WA Poets Inc publishes the quarterly online poetry journal, Creatrix. WA Poets is the peak body for the development of poets and poetry in Western Australia.

Each issue features haiku and longer forms of poetry, with haiku and poetry prize winners selected from the four issues published over the calendar year.

In 2022, the Creatrix Haiku Prize winners were chosen by Coral Carter, Rose van Son, Barry Sanbrook and Gary De Piazzi. Congratulations to Debbie Strange from Winnipeg, Canada, who was awarded First Prize for the following haiku:

heated debate
even the fence
is barbed

While this poem was written in Canada and could, perhaps, be set in a number of countries, it most certainly evokes the hot, harsh farming environment of rural Australia.

Second prize was awarded to Western Australian poet, Jaya Penelope, for this poignant haiku:

cancelled event –
my dress hangs
empty

Perhaps the event was cancelled due to a distressing personal circumstance, or perhaps the haiku relates to a pandemic experience. Whatever the situation, the reader can clearly feel the emotion of the moment.

The following two haiku were Highly Commended for the 2022 year:

Aussie outback
inverting the umbrella
to catch rain

(Maureen Sexton)

cooking for one
she leaves the door
ajar

(Gregory Piko)

The WA Poets website presents issues of Creatrix, and Prize Winners, dating back to 2008. The site provides a wonderful selection of haiku and other poetry to enjoy.