The Fringe Myrtles met for what will (probably) be the last time this year. Once again, and customarily for 2020, the meeting was held on Zoom, attended by local, interstate and international guests – the blessed irony of the pandemic.
Continue reading “Fringe Myrtles Haiku Meeting, November 2020”
Echidna Tracks
Echidna Tracks: Australian Haiku Issue 6 – on the theme of Shelter begins today. Thank you so much to all who submitted work to the issue. Even if your work was not included this time around, we greatly appreciate the offering and look forward to hearing from you again in April during the submission period for issue 7 on the theme of Light & Colour.
More details can be found here – enjoy.
If you wish to receive a haiku a day to your inbox as each issue unfolds you can become a follower by filling in the details at the bottom of the main page of the Echidna Tracks website.
Editors – Lynette Arden, Lyn Reeves & Simon Hanson
Victoria Park Reserve, Dalwood via Alstonville, NSW
Thursday 22 October 2020
Victoria Park Reserve is at Dalwood, eight kilometers out of Alstonville on the Far North Coast of NSW. This was the group’s eighth visit to the rainforest remnant, a favourite venue.
There were seven of us. Although we kept our prescribed distance from each other, with no shared nibbles and no hugs, it was a relief to experience the familiar fellowship within the group as a ‘back to normal’ ginko.
The threatened rain held off, and a gentle drizzle on one occasion enhanced that fresh scent that arose from the forest floor.
Tuesday 10 November 2020
Lucky again with the weather. So thought many other people! The Oaks was abustle with lunchtime trade beneath the trees. Adding to human chatter was that of the birds who seemed more numerous and up-close than ever, one magpie starting an avian squabble after stealing a chip straight from Hazel’s plate!
We were a smaller group this month, Marietta McGregor and Greg Piko being unable to join us–Hazel Hall, Kathy Kituai, Glenys Ferguson and Jan Dobb.
On Sunday October 25, 2020, six of us attended another Zoom meeting: Julia Wakefield, Steve Wigg, Maeve Archibald, Stella Damarjati Lynette Arden and Beverley George. This time we attempted a sequence based on the two prompts supplied by Beverley George: SECLUSION and GARDENS. Beverley did not take part in the sequence, but she was happy to contribute her comments.
Some of us found the former topic quite challenging at first, but as we worked on the sequence we found we were able to incorporate quite a few of the garden haiku into what began as a seclusion sequence. We all agreed to share the final sequence online, so here it is:
John Bird recently contacted us with an email addressed to Rob Scott;
Dear Rob
‘I am delighted and honoured to have my name associated with the AHS International Haiku Competition. I am also delighted that you have taken the reins at the Australian Haiku Society – the Society has been blessed with excellent leadership teams which is evidenced in its progress. I know the AHS will benefit from your leadership and I hope you have lots of fun in the Chair.
With happy memories of the dreaming days,’
John Bird
Wednesday 21st October 2020
Tomato Lake
Seven haiku enthusiasts gathered on a lovely warm morning at Tomato Lake in Kewdale for a ginko and sharing of our observations and first draft haiku – Coral Carter, Sandie Thorne, Timothy Parkin, Rose van Son, Barry Sanbrook, Melissa Moffat, Maureen Sexton.
We’re very fortunate here to be able to gather in public without the fear of community spread of Covid19 – currently. We began by introducing ourselves, as we had a couple of new members, who were also new to haiku. Then we discussed what haiku meant to us. These included ‘a calm space’, ‘being observant’, ‘awareness’, ‘awe’ and ‘connection’. Apart from using our 5 senses, we decided to also be aware of how we were feeling and what emotions came up during the ginko, and why we might have made particular observations.
Below the reviews of both events, is a selection of haiku and haibun from the participants and some of the emotions and feelings they were experiencing during that time.
Continue reading “Paperbark Spring Kambarang Ginko Tomato Lake and Zoom Meeting”
Tuesday 13 October 2020
Lunch together under the trees on a beautiful spring day . . . how better to begin a haiku afternoon at The Oaks? Through the aromas of fish and chips, toasted Turkish rolls, tea and coffee, our conversation immediately sparked. As usual, the magpies and currawongs were not silent either!
This time we missed Greg Piko who is out of town, so we numbered five–Glenys Ferguson, Hazel Hall, Kathy Kituai, Marietta McGregor and Jan Dobb. Among several haiku topics that ebbed and flowed during the afternoon, two major ones came to the fore. Thank you to Hazel and Kathy…
Australian Haiku Society 