winter haiku hiking in Blackheath

At the moment in the mountains, it is hard to tell from day to day which season it is. It was very cold in April, then it warmed up again . In my garden, the young peach tree and the pouton seem to think it is spring, with blossoms and buds. There is a vibrancy to the turning leaves this year, brilliant oranges and reds as they relinquish their grip. I wrote this a couple of days before the haiku day, in Blackheath.

Blow me uphill
wind
like those autumn leaves

DL

But it was most definitely winter last Saturday, when the haikunis met at BANC.

Ginger spiced leaves
Scudding grey clouds
Winter nips autumn’s skirts

Cassy Hodge

They bravely donned layers of warm clothing and stepped forth into a strong wind and a grey spit-threat sky.

Haiku day
a sea of beanies
... observing

Peter Berbee

The piles of leaves in Blackheath’s streets were banked up against walls and gutters - quite nice, but lets get down into the gully and out of the wind.

Lungs gorged –sweet, cool air
Birds beckoning,
“Who goes there?”

Cassy Hodge

We had a long warming walk. How many things there are to write about and take pleasure in, even on such a day. It is remarkable how simply paying attention can produce poems like these in a few hours.

Dank rainforest litter
Mushroom skulking -
Peek-a-boo!

Cassy Hodge

Some of these haikus are a first draft, which is the way Shiki wrote his. My one below is word for word the way I wrote it in my notebook.

In old age
an act most powerful –
tree across the path

D L

wind in the trees
the rushing mountain stream
which sound is which ?

Glenys Jackson

Most have been re-drafted, which is generally the way that Basho worked.

birdsong in the wind

behind the tree

a waterfall

Matthew Johns

Diana, 23rd May 2009