Lynette Arden

Report of Bindii Meeting for 28 February 2021

February’s Zoom meeting was an evaluation of haibun we had been tasked with writing since we last met. The results were quite diverse: Maeve offered a short story style haibun with paragraphs of prose punctuated by haiku at the end of each. Julia also offered a short story with a twist at the end, underlined by a tanka. Her example brought up the question of whether a poem could be used to clarify the text above it. We decided that this was certainly an option.

Continue reading “Report of Bindii Meeting for 28 February 2021”

Entries for the John Bird Dreaming Award for haiku have now closed

The prize-winning haiku plus those awarded Honourable Mentions will be announced on the Australian Haiku Society website on 1^st May 2021.

Bindii Report Zoom meeting, January 2021

On Sunday January 24 six of us again attended a Zoom meeting: Julia Wakefield, Steve Wigg, Maeve Archibald, Stella Damarjati, Lynette Arden and Coral Carter.

We once more attempted a renku, this time led by Steve. We’d previously tried a Winter Junicho renku with Lynette as our Renku master. Steve had extensively studied Carley’s Renku Reckoner over the Christmas break and he challenged us with a twelve verse Summer Junicho.

Continue reading “Bindii Report Zoom meeting, January 2021”

Bindii Report Zoom meeting in November

On Sunday November 29 six of us attended another Zoom meeting: Julia Wakefield, Steve Wigg, Maeve Archibald, Stella Damarjati Lynette Arden and Coral Carter. Coral introduced us to her publishing house Nulla Nulla Press, which publishes WA haiku poets.

We had agreed to try composing some haiku prompted by 4 or 5 concrete nouns, as demonstrated in Hansha Teki’s Bipedal Verses https://heliosparrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/Bipedal_Verses-Hansha_Teki.pdf so we could compare our different responses to each prompt. At the same time we looked at the ‘parallel verse’ approach that Hansha Teki demonstrated.

Continue reading “Bindii Report Zoom meeting in November”

Results: AHS Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai 2020 Non-Seasonal

Judge’s Comments

I have judged the kukai for a number of years now and I’m always honoured to read and savour the many fine poems that are inspired by the images. The winner’s list is always well-considered and I’m pleased to say there are always haiku and senryu that present as special and worthy of particular attention. Thank you one and all for submitting your fine work once again. I would like to award and comment on many more if it were possible. I hope you enjoy these selections and the inspiration and commentary I have found in them.

Ron C. Moss

1^st Place

the toddler‘s
first attempt to stand —
guiding light

Michael Smeer

The top three places in this section each have their own finely crafted connections told in different ways and it was difficult to separate them. My final choice for 1^st Place is an image that is created with a light but emotional touch of a child’s first moment starting out on their own two feet. There is a most effective and fitting use of link and shift here – in the image of the lighthouse and the poet’s words. We are all on a journey of discovery and hope and the guiding lights help to make us who we are. There comes a time in own journey through life, with all its ups and downs, where hopefully we are able to guide others. I commend Michael for giving us a moment of reflection and deep appreciation. I am reminded of the saying, fall down six times, get up seven – how very true and encouraging for us all.

Continue reading “Results: AHS Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai 2020 Non-Seasonal”

Results: AHS Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai 2020 Seasonal

Judge’s Comments

Ron C. Moss

1^st Place

foreign land…
a refugee child owns
the sandcastle

Hifsa Ashraf

This haiku stood out for me from the very first reading and it resonates deeply with current and historical events. A sense of hope and a new beginning permeates the scene; a childhood game of creating in the sand has a deep feeling of nurturing and strength. A refugee child feels connected and safe in owning the sandcastle, giving him or her a sense of belonging. Poetry can be a powerful tool in generating awareness of the injustices of the world. The simple image of a sandcastle has brought about this wonderful moment of ownership for something treasured and safe. I’m very pleased to award Hifsa 1^st Place. May all be safe and free from harm.

Continue reading “Results: AHS Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai 2020 Seasonal”

Australian Haiku Society Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai 2020: Seasonal

Welcome, haiku poets worldwide to the Australian Haiku Society Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai. Entries close on midnight Sunday 28th of December AEST.

You are invited to write a haiku in response to the image.

Enter no more than one haiku per image. Haiku entered should not have been published previously in print or online, including in discussion forums. If you enter more than one haiku per image, only your first haiku will be considered.

Continue reading “Australian Haiku Society Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai 2020: Seasonal”