Author(s): Lyn Reeves (Editor); Vanessa Proctor (Editor); Rob Scott (Editor)

Poetry

So briefly there it might never have existed, the haiku is nevertheless a worldwide phenomenon. As you read each haiku here in the time it takes for a frog to swim the length of a pear leaf, your senses will fizz like a rocket landing in an armchair. When you take up this book, each haiku will be a path you'll follow then gladly lose. You'll wonder at visual jokes being made out of words. And just as the butterfly puts so much effort into being so light, you'll wonder, does the haiku compress or expand the world? Does it vanish into its possible meanings or is each haiku, like autumn leaves, competing to be the most strangely beautiful object on the forest floor? If Superman can dissolve into tears at a children's party, it is perfectly okay for you to be udder-punched by a newborn haiku of less than a dozen words coming at you from a deep white page. Kevin Brophy Emeritus Professor, University of MelbourneAlive with birds and frogs, suffused with the threat of bushfire and flood, these haiku sing with the uniqueness of Australian life. The skill on show is breathtaking, as distinctive individual voices lay bare moments of joy, loss, awareness and connection to inner and outer landscapes. I loved reading this tremendously strong collection. Esther Ottaway Winner, Tim Thorne Poetry Prize, Arts Tasmania Literary Awards, 2022