Wanda Amos – Australian Haiku Society

Autumn Equinox 2026 Selections

The autumn equinox – when day and night are of equal length – has been an important marker of seasonal change throughout human cultures. With the observance of seasons a significant aspect of haiku practice, the Australian Haiku Society chooses to mark the solstices and equinoxes each year. This Southern hemisphere autumn, as leaves of exotic trees begin to change colour and many of our native plants come into flower, we invite you to enjoy a selection of favourite poems submitted to Haiku Strings in previous autumns. You can find PDF booklets of all the Haiku Strings we have held to date on our Resources page .

footy siren
picking the last
ripe tomato
Louise Hopewell, 2023

morning moonset
the black swan’s bill
blood red
Cathryn Daley, 2023

disagreement
morning walk together
alone
Carol Reynolds, 2020

dancing breeze
a hoop pine seed
glides in to land
Quendryth Young, 2023

outdoor café
more dogs in trendy coats
than people
Kathryn Woolfe, 2019

park bench
a two o’clock shadow
holds my hand
Barbara Tate, 2019

Opera House
an autumn breeze
fills the sails
Gavin Austin, 2019

flooded street
a man rescues
a teddybear
Kathleen Earsman, 2019

fire glow
the baby’s breath
on my cheek
Margaret Mahony, 2021

schoolchildren’s protest
their hearts displayed
on recycled cardboard
Marietta McGregor, 2019

chilly breeze
a spider’s thread shifts
the moonlight
Lyn Arden, 2023

rain clouds
blackening the sky
Carnaby’s cockatoos
Maureen Sexton, 2023

last song . . .
the busker turns
to his dog
Madhuri Pillai, 2020

slow steps
a curving path
walking to her grave
Maurice Neville, 2021

dogs long gone—
all their feeding bowls
overflow with rain
Ron C. Moss, 2020

Results of the AHS 2025 Winter Solstice Haiga Kukai

On behalf of the Australian Haiku Society, I would like to thank you for your entries from Australia and other countries.

Many of the entries described the image. As Ron Moss (well-known poet and haiga judge) has stated …

“Ideally, a ‘link and shift’ will occur between the written word and the image: the two separate elements brought together to make something that resonates on a level higher than when they were separate. It’s a challenge to bring two disciplines together to make all the elements sing and best portray the haiku moment, but I strive to capture that ideal.”

The awarded images achieved this with exceptional skill and a profound understanding of haiga.

Continue reading “Results of the AHS 2025 Winter Solstice Haiga Kukai”

AHS Winter Solstice Haiga Kukai 2025

A note to poets entering this competition. Please include your name below your haiku. An email address will not be counted as a name. If you make a mistake when entering, please enter your work again, including a note.

Welcome, haiku poets worldwide, to the Australian Haiku Society Winter Solstice Haiga Kukai 2025. The competition starts today, 21 June, in Australia. It will be open for eight days, including today, to allow haiku poets in Australia and abroad to contribute their haiku. The competition will close at 1 am on 29 June ACST (Australian Central Standard Time). To avoid missing out, please ensure you have entered your haiku in good time, as the competition cannot be reopened once it closes automatically. Please read the guidelines carefully.

Prior Announcement: AHS Winter Solstice Kukai 2025

The Australian Haiku Society will hold a Haiga Kukai on 21 June 2025 to mark the Winter Solstice. Poets from Australia and internationally are invited to participate.

Wanda Amos has generously provided a photographic image, which will be displayed on the AHS website starting on 21 June. The competition will be open for eight days, allowing haiku poets in Australia and abroad to contribute their haiku. The competition will close at 1 am on 29 June ACST (Australian Central Standard Time).

Please enter your haiku well before the opportunity finishes to avoid missing out. Once the comments are automatically closed, they cannot be reopened for late entries.

For this competition, poets will be invited to submit one previously unpublished haiku inspired by the image. Wanda will then select the winning haiku, which will be displayed on the AHS website.

Preliminary Notice: AHS Summer Solstice Haiku String 2024

The Australian Haiku Society welcomes contributions from haiku poets worldwide to the Summer Solstice Haiku String.

We will hold the Haiku String on Saturday, December 21st, the day the Southern Hemisphere Summer Solstice occurs in Australia this year. The String will remain open for contributions until Sunday, December 29th, 2024, to accommodate international poets who may wish to participate. Contributions may be made on the website during these dates only (not before).

Featured Haiku – Under the Same Moon (Australian Haiku Anthology)

This week’s featured poet from ‘Under the Same Moon’, the Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology, is Wanda Amos.

nan’s shawl
the scent of lavender
and cigarettes

Gemini moon
her mood changing
with the tide

oh how the dreams
clashed with reality
…year book

– Wanda Amos

Buy your copy of the anthology here

Gadigal Ginko 3rd February 2024

Nine poets met for the fourth Gadigal Ginko, held in a corner of Centennial Park on Saturday 3rd February. We welcomed three first-time participants – Zina, Jane and Devni – joining Subha, Carol, Margaret, Susan, Wanda and Leanne.