Lorraine Haig’s first collection of haiku, Curving into Light, follows her two earlier poetry collections: Ocean of Sky (2014) and Paddling the Canoe (2021). Curving into Light was released by Forty South Publishing in 2023.

Lorraine’s haiku are drawn from her travels throughout Australia, including her home state of Tasmania. They reflect her love of landscape and nature, depicting scenes and situations that capture the essence of this country. The book is well set out and comfortable to read, with no more than two haiku on a page.

When reading Lorraine’s haiku you’re struck by the way each poem ‘takes you there’, takes you right into the moment. Takes you to an instant of recognition, or awareness, or recollection that reveals something about yourself as well as the subject of the poem.

garden path
a joey’s ears
full of surprise

twisted pine
the ooze of resin
from a cracked limb

Lorraine’s poems can provide insights into the beating heat of a summer day, or the contemplative quality of evening:

sharp stars . . .
fairy penguins scattered
on a moonless beach

fading light
bird chatter settles
into frog song

Of course, haiku is a form of poetry. And these haiku make good use of poetic technique. Rhythm, alliteration, assonance and consonance are all on show, yet they’re never used in a way that overpowers the delicacy of the moment being portrayed. Achieving this balance is not easy when writing haiku, but Lorraine reminds us that haiku are enriched when these techniques are used effectively.

late summer
a tattered rope
touches the river

years of drought
an old gum wind whittled
down to its trunk

deserted beach
the clatter of stones
in a swell

day’s end
five kelpies cooling
in the trough

While many of the haiku in this collection describe what might be called the natural world, quite a number introduce a human element. Invariably, this is done in the context of a natural setting or with a seasonal reference.

squid rising
the soft banter
of fishermen

small brown bird before I could name it

girls in bikinis
the freckled skin
of apricots

Curving into Light is a beautifully crafted haiku collection that captures the character of Australia, its flora and fauna. You can purchase a copy online from Forty South Publishing via this link.