Celebrate Valentine's Day with my FREE Chapbook!

I haven't been participating in NaHaiWriMo this February. But I have been getting creative with haiku, and have come up with this: my first chapbook!

Click here to download my eChapbook

"If you miss love, you miss life." ~Leo Buscaglia

A mix of twenty haiku and tanka with the theme of love. It's my gift of love this Valentine's Day. Please feel free to print it out and pass it on to those you love.

I'm also researching creating print copies for purchase, so please let me know if this idea interests you. Watch this space for future projects coming soon!

how can I repay

all the people who've created

my recovery?

I will write poetry

& learn the layers of love

The Detour: A tanka sequence with Pamela A. Babusci

The Detour

A Tanka Sequence
by:  Kirsten Cliff, NZ
& Pamela A. Babusci, USA

a breakfast
of pills & cold toast
out the hospital window
this world i used to know
passing me by

who am i
trapped in this body
invaded with cancer?
looking at the infinity of stars
i touch the hand of grace

still unsure
of how long this ordeal

will last . . .
the stories i tell myself
between waves of nausea

losing all my hair

from chemo... 
gaining
more humility & compassion
on my life's journey
 
a new awareness
of my inner strength—
free in the wind
these Tibetan prayer flags
frayed, but full of colour


Kirsten Cliff is a Leukaemia cancer survivor   
& Pamela A. Babusci is an Ovarian cancer survivor

Published in Skylark 1:2, Winter 2013

You can now download a FREE copy of Skylark 1:1, Summer 2013 here. This tanka journal edited by Claire Everett is hands-down my favourite thing on the haikai scene. Have a read for yourself! :-)

Mindful Writing Day 2013 -- my small stone

with the weight of the day I find my mind has crumbled
somewhere, the wail of a peacock, the clock's tick
and a dream awaits it's place in my journal


A FREE gift: The latest anthology of small stones, A Blackbird Sings, will be free on kindle on the 1st and 2nd of November.

Find out about Mindful Writing Day and small stones, brought to you by Satya Robyn. You can post your small stone here.

Happy National Poetry Day New Zealand!

That's right, today is New Zealand's Poetry Day.

How will you be celebrating?

Check out this link to find an event in your area.


I'm pleased to announce that I have finally finished putting my poetry collection together this month, and that is certainly something to celebrate! As I write, my manuscript is being read by three generous and talented poet friends so I can get some feedback before moving forward.

While we're all waiting to see my collection come out in book form (it will happen!) why not check out A New Resonance 8: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku, which I featured in this year with my biggest ever crop of haiku in one publication: 15. It's almost like having a chapbook, in an anthology with 16 other chapbooks! :-)

You can read the first New Zealand review here, written by Tony Beyer. He writes of my work . . .

"Kirsten Cliff's characteristic sensitivity is demonstrated throughout her contribution:

wind gusts--
the letter was not
meant for me

Nature and human nature, co-dependant in our existence, operate in harmony through her lines. She stands up well in this international company and richly deserves the wider audience her inclusion in A New Resonance should bring her."

I have for sale copies of A New Resonance 8 (Eds. Dee Evetts & Jim Kacian, Red Moon Press 2013). If you'd like your copy signed by me, sent from Hobbiton, and with one of my handcrafted cards as a free gift to you for your support, then please contact me here. I'd love to hear from you!

Me beside the "Welcome to Hobbiton, Matamata, New Zealand" sign in my hometown. (click on image to enlarge)

My July Challenge: I Quote, You 'Ku

Welcome to July, dear readers! The month of my birth in which I want to celebrate haikai with you.

Everyone loves a good quote, has a favourite or two, whether they're a writer or not. I am no exception and so have gathered together 31 quotes that have touched me for the month of July to bring you “I Quote, You 'Ku”. 

What you'll need to do to take part: write a haiku or tanka inspired by the daily quote posted on Swimming in Lines of Haiku to form a haibun (or tanka prose). Place it in the comments section, and then enjoy reading other participants 'ku! You can write a new haiku or tanka each day, or feel free to post previously published poems, or a mix of both.

This daily challenge was inspired by Aubrie Cox's I Doodle, You 'Ku, practices in Margaret D. McGee's Haiku - the sacred art (where she writes haiku sparked from bible passages), and Jim Kacian's Haibun Masterclass at the 2012 New Zealand Haiku Conference.

My gift to you: everyone that posts a poem in the comments section as least once will go into the draw to win a copy of A New Resonance 8: Emerging Voices in English Language Haiku (eds. Jim Kacian and Dee Evetts, Red Moon Press 2013). The last day of July is my birthday, but I'll do the draw on August 1st so that the Northern Hemisphere has caught up.

Call it a challenge, call it an experiment, call it a learning exercise, call it a daily writing prompt, call it a community collaboration. Either way I do hope that you'll call it fun!

• Find I Quote, You 'Ku - Day 1 here and post your 'ku in the comments section there.
• Find I Quote, You 'Ku - Day 2 here and post your 'ku in the comments section there.
• Find I Quote, You 'Ku - Day 3 here and post your 'ku in the comments section there. 
• Find I Quote, You 'Ku - Day 4 here and post your 'ku in the comments section there. 
• Find I Quote, You 'Ku - Day 5 here and post your 'ku in the comments section there. 
• Find I Quote, You 'Ku - Day 6 here and post your 'ku in the comments section there. 
• Find I Quote, You 'Ku - Day 7 here and post your 'ku in the comments section there.

A Fool's Paradise of Free Holiday Reading

electric blue

beds are burning

like a virgin

“Electric Blue” by Icehouse

“Beds Are Burning” by Midnight Oil

“Like A Virgin” by Madonna

Above is my short found poem from song titles that was published in Aubrie Cox's latest Yay Words! project, Fool's Paradise. You can find out all about it and download your free copy here. Enjoy!

Fool's Paradise cover by editor Aubrie Cox

A Big Small Kindness

Big thanks to the girls at Cafe Botannix Bethlehem last Wednesday who turned off the music that afternoon at my request. My hubby has Asperger's Syndrome and he has extreme noise sensitivity as a result. It can be really hard for us to find a quiet place to treat ourselves to a coffee. We seriously appreciate the kindness these staff members showed. It meant the world to my husband at that moment. YOU ROCK!

This blog post is part of the Small Kindnesses Blogsplash. You can still get involved. Find out all the info here. As part of the blogsplash Fiona Robyn's novel Small Kindnesses is FREE on Kindle today. Enjoy! :)

With Cherries on Top

Super stoked to find that the pdf book of haiku and senryu from the 31 Different NaHaiWriMo Prompters in August 2012 is available now for FREE download! With Cherries on Top: 31 Flavors of NaHaiWriMo, edited by Michael Dylan Welch can be found here. 

I'm grateful to have the following four haiku included (hubby has one in there too!) along with so many other writers from the online haiku community. Thanks to Michael for the ideas and for putting them into action; thanks to the 31 daily prompters, and thanks to all those who took part in the Facebook haikufest that is NaHaiWriMo.


laundry day . . .
when did my feet
last touch the sand

     (Sand prompt from Vincent Hoarau) 


                              growing dusk . . .
                              the stillborn calf
                              is taken away

                              (Birth prompt from Christina Nguyen)

the lion in her  full moon

     (Lion prompt from Alegria Imperial)

                              psychiarist's office—

                              the painting of a boat
                              hung off-centre

                              (Boats prompt from Alison Williams) 



P.S. Also available for FREE download is the pdf book of small stones from Mindful Writing Day, edited by Fiona Robyn and Kaspa. You'll find that here. Enjoy all the weekend reading! :)

A Blackbird Sings

I'm very pleased to let readers know that the 2012 anthology of small stones is now available on Kindle, and for pre-order on Amazon. A Blackbird Sings: a book of short poems is edited by Fiona Robyn and Kaspalita and will have a special launch on November 1st, the first ever Mindful Writing Day. Once again, people from all around the world with gather to pay attention and write it down. These small stones will be gathered by Fiona and Kaspa and published on their Writing Our Way Home blog, where they'll be giving away five free paperbacks of A Blackbird Sings to their favourites. And also on this day the Kindle version of the anthology will be FREE! Find all the Mindful Writing Day info here. I hope you'll join us. :)

Here are my two poems in the anthology, which are in good company, including many of my haiku poet friends:

Cover by Ken Hurd

gold moon

my nose pressed against

cold glass

                         empty glass
                         the sound
                         of his sobs

It's My Birthday This Month & I'm Giving YOU Gifts!

Yes, July 31st is my birthday and I'm celebrating with you by having a book give-away!

Become a 'follower' of Swimming in Lines of Haiku this month and I'll put you in the draw to win a copy of the taste of nashi - New Zealand Haiku (Windrift, 2008).

standing naked
in moonlight -
the taste of nashi
           ~Sandra Simpson

It's easy!

• Sign up to be a 'follower' via Blogger or Networked Blogs.
• Once you're a follower, please leave a comment on one of my posts and I will put your name in the hat for the draw.
• One entry per person during the month of July, 2011.
• Winner drawn at random on 2nd August, 2011.

As July 31st 2011 is also the 2nd anniversary of my engagment - if I have more than twenty new followers during the month, I'll also draw a winner for a 2nd book, Before the Sirocco - The New Zealand Poetry Society Anthology (NZPS, 2008).

autumn wind
following her footsteps
through the leaves
                   ~Sophia Frentz



Do come and join me at Swimming in Lines of Haiku where I explore my poetry journey and help you with yours by offering discussion and information on competitions/workshops/calls for submissions and websites/books/people of interest.

Written A Poem About Writing?

Then it could be just right for Excellent Writing - an e-newsletter for writers. Editor Janie Sullivan is looking for poetry about writing or the writing life to use as fillers (100-150 words) along with quick tips relevant to writers, website/blog reviews, news bytes and drawings or cartoons.

A poem I wrote for NaPoWriMo has been accepted for the May issue - "A Journey in Three Masks". And I've had three of my quick tips for freelance writers accepted, which will run over three issues. (This was my submission for week 17 of 2011.)

Jane is also looking for articles and features for Excellent Writing so check out the Writers' Guidelines. There's no payment for contribution, however Jane is offering a FREE advert in the newsletter so contributing writers can promote themselves.

Jane is great to work with, enthusiastic and quick to reply to emails. She has made up my advert for me, complete with photo, and I'm really looking forward to the May issue of Excellent Writing coming out on Monday. You can subscribe here.

Passing On Some Gifts This Easter

Happy Easter weekend, dear writers and readers! In the busyness of travelling and family and outings: I hope you'll take some time out for yourself this long weekend to notice something fully each day and write it down.

Or maybe you could start with reading Fiona Robyn's FREE e-book How to Write Your Way Home. It contains simple instructions to help you feel more connected to yourself and to the world, information on hunting and polishing small stones, advice on how to build a creative network and much more.

You can also hear more about this practice of writing small stones in the video clip below by Fiona and Kaspa: the beautiful beings behind the river of stones project, which will be running again in July. Come join us!

The Haiku Foundation FREE Haiku Contest on Facebook

The Haiku Foundation is pleased to announce its first-ever haiku contest on Facebook! It starts today and will run through to the end of November 2010. This contest is FREE.

Jim Kacian, the founder of The Haiku Foundation, will be judging and will offer a copy of this year’s Red Moon Anthology for the top three haiku. Anyone may enter one haiku by posting it in the comment section of the post about this contest on The Haiku Foundation Facebook page.

FREE online haiku self study course

When I was first teaching myself about haiku in 2007, I started with two things. One was The Haiku Handbook: How to Write, Share and Teach Haiku by William J. Higginson with Penny Harter, which I still highly recommend today. It's a book that I dip into a few times a year, and I've even used the lesson plans in it for teaching children haiku. If you're in New Zealand, you can buy it from Fishpond (my favourite online bookstore).

My other main learning tool was a FREE online haiku self study course, which I still recommend to beginners: In The Moonlight a Worm...  

You will see on the left hand side under 'The Lessons' section, 'Basho's Spirit', the third one down says 'self study' - just click on that and follow the instructions. There is also a 'Show Don't Tell' lesson with a self study module, which is great learning for any genre of writing.

This self study course is a great introduction to haiku. The website also has information for teachers with lesson plans that you can download, photocopiable poem sheets and a reference section.

I hadn't looked at this website for a while so had forgotten that they had resources for those teaching haiku. I'm going to check out the lesson plans myself now!

The FREE e-newsletters about writing that I read

Weekly:

FundsforWriters -
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/FFW.htm
FFW Small Markets -
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/smallmarkets.htm 

Both edited by C. Hope Clark, founder and editor of FundsforWriters.com, a website, family of newsletters and ebooks about incomes streams for writers.

Monthly:

New Zealand Book Council E-newsletter - http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Readers/Newsletters/Information.htm 
Newsletters from the Victoria University centre of the International Institute of Modern Letters (not strictly monthly)
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/modernletters/resources/newsletter.aspx
Helen Heath's Monthly Newsletter (recently signed up so haven't received first issue yet)
http://www.helenheath.com/

What writing related e-newsletters do you read and recommend? Please share via the comments section.

FREE 28-Day Creativity Journal

Do you want a FREE 28-Day Creativity Journal? Well you won't get it from me! But I can point you in the right direction.

Head to the Creative Muse Coach http://www.creativemusecoach.com/ Fill out the Creativity Survey and get your FREE 28-Day Creativity Journal as a thank you gift!

So why would you want to do this?

The Creativity Survey "Your Creativity and You: Blocks and Dreams" is an on-line survey being conducted by Creative Muse Coach to discover how creative people address obstacles to expressing their talent. I found this to be very interesting and it helped me begin to recognise what my creative goals are and what's blocking me in my pursuit of those goals. It was worth the 10-15mins I spent filling it out.

The FREE 28-Day Creativity Journal. I have been using this journal, which recipients can print out for their own use, and am up to my fourth and final week. It has been a very enlightening journey and one that I'm very happy to have taken.

The journal begins with an explanation of its use...

"This journal was developed to support you in your creative process by providing a place to record your inspirations, track your challenges, and deepen your connection to your Inner Muse."

The journal uses the 9 Most Common Creative Blocks as identified and defined by Creative Muse Coach. By signing up to Muse News (an e-newsletter) you will receive a FREE e-course about these Creative Block Busters. So you can learn exactly what's holding you back instead of lumping it all under 'procrastination' and beating yourself up yet again!

Before you begin the journal, you list your creative goals. This had me focused right away. Then each day you fill out things like how you fed your muse, your creative successes, what your creative blocks were and how you overcame them. All this has made it clear to me where I'm spending (or wasting) my time and energy, what activities truly feed my creative self, how much time I'm spending creating, and what my main creative blocks are.

So I've gathered a dossier of information about me and my inner muse. I know what to work on and what activities to do everyday to keep myself fed. Could you benefit from having this knowledge about yourself?