Category Archives: poetry

poetry, Senryū

Cry, the beleaguered country

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I cry mustafa
impertinent refugee
wanting just hope

Another verse inspired by a client, this one a refugee kept in Limbo for ten years by successive Australian governments. I won’t relate the circ’s – don’t want you to cry.

Mustafa: Origin: Arabic. Meaning:
The chosen one.
poetry, Senryū

Anzac mourning

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Culture cliff note:-
Anzac: name given to soldiers of Australian & New Zealand Army Corps.
~
Anzac Day 25 April 2023.

naive anzacs attack
murderous fetid scarred place
eight months on defeat

On the morning of 25 April 1915, Anzacs set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula, in support of the Allied forces’ goal of defeating Turkey. After a courageous but ultimately disastrous campaign, Allied troops were withdrawn from Anzac Cove and Suvla Bay between 15 and 20 December 1915.

poetry

Missing William II

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we sit on gift seats
watch kangaroos bounding by
brought to town by drought

Ten years back, drought brought lots of kangaroos to the outskirts of Melbourne Australia. There are still a few kangaroos in this Dandenong park, but most have returned to the country, now it is lush again.
Back then, we found two fancy kitchen chairs perched on top of a hill. Someone had carried them through the bush and left them there, overlooking what was once native land.
We watched about thirty kangaroos bound up the hill and race by us to the cover of the bush. Wonderful.
~
Back in 1842, a Native Police Corps was established here, ostensibly to deal with disputes between Aboriginal and European people across Victoria. The area included a camp for Aboriginal people wanting to escape ‘loss’ of land to settlers and severe harassment. In exchange for meagre rations and very rugged shelter, they had to do manual labour, attend school classes and religious services. The ‘Port Phillip Aboriginal Protectorate’ ran that camp from 1840 to 1844.

Today I managed to snap this pic from a distance before this lovely fellow bounded over the hill to disappear.

https://davidwdon.wordpress.com/2022/06/23/william-and-a-ginger/

Haiku, poetry

Topknots out on the tiles

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colourful flappers  
clear whistling sound from feathers
whenever startled
The crested pigeon (often called a Topknot in Victoria) makes a distinctive whistling sound when it takes off (esp. if startled). The sound is produced by air passing over uniquely shaped feathers on the wings.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/crested-pigeon/#:~:text=The%20Crested%20Pigeon%20is%20found,absent%20from%20the%20denser%20forests.

Haiku, poetry, Senryū

Anni verse ry

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Tea and forgiveness

burnt rice in the tea
justified to energise
sadly tastes that way

Today is the anniversary of posting my first verse on this site.
My very first senryu, ‘Tea and forgiveness’ was inspired by reading more traditional Haiku by Carl Setzer and originally posted on his site. Thanks Carl. You are in no way responsible for my errant ways. https://carlsetzer.net/author/questionsall/