bean sprouts and legumes
do not a happy meal make.
pass me the meat tray.....

Cathy Dineen

Ode to Muffin

blueberry heaven
snow capped kilimanjaro
so sweet the summit

Ian Row

No dancing today
The ballerina and I
We will be just friends

Matthew Ryan

you surprise me
more i know deeper you get
i surprise myself

Ian Row

freshly potted plants
thieved at night; even in good 'hoods
live bad people.

Ian Row

cover story:
naughty romance novelist
page 3 scandal

Ian Row & Matthew Ryan

Aotearoa

Aotearoa -
it lies buried in my bones.
But Melbourne seeps in.

Cesca Alice

browsing
the mental health books,
a butterfly

Judy Kamilhor

Hot Cross Haiku is One!

Thank you to the following authors for your contributions
over the last year and to everyone else for your support.

Cesca Alice
Lynne Alice
Rosa Alice
Betmo
Leah Billeam
Cambosis
Cathy Dineen
Marc E
The Farm Boy
Kelly Fineman
Fletcher
Fouad
Michael Galimany
Trevor Gay
Chris Gill
Doug Hamilton
Mark Hetherington
Jeff Herbert
Josh
Judy Kamilhor
Bill Kenney
Kiltotter
Thomas Knauer
Karen McVean
Jenny Morris
Neve
"no croquet today"
Sarah Priest
Shell Pocock
Paul Rozario
Ian Russell
Matthew Ryan
"scotch and dry, thanks"
Lane Steinberg
Teo Chee Huat
Juliet Wilson

Thoughts: A Suite

i.
The rain is falling
It makes me think about you
But I don't know why

ii.
Saying everything
Except the one thing we can't
Dancing around it

iii.
Autumn creeping in
Then turning just slightly back
Teasing, like I do

iv.
Long slow wet juicy
Music plays on your tv
Kiss me deeper now

v.
Pensive, quiet ride
I turned off the radio
And just remembered

vi.
Your eyes look in mine
See something new, something real
Come on, I dare you

Josh

Aisle one infant,
when Mum refuses sweets, shrieks
then sulks in silence.

Chris Gill

a two year old or
one whole leg! - which would you choose?
hop it, says the doc.

Ian Russell

arching her back
missing the call as she sits
confined in her headphones

cambosis

Retribution

Retribution.
God, you're so predictable.
Release me. Please.

Ian Row

anchovy heaven
hangs like a cumulus cloud
in my living room

Ian Row

i feel a future
my stevie to your lindsey
we don't need no band

Ian Row

it's not about you
it's not even about me
a piece of us breaks

Ian Row

Gippsland 2007 Part 6

A haiku about why I think you like jetties

Perhaps it's a bridge
that returns you to the sea -
fish out of water.

Ian Row

Gippsland 2007 Part 5

i.Progress
"From the gutter
to the nature strip"
Baby steps

for Maria Jackson

Ian Row

ii.
in the dead centre
of town... the cemetery; folks
dyin' to get in

Chris Gill

iii.Whiskey Bay
There's the ocean
I make the mistake and
search for words

Ian Row

iv.Word & Song
Spoken word makes us
allies; it is our song that
sings a different tune

Ian Row

Gippsland 2007 Part 4

i. Shipwreck
Trinculo's embedded,
his ribs, a shelter, a prop
for fishermen.

ii.
always true to me
in your fashion, always true
to me, in your way

with apologies to Cole Porter

iii.
average meat pies
ordinary op-shops
leave us wanting

iv.
Cypresses for
honour; For everything else, there's
Radiata Pine

v.
Turning the sun down
The windmills winds up the day
Leaves the night unspent

Ian Row

Gippsland 2007 Part 3

Three haiku about rainbows

i.
Rainbow at Moe
triggers thoughts of diversity
Overrated

Chris Gill & Ian Row

ii.Original
Double rainbow
One for you and one for me
No need to share

Ian Row

iii.Alternate
Double rainbow
An illusion keeps company,
ushers us through.

Ian Row

Gippsland 2007 Part 2

A morning walk on Ninety Mile Beach

i.
The sun takes its time
Breathe in and taste the salt
I want to hold your hand

ii.
I watch them fishing
but I'm captivated by
footprints and sponges

iii.
the sun throws shadows:
there's one of us! where we end
is where we begin.

Ian Row

Gippsland 2007 Part 1

i.
Tyres new and aligned
Engine freshly tuned, tank full
Facing down the road

Chris Gill

ii.
Friesan cows standing
Udderly ridiculous
Moo moo moo moo moo

Chris Gill

iii.
desire lines lead
to resting waters of the loch.
I'm miles away.

Ian Row

iv.
Scrabble
Bend the rules for you?
A two letter word

Ian Row

oh, the heat!
an image of snow
to cool off

Bill Kenney

PS. Remember, it's summer up here.

Smug yank on a tram
God told him to sleep in that day -
missed the gunshots

Cathy Dineen

Speed Round 5

i.
productivity
is measured by the number
of friends on myspace

Cesca Alice

ii.
Once upon a time,
two young princes got married.
A fairy story.

Chris Gill

iii.
gashed by winter's cold
my face chills, as smokers huddle
around doorways

Karen McVean

iv.
life is short and time
is tight. let's not squander it...
on things that don't count.

Cathy Dineen

Ka boom! Slide slide slide
Hit from behind at 60
I do not <3 cars

Matthew Ryan

Wintering in hope
of sunlight. Thin mist falls down
on hope's weak pulse-beat.

Cathy Dineen

In Memoriam: Ben-Fur 1995-2007

for aunt carmen

ashes:
life's parting shot that makes a
mockery of death

Ian Row

A Haiku for Terry

i heard that you sing
tonight your words are spoken
but i heard a song

Ian Row

A Haiku for Cyril

your voice, a fire
stokes passion and industry
there's courage in truth

Ian Row

a moment to share
"he looks like Johnny Mathis!"
no one to share with

Ian Row

city noises surround
the church; wait for God to call
all i hear are trams

Ian Row

in the shadows he watches
smoke drifting up
as the rain falls

cambosis

Seven haiku based on the speed dating activity during work's planning day

Date no.1:
she sings!
All of a sudden you make sense
One more of 'us'

Date no.2:
you're too pretty
to be interesting
too bad

Date no.3:
I like you
Don't even care if you're lying
Silver tongued sweetness

Date no.4:
I point out
your sense of irony
and win you with mine

Date no.5:
my self consciousness
speaks, stringing a platitude
Words worth at arms length

Date no.6:
I meander an
assessment of you - and undo
myself en route

Date no.7:
you've got balls!
things you don't say to a woman
But I'm man enough

Reflection:
extending to you
I build a bridge to myself
You get what you give

Ian Row

Spot Haiku 11

i.Spot Haiku
5-7-5 ensemble
a haiku gathering on
email.

Karen McVean

ii.
Rain falling daily
Autumn leaves stick to the ground
The drought has broken

Leah Billeam

iii.
umbrella unfolds
buckles and breaks in the wind
the rain takes aim

Ian Row

iv. Stress
Stress
Swimming in an ocean of hot piss
No smell, no bliss.

Karen McVean

v.
Court of the Unwashed
Remorseful, sorry and free
She lied under oath

Matthew Ryan

vi.
touring the yarra
(birrarung) and mother earth
creature connection

Cathy Dineen

vii.31 May
Shrine of Remembrance
Respecting our Indigenous warriors
hearts, open to prayer.

Karen McVean

Fear of Falling

a fear of falling
what good my two arms, if my
heart isn't in it

Ian Row

Sunday Evening Haiku

Friday in Frankston
Seaside luxury of time
Another world view

Cathy Dineen

Friday Arvo Haiku

i.
i said no to cake
thinking about my fat neck
sweet victory

Ian Row

ii.
My two shoes are good
They cover my two good feet
My goody two shoes

Chris Gill

iii.
Home, thy call is great
yet at work I must remain.
How cruel this deadline!

Chris Gill

ten years on
unpublished anthology
time flew

Ian Row

coke can
in freezer; a time bomb,
frosted.

Neve

A Revised Autumnal Haiku

Leaf gracefully falls
to the earth it will soon join.
What a lot of rot!

Chris Gill

Rain Haiku 3

Gentle, rain
I forgot your soft caress
Welcome home

Shell Pocock

Wish, jewel drops
would fall on my head
Drought relief

Karen McVean

A Haiku about the Word of the Day

He’s autochthonous.
He’s native, sprung from the land.
He’s “Word of the Day”!

Cathy Dineen

A Mother's Day Twinset

i.
breaking tradition,
a bunch of wildflowers
scores brownie points.

Ian Row

ii.
Memories linger...........
Laid to rest ,she works no more
A terrific Mum

Leah Billeam

A Haiku about the Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision
Disturbing but compelling
I like to vatch

Ian Row

Etiquette Police: Lesson Two

Scrubber grabs my chair
without asking - "didn't see you, sorry."
Can you hear me now?

Ian Row

A Haiku about a Revelation

[with a ;-) to Kate Bush]

JEANNE LEONG LIKES SLOW ROCK
"and the grammy goes to...
The Chick Inside!"

Ian Row

overheard:
"a duck's quack doesn't echo"
strolling on smith street

Ian Row

cockroach in bathtub
no mercy - aerosol death
then boiling water

Neve

bold little possum
ventures out to park's edge
unafraid of light

Neve

Rain Haiku 2

i.
May rain
close the door
No plans

Karen McVean

ii.
6.30am rain
listening to the drumming pace
Morning shower

Karen McVean

iii.
Raindrops bursting
I run to the clothesline
domestic bliss

Karen McVean

Rain Haiku

i.
First time I’ve seen
Rosellas in the city –
Looking for water

Ian Row

ii.
Dark pendulous clouds
I forget what rain is as
wet falls from the sky

Shell Pocock

iii.
foggy window seat
kitten sits in silent awe -
first glimpse of rainfall

Cathy Dineen

iv.
As every fish knows,
life needs water mixed with air
(ratios differ).

Chris Gill

v.
Dew.. mist.. fog.. drizzle..
shower.. downpour..deluge.. flood.
Precipitation!

Chris Gill

vi.
after the rain
plane tree's wet leaves on footpath
like haphazard stamps

Ian Row

second guessing
third party insecurity
why won't you call?

Ian Row

tangled and teased
the video tape writhes
across two blocks

Ian Row

aloe vera
envelops the living room
you sexy thing

Ian Row

my art takes over
nothing else matters as much
sssh! no one must know

Ian Row

Caterpillar like
the monks are winding their way
to the temple door

Leah Billeam

A Haiku about Poems about Crows

poems about crows -
ted hughes-like. Spoiling his fine
metaphor mindspin

Cathy Dineen

did i see you there
sitting with someone you knew?
quite oblivious?

Cathy Dineen

A Haiku about Role Confusion

role confusion
who is he and what am i to you?
this life in song

Ian Row

i hear rain. it stops.
"i'm just teasing," she says,
as she drizzles.

Ian Row

An ANZAC* Day Collective

*Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
i.
Badge sellers
Five bucks from my pocket
Anzac hat.

Karen McVean

ii.
Anzac Cove at dawn
Now glowing in candlelight
Not the fire of yore.

Leah Billeam

iii.
dawn service
remember the fallen
and the falling

Ian Row

iv.Remembrance Day
Yet do they observe
that which they mark with ritual?
Is grief uniform?

Chris Gill

v.
the parade
wings, stars, medallions
the spoils of war

Ian Row

vi.
Let us rejoice
Remembering our Anzac warriors
Welling tears

Karen McVean

vii.Truth in labelling
Men in uniform:
parade day; gay bar theme night;
objects and agents.

Chris Gill

viii.
oaty delicious
indulgence is justified
by war's leftovers

Cesca Alice

ix.
Last Post
A call to silent prayer
Bowed, respect.

Karen McVean

Learn more about the ANZAC Day Tradition

Spot Haiku 10

i.
sometimes sitting here,
i wish i was a moon bug -
with a shiny bum

Cathy Dineen

ii.
you and your stone heart
drive me up the wall
'best friends forever'

Cesca Alice

iii.
The drop of gold coins
The slide of paper money
Descent into Hell.

Leah Billeam

iv.for mich
tuesday night movie
husband's pretentious choices
need new husband

Ian Row

Another haiku about another change of heart

i break
then build the bridge across
my hands to myself

Ian Row

A haiku about a change of heart

"needs work", she says
maybe she knows it's sexy
and now wants in

Ian Row

Richmond can’t find form -
misplaced belief one more time –
footy-tipping blues

Cathy Dineen

arabesque placemats
porcelain and mother of pearl
made in china

Ian Row

silence is golden
autumn leaves are falling now
and so is the rain

Leah Billeam

temptation
to soften or not
the principle

Ian Row

something tells me
my silence will not acheive
desired results

Ian Row

rollercoaster week
you never get used to it
carousel weekend

Ian Row

my name in pencil
planning for contingency
or date-in-waiting

Ian Row

the 'curb myself' blues
sing a song of imperfection
i want it to be true

Ian Row

Payback

I'm counting the days.
keeping score. lessons learned
the hard way... mine

Ian Row

Not good enough

Shop sells no cat food.
Chicken luncheon slice instead.
Puss turns up her nose.

Chris Gill

Eden

So many flowers,
but nothing to smell or touch!
Garden catalogue.

Chris Gill

funny how
i don't think about you
until i do

Ian Row

up in the hills,
sign of rain; fern frond trembles
and stretches... waiting.

Michael Galimany

A Haiku about the Running Man

running man freak
energetic frenzy
smug smiley geek

Sarah Priest

Money from strangers
Loose change for parking meter
Is that an omen

Ian Row

A guide to action in troubled times

Act like nothing's wrong
and look what we can achieve:
business as usual!

Chris Gill

Bird, trapped in kitchen...

i.
bird, trapped in kitchen
opportunistic foray
turns frantic

ii.
"over here", "this way",
"no, here" - "wait, you forgot your
leftover baklava"

Ian Row

I am
was
will be

Cesca Alice

Easter Sunday Twinset

This year's Easter message
by Nestle & Baker's Delight:
Live life to the fullest.

Easter really means:
Eat your way to happiness.
With the Pope's blessing.

Cesca Alice

workin' from home
is tricky with Oprah
in da house

Ian Row

Chasing the sun...

Chasing the sun
I notice leaves turn
Autumn

Karen McVean

A Seaside Easter

Bells, smells, crucifix
Tridium of prayer
Easter in the bush

Dignifed Elders
Siblings of my Grandfather
Soon to be at Peace

"scotch and dry thanks"

Easter Sunday Suite

i.
Easter service
Premiums paid for insurance
Praying for cover

ii.
Trumpet and organ
wedded in discordant bliss
Cross purposes?

iii.
Housework: cleanliness
Is next to Godliness
I’m very Godly!

Ian Row

Good Friday Haiku

i.
Imprisoned by bars
outside, the stained glass windows
glow with the hum of hymns

Ian Row

ii.
We saw a full moon: -
"It's full because it's Easter"
or vice versa?

Cathy Dineen

iii.Staying down
Jesus died for me.
So did the cow in my bun
(which I hope stays dead!)

Chris Gill

iv.
Honorable craving
Seeking refuge in Christ
Hot cross buns.

Karen McVean

v.
Jesus Christ reruns
Same skewed soft focus stories
Lazy narrative

Ian Row

Cesca exceeds herself...

"I've bought zoodoo,"
"60 kilos of animal poo."
Look... daffodils

Ian Row

time for bed, possum
oven mit puppet voice in my head.
now he's in my bed!

Ian Row

a curious blend
of cinnamon and... hubris.
not curious enough

Ian Row

absentee father
behind the lack of compulsion
door number five

Ian Row

Etiquette Police: Lesson One

where were you
the day classes were held?
now say thank you

Ian Row

A Haiku about the Witness Protection Program*

*A straight-friendly dance party in Melbourne

a trip to the zoo:
primate enclosure plus moat -
an offshore playground

Ian Row

Clouds of butterflies
Summer retreats, Autumn advances
Raindrops on my head

Karen McVean

Dream: Six

we sold your car
then looked for a house to buy
it was a happy time

Ian Row

Dream: Four

frantic culling
the packing, urgent and swift
lovers on the run

Ian Row

A Haiku about Sweet and Sour Pork

sweet and sour pork
anglicised asian cuisine
liberties we take

Cesca Alice