999 Verandakus: #96 from Veranda Life

The empty playground

entertains a single bird

who rests on a swing

999 Verandakus: #95 from Veranda Life

 

The priest awaits the

hearse’s arrival since the

dead don’t care for time

999 Verandakus: #94 from Veranda Life

 

In my neighbour’s yard

a cast-iron dining set

invites passing trade

999 Verandakus: #93 from Veranda Life

 

On wind-gusting days

Trees sound like freeway traffic

The rush standing still

999 Verandakus: #92 from Veranda Life

 

Fog changes the streets

They soften, discard edges

We disappear

999 Verandakus: #91 from Veranda Life

 

Buses create drafts

rocketing through the suburbs

Ticket free air-con

999 Verandakus: #90 from Veranda Life

 

Absolute blue sky

The paler cold of winter

Cloudless and lofty

999 Verandakus: #89 from Veranda Life

 

At the traffic lights

a tableau of silence for

seconds of pure red

999 Verandakus: #88 from Veranda Life

 

My cat smells the cheese

draping my wheatmeal biscuits

Who can deny her?

999 Verandakus: #87 from Veranda Life

 

At the market day

watermelon nursery

rolls by – summer bites

999 Verandakus: #86 from Veranda Life

 

On a higher branch

a magpie rests and watches

moment by moment

999 Verandakus: #85 from Veranda Life

 

Under night’s cover

Mushrooms grow from somewhere to

live a day with light

999 Verandakus: #84 from Veranda Life

 

A stand of bamboo

rises towards sun and moon

Growing its business

Verandaku, Schmerandaku – Write Your Own – NOW

 

There are many different approaches to writing haiku and, of course, Verandaku.

Regarding form, Japanese tradition says that there are three basic elements to a haiku: form, season, and the moment. 

Usually, a haiku is a three-line poem of 17 syllables in the 5-7-5 format.  A season word is included to designate what time of year it is, eg, the actual seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring; or words that indicate temperature: hot, cool, cold, warm; or descriptions of natural phenomena peculiar to a particular time of year, eg, blossoming flowers or falling leaves, leafless trees or cyclonic deluges.  Although, with climate change coming along nicely, we may have to be fairly specific in our references, should we decide to honour this part of the tradition.

The third element relates to the capturing of a moment in time, an observation of what is happening now, a something that you’ve observed to be the case in this present.

Of course, not everyone follows tradition.  Some have abandoned the 5-7-5 form and even three lines, although generally that abandonment is in favour of fewer lines (2 to be precise) and fewer syllables rather than more.  These kinds of haikus sometimes read like mini-sutras rather than poetry, but equally often they’re quite beautiful.  They may well be your cup of tea. 

Others dispense with season words, but most of us persevere with the moment: that, I think, is the ultimate essence of the haiku.  Well, arguably – I wouldn’t want to profess an attachment to one perspective over another in what could be the most Zen-like of all poetry.  Non-attachment rules the rules, as it were.

Veranda Life favours the 5-7-5 three line split as is apparent, but season words are optional, and of course, the moment is paramount.

I find that most of my Verandaku captures occur when I’m out walking, although sometimes watching the back yard or enjoying a storm from the front patio can be just the thing.

Walking is relaxing and meditative, as long as you can deliberately clear your mind of intrusive thoughts and allow the moment to become your friend. 

After you’ve made friends, walk or sit together for a while, and then try focussing on an aspect of your surroundings.  It might be the wind, or lack of it, or it could be the parrots screeching in the bottlebrush.  Perhaps it’s the sound your shoes make as you change from grass to gravel to bitumen.  Maybe it’s what’s happening in the sky, or a scent that drifts by and reminds you of something significant.

The fun part, well all of it’s fun, but the funnest part is taking the observation and fitting it to the 5-7-5, if that’s what you’ve chosen for your form.  Or else, managing to write the momentary observation in 17 syllables or less, three lines or less.

Make a cup of tea,

Breathe, relax, sip, and watch for

yourku to arrive. 

Cheers.

The photograph is of Lamp lit (1989), a work by artist Rosemary Gascoigne, and it was taken at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane.

999 Verandakus: #83 from Veranda Life

 

Arching its spine to

the sun, a fallen palm frond

is sitting pretty

9 Great Reasons to Write Verandakus, or Any Ku At All

PLUS A BONUS REASON FOR WHEN TOO MANY REASONS JUST AREN’T ENOUGH

CONCLUDING QUEENSLAND WRITERS WEEK

I hope you’ve enjoyed the past week of Verandakus celebrating Queensland Writers Week.  I certainly enjoyed writing them and finding photos from Veranda Life’s stock of Photokus to complement them. 

The photoku above was taken at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens at the foot of Mt Coot-tha.  The gardens cover quite a large area and incorporate a kind of arid zone featuring cactuses and succulents. 

I’m no expert, but I really like the look of desert-dwelling plants, and I selected this one to celebrate a return, however brief it may be, to dry and sunny weather here in Brisbane.  People’s homes have been flooded and otherwise inundated one way and another.  Some have even begun to sink, so I suspect a lot of us will look upon our desert flora with some delight.

Now, there must be at least 999 great reasons to write Verandakus, but in the interests of brevity, and to encourage other wiser and wider-ranging hearts and souls to come up with their own, here are a mere  9 – look out for the bonus.

1.  Writing a Verandaku gives you an almost instant sense of achievement.

2.  You’re in touch with the world around you – NOW.

3.  You’re creating a memoir in a moment.

4.  Writing Verandakus will remind you of observations and moments in your life you would otherwise forget.

5.  V-kus are short, sweet, and complete in 3 lovely lines.

6.  Almost every V-ku will fit inside the 140 character limit of a Tweet.  Talk about instant messaging.

7.  You can compose Verandakus while simultaneously walking and getting fit – how efficient is that?

8.  If you miss catching one Verandaku, another will be along any minute – the world is absolutely chocabloc with them.

9.  When you catch a passing Verandaku, you’re staying in touch with the universe and therefore confirming that you belong – you love and you are loved.

And for those readers who like their lists in even blocks of 10, this one’s for you:

10.  Verandakus, in fact all forms of haiku, are just plain FUN, so ENJOY yourself, my friends, and happy catching.

999 Verandakus: #82 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Standing in tree shade

I feel the leaves cool essence

Air-blown and gentle

999 Verandakus: #81 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

A mismatched lounge suite

sits on a shady footpath

turning runners’ heads

999 Verandakus: #80 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Empty fields, hot days

Football two seasons away

The grass laughs it up

999 Verandakus: #79 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

A white cat, statue

still, patient, waits for her prey

to join the tableau

999 Verandakus: #78 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Jasper the lost cat

stares at me from his reward

poster – safe up there

999 Verandakus: #77 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Darkening clouds chase

birds from trees and me through streets

The wind at our backs

999 Verandakus: #76 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Coiled cable lying

on the grass waits to connect

the rest of the world

999 Verandakus: #75 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Luminous colours

greet me as I step outside

after days indoors

999 Verandakus: #74 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

No one in our street

heard the tree falling but we

heard it sawn and chipped

999 Verandakus: #73 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

A cat sets herself

among palm trunks – her outdoor

treehouse with a view

999 Verandakus: #72 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

A car door leaning

against the fence – small flowers

gaze from its window

999 Verandakus: #71 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Leaves race down the street

as though their lives were elsewhere

The wind knows the way

999 Verandakus: #70 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

On the bowling green

bowls glide from hand to kitty

Black, green, black, green, white

999 Verandakus: #69 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Greeted each morning

by parrots with attitude

Their screech is my joy

999 Verandakus: #68 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Just before the rain

the sky darkens, wind rises

There are silences

999 Verandakus: #67 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

A marshmallow sky

stretches to the horizon

softening the day

999 Verandakus: #66 from Veranda Life

 

 CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

A truck full of signs

rattles through suburban streets

seeking direction

999 Verandakus: #65 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Jacarandas start

their blooming months and announce

exam time mid-Spring

999 Verandakus: #64 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

Half-moon mid-morning

watching the sun rise and glow

Room enough for two

999 Verandakus: #63 from Veranda Life

 

CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

On a day of fires

The sun works hard to stand out

Our focus elsewhere

999 Verandakus: #62 from Veranda Life

 

 CELEBRATING Queensland Writers Week 11-17 October 2010

A single leaf dropped

by a bird lies waiting for

its friends to drop by

An experiment in linking documents (we hope)

REMEMBER: Queensland Writers Week begins tomorrow, Monday 11 October.

Here is my first attempt to embed the code for a small document I wrote about Verandaku in Google Docs:



So, let's hope the code I can see as I write this post will do the magical thing it's supposed to do.

Next, is a link to the document -
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1vplW7ns4eyHmY8vGGGVNrjJIXEXnrDKZGcmRUaB9Yw0

I've tested both the frame and the link and both worked.  With luck, this will continue.  It seems to be a fairly simple process within Google Docs, so why not have a go and try it for yourself. 

Just remember to paste the link in your text editor under the Compose, or normal viewing mode, and go to Edit HTML to embed the code for the frame.

999 Verandakus: #61 from Veranda Life

 

A magpie youngster

Revels in footpath freedom

Mother singing watch

999 Verandakus: #60 from Veranda Life

 

Two birds out walking

Decide on a yard for lunch

Al fresco dining

999 Verandakus: #59 from Veranda Life

 

Birds of paradise

Raise their beaks to the storm clouds

Waiting for fuel

999 Verandakus: #58 from Veranda Life

 

Rain droplets on leaves

Form twitching clubs of gossip

on the sun’s misdeeds

Queensland Writers Week 2010



Lorrie McLay, a past Secretary of the QWC Mgt Board, outside the SLQ after a recent Blogging course.

Hello friends
I'm writing to let you know that next week is Queensland Writers Week.  It runs from Monday the 11th to Sunday the 17th of October and is an initiative of the Queensland Writers Centre (QWC) as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

I've had a long association with the QWC since its inception, both as an individual and community organisation member (the Fellowship of Australian Writers Qld), and as a performer (through the Wordpool series), workshop facilitator, and contributor to its publications.

The QWC has seen some radical changes of venue over the years, from the rambling, creaking old government building in William Street with all its mysterious and dark nooks and crannies, to the still rather old but slightly more impressive Wickham Terrace premises, to the decidedly cool dude Metro Arts building in Edward Street in the CBD, and finally to the wonderful State Library of Queensland on the river, one of my favourite Brisbane places.

Here at Veranda Life, we've decided to make a contribution to the week of celebrations by beefing up "999 Verandakus: A Memoir of Now" to 3 a day, and posting articles on how to write Verandakus, including tips on inspiration, getting started, and keeping the flame alight.

We'd love to hear from you - perhaps you already write haikus in various forms - there are many - or maybe you've been thinking about it. 

Now is the time to act.  We're all about the moment here at Veranda Life, and, of course, Breathing, Relaxing, and Drinking Black Tea Often.  It's a Queensland thing: Beautiful One Day, Perfectly Brewed the Next.

SLQ's reception area, where you can find out all manner of things.

999 Verandakus: #57 from Veranda Life

 

At the building site

A whistle signals changes

Hot tea, cold cuts, lunch

999 Verandakus: #56 from Veranda Life

 

Tree shade seems cooler

Spilling onto grass and me

Soft edges blur truth

999 Verandakus: #55 from Veranda Life

 

A smell from the past

Nana’s chook mash on the air

Visiting spirit

999 Verandakus: #54 from Veranda Life

 

Magpies rule the roost

On the corner where they feed

But full birds don’t dive

999 Verandakus: #53 from Veranda Life

 

The I who writes this

Is not the I who is me

Who is it that thinks?

999 Verandakus: #52 from Veranda Life

 

Bird on a wire tweets

It needs no technology

to tell its story