Paperbark Haiku – Page 2 – Australian Haiku Society

Paperbark Haiku Winter Ginko

It was a stunning winter’s day for the Paperbark Winter Ginko, held in the little township of Guildford Western Australia, just a half hour drive from the city. Guildford is one of Perth’s oldest towns, layered with history, antique shops, and little cafes. A record group of 13 haiku enthusiasts met at one of these cafes in James Street. We sat outside discussing haiku and enjoying winter sun.

Paperbark Haiku autumn ginko

The Perth-based Paperbark Haiku group met on Friday 3rd May for our autumn ginko in the historic Harold Boas Gardens; an inner-city treasure of a park with winding pools of water, carefully placed boulders reminiscent of a Japanese garden, lush exotic bushes and trees, ducks and ibis and a Monet-style bridge.

An enthusiastic group of seven (Barry Sanbrook, Michael Spark, Jake Dennis, Rita Tognini, Ruari Jack Hughes, Rose van Son and Candy Gordon) met for coffee and an exchange of ideas on the elements of haiku, followed by a
contemplative walk in the gardens. We then shared our writing; some read completed haiku, some had words and thoughts to take home and work on, and all of us enjoyed the exercise, the company and the meditative garden setting on yet another warm, autumn day.
The following are some of our words inspired by nature –

boulders
light and ripples
stroke them

Barry Sanbrook

butterfly without wings
expecting to fly
caterpillars dream

Michael Spark

bird’s nest fern
the hollow fills
with leaves

Rose van Son

butterfly yellow
winging across limpid pools
reflecting wonder

Ruari Jack Hughes

one-legged ducks
yoga pose
better than mine

Candy Gordon

emerald
set in West Perth high-rise
Boas Park

Rita Tognetti

Paperbark Haiku holding an Autumn Ginko on 3rd May

Meet at 10am on Friday 3rd May at Afendi’s Coffee, 162 Colin Street, West Perth, within sight of the City West station. Bring pen and paper, hat, sun protection, water, a haiku book to swap or give away and your haiku mind. After meeting we will walk a short distance to Henry Boas Gardens, write, then return to Afendi’s to review.

Contact: Coral Carter (coralacarter@gmail.com)

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.

Paperbark Spring Ginko, Kings Park (Karrgatup)

27 October, 2023, Perth (Boorloo)

A great turn out for a perfect spring day in Kings Park, where displays of Western Australian wild flowers were still viable despite a few non-spring-like days of heat in the previous week.

Paperbark Winter Ginko, Boorloo Perth

25 August 2023

It was a perfect day for a winter ginko in Boorloo Perth: sunny and cloudless, a balmy 24 degrees. How lucky we are to have such glorious winter days! Some of us gathered at the ferry terminal on Elizabeth Quay at ten o’clock to catch the ferry across the Derbal Yirrigan Swan River to South Perth, where others were waiting. We totalled seven, which made us very pleased, as we have been promoting ginko. Our usual event advertising via Facebook has now been augmented with an email list for those who don’t use this social media platform.

Autumn Ginko Paperbark (WA)

May 2023

We had a bit of a hiccough to start the autumn ginko at Elizabeth quay in the Boorloo (Perth CBD) on the banks of the Derbal Yirrigan (Swan River), as the café we intended to meet in was not open until 11.30am, but our meeting time was 10am. Fortunately, Barry Sanbrook had scouted around and found a second café. Our wonky start did not blight our meeting, as we had ten attendees, including two new members, who found their way to us after a workshop they had been intending to attend was cancelled. We had one of the best meetings in terms of attendance and are thrilled to welcome newcomers.

Paperbark Haiku Summer Ginko

January 2023

Our summer ginko was held on Wednesday 25th January at Swanbourne beach in Western Australia. It was a typical summer’s day with warm sunny weather and a gentle breeze coming in over the ocean.