Swimming in Lines of Haiku: images

Showing posts with label images. Show all posts

Friday, April 18, 2014

Roofless

9:30 am yesterday the roof was ripped clean off the home I share with my husband in Matamata. It landed in the neighbour's paddock. Both my hubby and I were unharmed, and were evacuated off the property by the Fire Service. After more hours of stormy rain we returned and found the ceiling collapsed in. We're now safely settled at my parent's home in Te Awamutu.

Our kitchen-diner open to the elements and me trying to save what I could.

sun shower outside inside

My study where the magic used to happen.

My thanks to all who have sent messages of support through Facebook, and offers of books (haiku and more) to replace my sopping wet ones. Special gratitude to my parents who've helped with everything over the past two days. I'll keep in touch . . .

Thursday, March 20, 2014

At Haiku On Now - Beautiful Haiku Journals For You

I've been crazy busy for the past week getting a range of beautiful haiku journals ready for release in my online shop Haiku On. Now they're here for your writing pleasure! Buy yours now.

Choose from cherry blossoms, origami peace cranes, century old oaks, and more. All priced at US$11.99 with your choice of blank, lined, or task pages inside. Find your inspiration here.

Buy this journal and others at Haiku On

http://www.cafepress.com/haikuon

This range of beautiful haiku journals are ideal for writing down your haiku, poetry and other ideas throughout the year. Be inspired by the cover images taken by me, Kirsten Cliff, from the big backyard that I call home - New Zealand.

If you're anything like hubby and I, you'll love doing your writing in these ring-bound journals. Yes, I do write haiku and other ideas down on sticky notes, old envelopes, serviettes, and even a used ice cream stick one time at the beach! But I wouldn't be without the pages of a lovely journal.

So buy yourself a journal and come join me! :-) Haiku On - Taking you on a haiku journey.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

December Daze

Things have gotten hectic this month. Even if you're not a big Christmas person you certainly can't help but get caught up in the rush of others as they proceed to shop, celebrate, and ready themselves for the big day. All this extra buzz and busyness makes things like supermarket parking difficult and appointments for haircuts hard to come by, even in a small country town!

So you'll find me at home making some Christmas cards for family and putting the finishing touches on my 2014 calendar of haiku and photography, which I invited my hubby to be a part of this year. We have six months each and it's pretty cool to have our two styles represented within the pages for our family to enjoy.

Below is my last calendar page for 2013. Click on image to enlarge.

I achieved some big things this year: the biggest of all being completing my first poetry collection and sending it in to the Snapshot Press Book Awards. It will be a long few months yet before I hear anything back about the contest, but it's exciting enough to have fulfilled my goal and the rest is out of my hands for now.

Another big highlight of my writing year was being part of A New Resonance 8: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku (Red Moon Press). I still have copies of this for sale, so please get in touch if you'd like one to give as a Christmas gift to yourself or to someone else. Just send me an email.

2013 also included writing tanka sequences with Pamela A. Babusci and Seánan Forbes (a delight); judging the junior section of the NZPS International Haiku Competition (great fun); coming 5th in the open section of the NZPS International Haiku Competition (yay!), and editing a month of dream haiku thanks to The Haiku Foundation's 'Per Diem:Daily Haiku' feature. Hard to believe it's all coming to an end . . .

So, what does 2014 hold? In regards to the writing realm I'm not sure, but stay tuned!

Sunday, November 3, 2013

My November Calendar Page

(click on image to enlarge)

This shot was taken about this time last year just down the road from where I live. The haiku appeared in The Heron's Nest volume XV, number 1 (March 2013). Love this page! :-)

You can find other pages from my 2013 Calendar of Haiku & Photography here, and the 2012 one here. Enjoy!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

the relaxing haze (haiga)


(click on image to see enlarged view)

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

October's in the Air

October page: 2013 Calendar of Haiku & Photography (click to enlarge)

See other pages from my 2013 calendar here and my 2012 calendar here. It really is time to start on 2014 . . .

Monday, September 9, 2013

After Her Funeral

after her funeral

the duck shooter's

constant call

A Hundred Gourds 2:3, June 2013

Saturday, September 7, 2013

White Cherry Petals . . .

white cherry petals . . .

her family gathers in spirit

for the wedding

A Hundred Gourds 2:3, June 2013

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Fiji Wedding

Last month I spent a wonderful six days on Fiji's Castaway Island with my family for my brother's wedding. Here's a photo of the happy couple . . .

Fiji wedding--
between their vows
the sound of waves

At the wedding reception there were quiz cards, which they had devised to encourage mingling. I was so pleased to see that one of the questions was: Who is a recognised poetry judge? Answer: Kirsten Cliff :-)

Me with my brother Cameron after the wedding ceremony.

I love to swim and so enjoyed the beautiful blue ocean and warm weather away from New Zealand's winter. I swam with the fishes, without having to worry about jelly fish! I also saw the coral reef in a glass-bottomed boat.

It was cool exploring the rock-pools when the tide went out, something I remember doing as a child. I saw crabs, sea snails, and the striking blue starfish that is the symbol of Castaway Island.

And the sunsets!

I also had some wonderful meals, including a traditional Fijian feast complete with entertainment. All in all a fabulous holiday, and an emotional time seeing my brother get married. I would definitely go back, but doubt that's happening any time soon! Maybe I'll make a Fiji calendar for my family for 2014, though . . .

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

"A" is for August and Apple and Art

I thought it was about time I posted some more of my calendar pages. August is below:

(click on image to enlarge)

My 2013 calendar of haiku and photography was created by me for my family. You can see all the pages to date on this new page: Kirsten's 2013 Calendar of Haiku & Photography

Friday, June 21, 2013

After His Death

     at the roadside
     after his death
     wild roses

          am Straßenrand
          nach seinem Tode
          wilde Rosen

Chrysanthemum 13, April 2013

Haiku & photo by Kirsten Cliff

German translation by Editors

Monday, June 17, 2013

Orange Sunset

     merging with
     this orange sunset
     frog song


          in diesen orangenen Sonnenuntergang
          klingt ein
          Froschgesang

Chrysanthemum 13, April 2013

Haiku & photo by Kirsten Cliff

German translation by Editors

Monday, June 3, 2013

A Hundred Gourds Haiga

A Hundred Gourds 2:2 March 2013 (click on image to enlarge)

The June 2013 edition of A Hundred Gourds is now online. I'm in there with two haiku and a tanka prose piece, along with work from many other wonderful poets. Get stuck in! :-)