The long-term lack of rain down here in Victoria has left the water-level perceptibly low in the artificial lake beside the Terrace Tearooms at Melbourne’s Botanical Gardens, prompting dusky moorhens to wade around pecking for food in exposed mud beneath the stone walls, exactly where eels could be seen swimming under normal conditions.

With a range of other people involved unable to attend for a variety of reasons – including our leader, Lorin Ford – four members of the Red Kelpie Haiku Group still managed to gather yesterday (Sunday, 6 March) for our autumn meeting. Even if civic gardeners would have appreciated rain, the weather was beautiful – warm and sunny – while group discussion was positive and fruitful to match.

The Red Kelpie Group members joining me yesterday – Janet Howie, Jayashree Maniyil and Earl Livings – had been invited to bring along a draft version of a new haiku that was proving to be challenging. Productive conversation followed, with constructive feedback and helpful suggestions appreciated all around within this work-shopping process.

A second element of the gathering involved group members having also been asked to share a valued haiku – written by another poet – as a prompt towards dialogue, with no particular theme or technical feature specified in advance.

Continue reading "Red Kelpie Haiku Group – Autumn meeting & ginko #7 " »

Posted by Rodney Williams at 10:14 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by Rodney Williams at 06:26 PM | Permalink

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