12th European Quarterly Kukai Winter 2015 Edition

The 12th European Quarterly Kukai Winter 2015 Edition attracted haiku from 186 poets from 38 countries, including 8 from Australia.

Australian entrants were: Samar Ghose and Tash Adams, both from Perth, WA; Jo McInerney, from Boolarra, VIC; Cynthia Rowe, from Sydney, NSW; Barbara A Taylor, from Mountain Top, NSW, Simon Hanson, from Allendale, SA; Lynette Arden, from Norwood, SA; and Marietta McGregor, from Canberra, ACT.

The theme was ‘night’ or ‘day’.

Gaining 16 points, Samar Ghose achieved eighth place with the following haiku:

how to just be day moon

Gaining 15 points, Marietta McGregor was another top-ten finisher, placing ninth with the following haiku:

overcast day
she saves a poem
to the cloud

Results of the contest can be seen this link:

http://europeankukai.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/results-of-european-quarterly-kukai-12.html

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival – 2015 Haiku Invitational

Australian poets who received Honorable Mentions in the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival – 2015 Haiku Invitational include:

snow-heavy blossoms
their hands
share a pocket

Nathalie Buckland (Nimbin, NSW)

late afternoon . . .
touching the blossom
with the tip of her cane

Jo McInerney (Boolarra, VIC)

sharing the bench
the old busker
and cherry petals

Mark Miller (Shoalhaven Heads, NSW)

sharing an umbrella
with a stranger
cherry blossom rain

Vanessa Proctor (Sydney, NSW)

blossom moon
the pregnancy line
turning to pink

Cynthia Rowe (Sydney, NSW)

Australians poets included in ‘Haiku 2015’ – Modern Haiku Press

Modern Haiku Press in the United States has released ‘Haiku 2015’, edited by Lee Gurga and Scott Metz, a selection of ‘100 notable ku from 2014’. Australian haiku poets represented include:

islands of ice
the moon
without an oar

– Lorin Ford, ‘frogpond’ 37:2

nightclub
entrance strobe lit
rain

– Simon Hanson, ‘DailyHaiku’ March 17

new leaves
the old forest
finds its voice

– Rob Scott, ‘A Hundred Gourds’ 3:3

Continue reading “Australians poets included in ‘Haiku 2015’ – Modern Haiku Press”

Red Kelpie Haiku Group Meeting & Ginko # 6

On Sunday December 13th, we held our summer meeting at The Terrace Tearooms in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. Everyone else in Melbourne seemed to have had the same idea. We had to raise our voices considerably during our discussion on the topic of the haiku technique of juxtaposition; a topic which is well worth revisiting from time to time.

The day was fine, reaching a warm 27 degrees. The sunny blue of Jacarandas matched the weather, Canna lilies and Red Hot Pokers blazed from across the lake, ducks and swans spent much time bottoms-up and three juvenile water hens followed an accommodating ‘foster mother’ seagull around the lakeside lawn. Every dog’s body language seemed to convey that the day was especially theirs and exuded friendliness and good will.

We were delighted to welcome Marietta McGregor, from Canberra, as our guest, and Madhuri Pillai, from Melbourne, as our newest member. Before we separated for our silent ginko, Jennifer Sutherland gifted each of those present with books that had been given to her at October’s Haiku North America conference by Lee Gurga and Jim Kacian for that purpose. Santa came early for us this year!

Continue reading “Red Kelpie Haiku Group Meeting & Ginko # 6”

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival – 2015 Haiku Invitational

Australian poets who received Honorable Mentions in the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival – 2015 Haiku Invitational include:

snow-heavy blossoms
their hands
share a pocket

Nathalie Buckland (Nimbin, NSW)

late afternoon . . .
touching the blossom
with the tip of her cane

Jo McInerney (Boolarra, VIC)

sharing the bench
the old busker
and cherry petals

Mark Miller (Shoalhaven Heads, NSW)

sharing an umbrella
with a stranger
cherry blossom rain

Vanessa Proctor (Sydney, NSW)

blossom moon
the pregnancy line
turning to pink

Cynthia Rowe (Sydney, NSW)

The Red Dragonflies’ Christmas Meeting and Ginko, 2015

On the 5th December Red Dragonflies, Vanessa Proctor, Cynthia Rowe, Barbara Fisher and Dawn Bruce, met for a ginko of the Great Masters Exhibition at the NSW Art Gallery. Members Beverley George and Lesley Walter were unable to attend and were sorely missed.

After the ginko, lunch was enjoyed on the café patio and haiku writing exercises read and workshopped. Small Christmas gifts and good wishes for the 2016 writing year were exchanged over coffee.

Dawn Bruce

A Hundred Gourds 5.1 released

The 17th issue of ‘A Hundred Gourds’, a quarterly journal of haiku, haibun, haiga, tanka and renku poetry, is now online for your reading pleasure.

http://www.ahundredgourds.com/

Renku News – Guest Editor for AHG 5.2, Kala Ramesh

Due to unforeseen circumstances, William Sorlien is not available to receive renku submissions for AHG 5.2, the March 2016 issue. Kala Ramesh has kindly agreed to be our Guest Renku Editor for the forthcoming March issue. Please read the AHG news page for further details and send your renku submissions to this address: haikugourds@gmail.com with ‘Renku Submission’ in the title bar.

Haiga News – New Haiga Editor, Sandi Pray

With this issue we farewell Aubrie Cox and welcome Sandi Pray as our new Haiga Editor. Please read our news page for further details.

Continue reading “A Hundred Gourds 5.1 released”