Welcome to a beautifully scented haiku pea podcast, episode 18 of the second series. I’m Patricia and this week I am bringing you a selection of haiku and senryu on the topic of flowers. I love flowers they have such an uplifting effect on the soul, don’t you think?
Today, some verses have already been published, but many are written by you and blooming here for the first time. Thank you to all you wonderful poets out there for brightening my days with your verses.
I hope you enjoy what’s to come, but whether you do or don’t send me an email and let me know. The podcast can only be better if you help me.
I think we should. As usual I’ll start with the pieces I have read in other publications and which have stood out for me.
Matsukaze
pruning camellias i enjoy smoking a little weed
@BeingOrrin
Matsukaze has enjoyed capturing the spirit of the age and parts of himself in the belly of short poetry forms since 2006. He resides in Dallas, TX
Henry W Kreuter
red tulips
outside my dentist’s window
open wider
Published in Full of Moonlight: Haiku Society of America 2016 Members’ Anthology
H F Noyes
up bright and early
arranging flowers
to look unarranged
The touch of the moth. The 35th Annual Haiku Canada Members’ Anthology
Karen Hoy
the detail
from a broad brush
sunflowers
Anthology credit: Peonies/Божури (May 2019) ed. Iliyana Stoyanova
long dry season–
the last flower
a baboon snack
“This Lion Country” haiku sequence (Serengeti, Tanzania) Presence issue 57 (2017)
n.b. Tanzania: the long dry season runs through June to September into October.
And now from you verses on the theme of flowers, written just for us:
This week I’m going to begin this section with verses from poets that are new to the podcast.
**Evelyn Quek
Originally from Singapore she now lives in London, where she runs workshops on Tibetan medicine, yoga and meditation. What Evelyn enjoys from a haiku is strong visual imagery which awakens the inner Self.
in her overgrown garden
red tulips drink the rain
has it been a year?
Nida Chenagtsang (Author), Tam Nguyen (Author), Evelyn Quek (Editor): Tibetan Art of Dream Analysis which I ghost wrote
**Jonathan Roman writing from the US
In addition to writing haiku, Jonathan writes other forms of poetry and fiction too. He enjoys the puzzle element of haiku, and its playfulness. Playfulness? Now, we’ve not heard that before on the podcast, but I like it.
Jonathan has a few recommendations for those of us who want to improve our skills, he suggests we go to conferences. I know the British Haiku Society have one and there was a recent Haiku North America one, why not check out your local association? He has also given me another book to put on my Christmas list, Lee Gurga’s – A poet’s guide.
By the time this podcast goes out Jonathan will have had his first book of haiku, haiga and haibun published. Congrats Jonathan. He has written them in and about Iceland, a country that’s on my visit list.
ongoing pruning
of my son’s synapses
rose garden
frozen ground
at the memorial –
plastic flowers
Jonathan’s book: Deeper Into Winter. It’s a collection of haiku, haiga, and haibun written in and about Iceland.
Jonathan’s website:
Twitter and Instagram: @deft_notes
Staying in the US we are going to visit with
**s. zeilenga
or z to his friends. He writes for us from a small town in Iowa, where he is the custodian of a small brick church. I know this keeps him busy but it also allows him the space to explore his thoughts. What a great job, at least it sounds like it is. He came to haiku or more accurately he returned to haiku in an intriguing way, via a deep study of Hebrew biblical poetry. I had never thought of the bible as poetry but he tells me it has much in common with haiku. What? Well, Hebrew poetry incorporates parallelism or juxtaposition, and metaphor. Like many of us he tries to use juxtaposition within the haiku to create a metaphor / an unseen picture in people’s heads, or a bit of mystery to solve.
Z uses Alan Summer’s excellent blog area17 as one of his resources for learning.
evening shadows
the tulips crossing
the street
hydrangea blossom
the full moon balanced
atop a tall tree
@ruralitalics Twitter
**Ibrahim Clouds
Ibrahim writes from Nigeria. An architect by trade he writes haiku as a form of meditation. I always ask poets what in their opinion makes a good haiku and Ibrahim tells me that he believes a good Ku is one that shows the world we believe we know to us in another way. One that takes us to a new dimension within the cosmos.
first date
the expectation of everything
but flowers
Ibrahim’s Facebook
**Connor McLellan
Is a student at Wichita State University. Funny how you hear a certain word or a place and it plays something in your head. I might be showing my age here, but I can hear Glen Campbell singing Wichita Lineman, can you?
Connor is relatively new to the art of haiku. For him it’s become a way of capturing moments in his life that he finds memorable and sharing them with others so that they can experience them as well.
Here’s a chance for us to immerse ourselves in a snippet of Connor’s life:
honey suckle sweet
long days in the holly bush
hazy days of youth
instagram @haikus_in_life
**Erin Castaldi
is the poet laureate for the city of Somers Point New Jersey. Who knew that towns had poet laureates? As someone who runs her own business Erin must be pretty busy, but she says that as she has control over her life, she can create poetry more or less when she wants.
Although she has other pastimes, like photography, painting, reading, haiku is a passion or as she puts it, an obsession. The more she learns about it, its history, culture, roots, etc, the more she is sure she has found a home.
With her haiku she tries to redefine the familiar. Has she done that for you?
on the wind
scent of thunder
and honeysuckle
pepper blossoms
cupped fingers lift
late spring mist
If you’d like to read more, Erin has a book coming out this month.
Suggested resources:
She is especially fond of Presence, Blyth Spirit, Herons Nest, Modern Haiku, The Haiku Foundation and The Haiku Society of America, GraceGuts.com, #FemKuMag.com, Cha No Keburi online journal and Akitsu Quarterly.
instagram @haiku_gurl
Facebook .
Her book: “ Evensong On The Great Egg “, published by Moonstone Press.
**David Rudd Mitchell
is from Slough in the UK. He is a keen walker, writer and reader who writes haiku as a way of being still. He has previously been published by Zen Space and had a haiku included in the “DIVERSIFLY – Poetry and Art on Britain’s Urban Birds Anthology” published in 2018 by Fair Acre Press.
He suggests that keeping a haiku diary is a good way to improve. I guess by doing that you can chart your progress, see if you write in a particular style, have topics that you return to etc. Another good idea he has is to read the thoughts of editors of haiku journals, anthologies etc and I’d add reading the comments by competition judges is another way to haiku enlightenment.
autumn chill
she stoops, to plant next spring’s bulbs
– with three Grandchildren
white flowers.
along the forest’s long path
a sent of garlic
**Roberta Beach Jacobson
our next poet has a website that made me laugh out loud. Go along and have a look, I recommend the about page. A student not just of haiku but all short poems she definitely tries to encourage us to smile, for which I thank her. She says of herself, “Besides poetry,” “I write” greeting cards, game clues, and flash fiction … anything to avoid a day job. Good on you Roberta and now her verse:
four tomato plants
the salads of summer
Roberta Beach Jacobson website
**Mal Ward
from Lincolnshire in the UK, has been writing haiku for four years. She has been published in many journals, like Freshoutmag, Cattails, Plumtree Tavern, Whispers in the wind, Haiku Universe, Hedgerow and most recently Frogpond. She finds joy in haiku, as we all do.
little white dress–
poppies bloom
by the driveby
wilting flowers–
the dementia patients
outlive their minds
Twitter: @deer_ward
**Amanda Bell
is from Ireland, more precisely Dublin, where she is a writer and editor. Actually she is assistant editor of The Haibun Journal, which many of us will know.
Amanda is a published haijin, one of her collections of haiku and haibun Undercurrents (Alba Publishing, 2016) won second prize in the HSA Kanterman Merit Book Awards and was shortlisted for a Touchstone Distinguished Books Award by the Haiku Foundation. She has had other books published and I’ll put the info in the show notes, do go along and have a look.
June afternoon
magnified by raindrops
the foxgloves’ dappled silk
white hyacinths
outside the convenience store –
pale moon rising
twitter @gagebybell
Amanda’s website
Publications:
First the Feathers (Doire Press, 2017) which was shortlisted for the Shine Strong Award
The Lost Library (The Onslaught Press, 2017) an illustrated children’s book
The loneliness of the sasquatch: a transcreation from the Irish of Gabriel Rosenstock (Alba Publishing, 2018).
Thanks to all the wonderful poet’s who have written for us for the first time, I really hope we hear from you again. Now we turn to our regular contributors who I’m absolutely delighted to feature too.
Wayne Kingston
warming wind,
plum blossoms sigh ~
snow angels rise
Wayne’s books:
Eclectic Discernment & Listen Small. Both available through Amazon; published through CreateSpace.
Barun Saha
my garden
never has darkness —
tulip bulbs
Twitter @1barun
Barun’s Website
John McManus
forget-me-nots
a girl I don’t recognise
gives me a hug
withered flowers
I catch her snooping
through my phone
Twitter: @johnnyhaikumcm1
John’s book ‘Inside His Time Machine’
Mani Shanmugham
sunflower field –
moon successfully turns
the shadows.
Mariela Gonzalez
Amazon jungle
she appears nude
the orchid
The Haiku Foundation poet’s registry
@MCoromoto on Facebook
Patricia (Bisshie)
Misty rain
the orchids play dead
in the florist
Patrick Stephens
How can we die now
While flowers float in the air
Far from winter’s tears
The old woman rests
Faded blooms on the carved stone
Gray clouds passing
Giddy Nielsen Sweep
small white cup
flowers drop to reveal
blueberries
Twitter @GiddyNS
Craig Kittner
adrift
in honeysuckle aroma
springtime hammock
Craig’s book “Time’s Sweet Savor Poetry”
Twitter@craigkittner
David A Estringel
Velvet petals
peek through briars and brambles.
Hope emerges.
His feature-length collection of poetry and prose Indelible Fingerprints (Alien Buddha Press) that is now available on Amazon.com.
His website
Twitter – @The_Booky_Man
Facebook
Instagram
Peter Draper
at the bronze
plinth’s base
a scented hyacinth
Peter’s website
Andrew Syor
Veteran at rest—
forever young among
vivid red poppies
flowers and feelings
another of nature’s blends
spanning emotions
Andrew’s Vlog
Kim Russell
bees hum
flower compositions
each petal a note
Kim’s website
Publications:
The Emma Press: Anthology of Aunts and Second Place Rosette.
The dVerse Poets anthology, Chiaroscuro – Darkness and Light
Twitter: @kim88110
Elaine Patricia Morris
abundant hedgerow-
honey suckling bees
also creep along ©
Twitter @VotheroneMorris
Her blog
Incidental haiku Group in Bolton, UK, new members always welcome, just get in touch with Elaine. @incidentalhaik1 on Twitter
Paddy White
summer bee
joyrides
mum to mum
delicate
yet unafraid
of the pluck
Pearl
passiflora
summer heat
in tokyo
Instagram “3_liner”
James Young
lavender falls
upon the daisies
then the rain stops
Twitter: @BaitTheLines
medical website
Professor R K Singh
a tiny spider
on the marigold sucking
its golden hue
no one at home
before the paper deity
dead flowers
Professor R K Singh’s blogs
https://rksingh.blogspot.in
https://rksinghpoet.blogspot.in
https://collectedpoemsofrksingh.blogspot.in
https://profrksingh.wordpress.com
His books:
THERE’S NO PARADISE AND OTHER SELECTED POEMS TANKA AND HAIKU. It is now available on Amazon.
His new collection available online (free) and awaiting a publisher:
Hifsa Ashraf
blue dahlia
the depth
of her scars
Short stories: published in a UK based English magazine
m shane pruett
softly humming
as she tends the flowers
a bumble bee
queen anne’s lace
blankets the meadow
but sparsely
Twitter @HaikuMyBrew
wendy c. bialek
fire dancing vine
a hummingbird enters
an orange trumpet
waiting for spring
wisteria vine
weaves a basket
Lovette Carter
light showers…
a little daffodil
rests its head
lilac–
my sister calls me
from home
For some reason every time I read the last verse I want to say:
lilac
my sister calls
me home
Richa Sharma
budding lotus
slowly unfolding her
acceptances
camellia in snow
taking back my words
silently
Twitter @bluelakemoon
David Oates
winter
crocus bulbs
cocked and aimed
summer afternoon
a long necklace
of clover flowers
Twitter: @witnwords1
David’s Website
David’s book “The Deer’s Bandana” at Brick Road Poetry Press
Richard Bailly
assault rifle spree
yellow roses of texas
coffin adornment
colorful poppy
source of opium
deadly potential
Mineko Takahashi
lizards’ talk
of occasional bouquets
at a woman’s window
Instagram sites teaching Japanese Idioms “your_private_japanese_tutor” and “ur_japanese_tutor” which teaches Japanese characters FB account @yourjapanesetutor which discusses many facets of the language from the viewpoint of a foreign learner.
Isabel Caves
hospital room…
lilies on the windowsill
bright with rain
Isabel’s website
and last but definitely not least;
Robert Horrobin
summer breeze
the cut flowers
are still
Thank you to everyone who has taken part in the podcast. I do really enjoy your work and if there is anyone listening who would like to take part but hasn’t emailed me a submission yet, well the next topic is Spirits, interpret the word any way you like and send me your work, deadline 14th October.
It has been a pleasure reading these haiku and senryu this week, my sincere thanks to everyone who has come along and listened. Knowing I have company makes a huge difference and so feel free to email me comments and thoughts. All are welcome.
Next time I will be celebrating two years of the podcast, how that time has flown, and having a look at children’s haiku. I know some of you write haiku for children, why not send me some to feature, deadline 30th September.
Until next time, keep writing…
