General

Australian Haiku Society, Sydney Cherry Blossum Festival 2026

colleen Finding Zen, General , , ,

   

 

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 . 

I  joined  six  poets with the  Australian Haiku Society  (AHS)
for  a Reading Event at the Sydney Cherry Blossum Festival in Auburn  to read haiku
and talk about the craft of Haiku writing.

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

Women’s Ink, Winter/July 2026 .The magazine of the Society of Women Writers NSWInc.

colleen General, Poetry , , ,

       

Excited to be published in Women’s Ink, the journal of The Society of Women Writers , Winter/July 2026.
Giving WomenWriters a Voice. with my poem Red Shoes.

How wonderful this poem has found a place to be published. 

Thank you to the brilliant  and dedicated editor of Women’s Ink, Jan Conway ,for a packed and interesting journal of women’s writing.

Red Shoes

When they were lost she really didn’t notice.
A loss as inconspicuous as the turning tide.
There were other shoes, boots and loafers
heeled-blacks for dressy and sandals. 

Some days thoughts of their loss 
return and her gloom mirrors the sky –
dull slanting sun on its axis, a winter light.
So easily mislaid, forgotten, in boxes

backs of wardrobes, lost between seasons
and fashions, in throw-outs, downsizing.
Sometimes searching she feels like a lyre bird
scrabbling in tangled undergrowth of forest. 

She had not thought, 
what am I without them 
until one day when reality closes in
an elemental grief fixes her. 

She rummages trembling, staring down
memories of younger days. Now a battle 
with night. Bird song dulls, carried on wind
to her worn ears. 

Walking on, she glance down 
at her sensible shoes. Loss a deep vermillion.
The red ones, their freedom, their sparkle, 
their crickle remain a resonant memory.

 

In the service of peace with Stephanie Dowrick

colleen General , , , , , , ,

Our Service of Peace

On the steps of the old Pitt Street Uniting Church 
 lingering autumn leaves remain 
under the hanging banner across the portal 

                       We cry out for Gaza 
                 Peace and Justice in Palestine

Welcome and cozy inside with a restive unified quiet. 
A brightly burning candle sits on a centred table 
amidst many more awaiting  to be lit.
and three burnished gold banksia flowers
apt for a winter scene 

Our leader Stephanie warm  
in a soft melon pink cloak 
led with words of ancient wisdom 

 

The Taoist peace of prayer :

If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbours.

If there is to be peace between neighbours,
There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.    – Lao-tsu. .

Next even more ancient is the wisdom of the Upanishhade  
((the philosophical core of ancient Indian Vedas)  with the Shanti  mantra ending in the OM

Lead us from the unreal to the real,
Lead us from darkness to light,
Lead us from death to immortality.
Om, Peace, Peace, Peace!

Mantras

From the Baha’i Teaching 
“Look on all creation with a friendly eye.A beautiful sentiment often reflecting a shift  toward compassion, peace, and mindfulness.

From George Fox founder of the Quakers “Walk cheerfully over the world”  
( recognise the spark of the Divine in everyone.)

And finally St Francis :
‘Make me a channel of your peace  . . . 

Music 

On original instruments carried us into a peaceful other world 

Hildegard chant by an amazing soprano and Kim  Curio playing the psaltery (a harp-like zither),
and other chants and song  backed by a one stringed drone lute  possibility called an erhu 
 and tiny bells .
During the meditation   tiny bells
sounded all around the room giving a mystical feel . 

Meditation for inner Peace.

Stephanie began . .   A wise teacher has said,
“ Look through the eye of the Beloved and you will see the Beloved everywhere.’
let me see myself in  the eyes of the beloved .
Lighting the candles we shared the tapers.

Playing of light in our heart of peace.

               

 

Final reflection. 
Our call to go forward : Remember why we are here. , our purpose and perspective
The parable of the Three Stone Cutters. 

A weary traveler happens upon three men chipping away at massive blocks of stone in the hot sun
and asks each of them, “What are you doing?”

The First Stonecutter: Grunting and wiping sweat from his brow, he answers,
“I am making a living.”He is focused entirely on the paycheck, viewing his work simply as a mandatory exchange of time for money. [1]

The Second Stonecutter: He hammers away methodically and replies,
“I am doing the best job of stonecutting in the entire country.”
He takes immense pride in his craftsmanship and his own skill, though his focus is highly individualistic. 

The Third Stonecutter: Looking up at the traveler with a gleam of inspiration, he smiles and says,
“I am building a cathedral.” He may never see the finished structure in his lifetime,
but he is deeply engaged and satisfied because he knows his daily, repetitive task contributes to a grander mission. [

Our take out: we are all three stone-cutters. Which one do you want to be?

(AI  take away The moral of the story is that meaning transforms the grind. While you need a living and strong craftsmanship to get the job done, anchoring your daily tasks to a larger ‘cathedral’ or purpose provides the energy, focus, and long-term fulfilment needed to excel)

 

 

 

Finding Zen: Just a few techniques to remind us to keep on keeping on.

colleen Finding Zen, General, Poetry , , ,

Just a few techniques to remind us to keep on keeping on.

I always like to pick up fresh hints to assist me to remember to live fully each day and as much as possible in the present moment.

Here is my latest:

Let morning be your favourite part of the day

Be productive and pleasant  

Be fabulous 

Let ‘happy’ widen your vision 

Here are a few ideas to get you started

  1. Smile for 3 seconds 
  2. Breath one conscious slow  breath in and a natural calm breath out.
  3. Name one good thing out loud. 
  4. Fix posture for 10 seconds
  5. Label an emotion . Name it.   So it begins to process rather than stay suppressed.
  6. Look at something far away 

Soothing Breath Practice

You can practice it anytime you notice stress or anxiety coming up for you. If you pay attention, you can notice it a couple dozen times a day: you’re feeling anxious about a meeting, a conversation, a difficult task, answer an email, all the things you have to do, an upcoming deadline, an upcoming trip, etc etc.

Anytime you notice even a bit of anxiety or stress, here’s how to practice:

  1. Notice that there’s anxiety, fear or stress coming up for you.
  2. Bring slow, deep breathing to your anxiety. Breathe deep into the belly, slow your breath down, and allow it to soothe you.
  3. As you soothe yourself, give yourself a calm reassurance, like you’d calm down a scared child or puppy. A friendly, reassuring voice or presence.
  4. Notice what happens when you’ve soothed yourself a bit — the anxiety might still be there, but are you able to turn towards a difficult task or email, be more present with someone, let go of a typical behavior you might do when you’re anxious?

In the Service of Peace led by Dr. Stephanie Dowrick & Professor Kim Cunio 

colleen Finding Zen, General, Poetry , , , ,

In the Service of Peace

Music, words, silence – a gathering for all peace seekers

led by

Dr. Stephanie Dowrick & Professor Kim Cunio 

To lift hearts, spirits and hope for a kinder, calmer world for all. 

Peace IS the way.

The only way if we truly care about people, planet and especially the worlds’s children.

Our efforts matter to the world they will inherit. 

     

 

It was a perfect autumn day to travel by train into Pitt Stree Uniting Church for the service. 

It was affirming to gather with many other peace seekers for an experience

of sublime music, words from the universal traditions,

time for quiet and twice  time for standing and greeting the people around us. 

We were caught hypnotically by the music  and the readings it worked for both of us .

We left to travel back home with a new seed planed 

of peace in our own hearts. There was a new and renewed calmness  in both us.  

“Peace be with you” There were the first words the risen Christ spoke to his disciples –
words which feel especially important as conflict continues around the globe.

 Event at the Pitt Street Uniting Church  Stephanie Dowrick 3- 4.30pm.

by Michael Keating

This was a surprisingly rich experience.  I found myself physically and mentally involving myself. Unfortunately I had forgotten, at the last, to take my recycled scribble sheets, so here I am trying to bring back some ideas that permeated a meditative state. Colleen has been sharing the Stephanie Dowrick Poem-a-Day from  her Facebook as they arise.

I immersed myself in the general ambience of the ‘liturgy’. Stephanie specifically distanced us from the idea that it was liturgical, however I cannot, at present, think of a clearer terminology for myself.

The music was excellent. The vocalists were captivating. The readings (from various belief frameworks) were too numerous and thus too hard to follow – they also needed more context. Fewer readings, read slower and with appropriate pauses would have helped. The only reading I recognised was Wordsworth’s ‘trailing clouds of glory’. However the ambience was such that the readings sort of fitted in well enough.

The following often-quoted maxim on mindfulness came clearly into my mind.

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words;
watch your words, they become your actions;
watch your actions, they become your habits;
watch your habits, they become your character;
watch your character, it becomes your destiny”

is a popular, often-quoted maxim on mindfulness. It highlights that internal thoughts shape external reality, usually attributed to Lao Tzu.

Lao Tzu: There is no record of this specific sequence in the Tao Te Ching or other classical texts.

The attribution likely grew because the quote’s focus on mindfulness aligns with Taoist philosophy.

Somewhere we have a laminated copy of this maxim, better set out. It will come to light at some later date.

At two points the congregation (mainly mature women and a sprinkling of men) was asked to standup and greet their neighbours.
I was surprised how gracious these were. The group seemed to mainly regular attendees (not necessarily locals)
and invitees through Stephanie Dowrick’s Facebook  (or other) contact.
One of the women chatted to us afterwards and alerted us to the quality of of the Jesuit parish at
St Canice’s Parish Church Potts Point.

Lao Tzu
=

Women’s Ink Giving Women Writers a Voice Autumn /March 2026 editor Jan Conway

colleen General, Poetry , , , , ,

 

A new Women’s Ink has arrived in the mail.
Thank you to the Women’s Ink editor @Janette Conway

i am honoured to have my work included: my poem Perfect Pact
and my essay on the prolific Childrens’ writer Mary Grant Bruce
from my series I am writing on ‘Australian Women Writers on whose shoulders we stand.’

And very special to see our write up on the Di Yerbury Residency . Congratulations and very best wished to Christine Sykes  for a great Di Yerbury Residency in Enlands summer.

Thank you the indomitable editor, Jan Conway for a bumper edition and for your dedication to making the magazine
full of womens writing.

 

                                     

 

Mary Grant bruce was a prolific childrens’ writer.. Here are some of the Billabong Series  from my bookcase.

 

 

 

Ginninderra Press Celebration, Adelaide 2026

colleen Book Launch, General, Poetry , , , , , , , ,

     

It was an exciting visit to  Adelaide  for a Ginninderra Press Celebration. There was much to celebrate: –
30 year milestone of Ginninderra. Press,
launch of the Anthology  Telling Australia’s Truth, (Stephen Matthews final book before his untimely death.)
launch of Golden Days for Brenda Matthews (Eldridge)
and importantly to celebrate the life of Stephen Matthews AOM  who would’ve been 80 years old this weekend. 

Thank you and congratulations to Debbie Lee (Ginninderra Press) for her wonderful energy and enthusiasm
and all she did to help make the weekend the great success it was.
Thank you to Brenda Matthews for her presence and congratulations for the launch of her new book
written with Stephen AOM in his last year.
I felt very honoured to partner with Therese Corfiatis  to launch Telling Australia’s Truth, An Anthology in response  by 128 poets to the 2024 Referendum.
It was special to have Liz Newton  (President of The Society of Women Writers NSW.) over from Sydney.

       

The venue for our celebration was  most fitting . Spectacular. The Yitpi  Yartapuultiku Aboriginal Cultural Centre
( a new and exciting centre on the banks of the Port River in the heart of Port Adelaide )
I love  the welcome motto “Let us recognise the past, act in the present and build a better future.”

 Set in beautiful grounds  with natural playgrounds  and shady picnic spaces.

Adelaide was a buzz with festival energy. Autumn a true delight
bursting with colour and tranquillity.

                    

We strolled through the leafy mall and nearby streets  and into the Botanical Gardens and  sat under the golden hues of trees for a leisurely lunch.

    

The Art gallery is a bustle of wonderment . The Rodin sculpture i include in the photos

               

We loved the colour and sounds and smells of the multicultural food festival all the way along the mall.

              

Back story Ginninderra is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘throwing out little rays of light’, which is exactly what GP does, by giving voices to so many writers since its inception in 1996 in Canberra, reflected in its philosophy:

We believe that all people – not just a privileged few – have a right to participate actively in cultural creation rather than just being passive consumers of mass media.  Stephen Matthews

 Stephen Matthews, having graduated from Cambridge with a ‘fascination for books’, Stephen shared his journey into publishing, a path deterred by his career guidance counsellor who suggested teaching instead.  So after taking his advice, and from there into bookselling and eventually into editing, Stephen pursued his desire to ‘give manuscripts a place in our culture’.  He explained how getting published has literally changed peoples’ lives (I can vouch for that) and how print on demand has helped to secure the future of books, and indeed his workload.

A few past books discussed

Rays of Light: Ginninderra Press – the first 20 years compiled by Joan Fenney.

First Refuge launched by the former SA Premier and now ordained minister Lynn Arnold had this privilege and did so eloquently.  These poems from 88 GP authors explore social justice reaching into uncomfortable spaces – war, domestic violence, refugees, isolation – leaving nothing unearthed, resulting in a somewhat emotional journey when reading it from cover to cover.  To quote Ann, this is ‘a small book with big teeth, where language has power’.

Brenda Eldridge’s Golden Days navigates a gentle way through the journey of her husband Stephen Matthews’ fight with cancer and his choice to take the path of Voluntary Assisted Dying. In Brenda’s poem, ‘Silver Light’,she writes: I tease him about becoming a butterfly I want so much for him to be free.Brenda’s glorious and confronting poems explore a couple’s descent into illness; the helplessness and pain this inflicts. Her poems speak to an extraordinary love, full of tenderness, compassion, and the courage it takes to seek out golden days, as each day diminishes in hope.Her collection is a fitting tribute for Stephen Matthews, the man.

 

 

 

 

Our talk on Mary Oliver for U3A Eastwood Poetry Appreciation

colleen General, Poetry , ,

A summary of our talk for U3A  on Mary Oliver

Colleen & Michael Keating

“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination”  Mary Oliver
I love reading and being inspired by Mary Oliver. Her language is  fresh and crisp:
simple and ordinary in a way
that wisdom is always simple. and ordinary.  Her imagery is rich and memorable.
 I think of her as a technician of the sacred. And she is one of my guides to the natural world.
And I keep discovering her imagery over and over 
I hope you enjoy getting to know her too.

Michael

*Mary Olive was Born September 10th 1935 in Ohio
*An American poet who has won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
*The NY Times described her as “far and away America’s best-selling poet.”
*Her poetry turns towards nature for its inspiration and she describes the sense of wonder it instills  in her. eg 
“when its over I want to say, 
“all my life I was a bride
married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom 
taking the world into my arms.”    (When death comes)
When she left school in 1953  she wanted to get away from her oppressive family situation and on a whim
visited Steppletop the home of Edna  St Vincent Millay  which was a centre of writing and poetry.
and made friends with Millay’s sister Norma and Mary Oliver stayed there and helped over the next few years
to collate the papers of this late poet.
One day on a visit there she met the photographer Molly Malone Cook, they  fell in love  as she says:
  “I took one look and fell,
    hook and tumble”  
and set up home together, settling  in Provincetown in Massachusetts. That was in 1960 and her partner died after 40 years in 2005
and Mary Oliver continued to live there. and died on the 17th January 2019.  We have noted at lease 25 published books of poetry. 

Colleen

*Her poetry is grounded in memories of her early life in Ohio and her adopted home in Provincetown in New England. 
Most of the imagery in her poetry  is found in and around her home.
*She reminds me of Emily Dickinson both having an affinity for solitude and  an interior reflective 
voice and both inspired by their immediate surrounds. 
*A clear and poignant observer of the natural world . Her creativity is  stirred by nature and accessed through walking .
*She acknowledges strong influence from two early Nature poets Whitman and Thoreau
Her idols also included the Romantics Shelley and Keats. And as we will notice even in the first poem
she show reference to  Rilkie .
Sometimes I feel there is a Rumi influence too.  
*Her writings are filled with the imagery from her daily walks near her home.
shore birds, water snakes, grasshoppers, sunflowers ,phases of the moon,
dawn,  forests,  light .
She says:
“I go to my woods, my ponds, 
  my sun-filled harbour, 
no more then a blue comma 
on the map of the world 
but to me the emblem of everything”
*She has been called “a patroller of wetlands “ as Thoreau is called “an inspector of snow storms”
*She uses unadorned language and accessible themes

Michael

*A poet of Wisdom  e.g. on Pinterest there are pages of people who have been captured by her wisdom,
using lines from her poems to create posters and banners . A few years back  we found her  words
on grand posters all over the walls and poles of our local McDonalds restaurant.
I think because she grapples and identifies the essence of the matter and has the ability  to write simple succinct lines
and  her words are spare  she is accessible to the reader.

Colleen

*And what I love she can describe ecstasy while retaining a practical awareness of the world as one of predators and prey.
Being in the paradox of the agony and ecstasy

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Here are the poems we read and pondered together,  finding the collective wisdom of our great  U3A  Poetry Appreciation  Group

Invitation 

Peonies

When I am among the trees

The Summer Day

The Journey

Wild Geese

The Fish

The Poet With His Face In His Hands

How I go to the woods

When death comes 

Swan 

I Worried

Self–portrait

Can You Imagine

Sleeping in the Wood

That Little Beast

 

 

A Celtic Tradition from Anam Cara An idea to live by. Colleen Keating

colleen General, Poetry ,
“There is a lovely idea in the Celtic tradition that if you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share
that which is happy or good within you, it will all come back to you multiplied ten thousand times.
In the kingdom of love there is no competition, there is no possessiveness or control.
The more love you give away, the more love you will have.” 💚
-Anam Cara
John O’Donohue died #otd 4 January 2008