emboldened by love
corresponding risk-taking
it's out of my hands

Ian Row

"Enough Indians here!"
Public housing's racial quotas
This is Singapore

Ian Row

A Haiku about Little Things

Greatness in smallness
must be carefully nurtured.
So must my Bonsai!

Chris Gill

A Haiku about a Dream about Fission

I dreamt of fission -
Binary fission of cats
Multiple Arnolds!!

Cathy Dineen

HMS PTSD

Today's little boat
surviving yesterday's storm
sinks in a calm sea.

Chris Gill

A Pop-Up Book Defined

Between book pages,
in flat anticipation,
fixed origami.

Kelly Fineman

Spot Haiku 9 - Part 3 of 3

In recognition of his return
from Antartica and Sud America (Chile & Peru)

i.
pingu oh pingu
saw gentoos, chinstraps and kings
cute and cuddly? Not

ii.
pingu oh pingu
smell your poop from far away
why do you eat krill?

iii.
ate a guinea pig
it was very delicious
bugger cute, tasteeeeeee!

iv.
ate an alpacca
alas not to my palate
guinea pigs are go

Paul Rozario

Watershed Moments 2

i.
my lesson to learn?
your timing, this independence -
you still don't know me.

ii.
note to self: do not
revert to default settings,
press circuit breaker.

Ian Row

leaves dart, float, tumble
rusty paper aeroplanes
autumn, runway six

Ian Row

A Haiku about Old Stoneface

I watch Buddha's smile
for any sign of fatigue.
Haven't seen it yet.

Chris Gill

Spot Haiku 9 - Part 2 of 3

i. Love
Silent, bold curves
She holds with masculine care
Smitten

ii.Waiting
Its been days
Stomach butterflies spawn hatch
Got the job! Yipee!

Karen McVean

Spot Haiku 9 - Part 1 of 3

i.
cake at three pm
he's back in town so he says
build me an igloo

Cathy Dineen

ii.
how hard is free food?
the red tape negates the fun
no sausies for you!

Cesca Alice

iii.
supermarket cake
like you could tell the difference
she's such a princess

Ian Row

iv.
haiku, honest work?
take the mindful choice, write poem -
paper torn, not me.

Doug Hamilton

v.
A distressed person,
(a torrent of unfairness)
in the telling, calms.

Chris Gill

Riverbank Mortality

An old man fishing
asks fate for a life to take
but please, not his own.

Chris Gill

touch and go

touch and go: a fusion
of desire and design
and those lyin' eyes.

Ian Row

my baby bleeds blue
the astrologer says 'laugh'
deeper and deeper

Ian Row

Damp with morning dew,
the earth exhales a sweet scent.
But then the cat shits.

Chris Gill

Post-Valentine Haiku

lips pressed, licking tongue
sweet flesh, tart, musky white juice -
luscious nectarine.

Doug Hamilton

Spartacus at Mcdonalds

Fast food slaves' salute:
"We, who are about to dine,
salute you! (with fries)"

Chris Gill

year of the pig

year of the pig -
to the laughing firecrackers
danced the coy dragon

Ian Row

valentine-ku

valentine's night
the taste of my dessert
on your lips

Bill Kenney

A Haiku about the Mystery of the First, Second and Third Person

"Don't ask us," they said
"OK, I won't," I replied.
"Did he?" you wonder.

Chris Gill

Meditations on Life

i.
it's time to move on
to begin a new chapter
excitement and nerves

ii.
it's almost two years
the boy has really changed
the public service

iii.
resilience; strength
it's about people and place
living and dreaming

iv.
it was a safe place
to rest for a short while
resume the career

'no croquet today'

The Burden of Cool

The burden of cool -
I can't bear it any more.
Aaw... it's soooo heavy!

Chris Gill & Ian Row

Vampires must consult
Buffy the Key Stakeholder.
She has grave concerns.

Chris Gill

Fruits in Suits

Fruits in Suits*
the world needs more fruits
juiced, perhaps.

Ian Row

*Fruits in Suits is a monthly networking social for members of the GLBTI (that's Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Intersex) community

airconditioning
in this building is a joke
a slow sweaty death

Ian Row

Chaos Theory

Chaos theory
defines a 'strange attractor'.
You're a case study.

Chris Gill

Moments and Heartbeats: Suite

i.
Haiku - stopped image.
moments.. slowly.. dripping. time,
like melting butter.

ii.
Count syllables - the
Poet’s discipline – for me
like counting heartbeats

iii.
Essence of being -
moments mixed with heartbeats
heart of the haiku

Doug Hamilton

Valentine's Day - Part Four

i.
a mother's advice:
maybe it's not worth the effort
if there's no spark

Cesca Alice

ii.
Furtive glance and blush.
Stare out the window and dream.
Dare I look again?

Chris Gill

iii.
Card on the mantelpiece
Years together now totalling 10
Still warm and fuzzy.

Shell Pocock

iv.
he calls me snookums
at night he talks in his sleep
s-n-o-o-k-u-m-s, w-h-e-r-e a-r-e y-o-u?

Ian Row

Valentine's Day - Part Three

i.
Ode to Valentine:
Love’s worth in chocolate boxes -
Patron Saint of carbs?

Cathy Dineen

ii.
martyr of the faith
relics in an irish church
excuse for chocolate

'no croquet today'

iii.
Seeking intimacy
I share one of my ripened pears
soft, sweet.

Karen McVean

iv.
Object of desire,
your envied emblem: roses.
Mine? An address book!

Chris Gill

Valentine's Day - Part Two

i.
no sex for 3 months!
sounds a little hard to me
its about respect

Cesca Alice

ii.
Joining two bodies,
love is given the big tick.
But what when it's three?

Chris Gill

iii.
seventy five bucks!
on something that will be dead in two days!
remind me I love you.

Mark Hetherington and !an Row

iv.
There's cash in desire,
so they do: cash-in desire.
Always more next year...

Chris Gill

v.
Twelve hours not counting
No sight, sound or taste of you
Eat my memory

Jenny Morris

Valentine's Day - Part One

i.
Valentine,
Does this need to have a name?
Or a box?

Ian Row

ii.
Chocolate heart in foil,
dozen long-stemmed red roses...
how unique we are!

Chris Gill

iii.
Anticipation
red roses and dopamine
Twice the enjoyment

Jenny Morris

iv.
it tastes like flowers
it smells like cheap french perfume
cynics live for it

Cesca Alice

Black by Popular Demand

yo yo yo, wassup!
BLACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
try sayin' da bomb

Ian Row

denial...
delusion?
dilemma.

Ian Row

something something scumbag
missed what you said but i heard
everything

Ian Row

x-bf, bus stop
did you see me not see you?
residue

Ian Row

There and Back: Suite

i.
somewhere... the power
to shift sands, to turn the tide
it's about timing/time

ii.
a parade of ex's
what am i supposed to feel?
no, how do I feel?

iii.
son of an only child
things aloneness breeds
remotus

iv.
do i want to know?
i watch you reclaim spaces, times
release me

v.
push the envelope
a gay man in a gated community
subversion, part two

Ian Row

Speed Round 2

i.
Little bit of me
On a long string in your hand
Try not to break it

Jenny Morris

ii.
Job application, short listed
Race for information absorbing expertise
Panicked exhilaration

Karen McVean

iii.
iPodiatry -
white earphones in every ear,
present but absent.

Chris Gill

iv.
Job application
You get proficiency, knowledge
+ Free steak knives.

Shell Pocock

vi.
Love's declaration
It's been so long since I fell.
A fear of falling.

Ian Row

vii. (original)
bile rising in my throat,
the rage clenches my heart and stomach.
sibling rivalry

vii. (version)
bile rises
rage in my heart
PMT

Cesca Alice

Being who I am,
it's surely no surprise I'm
doing what I do.

Chris Gill

blank white open space

blank white open space
you can read your meaning in
then this haiku's yours

Chris Gill

A Gill Twinset

i. (Original 7")
Few people know much,
and that is as it should be
(I alone know this).

ii. (Remixed)
Alone, and as be
few, I is it know: "Know much,
people!" Should that this.

Chris Gill

the numbers don't add up
don't try 'read the small print' with me
i see it i'll call it

Ian Row

The Dietitian

the dietitian
heard she's tough; the question is
is she tough enough?

Ian Row

Chris Gill on Communications

Communications -
what a field of endeavour!
What's in it for me?

Chris Gill

The man who wrote this
in a hurry on the train
gave it little thought.

Chris Gill

Q & A

for cesca

how do you get to June?
and maintain your sanity?
slowly; with pancakes.

Ian Row

staff morale is low
redundancies are looming
management meets in 5

Cesca Alice

Spot Haiku 8

i.
Man walks into bar,
asks the barman for a beer.
Joke without punchline.

Chris Gill

ii.
The Morris won't start
Overdue for a service
'Simon' gets even

Ian Row

iii.
trash magazine calls
coffee would be nice
motivational issues

Cesca Alice

iv.
"kitten leave" next week
bonding with a hairy boy
sheer luxury

Cathy Dineen

v.
Fulsome Babel
Last moments of human week
Tilted brow

Karen McVean

Freshervescent Coke

Freshervescent Coke
The hardest habit to break
Death by dissolution

Ian Row

Expired Crunchie Bar

Expired Crunchie bar
Honeycomb shows resistance
Get what you pay for

Ian Row

out of body
public speaking - what was i thinking?
my mind, a vacuum

Two haiku for Miss Alice

beach date
yet another boy
weather-dependent

back to full time
no more fridays for you!
mu-uu-ar-rg-gh!

Taxi!
Get me to work on time
In body only.

Jenny Morris

Speed Round 1

i.
"bring a plate" we said;
food with an Australian theme -
iced vo vo anyone?

Cathy Dineen

ii.
The sun sets, light wanes
and you look ever more sweet.
Blind me, I'll be yours.

Chris Gill

my raspberry muffin
is a friend like no other
you can't eat your friends

The Grampians Collective 4

i.
Boy flips me the bird
as his dad’s truck eclipses my Morris
A curse on you, child

The Grampians Collective 3

i.
Country op-shopping
four stores in two frenzied hours
I go, girl!

ii.
Country blokes…
scowling brutes, rough and ready
All bark and all bite

iii.
burnout tracks
weaving predictably
like ribbon

iv. Two Haiku about a milk bar in Cavendish

Claim to fame
Australia’s largest burger
Feeds six

Proposition:
Finish it in an hour,
get your money back

v.
It’s too hot
to play photographer
tourist or poet

vi.
the southern approach
the ranges divide; open up
like a pop-up book

vi.
The trees are singing
Evening chorus of cockatoos
Children at recess

The Grampians Collective 2

i.
The sandstone ridges
within reach, the snooze button.
Holiday on ‘pause’.

ii.
White people imposed
not just law & religion
but their four seasons*

*The Indigenous people of Australia mark time by six seasons - Season of Eels or Kooyang (late summer), Season of Honey Bees or Gwangal Moronn (Autumn), Season of Cockatoos or Chinnup (Winter), Season of Nesting Birds or Larneuk (Early Spring), Season of Wildflowers or Petyan (Spring), Season of Butterflies or Balalambar (Early Spring)

iii.
Mackenzie Falls – we
assess if it’s worth the climb;
Looks pretty from here.

iv. Guljurn Manja*

Cluster of handprints
A handful of young ones, thousands of
years old; old souls

*Flat Rock, an Aboriginal shelter

v.
The setting sun
Grazing kangaroos – it’s safe
A joey steps out

vi.
night driving
by full moon and reflectors
Real life Xbox

The Grampians Collective 1

i. A haiku about a lady from a craft shop in a country town

I sew. I have to.
That’s my R&R; I sew then sell.
I have to.

The Grampians Collective: Introduction

Located in Western Victoria, Australia, the Grampians National Park is 260km from Melbourne and 460km from Adelaide. The Grampians comprise a system of rugged mountain ranges formed mainly of sandstone. The entire region is a showcase of ancient volcanoes, grain fields, heritage townships, living deserts, open forests, woodlands and wetlands. There are over 1000 different types of native wildflowers and ferns and a limited species of animals – kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, possum, potaroo, bandicoot, echidna, platypus – including 230 species of bird.

The park has a diverse and rich human history. Known by Aboriginal people as Gariwerd, which means ‘mountain range’, the region holds deep cultural resonance for Australian's Indigenous people. Jardwadjali and Djab Wurrung communities lived in and around the Grampians’ mountains and valleys for at least 3000 thousand years before the arrival of white settlers. The people of Gariwerd had a symbiotic relationship with the land and nature, which helped them grow and sustain societies, economies and lifestyles. The area is also of unique cultural significance with 80% of Aboriginal art sites in Victoria located in the park.

In January 2006 a major bushfire ignited by lightning consumed more than 130,000 hectares of national park, public land and pasture land. The Mt Lubra Fire affected approximately 47% of the National Park. 12 months later, there are sure signs of recovery and regeneration.

Sources:

Offical Visitors’ Guide – Halls Gap, Stawell, Ararat, 2006
Official Touring Map – The Grampians, 2006
Grampians National Park Vistor Guide, 2006
50 Walks in the Grampians (3rd Edition) by Tyrone T Thomas, 1986

The Spider Suite

i.
spider, poised
in the nebula of lamp
we wait

ii.
take this, spidey
pssst. pssst. pssst. for god's sake! pssssst.
die already

iii.
convulsion, then the
graceful suspension by web
a perfect dismount

carly simon
afternoon lullaby
as good as a cuddle

Little Black Samba

There he goes, all curls
and highlights...FLASHBACK! I cringe;
Little Black Samba

Ian Row

Last night, I dreamt
the entire contents of today.
Psychotropicale

Ian Row

Asked but not answered,
the question holds its power
like a river dammed.

Chris Gill

Two haiku about the ARIA Awards

*Australian Recording Industry Association

formulaic sex
careful market research
you too can win an ARIA

raw gifted talent
soul touching song writing
missed it by that much

Shell Pocock

i.
those voices again
in his head and on his lips
a torrent of words

ii.
there is a new cast
the editing is tighter
same fucked-up story

iii.
need to drive or dance
lip-syncing helps stem thinking
he can still hear them

Ian Row

Spot Haiku 7

i.
helpful and smiley
looks good in a suit 'n tie
thinking girl's crumpet

Cathy Dineen

ii.
inertia
there is no cure
chocolat

Ian Row

iii.
What's (cough!) no (cough!) fun?
Upper respiratory tract
(cough!) infection (cough!)

Chris Gill

iv.
sweaty palms, dry throat
rising anticipation
hot beach date tonite

Cesca Alice

v.
pre tax or post tax
my new threshold for living
a life less simple

Ian Row

vi.
Penguin on a plate
With a glass of French Champage
Oh Pingu, not you?

Paul Rozario

three good deeds today
puts me in pole position
"Christian of the week"

Sweet organics
back to nature
buy a hand

Karen McVean

Rolling in plenty.
Deck the skies with fireworks.
Groundhog day.

Karen McVean

New Year's Day
For the first time, a feeling
that change could come

PUT THE CAP BACK ON!
DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING?
fucking novice

Ian Row

faulty ticket machines
entire stretch of albert street
someone's been busy

Ian Row

notebook, left in park
open, blank; no commitment
no loss

Ian Row

A Birthday Haiku

the fan base is strong!
old friends and new interns
life is linear

Christmas 2006

i.
St.Mary's recreates
Bethlehem; there were real camels
and one hot Joseph.

ii.
Lunch with the Kings and
their two blind friends; what does a
memory look like?

iii.
Carols by Candlelight
Glitter in excelsis deo
Faux Christian spirit

iv.
Secular Christmas
Swept up in Pictionary
Jesus who?

v.
The twenty sixth,
Post-Christmas dissonance.
No way, not this year.

Separation

separation
the state of play
a state of mind

Ian Row

Ultimatum

ultimatum
my terms
but your call

Ian Row

Iggy

for rey

too late to hydrate
the pet iguana dies
unexpected grief

Ian Row

Two haiku about my parents

v a g u e a n d i n c o m p l e t e
morphing into my father
con-fusion

my mother
eighty - a milestone
a hurdle

Ian Row

A Haiku about Lying Down

Lying down to rest
Mind , body relaxed and limp
Ah! Sweet lassitude

Chris Gill

A Haiku about a Duck

The most complete duck
is the duck only half seen
(its nature: to swim).

Chris Gill

Spot Haiku 6

i.
rude man on the phone:
"you call that public service?"
bite me, big fella.

Cathy Dineen

ii.
Distant calling invading headspace
Trying to ignore but strangely drawn
Stop-Write-Now

Shell Pocock

iii.
hot, bothered, grumpy
inhaling secondhand smoke
bushfire season

Cesca Alice

iv.
Kitsched with holly
Beetling christmas shoppers, streets full
Summer sigh.

Karen McVean

v.
Double time and a half...
times two! That's one hundred and four!
Christmas hourly rate.

Ian Row

Tough Love

Tough love
Strategy or weapon
Either way, progress

Ian Row

It’s going to rain
And snow. He has a fireplace -
Christmas in Queenstown.

Cathy Dineen

Alternative Plan

Alternative plan -
Drug-free new year's eve with me
You know you want to

Ian Row

Horoscope

Today's horoscope
A life span, life's plans, threatened
What if I said 'no'?

Ian Row

An Afternoon with Ian

i.
Tooth extraction
Latex hands, I look towards the ceiling
Empty space.

ii.
Waiting for the lift
He said, she said, intimate banter
Hearts fill.

iii.
Christmas garden party
Name tagged, platters, cold ones and soft serves
Sung off key.

iv.
Workplace acceptance
Better on, best practice, friendly diversity
Homophobia stains.

v.
New CEO wields: restructure
We dig into our pockets for egos and loose change
Shoulders spent.

Karen McVean

taxi driver
looks like andrew lloyd webber
capriccioso

Ian Row

CaR witH WoBbLy WhEeLs
sLoWLy RoLLs DoWn pOtHoLeD rOaD
dUsTy BuMpEr BuMpEd

Chris Gill

beer, steak and salad
lazy competition time -
lawn bowls in Fitzroy

Cathy Dineen

Laundry Amnesty

Laundry Amnesty
T-shirt, tank top, both aren't mine
No questions asked

Ian Row

Eyes averted
Head pounding and bowed low
Day after the office Christmas party

Shell Pocock

forty two degrees
fails to deflate, to suppress
intermittent longing

Ian Row

Midst year end hoopla
its hard to focus on the
baby in the barn.

Cathy Dineen

the things you say
random error or reflex
makes no difference

Ian Row

Back to work today
from my camping holiday.
Mind blank, inbox full.

Chris Gill

brunch in a french cafe
upper west side NYC
blue crisp clear day

Lynne Alice

a moments passion
ending too quickly in pain
hikki on my neck

Cesca Alice