bush track
in thongs
every stick slithers
bush track
in thongs
every stick slithers
walking in thongs
along the track
every stick slithers
For the months of October and November I’ve been writing haiku with a group of poets in different locations in Brisbane. Here’s a few of mine and a link to some of the other ku by the group.
longevity bench
the old man
smokes a packet
white stains
by the ice cream stall
sacred ibis
Here are the links to some of the ginko haiku over at Another Lost Shark. Kurilpa Bridge City Botanic Gardens Brunswick St Southbank Mt Gravatt Mountain
.
.
Nearly Christmas…
unwrapping my first
lychee
.
.
.
my Japanese friend…
‘Why you do not celebrate
Jacarandas?’
.
I wrote so many versions of these Aussie haiku and struggled with some of the edits. Here are some earlier versions of two of them. Particularly for my Brisbane poet friend Jdub. Let me know which reads better.
.
hot and sleepless
karaoke through the night
– Willie Wagtails
.
Why do I expect
Anything from this billabong?
– silence
.
.
sultry
all night karaoke
– Willie Wagtails
.
hopping back again…
– in the billabong
dust
.
green in the centre,
– first test Gabba pitch,
outside… jacarandas
.
I recently found this essay from John Bird, editor of Haiku Dreaming relating to the use of ‘kigo’ (season words) in Australian haiku. There are so many ideas (rules) being thrown around on the issue of ‘correct’ haiku. It is an interesting read for those learning about English language haiku, especially when living in a different hemisphere. The discovery of Haiku Dreaming made me look through my ‘ku’ with a distinct Aussie theme.