In August the Poetry Workshop at the Carmelite Centre practised haiku. Participants produced poems which were then discussed in the group online. Here are fourteen haiku by Philippa Wetherell, with her opening note.
“I
send this offering of Haiku knowing that I have in no sense perfected this
fascinating form, but that in the struggle I have learnt a lot about
disciplining language and about aiming at suggestiveness rather than overtly
spelling out an idea. I have also become more conscious of focusing on a
present moment and noticing small details, so I hope this is reflected in some
of the poems.”
A lone
bird engaged
in
sustained converse with itself
Heard and
held though in fog.
Look, a
single leaf
clinging
on to blackened branch
sustained
by a thread
Tiny tiny
bubbles
purple-green arcs in the sun
lost in a
breath
Four tall straight talking
lemon daffodils gold centred
in
pink twilight.
Swiftly greying sky
sudden burst of slanting rain
slivers of sunlight
Did
I smile first
or did you?
Opening out on approach
in all your pink finery.
grey moon in outline
in dull sky with slivered slice
awaiting latent gold
Open the door, masked
outside a new morning world
young and fresh in fog
A sociologist said :
No certain exit from uncertainty-
with soaring numbers, how true.
Shadow glimpsed, ghostlike
dropping off beans, carrots leeks
no touch, no eyes meet.
Seniors, old wise ones
called to attack the virus
by doing ‘nuffin’.
Drowning in things, lost
submerged, hardly surfacing
for breath and freedom
Stretched on yoga mat
delving deep into philosophy
lost in time and tome.
No bell tolls the hour
but none walks in the blank street
in time of curfew.
Thank you Philippa
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