an open field

November: a month that begins with a syllable of prohibition then slowly denies us colour and warmth. My father's brother has died at 91. This morning’s frost refuses to melt. I watch a day moon swallowed by smoky clouds; leaves shroud the bare earth beneath the apple trees. But tonight, as if his age and health are no more than a random number, a misconception, my father's voice on the phone so clear, so bright. And the sky beyond the orchard fired by sunset. Yes. Oh yes. fall I try not to First published in CHO July 2017

In his book  Haiku: A Poet's Guide 1 , Lee Gurga points out the risk of writers attempting haibun 'before they have acquired sufficient skill at writing haiku'. 'Fine prose with poor haiku,' he says, 'makes poor haibun.' But the reverse is also true: fine haiku with poor prose also makes poor haibun. What your story has to say will gradually reveal itself to you and your reader through every choice you as a writer make . . . 2 The writer must decide what larger meaning the story represents and lead the reader to that. 3 Both these quotes come from writers' handbooks I have on my bookshelf. The first is a guide to writing fiction, the second to non-fiction but they both share an acknowledgement that our written stories, imagined or experienced, need to mean something to our readers and that making writerly choices ensures meaning will be communicated. Haibun writing possesses its own specific craft challenge, i.e. the effective balance ...

Enjoy the April 2015 issue of CHO which includes: Featured writer: Harriot West The winning haibun in the 2014 Jerry Kilbride Memorial English Language Haibun Contest  An interview with Ray Rasmussen Lynne Rees tackling language choices in her essay exploring 'Theme and Meaning in Haibun' And of course a selection of outstanding contemporary English language haibun from writers across the globe. Here's a little taster from contributor, Lynn Edge . Rancher's Wife My husband can barely walk, but he goes out and checks his cows every day even though he's down to only fourteen head. He hopes to drop dead in the pasture. How can one compete with that kind of devotion? a cow bawl carries through the mist almost winter Contemporary Haibun Online 11.1 April 2015

If you're interested in haiku writing you're no doubt already aware of the web journal Contemporary Haibun Online.  Jim Kacian, and his editorial team, published my first haibun here back in 2007 as well as in their sister print publication the annual anthology Contemporary Haibun (Red Moon Press), about to celebrate its 15th issue. So I'm fizzing with new year delight to announce that I'll be one of three new editors at CHO after April 2014 alongside Bob Lucky (Editor in Chief) and Marjorie Buettner, both of whom are internationally successful haiku and haibun writers themselves.  All my writing energy from the last two years was spent in the research and writing of Real Port Talbot, an upbeat and offbeat story of my hometown in South Wales, UK. Amongst the 70,000 words of history and commentary you will find some poems, some memoir and a few haiku, although they are in the minority. But editing other people's work always inspires my own and I am sure t...