Time Out at Moreton Island

Last week I had the privilege of spending 5 days camping on Moreton Island with my partner Craig.  Getting away from everything (internet, phone, housework, day job etc) really recharges my batteries and gives me time out from thinking 'logical' and 'practical', enabling me to daydream a little and focus on the natural world around me.  This focus gives me the starting point for more conceptual-type thinking which doesn't come easily to me when I'm surrounded by day-to-day issues at home. 

Whilst at Moreton, I spent my time planning a small series of artist books based on my experiences there.  In particular I delved into the world of 'Haiku', an Asian form of poetry.  Haiku is loosely based on a 3 line poem of 17 syllables.  More importantly, writing and reading Haiku is like a spiritual journey - traditionally it refers to a season or some aspect of the natural world.  This journey is one of mindfulness and becoming aware of the smallest detail.  In my Haiku, I have explored the banksia flowers and the honeyeaters feeding on them; the feeling of my toes in wet sand; as well as the effect of bushfire and oil spills on the landscape.

This is my first experience of Haiku and I loved it.   Once the flow of writing Haiku started, I couldn't stop it - thinking about the poems as I swam and snorkelled (unfortunately there was no way of writing it down at the time!)

Here are a couple of samples of my first attempts (work in progress!), enjoy....

Banksia cones open
Black branches point to the sky
Beginning and end

Honeyeaters perch
On golden banksia cones, open
And rich with nectar

Sand Bubbler's burrow
Neat balls of sand surround it
Radiating out