For Red Kelpies’ spring meeting, on September 13th, it was back to our ‘home base’ in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens and again we were lucky with the weather: fine with a warm breeze from the North.

Blue irises were out, azaleas blossomed in colourful banks; the large, white variety was the one that scented the pathway with a truly beautiful perfume. Shrub-sized prunus blossoms in a gaudy pink shouted at the subtler ranks of hellebores. Wild Elders from Africa waved their cloudy canopies of blossom. The eels, in large numbers, writhed along sleepily in the shallows of the lake and the little Black Ducks paddled over them, unfazed.

People taking the punt tours looked picturesque under the white paper umbrellas supplied to them.

Everything seemed to be basking luxuriously in the welcome sunshine. Spring at last, after a particularly cold, miserable winter!

Continue reading "Red Kelpie Haiku Group Meeting & Ginko #5" »

Posted by Rodney Williams at 06:59 PM | Permalink

Considering that June weather in Melbourne can be rainy, squally and generally miserable, we planned a venue with centrality and shelter in mind, so on Sunday the 14th we met down on the Old Melbourne Wharf, on the Yarra and now a part of Federation Square. Though a little cold, the day was surprisingly fine and sunny, with no wind.

Our discussion topic this time, inspired by Jaya’s query into the differences between haiku and senryu and taking into account Charles Trumbull’s insight into the growing preponderance of ‘tankaesque’ ku being written and published (see his ‘Between Basho and Ban'ya (bypassing Barthes): A New Brand of Haiku?’ in A Hundred Gourds, June 2015) was ‘Haiku, Senryu or Tankaesque Ku ?’ Each of us attending brought along examples of ku we thought fitted into each of these categories. A challenging topic! The discussion was enthusiastic, in-depth and very lively indeed.

Continue reading "Red Kelpie Haiku Group Ginko & Meeting #4" »

Posted by Rodney Williams at 10:06 AM | Permalink

It was one of those warm, bright Melbourne autumn days in the Botanic Gardens, a perfect day for our ginko . . . had we all been stone deaf.

Yes, it was Grand Prix day and the sounds of racing motors circled our green refuge, news choppers roared back and forth and in the breaks between car races, the air show boomed overhead.

Black swans basked on the lake with their heads under their wings for the duration! Wattle birds and swallows put on their own air shows and the clear notes of bellbirds rang out during the quieter intervals.

Continue reading "Red Kelpie Haiku Group Ginko & Meeting #3" »

Posted by Rodney Williams at 11:17 PM | Permalink

We skipped a Winter meeting, due to long-awaited surgery on my feet, and planned a Spring meeting, for group members only, this time. Our second meeting was held on Sunday 26th October in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. The dramatic thunderstorms were postponed until around 1am on the 27th , the swans were parading their big, dove-grey cygnets, the eels were getting under their paddling feet, the air was scented with all sorts of delicious perfumes from flowering plants and trees and we were blessed and lucky with a fine, warm day, full attendance and great enthusiasm. An Eastern Water Dragon approached our table at the Terrace and seemed to take a special liking to Marisa, staring at her boldly and making her feel nervous enough to take off her lace earrings. The resident Purple Swamp Hen strutted busily between the Terrace and his reedy hideout by the lake.

Continue reading "Red Kelpie Haiku Group Ginko & Meeting #2" »

Posted by Rodney Williams at 12:11 AM | Permalink

The Red Kelpies met on Sunday 4th May, 2014 at the Melbourne Zoo for our first meeting and ginko. We were honoured that HaikuOz President, Cynthia Rowe, and her husband Bruce, came all the way down from Sydney to be with us ... a most auspicious sign! Of course, Cynthia and Bruce are now Honorary Members.

It was one of those traditional Melbourne days, with the rain bucketing down one minute, blue sky and sunshine the next then ominous, leaden cloud-banks again.After introductions, we gathered at a table outside the cafeteria which was sheltered by an umbrella.

Continue reading "Red Kelpie Haiku Group Ginko & Meeting #1" »

Posted by Cynthia Rowe at 02:10 PM | Permalink

Traditional haiku is sometimes about the changing of the seasons so the last day of winter, 31 August, is a perfect date for a haiku walk in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens.

Meet just before 11am at The Terrace tea rooms beside the Ornamental Lake. The closest entry point is through Gate A, which is on the corner of Alexandra Avenue and Anderson Street.

Bring pen and notebook. Also, please bring your own lunch or buy some from the expensive café.

Costs: $20 full
$12 concession

As places are limited, please contact Myron if you wish to attend at : [email protected]

Posted by Greg Piko at 09:10 PM | Permalink

Ginko #16 is to be held at Melbourne Botanic Gardens, led by Myron Lysenko on Sunday 28th April 2013 from 11am – 3pm. Meet at Tea Rooms by the lake just before 11am. Bring notebook and pen. Costs: $20 full/$12 concession. Enquiries: [email protected]

Posted by Greg Piko at 02:46 PM | Permalink

GINKO ON THE YARRA
Date: Friday, 26 February 2010
Time: 11:00 - 14:00
Location: Fairfield Boathouse

Description Meet at the Fairfield Boathouse at 10.45am.

We will walk around and write haiku, share them with each other and then workshop them to try to make them better.

Bring some food to contribute to a picnic lunch.

Cost: $15/$10.

Inquiries: 0430 298 345 - Myron.

two palm trees
lean toward each other -
Valentine's Day

Myron Lysenko

Posted by Graham Nunn at 10:26 AM | Permalink

Ginko with Lysenko #5

Host: Myron Lysenko

Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008
Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Flinder St. Station Intersection
Street: cnr Flinders St. & Swanston St.
City/Town: Melbourne, Australia

Contact Info Phone: 93874323
Email: [email protected]

Continue reading "Ginko with Lysenko" »

Posted by Graham Nunn at 04:40 PM | Permalink

Haiku Events: Book Launch ­­-- a wattle seedpod

Lorin Ford’s first collection of haiku, a wattle seedpod, will be launched on Friday, 25th July 2008 by Kris Hemensley, receiver of The Christopher Brennan Award for poetry, at Melbourne's best-loved poetry bookshop, Collected Works.

Launch details:
http://laryalee.users.sunwave.net/lorinposter.htm
Book cover, a sample page and mini-reviews by Ferris Gilli, Beverley George and Lyn Reeves are available for viewing at:
http://www.postpressed.com.au/
a wattle seedpod is available from Post Pressed or contact Lorin at [email protected]

Posted by Graham Nunn at 07:51 AM | Permalink

Haiku, Erotiku, Rooku & Footyku

Sunday August 10th, 5-7pm. At DANTES, Gertrude Street Fitzroy.
Featured Readers: Paul Skec, Michael de Valle, Emilie Zoe Baker, Lia Hills, Michelle Leber, Rob Scott, Sue Stanford, Matt Hetherington, Carla Sari, Maurice McNamara, Kevin Brophy, Myron Lysenko. Plus Open Section.

Its back! The big hit from previous Overload festivals. Short bubble bursts from a contemporary Basho heaven. Come along and soothe your busy mind by listening to a mesmerising variety of short form poetry.

Enquiries: Myron Lysenko 03-9387 4323

Posted by Graham Nunn at 07:46 AM | Permalink

THE NEON CITY
Sue Stanford’s English language haiku
launched by Myron Lysenko
MC Lia Hills
with Guy Harris on guitar
Auditorium of the Japanese Studies Centre
(Bld 54, the grey building west of the bus loop)
Clayton Campus, Monash University
1:00 for 1:10
Wednesday 6th August

Plus Hiroshima Day Commemoration
with Hideko Nakamura

Posted by Beverley George at 09:51 AM | Permalink

Friday 27th JUNE — Melbourne Poets' Union Haiku and Rooku Workshop.
Time: 7.15 for 7:30pm
Venue: The Space, Victorian Writers Centre, Nicholas Building, 37 Swanston St, Melbourne 3000.
Cost: Non-members - $9, Concession, $7, members $6

Light refreshments provided.

Haiku and Rooku

Leanne Hills and Matt Hetherington will lead participants towards developing haiku or rooku (an Aussie version of haiku) which demonstrate a genuine connection to the land, with tips for getting your rooku on board Moving Galleries.

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mpuinc/MPU/Home.html
http://movinggalleries.org/

Posted by Graham Nunn at 11:23 AM | Permalink

Monday 16 June 11 am – 2pm
Melbourne General Cemetery
Cemetery Road, Carlton, Melbourne Australia

Contact information
Phone: 03 9387 4323
Email: [email protected]

Come for a walk in the beautiful surrounds of the Carlton cemetery and experience the graveyard through the calm, non judgmental eye of a haiku with poet and teacher, Myron Lysenko.

cost: $15.00
Meet at the Main entrance, Cemetery Rd, 11 am sharp
bring some lunch and lots of paper to write on.

walking through
our dead friend’s garden
we turn the torch off

– Myron Lysenko

our old dog
buried in the garden
with all her bones

– Michael de Valle

Posted by Beverley George at 07:48 AM | Permalink

Time and Place Date: Monday, June 16, 2008
Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Melbourne General Cemetery,
Street: Cemetery Rd, Carlton
City/Town: Melbourne, Australia

Contact Info Phone: 03.9387.4323
Email: [email protected]

Come for a walk in the beautiful surrounds of the Carlton cemetery and experience the graveyard through the calm, non judgmental eye of a haiku with poet and teacher, Myron Lysenko.

cost: $15.00
Meet at the Main entrance, Cemetery Rd, 11 am sharp
bring some lunch and lots of paper to write on.

walking through
our dead friend’s garden
we turn the torch off

-Myron Lysenko

Posted by Graham Nunn at 04:45 PM | Permalink

The third Moving Galleries exhibition, featuring haiku and rooku by residents of Victoria will be launched in May 2008. This is a wonderful initiative set up by Rooku Troupe (Melbourne haiku poets Lia Hills, Matt Hetherington and Myron Lysenko) in conjunction with Connex Trains and The Committee for Melbourne. This promotion of artwork and haiku has attracted great interest from the public and Melbourne's commuters.

The haiku are featured on decals which appear on the inside walls of 20 Connex trains. They will remain on the trains for six months.

Continue reading "Haiku on Melbourne's Trains" »

Posted by Graham Nunn at 06:19 PM | Permalink

Haiku Reading - March

"THANGS CAFE"
502 Lygon St East Brunswick 8pm FREE
*
THURSDAY MARCH 20th, 2008.
*
HAIKU NIGHT
Sue Stanford, Carla Sari, Matt Hetherington, Helen Begley
Michael de Valle & Myron Lysenko
*
all poets & haikuists welcome to read in OPEN SECTION
*
Paul Gibson Roy to MC proceedings.
Good food & booze on sale. Free entry
*
Info: Roger : 9383.7851
& Paul : 9386 1126
Paul E: [email protected]

Poetry night organized by Paul Gibson.

Continue reading "Melbourne Haiku Readings - March/April" »

Posted by Graham Nunn at 05:42 PM | Permalink

“Moving Galleries” is an on-going project, initiated by a trio of haijin calling themselves Rooku Troupe. They have been instrumental in getting haiku published on decals in Melbourne’s suburban trains.

Here is an interview with a writer who has his haiku currently riding around the Melbourne tracks.

A writer of poetry, haiku, short stories and novels, Michael de Valle’s poetry has featured in both the Moving Galleries pilot and the Spring 2007 Exhibition. Moving Galleries editor, and poet, Leanne Hills, approached Michael to discuss his influences.

Continue reading "INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL DE VALLE" »

Posted by Graham Nunn at 09:23 PM | Permalink

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 will see the launch of the Moving Galleries Spring 2007 Exhibition
at Flinders Street Station by The Minister for the Arts and Public Transport, The Hon. Lynne
Kosky.

Moving Galleries is a travelling exhibition of art and poetry which enables emerging and
established Victorian artists to showcase their talent. It is also designed to enhance the travel
experience for Melbourne's train commuters, and build on Melbourne's reputation as a thriving
cultural and creative capital.

Continue reading "Rooku on Trains/Moving Galleries Project" »

Posted by Graham Nunn at 10:08 AM | Permalink

Poam, the newsletter of the Melbourne Poets' Union, includes a haiku page in each bi-monthly issue. Poets receive payment of $3 per haiku and there is a book prize for one haiku, chosen by the newsletter editor each time.

You need to be a member of the Melbourne Poets Union to submit haiku – but it's worth joining anyway, especially for Victorian poets.

To enquire about joining go to http://vicnet.net.au/~mpuinc

Send your submission to the haiku editor, Peter Macrow,
by email: [email protected]
with subject line: poam haiku
or to
6/16 Osborne St, Sandy Bay TAS 7005, and include a ssae for reply.

Peter is the managing editor of Blue Giraffe poetry magazine. He also is poetry editor for the ezine, The Tasmanian Times.
His haiku collection, Oil Slick Sun, was published by Pardalote Press in November 2005.

Posted by at 02:50 PM | Permalink

Thangs Cafi is holding a haiku reading to celebrate Spring and Summer on Thursday November 16th at 8pm. Featured readers will be Sue Stanford, Matt Hetherington, Leanne Hills, Antony Ley and Myron Lysenko.

There will also be an open reading of haiku, and prizes will be presented to the most striking and memorable haiku of the night.

THANGS CAFI 502 Lygon Street, Brunswick East (near Albion Road). Enquiries to Roger 9383.7851 or Paul Gibson Roy at this email address: [email protected]

Posted by Graham Nunn at 11:59 AM | Permalink

Report by Myron Lysenko

On April 6th 2006, 36 haiku appeared on decals in Melbourne’s trains and they will ride the rails for the next four months. This exciting project was the brainchild of poet Leanne Hills, who approached Connex Trains about the idea in August last year. She recruited Haiku Oz members, Matt Hetherington and Myron Lysenko to help her with her proposal.

The selected haiku includes work by renowned haiku practitioners such as Carla Sari, Sue Stanford, Mary Hind and John West; established Melbourne poets such as Alicia Sometimes, Catherine Bateson, Ian McBryde and Phil Ilton; and introduces extremely young poets such as primary school students Taman Ulrich and Eva Kulessa-Spires. Melbourne’s omnipresent mayor John So is also represented with a haiku about Melbourne Square.

The project was sponsored by a number of Melbourne’s corporate sector and was co-ordinated by The Committee for Melbourne. If the project is deemed a success there will be more haiku on Melbourne’s trains in subsequent years.

Here are a couple of examples of the kinds of haiku selected.

bush cemetery –
a child’s grave
beneath an evergreen

Michael de Valle

everybody hurries
to catch the train
as if there were only one

Yvonne Parker

Posted by Beverley George at 07:58 PM | Permalink