Samantha Sirimanne Hyde

White Pebbles Haiku Group Summer meeting 2025 by Samantha Sirimanne Hyde

colleen Poetry , , , , ,

13th December 2025

On the last meeting for the year, the White Pebbles Haiku Group gathered as usual at the Gosford/Edogawa Commemorative Garden on a vibrant summer morning. In its eighth year, Beverley George (founder and convener) was joined by all the group’s members: Colleen Keating, Gwen Bitti, Kent Robinson, Maire Glacken, Marilyn Humbert, Michael Thorley, Pip Griffin and Samantha Sirimanne Hyde.

Before starting our ginko, we enjoyed our customary catch up with each other’s news over a beverage at the Art Centre’s café.

From left: Michael Thorley, Colleen Keating, Kent Robinson, Samantha Sirimanne Hyde, Marilyn Humbert, Gwen Bitti, Pip Griffin, Beverley George, Maire Glacken
 
(Thanks to Debbie Robinson for taking our photograph).

Ambling down rambling paths, we followed whichever sights, sounds and scents took our fancy – musing about the plentiful dwarf gardenias, the koi pond, the impressive bamboo grove and spider silk making connections leaf to leaf. The garden buzzed with activity and “aha” moments, such as a brace of ducks seemingly squabbling over nothing and a crawling infant on a sun patch engaging with baby ducks.

Later, we gathered around the table in the gallery’s downstairs meeting room to share recently published haiku as well as poems about wildlife.

Members were encouraged to speak about any new publications they may have accomplished. Colleen spoke about her Ring the Bells – her eighth published book of poetry. A truly impressive achievement to be lauded at its launch next year.  

Beverley and Kent spoke of their new poetry publication, Interwoven– an intriguing book of collaborative poetry. Kent chatted about how his love of the various categories of Japanese-influenced linked forms started and how travel to Japan with Beverley and her expert guidance fuelled his interest. We look forward to savouring this collection.

We had the benefit of Marilyn’s mini workshop about “makoto” – the Japanese concept of sincerity in haiku poetics. She acknowledged and reaffirmed inspiring observations made by author and editor, Robert Epstein in a recent paper on this subject. She emphasised the need for the poet to be authentically engaged with nature, to write in simple language and without artifice. A beautiful reminder for us to approach haiku with an open-heart. We thank Marilyn for her insightful workshop.

After lunch, we wrapped up, exchanging season’s greetings and wishing each other well until the next meeting in autumn.

Samantha Sirimanne Hyde

 

   

White Pebbles Garden and Pip pondering on haiku in the shade of the Wistaria.

White Pebbles Summer Walk at Edogawa Commemorative Garden

colleen Poetry , , ,

White Pebbles Summer Meeting

Summer Meeting

by Samantha Sirimanne Hyde,

On a lovely summer morning, eight of us gathered again for our White Pebbles meeting. As usual, before starting our ginko, we enjoyed catching up with each other’s news over a hot beverage at the Art Centre’s café. We missed Michael Thorley, who was unable to join us.

Whatever the season, it’s always a pleasure to connect with like-minded poets at the peaceful and vibrant Edogawa Commemorative Garden. A gift to the people of Gosford from Edogawa, its Sister City, the traditional ‘shuyu’ (strolling style) garden fittingly celebrates cultural exchange and friendship.

We each dispersed down winding pathways towards whatever sights, scents and sounds beckoned us – shadows flickering on the raked dry stone bed, a cheeky koi pursuing a duck, dry leaves dangling on spider silk and crazy paving triggering childhood memories of hopscotch.

A half an hour later, we gathered around the table in the downstairs meeting room in the gallery premises. As part of our homework, each person shared a sequence of three haiku and then absorbed thoughtful and considered feedback.

Marilyn Humbert had emailed us a very helpful worksheet with guidelines and examples on writing haibun prior to our meeting. So firstly, each person read out their attempts at creating their own and then exchanged feedback. This was followed by Marilyn’s workshop on the subject, furthering the introduction to haibun that she gave us in March last year. We browsed several publications that welcomed haibun. Marilyn spoke of the essence of haibun: the need to write in the present tense, the hook at the start, its “link and shift” nature, its descriptive prose, avoiding repetition, the poem requiring to connect to the story, yet taking it on a different direction, how to select an apt title etc. We thank Marilyn for her excellent workshop.

Our convenor, Beverley George informed us that our wonderful and highly talented founding member, Gail Hennessy, will be bowing out of White Pebbles. We will miss her very much and hope that she’ll be able to visit us occasionally.

Beverley then gave us an opportunity to talk about members’ recent creative efforts. Colleen Keating spoke of her new book, Olive Muriel Pink – a richly researched and beautifully written poetic journey. I spoke briefly about my debut novel, The Lyrebird’s Cry, a modern tale of self-discovery of a gay man trapped into an arranged marriage. While we ran out of time for more such discussion, our Haiga Picture Poet, Kent Robinson’s splendid work, featured on his new website, must also be mentioned.

Buoyed by our foray into haibun, we will most likely start to experiment with this form, apart from dabbling in haiku joy, until our next meeting in autumn.

Samantha Sirimanne Hyde

Group photo
From left: Samantha Sirimanne Hyde, Gwen Bitti, Verna Rieschild, Beverley George, Kent Robinson, Colleen Keating, Marilyn Humbert, Maire Glacken.
Sally Smith from the Regional Gallery kindly obliged us by taking our photograph.