January 2012 Meeting.......
Having canceled the meeting scheduled for December of 2011, the Central Valley Haiku Club, held their first meeting since the Haiku Reading in October on January 14, 2012. Members Bill Owen, Mark Hollingsworth, Yvonne Cabalona, Ricardo de Bernardi, and Leslie Rose gathered at one of the club's favorite meeting spots, the Eastern Empire Restaurant.
Over savory plates of food, the main topic of discussion turned on technology and making chapbooks available for download to the public, as well as finding and enjoying such things as haiga online.
Leslie Rose reported on the stellar 2011 Seabeck Haiku Getaway that she attended in October held by Haiku Northwest and shared the anthology constructed by the more than 30 attendees at that event.
Yvonne reported on last year's Haibun contest. We would like to thank our judges, Deborah Kolodji and Ellen Compton. First place goes to Cara Holman of Portland, Oregon for her haibun "Filtered Sunlight." And Second place goes to David Grayson of Alameda, California, a member of HPNC, for his haibun, "Pathfinder." You may view these writings at our website. We would like to congratulate and thank all our entrants for their wonderful submissions. With this year's contest already underway, we're hoping that all of these poets and more will be working on pieces to submit. As member Yvonne commented, with the deadline later this year, we're hoping that everyone will have more than enough time to gather and weave their prose and poetry.
Under celebrations, Leslie shared her tanka that appeared in the recent Fall/Winter edition of "Moonbathing". Bill announced that one of his haiku will be appearing in the forthcoming "Frogpond". And Yvonne had a couple of haiku and a haibun included in the most recent copy of "Bottle Rockets".
The last order of business was to set the date for our next meeting. It will be held at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory, 1136 Sibley Street, Folsom, CA, on Saturday, March 10th, at 11:30
Respectfully submitted,
Leslie Rose
CVHC Secretary.
The Jerry Kilbride Memorial 2012 English-Language Haibun Contest
Monday, January 30, 2012
Saturday, October 29, 2011
CVHC English Language Haiku Reading, October 2011
Annual Haiku Reading
As autumn crept into the California central valley and surrounding hills, on Saturday, October 8th, 2011, the Central Valley Haiku Club held their annual English Language Haiku reading at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory, 1136 Sibley Street, Folsom, CA. This event, along with many other art activities, is held in conjunction with Folsom's yearly celebration of the arts.
Before an audience of around two dozen, and with the koi pond as backdrop, club members Yvonne Cabalona, Bill Owen, Mark Hollingsworth, Lana Campbell, and Leslie Rose, shared information about the various haiku forms and then read some of their poetry, while member Ricardo de Bernardi took pictures. To everyone's delight, at the end of the reading, some of the audience members shared their poetry as well.
When the reading was finished and the audience had departed, the Club held their next to the last meeting of the year.
The first item of discussion was the 2011 Jerry Kilbride Memorial English Language Haibun contest which closed on October 1st. Yvonne reported that the submissions have gone to the judges and we will be receiving notification of our winners before our next meeting in December. So, with this contest almost put to bed, it was decided that we should, even before this year ends, begin notifying poets of our next haibun contest, our ninth annual event, which will have a deadline of December 1st, 2012. We are hoping, with a full year to write, and with a later deadline, more writers will submit entries. Full information about the contest may be found at our website: www.blinkhaiku.blogspot.com
We had several celebrations. Yvonne has been invited to submit copies of her Chapbook, Down the Mermaid's Back, for consideration for the Touchstone Award. She also will have one of her poems published in the "Heron's Nest". And Leslie announced that one of her tanka's will be published in #5 of "Moonbathing".
As this meeting ended, the date of December 3rd was chosen for the last meeting of the year. We will again meet at the Eastern Empire Restaurant on Howe Avenue in Sacramento at 12:30 to share laughter, poems and good food.
As autumn crept into the California central valley and surrounding hills, on Saturday, October 8th, 2011, the Central Valley Haiku Club held their annual English Language Haiku reading at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory, 1136 Sibley Street, Folsom, CA. This event, along with many other art activities, is held in conjunction with Folsom's yearly celebration of the arts.
Before an audience of around two dozen, and with the koi pond as backdrop, club members Yvonne Cabalona, Bill Owen, Mark Hollingsworth, Lana Campbell, and Leslie Rose, shared information about the various haiku forms and then read some of their poetry, while member Ricardo de Bernardi took pictures. To everyone's delight, at the end of the reading, some of the audience members shared their poetry as well.
When the reading was finished and the audience had departed, the Club held their next to the last meeting of the year.
The first item of discussion was the 2011 Jerry Kilbride Memorial English Language Haibun contest which closed on October 1st. Yvonne reported that the submissions have gone to the judges and we will be receiving notification of our winners before our next meeting in December. So, with this contest almost put to bed, it was decided that we should, even before this year ends, begin notifying poets of our next haibun contest, our ninth annual event, which will have a deadline of December 1st, 2012. We are hoping, with a full year to write, and with a later deadline, more writers will submit entries. Full information about the contest may be found at our website: www.blinkhaiku.blogspot.com
We had several celebrations. Yvonne has been invited to submit copies of her Chapbook, Down the Mermaid's Back, for consideration for the Touchstone Award. She also will have one of her poems published in the "Heron's Nest". And Leslie announced that one of her tanka's will be published in #5 of "Moonbathing".
As this meeting ended, the date of December 3rd was chosen for the last meeting of the year. We will again meet at the Eastern Empire Restaurant on Howe Avenue in Sacramento at 12:30 to share laughter, poems and good food.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Minutes of the CVHC August Meeting
During the "Dog Days of Summer" the members of the CVHC met, as planned, the hot afternoon of August 13th, at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom and shared a potluck of foods while catching up on all that has been happening with the various members over the last several months.
Attending were members Bill Owen, Mark Hollingsworth, Yvonne Cabalona, Ricardo de Bernardi and Leslie Rose. We were pleased to hear that member Lana, who we have missed over the last several meetings, had contacted Bill to say that she will be rejoining us in October for our annual Haiku Reading event.
Yvonne reported that she has secured the meeting room at the Sake Factory for us for that reading. We will be performing between the hours of 1:00-3:00 and will retire to the tasting room for a meeting from 3:00-4:00 directly after that.
Regarding our annual Jerry Kilbride Haibun Contest, Yvonne is looking for more entries during these last few weeks before the deadline. To spur entrants to get their poems in, we will be posting twice to Facebook during August.
We briefly discussed Tanka Prose and member Leslie was asked to check to see if there are currently any contests being run for that particular form.
We congratulated Bill who has a haiku appearing in the latest issue of Frogpond (Vol. 34:2, 2011).
Yvonne shared her poem, "Into the Dark", and the story behind it, which has been accepted for publication in the upcoming Bottle Rockets.
With that we had to close the meeting, but are looking forward to our next gathering on October 8th at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom. (Anyone wanting more information about that Reading may go to our Facebook page or our blogspot: http://blinkhaiku.blogspot.com).
Leslie Rose
During the "Dog Days of Summer" the members of the CVHC met, as planned, the hot afternoon of August 13th, at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom and shared a potluck of foods while catching up on all that has been happening with the various members over the last several months.
Attending were members Bill Owen, Mark Hollingsworth, Yvonne Cabalona, Ricardo de Bernardi and Leslie Rose. We were pleased to hear that member Lana, who we have missed over the last several meetings, had contacted Bill to say that she will be rejoining us in October for our annual Haiku Reading event.
Yvonne reported that she has secured the meeting room at the Sake Factory for us for that reading. We will be performing between the hours of 1:00-3:00 and will retire to the tasting room for a meeting from 3:00-4:00 directly after that.
Regarding our annual Jerry Kilbride Haibun Contest, Yvonne is looking for more entries during these last few weeks before the deadline. To spur entrants to get their poems in, we will be posting twice to Facebook during August.
We briefly discussed Tanka Prose and member Leslie was asked to check to see if there are currently any contests being run for that particular form.
We congratulated Bill who has a haiku appearing in the latest issue of Frogpond (Vol. 34:2, 2011).
Yvonne shared her poem, "Into the Dark", and the story behind it, which has been accepted for publication in the upcoming Bottle Rockets.
With that we had to close the meeting, but are looking forward to our next gathering on October 8th at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom. (Anyone wanting more information about that Reading may go to our Facebook page or our blogspot: http://blinkhaiku.blogspot.com).
Leslie Rose
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Central Valley Haiku Club Minutes
Spring Meeting
It was a small gathering, our first of the spring, that our CVHC held on Saturday, April 8, 2011, at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom, California. Attending were members Bill Owen, Yvonne Cabalona, Ricardo de Bernardi and Leslie Rose
Lately our members have found themselves tugged in a variety of directions, making it difficult for many to attend the bi-monthly meetings. So we briefly discussed the possibility of "SKYPE-ing" our meetings so that members might be able to share in what is happening from wherever they are on our meeting days. It was decided that we should further investigate this possibility and discuss it again at a future meeting.
Our annual Jerry Kilbride Memorial 2011 English-language Haibun Contest is up and running, the deadline for submissions being October 1st. Again we're posting announcements and contest details on our blog and website and have asked other sites, such as the HSA and the Tobacco Road Blog to post that information as well.
We all shared and enjoyed each other's recent creative efforts before adjourning.
Our next meeting will be Saturday, June 4th, at the Eastern Empire Restaurant on Howe Ave. in Sacramento, when we will share good company, good food and our writings.
June Meeting
Although the weather was something less than summer-like, the CVHC gathered, dry and warm, inside the Eastern Empire Restaurant on Saturday, June 4th. Attending were members: Bill Owen, Yvonne Cabalona, Ricardo de Bernardi, Mark Hollingsworth, and Leslie Rose.
In an effort to reach contestants, Leslie Rose reported that both HSA and HPNC are kindly posting information on their websites for our 8th Annual Jerry Kilbride Memorial Haibun Contest. That information is posted on our blogspot as well. We also have created a Facebook group open to all in the hopes of generating even more interest and participation.
Bill reported that our blog, has been adjusted so that CVHC members can post to that site regularly. We will be posting our club minutes there in the future.
Looking to this fall, Yvonne said that in the next couple of weeks she will be contacting the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom, California, to set up our annual October Haiku Reading at that facility.
During our sharing time, Yvonne said that she recently participated in the Modesto Poets Corner Celebration Contest, sponsored through the McHenry Museum, and she was among the winners, participating in the Reading that culminated that contest. Congratulations Yvonne!
Much to everyone's delight, Yvonne and Bill then did a "Slap down" exchange of haiku poems before we adjourned.
We set our next meeting for Saturday, August 13th at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom, California starting at 11:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Leslie Rose, CVHC Secretary
Spring Meeting
It was a small gathering, our first of the spring, that our CVHC held on Saturday, April 8, 2011, at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom, California. Attending were members Bill Owen, Yvonne Cabalona, Ricardo de Bernardi and Leslie Rose
Lately our members have found themselves tugged in a variety of directions, making it difficult for many to attend the bi-monthly meetings. So we briefly discussed the possibility of "SKYPE-ing" our meetings so that members might be able to share in what is happening from wherever they are on our meeting days. It was decided that we should further investigate this possibility and discuss it again at a future meeting.
Our annual Jerry Kilbride Memorial 2011 English-language Haibun Contest is up and running, the deadline for submissions being October 1st. Again we're posting announcements and contest details on our blog and website and have asked other sites, such as the HSA and the Tobacco Road Blog to post that information as well.
We all shared and enjoyed each other's recent creative efforts before adjourning.
Our next meeting will be Saturday, June 4th, at the Eastern Empire Restaurant on Howe Ave. in Sacramento, when we will share good company, good food and our writings.
June Meeting
Although the weather was something less than summer-like, the CVHC gathered, dry and warm, inside the Eastern Empire Restaurant on Saturday, June 4th. Attending were members: Bill Owen, Yvonne Cabalona, Ricardo de Bernardi, Mark Hollingsworth, and Leslie Rose.
In an effort to reach contestants, Leslie Rose reported that both HSA and HPNC are kindly posting information on their websites for our 8th Annual Jerry Kilbride Memorial Haibun Contest. That information is posted on our blogspot as well. We also have created a Facebook group open to all in the hopes of generating even more interest and participation.
Bill reported that our blog, has been adjusted so that CVHC members can post to that site regularly. We will be posting our club minutes there in the future.
Looking to this fall, Yvonne said that in the next couple of weeks she will be contacting the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom, California, to set up our annual October Haiku Reading at that facility.
During our sharing time, Yvonne said that she recently participated in the Modesto Poets Corner Celebration Contest, sponsored through the McHenry Museum, and she was among the winners, participating in the Reading that culminated that contest. Congratulations Yvonne!
Much to everyone's delight, Yvonne and Bill then did a "Slap down" exchange of haiku poems before we adjourned.
We set our next meeting for Saturday, August 13th at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom, California starting at 11:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Leslie Rose, CVHC Secretary
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Gekkeikan Sake Factory
The next meeting of the CVHC is on Saturday, August 13, at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom. Bring your haiku for a friendly "throw down." See you there!
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
2011 Modesto Poets' Corner Contest Chapbook
"Sensing Water"
winter
emptied canals fill
with tule fog
flooded orchards
the moon's reflection
wobbles ... wobbles
covered bridge
between gaps
sounds of the river
winter
emptied canals fill
with tule fog
flooded orchards
the moon's reflection
wobbles ... wobbles
covered bridge
between gaps
sounds of the river
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Our blog is named after a haibun written by w. f. owen in the journal Frogpond, XXVI:1, (2003):
blink
Bill tells the story of his stroke on Super Bowl Sunday. A baseball player, golfer and high school honor student. much of that taken away as he sat in a recliner during halftime. He is a new advisee of mine at the College. six years, and only a sophomore. He takes one course at a time. One day at a time, he laughs. Dark glasses. a white cane. He finds the buildings on campus by the colors and shapes of air conditioning units on top. Recently, they repainted our building a different color, throwing off his internal map. He found his way by the different scents of flowers and shrubs bordering the sidewalks. "You turn left at the roses, then right at the mock orange. It's easy."
I saw Bill only a few more times. We chatted about the new plants on campus.
humid stillness
in the bush
the frog's blink
blink
Bill tells the story of his stroke on Super Bowl Sunday. A baseball player, golfer and high school honor student. much of that taken away as he sat in a recliner during halftime. He is a new advisee of mine at the College. six years, and only a sophomore. He takes one course at a time. One day at a time, he laughs. Dark glasses. a white cane. He finds the buildings on campus by the colors and shapes of air conditioning units on top. Recently, they repainted our building a different color, throwing off his internal map. He found his way by the different scents of flowers and shrubs bordering the sidewalks. "You turn left at the roses, then right at the mock orange. It's easy."
I saw Bill only a few more times. We chatted about the new plants on campus.
humid stillness
in the bush
the frog's blink
Friday, May 13, 2011
The 2011 (8th Annual) Jerry Kilbride Memorial English-Language Haibun Contest
Sponsor: Central Valley Haiku Club
Deadline: In hand by October 1, 2011
Submissions: All entries must be unpublished, not under consideration elsewhere, and in English. No limit to the number or length of any submissions. Submit three copies of each haibun, two (2) copies without author information attached for anonymous judging, one (1) copy with author’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address for notification purposes. A first prize of $100 and a second prize of $50 will be awarded. Honorable mention certificates also will be given. Winning entries will be available on our website. The entry fee ($5 US dollars per haibun) should be made out to: Mark Hollingsworth (CVHC Treasurer).
Eligibility: Open to the public; CVHC officers are not eligible.
Correspondence: No entries will be returned. Send business-sized SASE for a list of the winning entries. Please note that entries without SASE, insufficient postage, or that fail to adhere to contest rules will be disqualified.
Judges: Will not be disclosed until the contest winner has been decided.
Send entries to: Yvonne Cabalona, 709 Auburn Street, Modesto, CA 95350-6079.
Sponsor: Central Valley Haiku Club
Deadline: In hand by October 1, 2011
Submissions: All entries must be unpublished, not under consideration elsewhere, and in English. No limit to the number or length of any submissions. Submit three copies of each haibun, two (2) copies without author information attached for anonymous judging, one (1) copy with author’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address for notification purposes. A first prize of $100 and a second prize of $50 will be awarded. Honorable mention certificates also will be given. Winning entries will be available on our website. The entry fee ($5 US dollars per haibun) should be made out to: Mark Hollingsworth (CVHC Treasurer).
Eligibility: Open to the public; CVHC officers are not eligible.
Correspondence: No entries will be returned. Send business-sized SASE for a list of the winning entries. Please note that entries without SASE, insufficient postage, or that fail to adhere to contest rules will be disqualified.
Judges: Will not be disclosed until the contest winner has been decided.
Send entries to: Yvonne Cabalona, 709 Auburn Street, Modesto, CA 95350-6079.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sofia
On November 17, Ricardo and I woke to find that we had lost our beloved Sofia, our tiny, cross-eyed tabbie of 4-1/2 years. She had been in the vet's office two weeks before for a week-long stay because of fluid in her lungs. We all thought she was well (including the vet) when she was released and it's obvious she was not. She was special to us in many ways but especially because she was the only female among our family of cats. From the start, she was quite the doting mother to the boys. She will be greatly missed by us.
falling leaves
the outline of my cat's
dead body
Yvonne
falling leaves
the outline of my cat's
dead body
Yvonne
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
tooting my own horn
thanks to all for helping me revise and submit my work -- it pays off! (figuratively) . one of my tanka has been accepted for publication in bottle rockets and a haibun in CHO for the december issue! these are both firsts -- couldn't have gotten there without CVHC.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Friday, July 04, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
the simple life
Part of haiku sensibilities go beyond "nature
poems." Many haiku focus on human life
that, to be sure, are part of nature, but I
think of the simpler, everyday activities.
Because haiku highlight moments, typically,
the mundane objects of life are elevated.
Modern humanity all too often rushes past
noticeable, yet unnoticed, simplicity.
Part of what attracts me to haiku writing
and reading is that it suggests mindfulness
and grounding in everyday reality.
In the past some writers have taken this
attitude to extreme. For example, one could
become an "ascetic" like Hosai Ozaki (see
"Right under the big sky, I don't wear a hat,"
Stone Bridge Press, P.O. Box 8208, Berkeley,
CA, 1993). Some of his poems:
Having run here through the wind, in his palm, hot coins (p. 37)
I know the footsteps of the sparrow walking on the mat (p. 105)
See this site for more on his book:
http://www.codeschaos.0catch.com/melancholy.html
We need not give up all worldly possessions like
Ozaki, but rather "slow down" to notice life's
simplicity. So, occasionally, I return to Ozaki's
small book as a reminder to notice more around
me, as with this poem from observing
carpenters:
bent over the apprentice straightens a nail
w. f. owen
poems." Many haiku focus on human life
that, to be sure, are part of nature, but I
think of the simpler, everyday activities.
Because haiku highlight moments, typically,
the mundane objects of life are elevated.
Modern humanity all too often rushes past
noticeable, yet unnoticed, simplicity.
Part of what attracts me to haiku writing
and reading is that it suggests mindfulness
and grounding in everyday reality.
In the past some writers have taken this
attitude to extreme. For example, one could
become an "ascetic" like Hosai Ozaki (see
"Right under the big sky, I don't wear a hat,"
Stone Bridge Press, P.O. Box 8208, Berkeley,
CA, 1993). Some of his poems:
Having run here through the wind, in his palm, hot coins (p. 37)
I know the footsteps of the sparrow walking on the mat (p. 105)
See this site for more on his book:
http://www.codeschaos.0catch.com/melancholy.html
We need not give up all worldly possessions like
Ozaki, but rather "slow down" to notice life's
simplicity. So, occasionally, I return to Ozaki's
small book as a reminder to notice more around
me, as with this poem from observing
carpenters:
bent over the apprentice straightens a nail
w. f. owen
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Monday, April 07, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
food fair
food fair
scraping something
from my shoe*
The food is as varied as the people attending. Attire in creative colors and fabrics, every ethnicity, smells of concoctions intermingling, wafting through the throng. Booths offering samples delivered with oversized plastic gloves and hairnets never quite covering. And yet, from the mimes, to free magnets, to cartoon characters, to that guy on stilts with the constant smile, everything fits.
puppet show
she guides him
into his seat*
w. f. owen
* haiku notebook (pp. 40 & 53)
scraping something
from my shoe*
The food is as varied as the people attending. Attire in creative colors and fabrics, every ethnicity, smells of concoctions intermingling, wafting through the throng. Booths offering samples delivered with oversized plastic gloves and hairnets never quite covering. And yet, from the mimes, to free magnets, to cartoon characters, to that guy on stilts with the constant smile, everything fits.
puppet show
she guides him
into his seat*
w. f. owen
* haiku notebook (pp. 40 & 53)
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Keeping an Open Mind (repost)
Keeping an Open Mind's Eye
Part of the challenge of being a human and a haijin (haiku poet) is to make sense of the worlds around and within us. Regardless of where you live, work, or play, chances are high that you are surrounded by stimuli. Some stimuli are overt, others more subtle. The perception of these stimuli guide my actions and thoughts. They also guide my haiku. In writing haiku, I try to be aware of the stimuli and to understand the root, or essense, of the sensation(s) they invoke in me. As many haiku demonstrate, the stimuli are almost never extraordinary; they are common pieces of my natural and social environments that I capture by keeping my mind's eye open as best I can. There is no special place to look for "haiku moments" -- so look everywhere.
From what I've learned, haiku are the sights, smells, touch, tastes, and sounds of a moment in words that convey related images and interpretations. Other poems do this, too, but the haiku form does it particularly well by striving for conciseness and "show vs. tell." Because haiku is so often misunderstood or misrepresented as simple and trite, I think there may be haijin and haiku out there that we overlook. Consider the following poem, "Dust of Snow" by Robert Frost:
"The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued."
This poem, to me, expresses a "haiku moment" in a different (and arguably awkward) form. My intention is not to call Robert Frost a bad poet -- that would be wrong and ridiculous -- but rather to remind us to keep space in our days and hearts to be moved by such stimuli. I believe the important lesson is to invite and capture the images and senses of your days. ...The craft and revisions of the poems will come later.
Repost of Comments:
w. f. owen said...
Hi Amy,
Your post was very insightful. I
especially liked the last paragraph
about opening our senses and letting
the "craft" of writing come later. I know
for me the best haiku I've written merge
what I've sensed with the writing all
at once. Kind of a "eureka" moment.
It's as if the poem writes itself. Next
best, again for me, is the perception
followed closely by one or two versions
of a poem, which usually gets resolved
quickly. In any case, the sensation leads
the way. So, thanks for a thoughtful
post!
Bill
9:50 PM PDT
Mark Hollingsworth said...
Thank you, Amy.
Yes, I think there's a haiku moment in this poem. Yes, it is awkward. And it tells. And it only has one image. So how might this moment become a haiku. Maybe:
end of winter
crow on the hemlock branch
dusts me with snow
10:36 PM PDT
Part of the challenge of being a human and a haijin (haiku poet) is to make sense of the worlds around and within us. Regardless of where you live, work, or play, chances are high that you are surrounded by stimuli. Some stimuli are overt, others more subtle. The perception of these stimuli guide my actions and thoughts. They also guide my haiku. In writing haiku, I try to be aware of the stimuli and to understand the root, or essense, of the sensation(s) they invoke in me. As many haiku demonstrate, the stimuli are almost never extraordinary; they are common pieces of my natural and social environments that I capture by keeping my mind's eye open as best I can. There is no special place to look for "haiku moments" -- so look everywhere.
From what I've learned, haiku are the sights, smells, touch, tastes, and sounds of a moment in words that convey related images and interpretations. Other poems do this, too, but the haiku form does it particularly well by striving for conciseness and "show vs. tell." Because haiku is so often misunderstood or misrepresented as simple and trite, I think there may be haijin and haiku out there that we overlook. Consider the following poem, "Dust of Snow" by Robert Frost:
"The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued."
This poem, to me, expresses a "haiku moment" in a different (and arguably awkward) form. My intention is not to call Robert Frost a bad poet -- that would be wrong and ridiculous -- but rather to remind us to keep space in our days and hearts to be moved by such stimuli. I believe the important lesson is to invite and capture the images and senses of your days. ...The craft and revisions of the poems will come later.
Repost of Comments:
w. f. owen said...
Hi Amy,
Your post was very insightful. I
especially liked the last paragraph
about opening our senses and letting
the "craft" of writing come later. I know
for me the best haiku I've written merge
what I've sensed with the writing all
at once. Kind of a "eureka" moment.
It's as if the poem writes itself. Next
best, again for me, is the perception
followed closely by one or two versions
of a poem, which usually gets resolved
quickly. In any case, the sensation leads
the way. So, thanks for a thoughtful
post!
Bill
9:50 PM PDT
Mark Hollingsworth said...
Thank you, Amy.
Yes, I think there's a haiku moment in this poem. Yes, it is awkward. And it tells. And it only has one image. So how might this moment become a haiku. Maybe:
end of winter
crow on the hemlock branch
dusts me with snow
10:36 PM PDT
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
If I remember correctly, Mark led us in a workshop whereby we each selected a poem from The New Yorker Magazines provided and turned it into haiku. Perhaps we could do that again the next time we meet? Just as Amy's workshop at our last meeting was so helpful, regular poems into haiku can be quite insightful.
Whaddya think?
Yvonne Cabalona
Whaddya think?
Yvonne Cabalona
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
P.S. to my last post
Very good point, readers, i.e. we compose haiku in different ways. Now that you mention it, mine are often "eureka" moments as well. When that happens, most I know are just right on, others I've been able to work on afterwards, and the remainder turn out to be nothing. Was I misleading in the blog in presenting the process a different way? No, I just hadn't thought it through very well, I guess. And the main point I guess I was trying to say is that I found this haiku moment in Robert Frost's collection and it surprised me so much -- that I saw haiku outside of MH and Frogpond; that I recognized the sensation as a haiku moment; that the form didn't seem to do justice to the experience. All food for thought. Thanks for reading and responding.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Haiku and related forms by CVHC Members
Here are some items our members
have published or are working on
(all rights reserved by each writer).
through chain link
and over razor wire
blooming almond tree
before dawn
silhouette
of a mockingbird song
distant thunder
a few cherry blossoms
float to earth
just blossoming
we meet under
the cherry tree
spring darkness
the scent of cherry blossoms
is bright
have published or are working on
(all rights reserved by each writer).
through chain link
and over razor wire
blooming almond tree
before dawn
silhouette
of a mockingbird song
- Mark Hollingsworth
distant thunder
a few cherry blossoms
float to earth
just blossoming
we meet under
the cherry tree
spring darkness
the scent of cherry blossoms
is bright
- w. f. owen
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The Jerry Kilbride Memorial 2008 English-Language Haibun Contest
The Jerry Kilbride Memorial 2008 English-Language Haibun Contest
Sponsor: Central Valley Haiku Club
Deadline: In hand by September 1, 2008
Submissions: All entries must be unpublished, not under consideration elsewhere, and in English. No limit to the number or length of any submissions. Submit three copies of each haibun, two (2) copies without author information attached for anonymous judging, one (1) copy with author’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address for notification purposes. A first prize of $100 and a second prize of $50 will be awarded. Honorable mention certificates also will be given. The entry fee ($5 US dollars per haibun) should be made out to: Mark Hollingsworth (CVHC Treasurer).
Eligibility: Open to the public; CVHC officers are not eligible.
Correspondence: No entries will be returned. Send business-sized SASE for a list of the winning entries. Please note that entries without SASE, insufficient postage, or that fail to adhere to contest rules will be disqualified.
Judges: Will not be disclosed until the contest winner has been decided.
Send entries to: Yvonne Cabalona, 709 Auburn Street, Modesto, CA 95350-6079.
Sponsor: Central Valley Haiku Club
Deadline: In hand by September 1, 2008
Submissions: All entries must be unpublished, not under consideration elsewhere, and in English. No limit to the number or length of any submissions. Submit three copies of each haibun, two (2) copies without author information attached for anonymous judging, one (1) copy with author’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address for notification purposes. A first prize of $100 and a second prize of $50 will be awarded. Honorable mention certificates also will be given. The entry fee ($5 US dollars per haibun) should be made out to: Mark Hollingsworth (CVHC Treasurer).
Eligibility: Open to the public; CVHC officers are not eligible.
Correspondence: No entries will be returned. Send business-sized SASE for a list of the winning entries. Please note that entries without SASE, insufficient postage, or that fail to adhere to contest rules will be disqualified.
Judges: Will not be disclosed until the contest winner has been decided.
Send entries to: Yvonne Cabalona, 709 Auburn Street, Modesto, CA 95350-6079.
Central Valley Haiku Club books
The Central Valley Haiku Club (CVHC) has several member-written books available from our Leaning Bamboo Press:
blink: A collection of haiku, senryu, tanka and haibun. Yvonne Cabalona, Don Delcollo, Ty Hadman, Kaz Ide, Jennifer Jensen, Jerry Kilbride, Shiela Mahan, Claris Moore, w. f. owen, Jo Lea Parker, and Barbara J. Williams. 2002. $5 USD
feel of the handrail: Haiku by Yvonne Cabalona, Mark Hollingsworth, Claris Moore, w. f. owen, Lane Parker, Leslie Rose, and June Shook. $7 USD
Tangled in Dreams: A linked haibun project. Yvonne Cabalona, Mark Hollingsworth, Claris Moore, w. f. owen, Lane Parker, and Leslie Rose. Includes the first place and first and second honorable mentions of the CVHC's Second Annual English-Language Haibun Contest. 2006. $9 USD
Contact:
Leaning Bamboo Press
709 Auburn Street
Modesto, CA 95350
YCabalona@sylvan.k12.ca.us
blink: A collection of haiku, senryu, tanka and haibun. Yvonne Cabalona, Don Delcollo, Ty Hadman, Kaz Ide, Jennifer Jensen, Jerry Kilbride, Shiela Mahan, Claris Moore, w. f. owen, Jo Lea Parker, and Barbara J. Williams. 2002. $5 USD
feel of the handrail: Haiku by Yvonne Cabalona, Mark Hollingsworth, Claris Moore, w. f. owen, Lane Parker, Leslie Rose, and June Shook. $7 USD
Tangled in Dreams: A linked haibun project. Yvonne Cabalona, Mark Hollingsworth, Claris Moore, w. f. owen, Lane Parker, and Leslie Rose. Includes the first place and first and second honorable mentions of the CVHC's Second Annual English-Language Haibun Contest. 2006. $9 USD
Contact:
Leaning Bamboo Press
709 Auburn Street
Modesto, CA 95350
YCabalona@sylvan.k12.ca.us
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
New Haibun Book by w. f. owen
Fifty haibun by w.f. owen entitled
"small events: haibun by w. f. owen"
now available from Red Moon Press:
http://www.redmoonpress.com/catalog/
Monday, January 08, 2007
haiku notebook by w. f. owen
Announcing w. f. owen's new book, "haiku notebook" published on
Lulu.com (and also available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and
Borders). ISBN 978-1-4303-0557-6
This notebook is a bridge between technical manuals on how to write haiku poetry and collections of haiku. There are two hundred haiku and senryu poems from w. f. owen’s last several years of writing. As a professor of interpersonal communication and an award-winning haiku writer, the author presents commentaries, perceptions, brief stories and haibun that are intended to help authors new to this art compose their poems. Included are first-place poems from the Harold Henderson Haiku Contest (2004) and the Gerald Brady Senryu Contests (2002, 2003) sponsored by the Haiku Society of America.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
New Work by the Central Valley Haiku Club (CVHC)
The Central Valley Haiku Club has been very active
this past year. Publication of our linked haibun
book "Tangled in Dreams" and sponsorship of
the Haiku Society of America conference this
past June in Sacramento.
Here are recent works by our club members.
haiku:
evening stroll
filling his void
spring peepers
autumn dusk-
red leaves coming down
with the rain
Amy Whitcomb
tan renga:
first warm day
fleas jumping
on linoleum
a horseshoe
thuds the box
w.f. owen (first three lines)
Mark Hollingsworth (last two lines)
end of summer
washing sand
from our swimsuits
feet squeezing
into school shoes
w.f. owen (first three lines)
Yvonne Cabalona (last two lines)
Frogpond, XXIX, No. 3, 2006
senryu:
flower arranging
we gather
around the table
Frogpond, XXIX, No. 3, 2006
this past year. Publication of our linked haibun
book "Tangled in Dreams" and sponsorship of
the Haiku Society of America conference this
past June in Sacramento.
Here are recent works by our club members.
haiku:
evening stroll
filling his void
spring peepers
autumn dusk-
red leaves coming down
with the rain
Amy Whitcomb
tan renga:
first warm day
fleas jumping
on linoleum
a horseshoe
thuds the box
w.f. owen (first three lines)
Mark Hollingsworth (last two lines)
end of summer
washing sand
from our swimsuits
feet squeezing
into school shoes
w.f. owen (first three lines)
Yvonne Cabalona (last two lines)
Frogpond, XXIX, No. 3, 2006
senryu:
flower arranging
we gather
around the table
Frogpond, XXIX, No. 3, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Recent CVHC Writings
Our club--The Central Valley Haiku Club or CVHC--continues to be prolific.
Look for our linked haibun book, Tangled in Dreams, available now.
In addition, all of us continue to publish poems and written forms
related to haiku poetry in contests and the many journals in the field
(e.g., Frogpond, Modern Haiku, Mariposa).
early spring--
when the rain stops
I close the door
--Lane Parker
spring hillside
shadow of a cloud
nears a Holstein
--Mark Hollingsworth
end of summer
washing sand
from our swim suits
feet squeezing
into school shoes
--w.f. owen and Yvonne Cabalona
(a three-line poem followed by a two line poem--called tan renga)
green meadow
waiting for flowers
my plant press
--Amy Whitcomb
first warm day
fleas jumping
on linoleum
a horseshoe
thuds the box
(another tan renga)
Best Wishes,
w.f. owen
CVHC President
Look for our linked haibun book, Tangled in Dreams, available now.
In addition, all of us continue to publish poems and written forms
related to haiku poetry in contests and the many journals in the field
(e.g., Frogpond, Modern Haiku, Mariposa).
early spring--
when the rain stops
I close the door
--Lane Parker
spring hillside
shadow of a cloud
nears a Holstein
--Mark Hollingsworth
end of summer
washing sand
from our swim suits
feet squeezing
into school shoes
--w.f. owen and Yvonne Cabalona
(a three-line poem followed by a two line poem--called tan renga)
green meadow
waiting for flowers
my plant press
--Amy Whitcomb
first warm day
fleas jumping
on linoleum
a horseshoe
thuds the box
(another tan renga)
Best Wishes,
w.f. owen
CVHC President
Thursday, September 22, 2005
CVHC Member Publications (Fall 2005)
The Central Valley Haiku Club (CVHC) members have been very active in publishing their work in the last few months.
Here are some examples:
Arrangements
It's February, 1945. My great uncle Paul has been in Belgium fighting the Germans. His younger brother Robert, my grandfather, has been back east going through officer's training.
Robert arrives in Los Angeles on leave. He enters his mother's house, looks around the usually austere, practical living room. Sees the flower arrangements. He grins quizzically and says, "Who died?"
hometown
orange groves and loam
paved over
Lane Parker
Simply Haiku
Autumn 2005
http://www.simplyhaiku.com/
Stripped
One of the screws holding the nameplate on the plaque my fiance made for me is stripped. Over and over she says she wants to replace it, but I tell her that’s what makes the gift perfect. At the end of the summer, she has to leave Hawaii for the mainland to resume college, while I finish my fourth year in the Marine Corps. Distance in geography and education levels caused our eventual breakup, but we kept up with each other’s lives through letters: my marriage, new house and jobs, her college degrees and fight against breast cancer.
At work I receive a letter from her younger brother saying the mastectomy and chemotherapy have not been enough to win her battle.
early spring
before she can tie it
the balloon escapes
w.f. owen
Modern Haiku
Volume 36, Number 1
Winter-Spring 2005
Selections from the CVHC book, "feel of the handrail," (Leaning Bamboo Press)
Copyright © 2005Central Valley Haiku Club
canal water
pouring onto itself . . .
my thoughts empty
Yvonne Cabalona
nursing home
the feel
of the handrail
Mark Hollingsworth
giant redwood
standing at the bottom
looking for the top
Claris Moore
shaking out
the picnic blanket
first stars
w.f. owen
summer day
wishing I were that bee
in the honeysuckle
Lane Parker
valley wind
pine needles litter
a swept deck
Leslie Rose
Easter
a ray of sun lights up
my son's photo
June Shook
Here are some examples:
Arrangements
It's February, 1945. My great uncle Paul has been in Belgium fighting the Germans. His younger brother Robert, my grandfather, has been back east going through officer's training.
Robert arrives in Los Angeles on leave. He enters his mother's house, looks around the usually austere, practical living room. Sees the flower arrangements. He grins quizzically and says, "Who died?"
hometown
orange groves and loam
paved over
Lane Parker
Simply Haiku
Autumn 2005
http://www.simplyhaiku.com/
Stripped
One of the screws holding the nameplate on the plaque my fiance made for me is stripped. Over and over she says she wants to replace it, but I tell her that’s what makes the gift perfect. At the end of the summer, she has to leave Hawaii for the mainland to resume college, while I finish my fourth year in the Marine Corps. Distance in geography and education levels caused our eventual breakup, but we kept up with each other’s lives through letters: my marriage, new house and jobs, her college degrees and fight against breast cancer.
At work I receive a letter from her younger brother saying the mastectomy and chemotherapy have not been enough to win her battle.
early spring
before she can tie it
the balloon escapes
w.f. owen
Modern Haiku
Volume 36, Number 1
Winter-Spring 2005
Selections from the CVHC book, "feel of the handrail," (Leaning Bamboo Press)
Copyright © 2005Central Valley Haiku Club
canal water
pouring onto itself . . .
my thoughts empty
Yvonne Cabalona
nursing home
the feel
of the handrail
Mark Hollingsworth
giant redwood
standing at the bottom
looking for the top
Claris Moore
shaking out
the picnic blanket
first stars
w.f. owen
summer day
wishing I were that bee
in the honeysuckle
Lane Parker
valley wind
pine needles litter
a swept deck
Leslie Rose
Easter
a ray of sun lights up
my son's photo
June Shook
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Recent CVHC Member Poems
Here are some poems our members have published or that
were read at our meetings or that appeared in our newsletter:
a stain each day
upon the garage door
dog pee
the neighbor on his walk
stops to share gossip
~ Leslie Rose
origami . . .
I coax a frog
from my fingers
~ Yvonne Cabalona
spring thunder
slight cracks in the
swollen tree buds
~ w.f. owen
were read at our meetings or that appeared in our newsletter:
a stain each day
upon the garage door
dog pee
the neighbor on his walk
stops to share gossip
~ Leslie Rose
origami . . .
I coax a frog
from my fingers
~ Yvonne Cabalona
spring thunder
slight cracks in the
swollen tree buds
~ w.f. owen
Monday, May 16, 2005
New Online Haibun Journal
There is a new online quarterly journal of English-language haibun
named after the annual printed volume: contemporary Haibun.
The web address is:
http://poetrylives.com/CHO/index11.html
This could be an exciting development as it has
haibun not included in the paper version. It
does not have everything that was printed in
the paperbound book, but it gives dozens
of haibun examples. Check it out.
named after the annual printed volume: contemporary Haibun.
The web address is:
http://poetrylives.com/CHO/index11.html
This could be an exciting development as it has
haibun not included in the paper version. It
does not have everything that was printed in
the paperbound book, but it gives dozens
of haibun examples. Check it out.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
A Note on Haiku Forms
Most of the books and essays on haiku address the 5-7-5 syllable, three-line
issue. Without re-addressing these issues, I think it's important to understand
that haiku are moments of insight. The poet sees or hears something and it is
like a snapshot or brief snippet of song. It is brief. Haiku should be as brief--the
length of a breath, or less. I usually attempt to be as brief as possible--no extra
words or syllables. Such as:
pet store
nose prints
both sides
w.f. owen
A New Resonance 2 (Red Moon Press), 2001
Other times, there is a rhythmic quality that is part of the meaning (that is, in
concert with, but distinct from the word meanings). Such as:
early autumn chill
the widow brings home a fish
in a plastic bag
w.f. owen
Mainichi Daily News, September 2004, Tokyo, Japan
This poem is one of the few 5-7-5 syllable counts I have written. I think mainly it just
came out "right" that way. Maybe it is because I featured the old woman trudging all
the way home with her new companion. Even though a small package, she likely
was exhausted at the end of her shopping trip. Long poem, long shopping trip.
Also, some poems are best written in one line--often if a line is consistent with
the image(s), such as:
another argument unfolds the futon
w.f. owen
A New Resonance 2 (Red Moon Press), 2001
The whole point is that there are multiple forms for haiku, but that, in my opinion,
must be "right" for the experience of the moment.
issue. Without re-addressing these issues, I think it's important to understand
that haiku are moments of insight. The poet sees or hears something and it is
like a snapshot or brief snippet of song. It is brief. Haiku should be as brief--the
length of a breath, or less. I usually attempt to be as brief as possible--no extra
words or syllables. Such as:
pet store
nose prints
both sides
w.f. owen
A New Resonance 2 (Red Moon Press), 2001
Other times, there is a rhythmic quality that is part of the meaning (that is, in
concert with, but distinct from the word meanings). Such as:
early autumn chill
the widow brings home a fish
in a plastic bag
w.f. owen
Mainichi Daily News, September 2004, Tokyo, Japan
This poem is one of the few 5-7-5 syllable counts I have written. I think mainly it just
came out "right" that way. Maybe it is because I featured the old woman trudging all
the way home with her new companion. Even though a small package, she likely
was exhausted at the end of her shopping trip. Long poem, long shopping trip.
Also, some poems are best written in one line--often if a line is consistent with
the image(s), such as:
another argument unfolds the futon
w.f. owen
A New Resonance 2 (Red Moon Press), 2001
The whole point is that there are multiple forms for haiku, but that, in my opinion,
must be "right" for the experience of the moment.
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