C+!  Needless to say, our meeting destined for the Harold Boas Gardens was cancelled because of the forecast. We had been looking forward to the walk, viewing the gardens, experiencing the waterfalls in the brochures; the gardens perched right on the city’s edge.  We thought we could beat the heat, keep to canopied areas, and grapple with moving shade: we can do this, we said! But no, the heat unbearable and the event cancelled. 

We sent emails to our members with a request to write haiku on this last day of summer in their own gardens, at the beach or wherever they were that day. So, we were alone, but not lonely, for we knew our passionate members were busy sitting under beach umbrellas or in their courtyard gardens, or keeping cool somewhere in air-conditioning on this significant summer’s day: observing, making notes, poking under rocks, searching for that elusive summer heatwave haiku.

Here is a sample of our writing that day!  

beach balcony
the roar of air con
silent waves
     Jan Napier

bandicoots excavate—
no bugs no moisture
just ankle busting holes
     Candy Gordon

sand crunches
Norfolk pine needles drop  
near my sneaker
      Nita Teoh

bright sunlight
coffee morning
Nirvana
     Pat Johnson

last day of summer
black swans line up
for a family photo
     Rose van Son

leap year
as usual
she proposes
     Barry Sanbrook

cool dark house
a dead bird
on the doormat
      Maureen Sexton

heat and more heat
the stifling pattern
of days to come
     Ruari Jack Hughes

rainfall
over there
not here
     Coral Carter

carpark—
the constant circling
of eagles
     Gary De Piazzi

dog beach dawn
the wag
of wet sandy tails
     Elizabeth Nicholls

summer whine
mosquito!
     Mardi May