a boy strays

into the scrub

banksia men

Banksia men are the frightening villains of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, a popular series of childrens books by Australian author May Gibbs, first published in 1918.

hot wind

a grasshopper

on mint

Hey folks.  I suspect life's going to get a little busy for me down here in Sydney, so I may whip up a few less haiga this year.  I'll see how it goes.  I will try to visit your sites as often as I can.

And here's a link to a couple of goldfish haiga that havent been posted on my blog but can be found at HaigaOnline, if you're interested. 

There's not nearly enough ku about goldfish in the world I reckon.

cerulean sky

between the pond skater

and the eel

the longest day

I finally take no

for an answer

Patrick Gillespie of PoemShape is collecting solstice haiku.  E-mail your contribution via his contact page, or post it to his guest book.

And to get you in the mood, here's some winter solstice ku from the f/k/a archives.

curtains cut down

to let in the sun

twisted flower

I finally managed to elbow my way into The Herons Nest this month (Dec 2009, pg 3). 

Australian Haiku just flew past 10,000 hits this weekend too.  Thanks very much to you all.

sunlight

through a bee

the sun

ambling

into joggers

sudden heat

cicadas cry

cold against my cheeks

last night's drinks

his sky blue

shorts so tight

first blush

The latest edition of Simply Haiku has kindly included some of my favourite haiga. 

sunlight sweeps

across the cluttered sill

temple bells

the warmth

of a car bonnet - coffee

in the rain

shoulderblades

catch the sun - the beetle

finally dies

same same but different - thanks Bandit!

happy halloween

see also Montage Halloween Masque

and Bandit's Halloween post featuring one of my favourite poets Lorin Ford, the delightful Devika, too cool for school William Sorlien, the overly artistic Comrade Harps, the ever popular Alan Summers and yours truly

lamplit breath

floats along the shore

ghost stories

Herons Nest Volume XII, Number 1: March, 2010

slipping

beneath the briny sea

jellyfish shadows

a different path

the unexpected warmth

of kangaroo paw

lives unseen

in daylight hours

nightwindows

*

Psychogeography is the study of the effects of the urban environment on the emotions and behaviour of individuals.  It caught my attention the other day.  For me it blends hobby (haiku) with professional interests (urban design).  

This school of thought relies on the 'derive' - where you walk with the sole objective of letting your interests in the immediate surrounds guide your route and being open to encounters along the way - much like taking an urban ginko.

almost home

where the road rises

baking bread

*

redbacks escape

down my best mates' dunny

the sea change

With a quiet nod to John McDonald and Comrade Harps...

Back burning in the national parks begins early Spring. The suburbs take on a surreal glow from the sun through the rising smoke. The light and the smell of ash from the first back burn signals summer is around the corner, when the bushfires start.

                                                   balconies lit
                                                   by a smouldering sun
                                                                  first back burn

desert wind

a wire fence stretches

to nowhere

Heron's Nest, Vol XI, Number 4, Dec 2009

withdrawing

from the petals - the bee's

wandering eye

a bit of Bach

she paints her walls

iPod white

through rippling

tree ferns - an old wind

laughs

white butterflies

heavy with ocean spray

an errant wave

reaching the shore

every drop it's moment

in the sky

strewn

across the midden

bottletops

In Australia, 'midden' principally refers to the shell heaps left a long time ago by Aboriginal folk. Where I live, they're often found in sheltered spots with incredible views of the water.

inching

across the bitumen

grasshopper