March 21, 2009 - Workshop and Kukai

Blue Room - Pacific Asia Museum
Front Row: Wendy Wright, Peggy Castro, Lynn Allgood, Elva Lauter, Margaret Hehman-Smith, Deborah P Kolodji, Phyllis Collins
Back Row: Michael Angerman, D'Ellen, Tom Billicke, Kathabela Wilson, Ines Foley, Gini Carr
Not Shown: Susan Rogers, Janis Lukstein

The Southern California Haiku Study Group had its monthly workshop and kukai in the Blue Room of the Pacific Asia Museum on Saturday, March 21st. Fifteen enthusiastic haiku poets made for a lively and fun meeting. Debbie brought an edible kigo in the form of homemade Irish soda bread, still warm from the oven, which disappeared quickly.

A discussion of season words turned up the following: Irish soda bread, cherry blossoms, jade plant, chilly day, blossoms, green new growth, spring sunset, sowing seeds, weed wacking, eating outside/dining alfresco, daylight savings, buds budding, dew/wet grass, chestnut trees turning, horses shedding, first days of spring

Some high scoring samples from the kukai:

under the magnolia tree
I look for
yesterday's blossoms

- Phyllis Collins

shell-gathering --
a row of tiny shoes
on the sea wall

- Wendy Wright

raindrops
on the windowpane --
a sea of grass outside

- Elva Lauter

warming my hands
on a hot cup of tea --
first day of spring

- Margaret Hehman-Smith

Afterwards, in keeping with the season, we dined alfresco at El Portal Restaurant. The next workshop and kukai will be on April 18, 2009.

February 21, 2009 - Workshop and Kukai

Japanese Magnolia blossoms in the museum courtyard

On Saturday, February 21st, the Southern California Haiku Study Group met at the Pacific Asia Museum for its monthly workshop and kukai. Elva Lauter, Peggy Castro, Alvin Thomas Ethington, Lindy Hill, Taura Scott, Gloria Siegel, Sharon Hawley, Michael Angerman, Deborah Kolodji, Genie Nakano, Hideki Obayashi, Janis Lukstein, Kathabela Wilson, and Wendy Wright were present.

After a read-around of our own haiku, we had a reading of Issue #45 of Mayfly. Several native Southern Californian members of our group had never heard of a mayfly, but Lindy Hill, who once lived in Illinois, described the aquatic insect and its very short life cycle for the rest of us, giving us a greater appreciation of the haiku journal's name.

The following words were suggested as kigo prompts for the season:

magnolia, new growth, red bud, first green, lovers, orange blossom, cymbidium, strawberries, President's Day, sapling, weeping willow, crocus, snowmelt, birds of paradise

We then had a half hour writing session, followed by a kukai. The following haiku scored highly in the kukai:

wisteria
a longing for what
might have been

- Peggy Castro

turning a corner
I pause --
two white doves

- Elva Lauter

snow melts
to spring mud
my stuck car

- Michael Angerman

footsteps sound
on cobbled stone --
winter's end

- Wendy Wright

Our next workshop and kukai will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.