It was one of those days when the sky was deep blue, such an unfathomable deep blue it drew me in to feel as if I could zoom through it forever. Busloads of people and hundreds of cars, continually arrived as the visitors and tourist built up .
The spring blossoms in the Japanese Gardens were only just peeping out. It reminded me of the waiting haiku I read later.
We cannot push nature . She comes in her own time
not in a hurry
to blossom –
plum tree at my gate
I felt very happy to be part of our group which in a way represents the Australian Haiku Society.
Thank you to the wonderful haikist Vanessa Proctor for organising this event where 7 of us spent an hour on the stage sharing our chosen haikus and saying a few words about the craft of writing haiku.
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Spring blossoms peeping out reflected in the pond, red camellias. pink azaleas, white iris red cherry blossoms ,reflection pool, Japanese rock garden with racked white pebbles, waterfalls One could sit and contemplate around this Zen garden,
Dusky Moorhens ( a native water bird) , the sacred Ibis, magpies who joined us at our picnic, crows and the stunning Peacock roaming around through the gardens,
We spent time over in the Australian forest area and we praacticed the Shinrin–yoku Forest Bathing walk. 
My few words and choice of haiku for out hour on the stage at the Cherry Blossum Festival.
Good morning all , My name is Colleen and I am a Sydney based poet.When I discovered the writing of haiku it was like that Toyota reaction “ O what a feeling” , a satisfied deep breath and the deep sigh from it I see the beauty in nature and I love being in that present moment . I have been writing Haiku for about 10 years and I belong to a Haiku writing group called White Pebble where we meet once at the beginning of each season and we walk in the garden and ponder write and then after sit and share our words and ideas.
Remember if you want to write haiku you only need a pen/pencil or a phone to record and look out your window and notice the light slanting colour, clouds rain and jot it down .
my first few haiku to share with you
profound silence
as the baton is raised
cherry blossoms fall Helen Hobbs nz
cherry blossoms
softens stone and
hearts Colleen Keating
Mention of our Haiku trip to Japan for the Cherry Blossom festival
Tsuruyama park in Okayama with 4000 sakura trees Just a very special time. Lots of families and friends celebrating together. Weddings etc Beer gardens food trucks, illuminated in evenings.
Thousands of Japanese people spread out blankets and picnic under the cherry blossoms .
Their trees are very precious as I observed one very ancient tree propped up and the haiku I wrote there
cherry tree
propped up in old age
blossoming Colleen keating
blossoms falling
on graveyard stones
spring rain Michael Thorley a close friend from Tamworth
tread lightly
on stepping stones
mysterious moss Colleen Keating
Some of my favourites from the masters
not in a hurry
to blossom –
plum tree at my gate Issa
Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828) is one of japans’s great haiku masters, famous for writing over 20,000 poems about tiny creatures like snails, frogs, and fleas. His work is full of warmth, humor, and deep sadness from a hard life
with each falling petal
they grow older –
plum branches Yosa Buson 18th century
white plum blossoms
return to the withered tree
moonlit night Yosa Buson Master
Yosa Buson was a Japanese poet and painter of the Edo period. He lived from 1716 – 1784. Along with Matsuo Bashō and Kobayashi Issa, Buson is considered among the greatest poets of the Edo Period
A few more from haiku writers.
spring morning
the kitten pounces
on a hawk’s shadow Andy Hede
lorikeet chatter
in the bottlebrush
backyard gossip Jahan Tyson
winter yard
a magpie carols
on an empty clothesline Robyn Cairns
sleepy tourists
the beauty of blossoms
too much Michael Thorley
