A small group gathered in historic Camperdown Cemetery in Newtown, Sydney, on Saturday 13th July: Jane Gibian, Vanessa Proctor, Carol Reynolds, Susan Grant, Zina Ioannou and Leanne Mumford. Surrounded by Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, its tall trees and remnant native grass help make the cemetery a welcome place for quiet recreation in the inner city.
After individual ginko walks through the cemetery and in the neighbourhood, we re-grouped to share draft poems. Unsurprisingly, several of us had noticed similar things – a dog taking a bath in a water basin beside the church, the old gravestones, many naming young children, current graffiti on the surrounding walls, children’s voices from the playground outside… We briefly discussed personification in haiku. Although many guidelines recommend avoiding it, we concluded that the technique can be effective.
The next Gadigal Ginko will be in spring, after Haiku Down Under 2024, which takes place in August.
Leanne Mumford
Convenor, Gadigal Ginko
Australian Haiku Society 